Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-30

with the proposed Arrangement. A commit
zee .! shree American citizens, born and
educated in the United States the sl,pariors
OF Mr. Blount in education and manner
men VINO had not taken part in the rev
olutiohary proceedings of the preyious
MeekS-went on board the Rush when that
| Nessel came into the harbor. while l was
courteously meeting Mr. and Mrs Blount
| on their arrival.
| Insulted by BIount
AL the request of three American gentle
men introduced to Mr. Blount. his manner
OF receiving their visit repealed. and they
asked me TO state the reasons why IL would
De pleasant to him and better for all con-
cerhed not to go to the royalists' hotel but
10 take residence on neutral ground, where
ne would be master of his own surround
lngs. AS deiicately as could do So l stated
the offer of the committee of his country
men, pointing out to him that by accepting
their proposition he would be near the ar
chlves or the legation. which he could CON
Venlently use, and which would be pleased
at once to place at his disposal Brusquely.
not 10 say lnsultingly, he refused the cour-
| teous and honestly intended offer of his
countrymen, and at once placed himself
amid royalists and ultra-British surround
lngs, the British legation being near this
| royalists hotel. at which the British min
lister soon took residence and living
| Inc effort in his report to cast imputation
on the provisional government and myself
as TO the ofrer of an American house 10 an
American commissioner will b. estimated
| at Its true value by the American public
Commissioner Blounts manner toward me
IN lhe following week would not allude to
mere were IL not absolutely necessary TO do
so. 1t is well known to all who have knovl-
edge of diplomatic rules and customs thar
when new diplomatic agent arrives at the
| capital TO whose government he is accrei-
tied his predecessor and the occupant of the
legation should receive him courteouslv
| proffer his services TO his successor inform
MIN or the existing state of affairs, and, as
soon as convenient, give him access to the
/ legation archives. This did promptly and
had he awaited himself of the kind offer Of
his countrymen as to residence. he could
nave occupied the room at the legation
/ containing the official records which I wa g
ready to offer him. He coldly repealed my
kindly intended offers, did not allow me TO
SNOW snow 10 MIN the customary forms of intro
ducing him to the foreign diplomatic Off
Gals and to the chief public men of Homo
! lulu. How much of his singular course in
these regards was due TO want of lnowl-
edge, and how much to his already matured
purpose to make out case against the
United States minister, the naval com
mander and the provisional government
the American public must Judge.
All insinuatons and implications in
Blounts report that ] was averse to his &C
cess to the legation records is a shameless
perversion OF tacts. To show the chara cter
OF the men into whose environment he SO
quickly placed himself / took to him the
printed dispatches of Minister Merrill TO
Secretary Bayard, the printed records of
the recently adjourned legislature, contain
ing the recorded votes for and against the
lottery gang, the recorded votes as to the
recent changes of ministers. the official COPY
OF the lottery charter-evidence of decisive
value, If he had really come to Honolulu for
any other purpose than TO convict Harri-
sons administration and the Senate foreign
affairs committee of hasty and il-advised
action in January and February last.
lie II
those important documents in his room
showed that he cared not to receive them
and the general drift of his report indicates
that he did not even read them.
Ignoring his inferiority of official rank
which, according TO established rules the
world over, was below that OF minister resi-
dent, between a consul general and charge
d anaires, with the utmost effort of will
controlling my outraged sensibilities; while
su3erfng-a TERRIBLE affifction at the recent
sad drowning of a gifted and beloved
daughter. 1 endured this insolent treatment
after thirteen years of service as United
States minister, without a stain ever before
attempted to be made on my official honor
and my fidelity to American prestige and to
American interests: never during nv sew
enty-three years of life having lifted nv
voice. my hand or my rife against the flag
OF this American republic. The charges
implications and destinations of Commits
sioner Blount against President Dole Min
lister Thurston and the other chief men of
the provisional government. are as baseless
and unjust as those against myself and
Capt. Wiltse, now sleeping in his honored
grave.
Reckless and Eek Parte Statements.
But it is well for me to be no more spe-
cific in meeting our opponents recklessly
partisan and ex parte statements and argu-
ments.
Under the date of April 81 he saws he
disapproved OF a request of the provisional
hat Ia
landed for drill. here affirm that the
provisional government never made such
a request The provisional government fol- |
lowed the exact course followed under the
monarchy. Whenever the naval comman-
der desired to drill his men on Shore in &C. |
cordance with naval regulations he so ]
signired to the United States minister, who
made the request of the Hawaiian govern |
ment, through the minister of foreign af-
fairs. To my knowledge, at the period of 1
winch Blount speaks, the provisional gov
eminent preferred that the American SOL
diers and marines should not land for drill |
because OF possibilities of ill-feeling and |
broil between men of other naval vessels
then in the harbor; but they granted these
requests only as friendly and customary
What Blount says about the japanese
is equally ex parte absurd and
egotistic. For weeks after his arrival in
he had not even met or shaken
with the japanese minister
touching certain incidents of suspicion
and alarm in Honolulu regarding some OF
the japanese in the islands and the sudden
appearance there of a powerful Japanese !
in addition to a smaller vessel
there in February and March prior to Mr..
Blounts arrival, 1 had taken the most
prompt precautionary steps, and fully in
formed both Secretaries Foster and Gres-
nam, who were at the head of the Depart
nent OF state in those months. How much
'oIld foundation there really was for the
and anxiety in Hawaii in re
gard TO the Japanese Ii was impossible posi-
lively to ascertain. But the circumstances
were such that would have been dereltct
Is minister Of the United States not TO
nave been vigilant in the discharge of my
iuty. Several weeks before the fall of the
monarchy l had been authoritatiyely in
ormed that the newly Japanese
would press on the Hawaiian /
government the demand that the Japanese
n the islands should have the right OF suf-
rage precisely as the American European ,
md native-born Hawaiians enjoyed IL under ,
he constitution of 1887.
Plans of japanese Frustrated.
Not long after the provisional govern
nent had been established. prior to Blount,s |
trivial. I received positive information both {
rom the japanese minister and from the
hawaiian minister of foreign affairs. of the I
enewal OF the demand of the right of suf- S
rage of the japanese residents, and there
vas known to be much ferment, If not an c