The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-12-05
State Department Confidential Letters
Printed 10 the Herald
WHILE SUPPOSED 10 Be SECURE
Under Lock and Key in the State De-
,ar,ment-How was Nordhoff Able to
Print verbatim Much OF Blounts Re-
port Before Published Elsewhere?
Special to The News.


NEW York, Dec. SIN letter to the
New York Sun, correspondent says: AS
you are aware, the third installment
of the materials collected by Colonel
Blount to serve as the basis of his report
was given out by the state depart
ment on the 25th OF November. On the
21st and 22d OF that month the New York
Herald had published two letters by Mr..
Charles Nordhoff, dated on the 18th and
14th respectively. In the former letter
Mr.. Nordhoh said;
/ have before letter from one OF the most
prominent and Trustworthy citizens % Honolulu-a
citizen of Hawaii OF many years standing not an
tlien-who writes, etc.
This is followed by long quotation
tsken verbatim ct literatim from DR..
Trousseau's statement TO Blount, which
can be found on pages 2Sl and 2S5 of the
state department document, not issued TO
the public until Nov. %. Further on
Nordhoff says:
ask you to insert here letter have before<sne
from one OF the best known and most able and re-
spectacle lawyers in Honoiula, whose word or
testimony in court no one would pretend TO doubt
there
Then follows long quotation taken
verbatim from the statement of Mr.. {.
Il. Gulick to Blount, which is found on
pages 10S and 100. Again, in Norhoff's
letter of the 1ith he says: $500
On the point of Mr. stevens action quote here
from letter before from very prominent and
respected citizen OF Honolulu.
He then proceeds to make another quo
tation from DIR. Trousseau's statement to
Blount on page 2S5. Further on he says:
On this head thoroughly informed citizen of the
islands writes to me, etc.
Again he makes long quotation from
DIR. TrosseaHis statement %. 2S9) contain
ing the absurd contention that the wealth
created by American enterprise in develop
ing the natural resources of the islands
ought not to be reckoned as American
capital.
The Sun says editorially today:
The committee of congress which shall
investigate Paramount Blount's extraor-
dinary proceedings in Hawaii, will find it
profitable to follow up the clue indicated
ina communication printed in this page.
Our correspondent points out circum-
stance hitherto overlooked, but of no
little significance.
The documents and affidavits collected
In Hawaii by Blount i'm his en-
deavor to justify and fortify
the conclusions which be carried
put with him from Washington TO Hon
plulu, were kept by the state department
secret from congress and the public until
after congress had adjourned. Part of
these documents were not published until
Nov. %.
Yet in letters written at Coronado.
CAL, on Nov. i3 and IA, and printed
by the New York Herald on Nov
q and %, textual citations
were published by Mr.. Nordhoff
from the testimony supposed at that time
TO be securely deposited behind a combi-
nation lock in the safe of the secretary OF
state, awaiting the proper time for its
disclosure to congress and TO the public
This shows plainly either that Blount
communicated his case to Nordhon, a
newspaper correspondent, without official
standing, before the state department re-
moved the seal OF secrecy, or that Nord-
hon had assisted Blount TO make up the
royalist case. Either way, the circum-
stance is highly significant, and calls tor
nm explanation.
Let congress inquire why official docu-
ments, held in secrecy by the department
of state, should be in the possession OF Mr..
Charles Nordhoh weeks before congress
itself was permitted 60 inspect them. The
answer to this question viii throw consid-
erable light on Che inwardncss OF the
conspiracy to destroy the Hawaiian gov-
ernment and to restore Lil.uokalanL
For, as Is now notorious, respecting all
literary and journalistic purposes in toe
Hawaiian royalEt conspIecy, Nordhon
was and is Sprckcls.