The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-11-22
DENOUNCING BLOUNT.
Hawaiian Minister I'll hurston Now
Takes Hand.
HE CHARGES MISREPRESENTATION.

There Was No CoIIusion between Minis
tor Stevens and the Provisional Govern
mcnt, He Assc rts, and the Revolt Was
Against Proposed Oppression.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21.-Lprrin A. Thurs
ton, the Hawaiian minister, gives out a
lengthy statement In replyto the charges
contained In Mr.. Blount's report. The
statement is in part as follows:
"Mr Blount charges thai tho American
troops were landed under a prearranged
agreement with the committee of safety
that they should so land to assist in the
overthrow OF the queen.
"In reply thereto / hereby state that at
no time did Mr.. Stevens or captain wiltze
assure me or the committee of safety, or
any subcommittee thereof, that the
United States troops would assist in over
throwing the queen, or establishing the
provisional g. ernment, and as a matter
of fact they did not assist. can produce
witnesses in support of this statement, of
the highest responsibility, in overwhelm-
ing numbers. ...#
''1he troops were landed to protect
American citizens and property, in the
event of impending and inevitable conflict
between the queen and the citizens, and
not to cooperate with the committee in
carrying out its plans. In TACT, the troops
did not cooperate with the committee.
"Mr. Blount charges that the queen had
ample military force, and that but for the
support of the United States representa-
tives and troops the establishment of the
provisional government wbuld have been
impossible.
"ln reply thereto I hereby state that,
although the presence of the American
troops had quieting effect on the rough
characters in the city, and may have pre-
vented some bloodshed, they were not es-
sentlal to and did not assist in the over
throw of the queen. The result of the
movement would have been eventually
the same il there had been no marines
within thousand miles of Honolulu.
1.-The troops did not land till Monday
night, the 10Th of January. after the revo-
luton had been in full progress since the
afternoon of Saturday, the 14th, during
which time the committee of safety was
openly organizing for the ayowed purpose
OF overthrowinS the queen.
at is admitted by all that the queen be-
gan the revolution at noon on Saturday,
the l4th by attempting to promulgate a
constitution; that such an attempt was
Immediately followed by preparation on
the part OF the citizens for armed resist
ance.
"on the afternoon of Monday, the 18th,
mass meeting of Q, 600 unRrmed men was
bcld within a block of the palace. Tho
meeting was addressed BY number OF
speakers, all denouncing the queen. The
meeting, with tremendous cheering ard
enthusiasm, unanimously adopted resolu-
tons declaring the queen to be in revolu-
ton and authorizing the committee to pro-
coed to whatever was necessary While
this meeting had been In progress another
meeting was being held BY the royallsts,
in the stree. within a block of the armory,
which adopted resolutions in support of
the queen. Never in the history of Hawaii
had there been more imminent eSpecta-
| tion of bloodshed and conflict than there
was Immediately after the adjournment
of these two radically opposed meetings.
| Mr. Blouut's statement that the com
| munity was at peace was grossly mac
| curate.
1t was at this juncture, two hours after
the adjournment Of the above meetings,
| that MIR Wiltzc and Mr.. Stevens, acting
upon their own responsibility and dis
cretion, and irrespective Of the request or
actions of the committee, landed the
troops.
Mr. Thurston then reviews at length the
uprising of 1887 TO prove That Minister
| Stevens acted wisely In landing thetroops
and thus averting bloodshed. He con
oludes as follows:
| at is unnecessary for me here to restate
the details Of the bitter constitutional con
fiict which had been carried on between
the queen and the legislature during tbs
Beven months prior to january last, mol
to speak of the intense indignation exist
ing among all classes of citizens by reason
of tho open and successful alliance of tbs
queen with the opium and lottery rings
The political liberties of The people hat
been trampled upon, and their mora
senses shocked. 1t simply needed the
added proyocation of the arbitrary attempt
to abrogate the constitution and disfran
chiso every white man in the country Il
spontaneously crystalize opposition into
force that was irresistible.
"In reply to the sneer that the person.
taking part in the movement wert
"aliens,n would say that every man o
them was by the laws Of the country
legal voter, whose right to the franchise
was, by the proposed constitution, to b,
abrogated. A large proportion Of then
were born in the country, and almost
without exception, those who were moi
born there had lived there for years
owned property there. and had made il
their home, They were tie men who hac
built the country commercially, agricul