Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1893-12-07
REPLIES To BLOUNT.
Ex-Minister Stevens Tells the Truth
About Paramount" Blount's
Official Errand.
Says Cleveland's Aristocratic Attorney Put
Himself IN the Hands of English
men and Royaiists.

Ex-Minister Stevens answer to
Commissioner Blount says: "a deep
sense OF my obligation to my country
and minister's duty to defend an in
suit threatened against struggling
American colony, planted as righte-
ously and firmly on the North Pacific
Isles as our pilgrim fathers established
themselves on Plymouth Rock, de-
mand that | shall answer the
astounding Misrepresentation and
untruths of Commissioner Blount's
report on Hawaiian affairs. Not
wishing to be severe on neopoyte in
diplomacy, with no knowledge of the
worlds affairs outside of his own
country, sent on very peculiar er-
rand, amid currents and Quicksands
entirely unknown to him, say he has
been partly a victim of circumstances,
having been caught in the meshes and
snares adroitly prepared for him by
cunning advisers of fallen Liliuoka-
lani, and by shrewd, sharp, long ex-
perienced British diplomatic agent,
whose aims and hopes Blount has
served so well, and without the least
suspicion that he was aiding ultra
British interests even more than he
was helping Hawaiian monarchists.
at is clear enough from Blount's
manner from the day of his arrival in
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 actions 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,
a total stranger. 1t was impossible
for Mr.. Blount to know how uniting
it was for him to take up his quarters
where he was certain to be surrounded
by royalists, and where the support
ers OF the provisional government
would be reluctant to go. AS precau-
tionary 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 royalist hotel. AS deli
cately as l could l stated the offer,
pointing out to him that by accepting
the proposal he wonld be near the
archives of the legation, which he
could conveniently use and which
would be pleased at once to place at
his disposal. Brusquely he refused
the courteous and honestly intended
offer of his countrymen and at once
placed himself among royalists and
ultra British surroundings.
"The insinuations and implications
i'm Blount's report that l was averse
to his access to legation records is a
shameless perversion OF facts" Refer
ing to Blount's assertion that he put
an end to Hawaiian anxiety about
Japanese encroachments, Stevens re.
cites III detail numerous interviews
with the japanese minister prior to
Blount's arrival and says Blount's
claim is pure assumption.
"He says that the response to the
call of the committee of safety to land
men from the Boston does not ap.
pear in the files of the legation The
meaning of this insinuation obvious
Enough to say there never was any
such document. l received the invita-
tion of the committee of safety fol
what it was worth, as / received Other
information on the same subject.
should have requested Capt. Wiltz to
have landed his force even had not
the committee requested it.
"Blount squarely asserts promised
to aid the committee of safety by
force This is emphatically and cate
lgorically untrue. In reply to riva