The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-11-21
STEVENS AND BLOUNT.

The disjointed and incoherent summary
OF Personal Agent Blounts report on
Hawaiian Island affairs during the revolu-
ton of January does not strengthen the
administrators position. 1t would have
been better for Cleveland and Gresham
that it had never been made on the prin-
ciple that an unknown cause is sometimes
more powerful than the same cause after
its nature and force are known. Mr..
Blount has told the public nothing they
did not know before, but the effect to tell
something warrants the conclusion that
there is practically nothing to tell.
The first bit of secondhand testimony
that Mr.. Blount presents is the statement
of one T. Wundenb berg, from which the
following is an extract:
The committee Of safety met In the Office OF
w. o. Smith, on Fort street, at o'clock on
the afternoon Of Monday, January 16, 1898, for
the purpose Of discussing the steps necessary
to be taken in the formation OF new govern
ment After The committee met they decided
they were not ready for The landing of Amer.
Jean troops, and a committee of three, with
Thurston as chairman was at once dispatched
10 the American legation TO prevail on Minister
Stevens to delay the landing of the Boston's
men. The committee returned shortly ana
said Stevens said to them: Gentlemen, the
troops Of the Boston land at o'clock this
not" d
Following is an extract from the state
ment in the Kennebec Journal, dated
November y, over Minister John L.
Stevens signature:
Queen Liliuokalani inaugurated the revolu-
ton by attempting to destroy the constitution
by Revolutionary means. From Saturday AFTER
noon, January IA TO January 16, there was no
Government In Honolulu except In the united
and self possessed attitude OF citizens, who as.
sembled in a great mass-meeting on January
16 and consummated their efforts for law and
ORDER by the establishment of the Provisional
Government on the 17tb which was promptly
acknowledged by all the foreign representa-
tiyes who were familiar with the circumstances
of its creation.
1t was fifty hours after Liiuokalani and her
favorites had destroyed her throne by revo.
lutionary outbreak when the men of the Boston
landed. In the exciting hours preceding and
following her fall her representatives as well as
those who form the Provisional Government
had equal access to The legation. To all
proper inquiries my answer was that the
United States marines could not take sides, but
whatever de facto Government might exist
would have TO be recognized. When ] did
recognize it, late in the afternoon of the 18th,
TIC 0OfoIuU1cul WAS complete mas
ter OF the situation, had full control Of the city
and the Government archives. the police station
being surrounded and at the mercy of the Pro-
yisonal Government
Mr.. Wundenburg represents Minister
Stevens as declaring that troops should
land ON the 18th, while the fact is estab-
lished that the Provisional Government
was recognized on the 18th. Dates in this
case are important as indicating the atti-
tude of the United States toward the new
Government of Hawaii. Personal Agent
Blount lays considerable stress upon the
fact that Minister Stevens recognized the
Provisional Government before the police
station surrendered. This Mr.. Stevens
admits, but asserts that the police station
was surrounded and at the mercy of the
Provisional Government.
Mr. Blount goes out of the way to bring
In negative evidence that ex-Marshal Will
son did not hold the relation to the Queen
that he has been represented as holding.
Unless residents of the island are greatly
mistaken the denial is unimportaDt. The
character of the court circle while Liliuo-
kalani was Queen was such that Marshal
Wilson could neither help nor hurt it.