The Helena independent., 1893-11-30
HIS REPLY TO BLOUN7.
Ex- Minister Stevsns Tells His Side
OF the Story About
Hawaii.
Says Blount Put Himself In the
Hands OF Royalsts and
Englishmen.
All His Actions We're Designed Solely t.
Disorsdit tho Harrison Admi n Istra-
tion-biount Consradicted.

AUGUSTA, Ne. Nov. 23.-Ex- Minister ste-
venS snawsf to Com issioneY BIount says:
"A deep sense Of my obligation TO my
country and a ministers duty to defend IA
insult threAtsned against q strugpliuu
American colony. planted ~ rightsousiy
and firmly on the north Pacific isles - our
pilgrim fathers established themselves on
Plymouth Rock. demand .hst / shall an
swsr the attending mis- representations
and untruths of Com III issioner Bloupt's
Iors ON Hawaiian Affairs. Not wishing
to be severe on q neophyte in diplomacy.
with no knowledge of the worlds affairs
outside OF his own country, sent on a vssy
peculiar errand. amid currents and quick
sands entirely unknown to him, I "a. he
has bssn partly . victim Of circumstances,
having been caught in tho meshes and
| snares adEoitly prepared for him by cum
ming advisers Of fallen Liliuokalani, and by
a shrewd. sharp. long experienced British
diplomatic agent. whose aims and hopes
Blount has served 80 we'll. and without the
least suspicion that he was aiding ultra
British interests even more than hs was
helping Hawaiian monarchists.
"It is clear enough from Blounts man.
ner from the day Of his arrival at Homo
lulu, rs we'll - by his letter to the depart
ment of state, w5itssn shortly after. that
he designed at whatever cost. TO repudiate
the views and action Of the recently ssrni-
mated administration. and that in order to
do so he must impuQn the action
of Minister Stevens and the commander
of the United States steamer Boston, .
total stranger. II was impossible for Mr.,
! Blount to know how uniting IL was for
him to take mp his quarters whore he was
ce tain to be sur ounded by royalists. and
whore the supporters Of the PROVISIONAL
government would be reluctant TO 90. As
precautionary safeguard against shutting
out Americans from ready access 10 Com
missioner Blount. wealthy and highly re-
spectacle widow lady OF the American
colony was ready to grant the use Of her
missioner to pay the same amount il would
cost him 30 live at the Eeyalist
hotel. As dslieately NJ cosld.
stated tat, !, N ,n' .,,onsna Stlss. ~. poia.ins
be wonld be near the archives Of tho leQa-
tion, which he could conveniently use, and
which would be pleased a. once to place
at his disposal. BrusQuely he refused the
courteous and honestly intended offer OF
his countrymen. and at once placed him.
self among royalists and ultra British sur-
roundinRs.
''Tae inuations and implications in
BlonnSs report that I was sysEss TO his
access to legation records Is . sh m eless
perversion of facts" Referring to Blount's
assertion that no put an end to Hawaiian
anxiety about Japanese encroachmentA
Stevens recites in detail numerous inter
views with tho Japanese minister
prior to Blounfs arrival. and
says Blount's claim Is pure assumption.
He saws that the response to tho call Of
tho committee OF safety to land mon from
the Boston docs not appear In the files Of
the legation The meaning of this insinu-
alton 10 obvious. Enough to say there
| never was any such document. ! received
| the invitation of the committee Of safety
Information on the same subject. I should
have requested Capt. Wiltz 10 have landed
his force even had net the committee re-
| Qusstsd it.
"Blount squarsly asserts I promised to
aid the committee Of safety By force. This
ia smphatioally and cateRorically untrua.
In reply TO rival parties At different times.
whether representatives of ths queen OF
opponents my answsr was always the same
that 4 force should not land until danger
should be plainly imminent. and then only
TO protect American life and property. and
TO no one did ever hint thar l could or
would recognize any but the de faoto gov
srnnsnt whether nonarohial or rspub-
lican. The best answer to the baseless
charge that promised TO use force against
his officers and men TO remain passive
and that no force was TO be used"
Stevens devotss considerable space 10
showing the dis equitable character of per-
sons furnishing atlidavits to Blount, beng
sspe eeially ssve's on John +. Colbourne. A.
P. Peterson. Charles l.. Hopkins and DIR.
Frossevu. He says the testimony of hum
dreds such would not counterbalanoe The
words of Minister Thurston, President
Dole and Henry Waterhouss among honest
men who know the respective parties. "As
TO Wilson. the queens favorits for many
years, whom BiounS attempts to white
wash. will NOS soil these pages by giving
even notorious fAots in his regard.
"As TO my recognition of the provisional
government. reaffirm what l said in my
recent letter TO Secretary Gresham, that
Queen Liliuokalani inaugurstsd revolution
by attempting to destroy she constitution
by revolutionary means. From SatuT day,
Jan. II, to Jan. 16. thsre was no govern
ment in Honolulu except In the united and
self possessed attitude of citizens who
assembled in great mass meeting Jan. l6
| and cons sum N atsd their efforts Tor law and
order by establish ment the provisional gov
eminent on the l7th, which was romptly
acknowledged by all foreign representatives
who were familiar with the circumstances
Of its creation. 1t was nearly City hours
after Iiliuokalani and her favoritss had
destroye6 her thronc by . revolutionary
outbreak whom tho men of The Besten