The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1893-12-12

| IuIly constituted OF seVoral uen Vi
high judicial character, to act with
perfect impartiality for the attain
ment of truth and justice.
Instead of this, we find Presi-
dent Cleveland ignoring the exist
ence of this American colony and
of these civilized American institu-
tions. He evidently sees in Hawaii
nothing more than another Samoa,
| whose rights and interests are
mainly those vested in its aborigi-
nal people. It's political complica-
tions arising from the incompati-
bility of native rule with the
dominant foreign civilization are
to be dealt with as in Samoa, by
replacing the native ruler. The
strong, cultivated, dominant Ameri-
can colony, owning three-fourths of
the business wealth of the group,
he regards merely as a group of
flibustering "aliens." A protest
against them by the deposed abor-
iginal Queen he decides off-hand in
her favor upon the representations
of her emissaries, without a hearing
granted to the other side. And
then, to complete the job, he COM
missions Col. James H. Blount, of
Georgia, to go out to Hawaii and
make the inquiries and collect the
facts necessary to substantiate the
conclusion already adopted and
justify the action already deter
mined on in the Presidents own
mind, and privately communicated
to the fallen Queen and to the Eng
lish guardian of her heir.
AS already pointed out, Mr..
Blount carefully concealed his real
object of inquiry in dishonorable
and treacherous espionage. Be
sides this, his methods of collecting
and collating the evidence upon
which to base his report were the
opposite of the methods of judicial
inquiry and impartial search for
truth. Mr.. Blount's meth DDS were |
simply those of a shyster attorney
who aims to make out case and |
to obscure the truth.
1t is now learned for the first
time by the Hawaiian public that
Mr.. Blount secretly procured scores
of ex parte affidavits in evidence of
what he was sent to prove, that
the Queen was dethroned by
the aid and support OF the Ameri-
can forces. Why did he not take
this evidence openly that it might
be overthrown if possible by cross
examined and counter evidence?
The only possible answer is that
Blount was shyster and wanted
but the truth.
On the other hand, it had been
observed by the friends of the Gov
'rnment with wonder and doubt,
hat he seemed to be somewhat
lverse to free importation of knowl-
,dge from their side. 1t was
noticed that many of their leading
nen who were most intimate with
public affairs and events were never
lsked for their evidence at all,
.lthough they were pointed out to
he Commissioner as most import
mt sources of evidence. Promi-
lent among such persons was P. C.
ones, Minister of Finance for
,eriod of several months before
nd after the revolution, and whom i
lr. Blount took pains not to con- :
I
ult.
Of the friends of the Government !
'hom Mr.. Blount interviewed, he J
cry commonly avoided asking I
uestions bearing upon his main ]
bject of inquiry, of which they t
eing ignorant, did not press infor- 7
lation upon him. Such a witness t
'as the Chief Justice whom the Q
commissioner questioned for four !
ours, but asked him nothing u
bout how the revolution was ac- :
although the eminent c
itness was intimately acquaint- d