The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-12-15
DIGNlFIBD ANSWER OF TIE
DIPLOMAT.
False Statements in the Report Of
CIeveIand's Man Friday
Pointed Dat.

Minister Stevens gives the folIowin,
answer to Commissioner BIount:
"a deep sense of obligation to my
country and a Minister'S duty to de
fend an insult threatened against ,
struggling American colony, planted
as righteously and firmly on the NortI
- facific isles as our Pilgrim Fathers
established themselves on Plymouth
Rock, demand that make answer tC
the astounding misrepresentationsa nC
untruths of Commissioner BIounps re-
port on Hawaiian affairs. Not wish.
Ing to be severe on a neophyte in dip.
lomacy, with little knowledge of the
worlds affairs outside of his own
country, sent on a very peculiar err
rand amid currents and quicksands
entirely unknown to him, L say that
he has been partly victim of circum-
stances, having been caught in the
meshes and snares adroitly prepared
for him by the cunning advisers of the
fallen Liliuokalani and by the shrewd,
sharp, long-experienced British dip
lomatic agent, whose aims and hopes
BIount has served so well, and with
out the least suspicion that he was
aiding ultra British interests even
more than he was helping Hawaiian
monarchists.
at is clear enough from Blounts
manner from the day of his arrival at
Honolulu, as well as by his letter to
the Department of State written
shortly after, that he designed, at
whatever cost, TO repudiate the views
and acts of the recently terminated
Administration, and that in order to
do so he must impugn the action of
Minister Stevens and the commander
of the United States steamer Boston.
ga total stranger, it was impossible
for Mr.. Blount to know how uniting
it was for him to take up his quarters
where he was certain to be surround
ed by royalists and where the sup
porters of the Provisional Govern
ment would be reluctant to go.
"AS precautionary safeguard
against shutting out Americans from
ready access to Commissioner Blount
a wealthy and highly respectable
widow lady of the American colony
was ready to grant the use OF her
house to Mr.. and Mrs. Blount, the
commissioner to pay the same
amount it would have cost him to
live at the Royaiist Hotel. This po-
lite offer of an American resident to
an American Commissioner did not
originate with the Provisional Gov
eminent, nor die the Provisional
Government have anything whatever
to do with the proposed arrangement.
"The committee of three American
citizens, born and educated in the
United States. men who had not
taken part in the revolutionary pro-
ceedings of the previous weeks, went
on board the Rush when that vessel
came into the harbor, and at the re-
quest of the three American gentle
men introduced them to Blount.
His manner of receivir i, tbrir visit
repealed them and they askt me to
state the reasons why it would not be
pleasant to him and better for all con-
cerned not to go to the Royalist Hotel,
BIO take up his residence on neu-
trail ground, where he would be mas
ter of his own surroundings.
GAS delicately as L could, stated
the offer of the committee of his coun-
trymen, pointing out to him that by
accepting their proposal he would be
near the archives of the Legation,
which he could conveniently use, and
which 1 would be pleased to at once
place at his disposal. Brusquely, he
refused the courteous and honestly
intended offer of his countrymen and
at once placed himself among royei-
lists and ultra-British surroundings.
"AlI insinuations and implications
i'm Blount's report that / was averse to
his access to the Legation records is
shameless perversion of facts. L took
to him the printed dispatches of Min
lister Merrill to Secretary Bayard and
the printed records of the then recent
ly adjourned Legislature, containing
the recorded votes for and against the
lottery gang, the recorded votes as
to the recent changes of Ministers and
an official copy OF the lottery charter
evidence of decisive value if he had
really come to Honolulu for any other
purpose than to convict 1arrison's
administration and the Senate For
eiOn Affairs Committee OF nasty ana
iIi.adyised action in January and Feb
ruary last.
"His manner, while allowing me to
leave these important documents In
his Toofn, showed that he cared not 10
rsceive them, and the general DRIFT OF
mis- reply indicates that he did not
even read them. Under date OF April
Dist he says he dlsapproved of the re-
Quest of the Provisional government
hat the American forces be landed
for drill. here affirm that the Pro-
yisional Government never made such
a request. The Provisional Govern
ment followed the exact course fol-
lowed under the monarchy"
Referring to Blounts assertion that
he put an end to the Hawaiian anxi-
ety about Japanese encroachments,
Stevens recites in detail numerous in
terviews with the japanese Minister
prior to BIount's arrival, and says
BIount's claim is pure assumption.
He continues: Gin Blounts report, |
as given to the press, find the fol-
lowing: two leading members OF
the committee, Messrs. Thurston and
Smith, growing uneasy as to the |
safety of their persons, went to Minis |
ter Stevens to know if he would pro- !
tect them in the event of their arrest |
by the authorities, to which he gave |
his assent 1t is enough TO say that |
there is not n semblance of truth In |
this assertion of Blount, made by him |
without his ever having limited it to |
me. or made any inquiry of me on the |
subject. He thus gives the signature |
of his Endorsement to charge never |
even heard of until L found it in |
Rlount's printed report.
He says that the response to the |
call of the Committee of Safety to |
land men from the Boston does not |