The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-11-30
STEVENS MAKES A
VERY POOR SHOWING.
His Explanations Explain But
Mighty Little.
STORY ABOUT THE HOUSE.
Some Faint Sarcasm and a Plea of
Not Guilty.
Dirt Thrown at Nearly all of the Men
With Whom Blount Had Inter-
views and Obtained His
Information.
STORY ABOUT THE HOUSE.

Augusta, Me. Nov. 29.-Following is
ex-Minister Stevens answer to Com
missioner Blount:
"A deep sense of obligation to my
country and minister's duty to defend
an insult against a struggling Ameri-
can colony, planted as righteously and
firmly on the North Pacific isles as our
pilgrim fathers established themselves
on Plymouth Rock, demand that I shall
make answer to the astounding mis-
representations and untruths of Com
missioner Blount's report on Hawaiian
affairs.
Not wishing to be severe on a neo-
phyte in diplomacy, with little knowl-
edge of the worlds affairs outside of
his own country, sent on very pecul-
far errand amid currents and quick
sands entirely unknown to him, l say
he has been partly the victim of cir
cumstances. having been caught in
meshes and snares adroitly prepared
for him by cunning advisers of the
fallen Iiliuokalani, and by a shrewd,
sharp, long experienced British diplo-
matte gent, whose aims and hopes
Bl0unt has served so we'll and without
the least suspicion that he was aiding
than he was helping the Hawaiian
monarchists and the Just dethrone-
ment of the queen.
1t is clear enough from Blount' S
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 action
of the recently terminated administra-
ton, and that in order to do so he
must impugn the action of Minister
Stevens and the commander of the
United States steamer Boston.
A total stranger, it was impossible
for Mr.. Blount to know how uniting
it was for him to take uD his quarters
where he was certain to be surrounded
by royalists, and where the supporters
Of the provisional government
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 cost
him to live at the RoyaIist hotel. This
polite offer of the American resident
to the American commissioner did not
ment, nor did the provisional govern
ment have anything whatever to do
with the proposed arrangement. A
committee Of three American citizens.
born and educated IN the United
States, men who had not taken part
in the revolutionary proceedings Of
the previous weeks, went on board
the Rush when that vessel came into
the harbor At the request of the
ed them to Mr.. Blount. His manner
Of receiving their visit repealed them.
and they asked me to state the rea-
sons whv it could not be pleasant to
him, and better for all concerned not
to go to the Royalist hotel but take
his residence on neutral ground, where
he could be master Of his own sur
roundings.
LAS delicately as I could. I 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 I would be pleased to at once
place at his disposal. Brusqueiy he
refused the courteous and honestly
intended offer of his countrvnen. and
at once placed himself among the roy
aliSts and ultra British surroundings.
in Blounts report that was averse to
his access to the legation records. is a
shameless perversion of facts [ took
TO him the printed dispatches of Min
lister Merrill to Secretary Bayard.
printed records of recently adjourned
legislature, containing the recorded
votes for and against the lottery gang;
recorded votes as to the recent changes
of ministers; official copy of the lot
terry charter; all evidence of decisive
value, if he had really come to Homo
lulu for any other purpose than to
convict Harrison's administration and
the Senate foreign affairs committee
OF hasty and ill-advised action in Janu-
airy and February last
His manner while allowing me to
leave these important documents in
his room. showed he cared not to re-
ceiye them, and the general drift of
his reply indicates that he did not even
read them.
Under date Of April q, he says he
disapproved Of the request of the pro-
vIsional government that the American
forces be landed for drill. here affirm
that the provisional government never
made any such request The provis-
ional government followed the exact
course followed under the monarchy
Referring to Blount's assertion that
he put an end TO Hawaiian anxiety
about Japanese encroachments, Ste
vens reciteS in detail numerous inter
views with the Japanese minister prior
to Blount's arrival, and says Blount's
claim is a pure assumption.
in Blounts report as given TO the
press, / find the following: The two
leading members of the committee.
Messrs. Thurston and Smith. growing
uneasy as to safety of their persons.
went to Minister Stevens to know if
he would protect them in the event of
their arrest by the authorities. to which
he gave mis- assent 1t is enough to
say there is not a 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 his sigma
ture to the endorsement of a charge /
never even heard of until l found it in
Blount's report
HE SAYS the response to the call
of the committee Of safety TO land the
men of the Boston. does not appear
in the files of the legation The mean
ing of this insinuation is obvious 1t
is enough to say there never was any
such document / received the invita-
ton Of the committee of safety for
what ii was forth, as / received other
information on the same subject
should have requested Captain Wiltse
to have landed his force, even had not
the committee requested il. Blount
squarely asserts that 1 promised to
aid the committee of safety by force
This is emphatically and categorically