Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-12-02

lonal government when the chief points Z
defence of the Queen, to wit the staten
house ard the barracks. had not surren-
| tered, and would not have surrendered but
for that recognition.
Again, ~ think it will be shown" Mr..
Blouut knew from the beginning what his
principals required to be shown. In his
next Liter that Of MAY 6, mailed only q
| month after the commissioners announce
ment that h. would soon begin his inquiry,
he declared that the inquiry was completed
ss far rs he was concerned:
Il do not see any occasion for my re-
naming longer here for the purpose OF
making further iequiry as 10 the condition
of affairs in the islands. I believe, how
ever, that my departure prior to your send
ing out a successor IN Mr.. Stevens would
result in serious trouble. Do not
infer from these observations that | have
any desire to remain here longer"
The evidence he had taken up to that
time, and forwarded 10 Mr.. Gresham, con-
sisted of Admiral Skerretts brief s'ste-
| rnent about his interview with Secr' tary
Tracy. proving. what nobody questions,
that the last administration was not hostile
to the idea of Hawaiian annexation; two
letters of Mr.. Thurston's, written two
months after the revolution. arguing for
| nexation; the Wundenburg statement.
| from the point of view of disappointed
person, who had failed to get the Office he
| wanted under the provisional government;
| the Cornwell, Colburn, and Carter state
| ments, from the point Of view of the de-
posed Queens ministry and friends; the
| interviews with Mr.. Damon and Mr.. Water
house, shaped by Blount precisely as IL he,
and not Paul Neumann, held a retainer
| and power of attorney from the Queen;
two or three letters and statements of minor
| Importance; and lastly, the affidavit OF
Paramour Wilson. Having accomplished
| that much in the way of one-sided investi-
| cation, the paramount commissioner does
not .'see any occasion for remaining lon
ger here for the purpose of making further
| inquiry rs to the condition of affairs in the
island" He Is ready, snd wants TO get
| home and write the report that Mr.. Cleve-
| land and Mr.. Gresham expect of him.
| Yet the official superiors of Mr.. BlouDt
kept him at work about two months longer
CLEARLY to the disgust of their facle but
| deadly homesick instrument. Why should
he be compelled to spend June and July in
the nonsensical business of investigating
| matter about which he had formed his CON
| GluSIODs cary liz MAY WI.
sense of Justice revolted at this treatment is
shown Ivy his insistent appeals for permission
to sail for home. Finally, on the last day of
July, the paramount commissioner assumes
that bis psramountcy extends to the )ntrol
of his own movements, and he boldly in
forms Mr. Gresham. in note amounting
almost to defiance, that he is coming home
ithout waiting for permission
| an vat aH.Ira mako g.
sarv for me to return home. The distance
between us is too great for me to wait for
any urther correspondence. It is not pleas
ant to reveal ones private affairs NOE do
intend to do so now. assume that neither
you nor tie President, under existing cir
cumstances could urge my further coDtinu-
anc, here
| And hcmeward the paramount commits
.ioner came propelled by steam and steered
by hi own individual, paramount respon-
sihilitv. The chronology of the mission
with which he md been intrus.ed by NJ
| Clev, Ian in the interests of Hawaiian roy
atty NAV be summed up as follows:
April 6,ls93.-M Blount reports his ar
rival in Hawaii. and announces that he will
soon begin his full, impartial, and thorough
investigation.
| April s-He announces his conclusion
that the Queens government was overthrown
BY the perverted influence of representa-
tives of the United States.
April 26--He puts in his first request to
be allowed to come home.
| NAV 6.-He announces that his inquiry is
completed, and that there is no occasion to
investigate further,
| MAY to July 3l.-He spends nearly
three months in chatting because he is not
allow ed to come home, and incidentally he
| picks up whatever comes under his eyes in
the way of further documents or testimony
| bearing on one side his side, and Mr..
Clevelands and Mr.. Greshams side of the
question He also writes out report en-
bldying and celebrating his conclusion of
| April 8.
July 3l.-Mr. Blount sails for home
without permission.
| Congress meets on Monday. 1t will soon
b. in possession of official copies of all of
til. documents relating to Mr.. james II.
Blount's memorable Inquiry into the cir
cumstances attending the Hawaiian revoih-
| ii IN Of last January. In considering the
f.ct- of the case. let Congress also consii-
the evidence afforded by Mr.. Blount's
Own letter. that he vas sent to Hawaii for
n, other purpose than to And pretexts for
policy determined upon in Washington
previon.ly to his departure; that he per-
formed the not very honorable task as
signed to him with such excessive zeal
that he reached his conclusion as to the
main question within two days after
he began the inquiry; that the remaining
one hundred and fourteen days Of his 80
journ in the islands were spent in terrifying
this conclusion, IS an advocate builds up a
case for the side on which he is retained; =
process largely superAaous, in Mr.. Blount's
own opinion. but forced upon the impatient
and homesick commissioner BY Mr.. Gres-
ham and Mr.. Cleveland.
Let Congress consider this and then re-
member that the conclusions thus reached,
and the report thus formulated by Mr..
Bouut, are absolutely the only Justification
or warrant presented by the administration
for the policy recommended by Secretary
Gresham; namely, the overthrow of civil
liz d government in Hawaii and the restora-
ton of monarchy, the policy of infamy
Curious Coincidence.
Boston Journal.
1t is certainly a curious coincidence that
the particular kind of aannels which Con-
gresham Stevens manufactures is given .
higher rate of protection in the new bill
than other fiannels. This may be only .