New-York tribune., 1893-12-17
1T PROVES A BOOMERANG.
THAT MYTHICAL DISPATCH FROM MR..
BLAINE
CAREFUL SEARCH SHOWS THAT NO DOCUMENT
WAS ABSTRACTED FROM THE FILES-TIIE
ADMINISTRATIONS CASE STILL
FURTHER DAMAGED.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRlBCSR.J

fBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIDrSB.J
Washington. Dec 16-The ntimation which
has come from certain quarters where the Ad-
Yninistration's Hawaiian policy still finds credit
that a supposed important letter from Mr.
Blaine to Minister Stevens is strangely missing
from the State Department records has proved
as serious a boomerang for the cuckoo party
as Secretary Greshams original moral duty
programme of monarchical restoration The ut
most astonishment is expressed by those most
familiar with the facts at the course OF the
State Department in permitting and, as is be-
lieyed encouraging the insinuation that a
damaging letter from Mr.. Blaine to Mr. stevens
had been distracted from the files or the state
Department 1t Is positively known 10 many
persons both inside and outside the Depart
ment. that the files of correspondence IN the
Hawaiian case prior to the incoming Of this Ad-
ministraton are complete. and that fact cannot
help being known to Mr.. Gresham himself VINO
has had the files carefully searched
All correspondence in the State Department is
numbered in consecutive order, and careful
examination of the files of the correspondence
during the Harrison Administration discoses
the fact that the numbers throughout run con-
secutivey and that dispatch has been ab-
stracted This fact, 1t is asserted. has peen
reported to Mr.. Gresham, and yet the insinua-
ton goes forth that letter by Mr.. Blaine IS
missing For some days the few Congressman
who are willing to defend the Administration
on faith and who, therefore, are more or less
in the confidence of the State Department, have
been insinuating to opponents of the Administra-
. ton that letter from Mr.. Stevens and one IN
response to /; by Mr. Blaine would be dis
closed, which would make 1T uncomfortable Tor
the defenders of the Harrison Administration;
The Stevens letter was finally published, and
hlan
parently to cover its failure to do any damage
the malicious suggestion was started that its
true import could be judged only in the light
of the mythical reply from Mr. Blame as yet
unhappily undiscovered. ,
A well-known public man. who during the last
Administration thoroughly familiar with the
work Of the State Department, Is authority 1or
the positive statement that no such reply as the
apologsts Of the Gresham restoration policy
fancy to be In existence ever was penned ms
man stated to-day that he was with Mr.. Blaine
when the Stevens letter which was published yes
.terday handed to him. He said that Mr..
Blaine read the letter aloud and spoke OF II as
II he regarded II as Of no great importance, De-
lieving that Mr. Stevens's apprehensions were
not justified. The same autho1ty stated ai .nai
the only reply sent to the letter was a formal
acknowledgment Of its receipt without any an
swer to the questions or further instructions
This formal acknowledgment appears In the
records of the correspondence of the State De-
partment and 1t is asserted positively that there
Is no break in the numerical order. all the cor
respondence being absolutely complete.
The motive and reason of Mr.. Stevenss letter
are disclosed in the letter itself. Mr.. Bayard had
given instructions to the American Minister at
Honolulu not only to protect American citizens
and their property, but to use the American
forces to preserve peace and order on the isands
Instructions in fact, which amounted almost to
a protectorate With the possibility OF an out
break and no instructions resembling those OF Mr
Bayard the inquiry of Mr.. Stevens was to as
certain whether IL was the desire OF the Harri-
son Administration that these instructions should
still hold and whether. consequently ne should
use the available American forces TO protect the
Queen. The import Of Mr.. Stevens's letter Is re-
rarded generally as entirely antagonistic to the
idea that he and Mr.. Harrisons Administration
were In a conspiracy at that time TO overthrow
the Queen. the question in contemplation being,
on the contrary, whether they should protect the
Queen against revolution.
There is still much confusion as 10 the IN
structions given to Mr.. Willis. 1t Is asserted
that several members of the House and Senate
have seen these instructions In 80 far as they
q no in writing and that they are a mass or
words put together to conceal thought, ana
a re subiect to almost any construction. III Is
q aserted however, that Mr.. Cleveland, either In
vritirg or verbally, instructed Mr.. Willis to re-
sort if necessary TO the same means Tor the re-
instatement of the Queen as were employed ior
her overthrow. The statement that such IN
structions were given is attributed to Mr. Cleve-
land himself. 49, ,. .a.u.o.,,o
documents II is said that the first private COM
rnunication Of correspondence to congressman
made by the State Department did not include
the abatement made by Mr.. Ashford concerning
the private character of Lihuokalanl Ihe later
versions Of the correspondence, however, 90
contain this.