The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-14

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13.-In the course
day, referred to Blount's report. 10 his
judgment that was a most dangerous
report-too dangerous for any Senator
to base any serious attack upon or
against the character of any private
citizen Of the United States. He
(Frye) affirmed, without hesitation,
that Blount,. in his report, had not
written one line of truth, nor given one
unparalleled opinion nor rendered one
impartial judgment. On the other
hand he gave unstipted praise to ex
Minister Stevens, upon whose actions
Blount's report reflects SO severely.
Frye went on TO say that he had no
doubt that 1t might become necessary
to break down Minister Stevens. He
had just received reliable information
(reading from a slip of paper) that the
purpose OF the administration was to
charge that Stevens was party to cor.
ruption, employed to break down the
queens government and to establish q
revolutionary government.
When Frye took his seat Vest rose
and addressed the Senate. He would
not, he said, have detained the Senate
for moment, but for the fact that ne
WAS on the eve OF leaving the city and
desired to avoid any appearance of
evading any responsibility in regard to
that question. 1t was hardly necessary
for him to say that he did not speak as
the advocate or spec al defender Of the
ad administration. He spoke as an Am
erican Senator and as an American
citizen in relation to questions involving
bs. ~ IL
country. 1t was greatly to be regretted
that partisan malevolence should show
itself so distinctly in debate on those
great questions.
Vest went on to iidicule the protein
sions set up by Stevens as to the Christ
ian character of those who had over
thrown the government OF the queen in
the Hawaiian Islands, and said that
they had "christianized the natives out
of their country" They had taken pos.
session OF the country under the name
of God and had then divided the lands
among themselves under laws made by
themselves. Stevens might be all that
he pretended to bean honest, God
like Christian. Vest did not question
that. and did not care anything about
1T. He proposed to treat him as he
would treat any other witness. He did
knowledge OF that gentleman for twenty
years authorized him to state in the
most public and emphatic manner that
a purer man, publicly and privately,
had never appeared on the arena of
American politics.
AS to Stevens reference 10 Blount as
a neophyte in diplomacy, Vest saw in it
only 1.-The God-like arrogance which we
have always heard from that quarter OF
the country" He again characterized
Stevens as "a foul-mou thed, scurrilous
Witness" and he asked who, in the
Hawaiian Islands that was opposed to
annexation, had escaped Stevens bill
lingsgate.
He (Stevens) had taken every man in
the islands from the highest TO the
lowest rank in life, and had disposed OF
them seriatim by personal charges,
some of them criminal, and others SO
vulgar as TO prohibit him (Vest) from
criticising them further in the presence
of the Senate.
Coming to the question of taking
down the flag, Vest said that he would
like senators on either side to tell him
why the American flag had been hoisted
there. Was it to defend American SOW
ereignty on the Hawaiian Islands, or
WAS it to protect American property?
Vest went on to speak of the threat of
impeaching the President. The crime
committed by the President was lin the
minds of his opponents) that he did not
favor annexation of the Hawaiian
Islands to the United States. If that
constituted crime he (Vest) WAS
.esSssgR, of the Americans were crimio
nails.
The plain issue before u.s." Vest
continued, sis whether we are to break
down the traditional policy of this
country established by Washington, as
carried out by Jefferson, Madison, Jack.
son, Buchanan and noble Cleveland, or
are we TO part from that policy and
venture on the great colonial system of
the continental powers Of Europe?"
Vest defended tho appointment OF
Blount as commissioner and cited from
. minority report of the committee on
foreign relations numerous instances of
ilke'appointments in the past, dating
PACK 10 the administration of President
Washington and said that according to
the suggestion of Hoar last Monday the
iather or his country was then tread
ing On ice very slippery and very thin
too"
In conclusion Vest said: "If bad the
power would withdraw everv shadow
OF United States authority from the Ha.
waiian Islands, except 80 far as 1t NAV
be necessary to protect, under interna
tional law, tina property and persons OF
American citizens legitimately residing
there"
Gray cited numerous precedents in
support OF the appointment of Blount
az commissioner to Hawaii. Gordon. of
Georgia, took exception to that portion
OF trye's speech. in which that Senator
criticlsed blounts report as containing
not single unvarnished line of truth