The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-12-02
IHtRsroN's ANSWER.
His ENcellency Refutcs the siur, -
Paramount Blount.


WASHINGTON, Nov. 2l.-I.orrin A.
Thurston, Hawaiian Minister gave out
a statement tonight Of which the fol-
lowing is the substance.
After stating that the Hawaiian Lega.
ton at Washington has received no
official knowledge that Blount
had made any report at ALL he states
that large portion of the published
extracts from the report consist of per-
sonal attacks upon him and those as
sociated with HIM in the Provisional
Government, impugning their veracity,
good faith and courage and charging
them with fraud and duplicity.
MI. Thurston first calls attention
To Blount's peculiar method of
constructing II report stating
that although he IL mentioned
as being "a leader in the revolution,
Blount never asked him question con-
corning the same nor had he given him
any opportunity to make any statement
ill relation thereto. The same is true of
others who were leaders in the revolu-
tionary movement. Blount's evidence
consists exclusively of prepared aft
davIts. answers to leading questions put
by himself at private interviews, and in
no instance was any opportunity given
for cross-examination, contradiction or
explanation. After paying his respects
to Wundenberg and asserting that he
can produce positive evidence to show
that the United States marines did not
assist i'll the overthrow of Liliuokalani,
ana that the result of the movement
would have been eventually the same If
| al k,I 4
thousand miles of Honolulu.
Minister Thurston then advances the
following propositions:
There was absolutely no attempt al
concealment from the Government OF
the objects and intentions of the Com
mittee of Safety.
1.-THE Queens cabinet and supporters
were utterly demoralized, suspicious of
one another and devoid of leadership.
The Committee of Safety and its sup
porters were united; had ample force to
execute its purpose knew precisely
what they wanted, and proceeded with
intelligent elaboration, thoroughness
and confidence to do it. 1t is admitted
by all that the Queen began the revolu-
ton at noon Saturday by attempting to
p.omulgate a constitution, such attempt
being Immediately followed by prepare
tions for an armed resistance. and the
United States troops landed at five
o'clock on Monday"
In support of the first proposition
Minister Thurston states that he per-
sonally notified Peterson and Colburn
of the intentions of the Committee OF
Safety to depose the Queen as early
as six o'clock on the morning of
January 18th, and follows with a state.
| Of ha xuhich
after. detailing his own acts and con.
versations with Wilson and others.
In support of the next proposition
Thurston goes over the history of the
dissensions in the Queens Cabinet foui
. days previous to the revolution, giving
the gist of his personal experiences and
conversations with the members thereof
and makes this statement:
"Colburn further stated that at the
caucus of their party the previous Fri
day night that one of the members o
the executive, Kalanua by name, said il
he could establish new Constitution
he would die happy, if he could xii
five white men before dying. The
Queen was furiously angry at the re
fusalof the Cabinet to join in promul
eating the Constitution, and publicly
denounced them therefor. When tn,
: Queen made the announcement of he
. failure to promulgate the Constitution
|, two leading Royalist members of the ex
1 ecutive. one on the throne steps and on,
: on the steps of the building, addressed al
' assembled crowd. They denounced the
. Cabinet as traitors and said they want
ed to shed blood. One of them included
i the Queen in his denunciations. Dur
D ing the entire time between noon Sat
:. urday, the 14th, and the afternoon o
: Tuesday, the 18th, when the Provi
l sional Government was proclaimed
the Queens Cabinet was without a plal
of action and did practically nothin.
: but rush about the city cOnsultin!
6 6 with various foreign representative
and citizens of all parties as to wha
they had better do, begging the Amer
lean Minister for the support of tn
= American troops against the commit
: tee of safety, and securing from tn
;. Queen the declaration that she woul'
not again attempt to abrogate consti
! tuition, which they hurried into prin
. and distributed broadcast to try AM
! appease the Indignation of citizens an
: break up the proposed mass-meeting.
s'Ipporting his last proposition Min
= 81, = Thurston reviews the revolution
: 81 81 and 1889, and gives the undis
9 puted record of those events and wind
O up powerful and exhaustive lette
!. with the following;
a Under these circumstances | sui
% nit that the burden of proof is on thos
Q who claim the leaders of the Provision
/ al Government were not in power or a
8 organization of the Government an
f. could not successfully carry out revt
q luton in Hawaii. 1t is unnecessary fC
n me to state the details of the bite
l. constitutional conflict which had bee
v carried on between the Queen and tn
il Legislature during seven months prio
:. to January last, or to speak OF the IL
4 tense indignation existing among a
n classes of citizens by reason of the ope
d alliance of the Queen with the opiul
is and lottery rings. The political libe
n ties of the people were trampled upo
n and the moral sense shocked. 1t simpl
n needed the added provocation of tn
arbitrary attempt to abrogate the COZ
1t stitution and disfranchise every whit
II man in the country TO spontaneous
s. crystalize the opposition into fore
n that was irresistible. In reply to til
s. sheer that persons taking part in I'll
al movement were aliens, | would say
le every man the bylaws of the countr
ID gave legal voters the right TO franchis
c. and by the proposed constitution the'
l. would be abrogated. A large propo
NJ tion of them were born in the countr
n and almost without exception tho
b. who were not born there lived the
he for years, owned property there, al
s. made it their home. They were m'
Of who built up the country commercial