The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-14
BATTLING OVER BLOUNT.
Frye Opens a VlllainOuS Fire on the
EX-COmmiSSiOner.

Qualities Some of His Asser-
tions-Untruthfulnes and Preju-
dice Charged Against the Com
missioner-Vest Rakes Stevens in
the Course of His Reply-The { m
tleman From Missouri Opposed to
a Resort to Force in Hawaii With
out the Sanction Of Congress-.
Washington, Dec. 13--1n the Senate
to-day, in the course of his remarks, Mr..
Brye referred to Commissioner Blount's
report. In his Judgment, it was a most
dangerous report, too dangerous for any
senator to base any serious attack upon
against the character of any private citi-
zen. He Frye) affirmed, without hesita-
ton, that Commissioner Blount, in his
report, had not written one line of truth,
nor given one unprejudiced opinion, nor
rendered one impartial judgment. On
the other hand, he gave unstinted praise
to ex-Minister Stevens, upon whose
actions Commissioner Blount's report re-
fleets so severely. MIR. Frye went on to
say that he had no doubt that it might
become necessary to break down
Minister Stevens. He had just
received reliable information, read
ing from slip of paper, that the pur-
pose of the administration was to charge
that Minister Stevens was party to cor
ruption, employed to break down the
queens government, and to establish a
revolutionary government.
VEST ATTACKS STEVENS.
When Mr.. Frye took his seat Mr. Vest
I r,l% T.. Il ]
said have detained the Senate for a mo-
ment but for the fact that he was on the
eve of leaving the city and desired to
avoid any appearance of evading any re-
sponsibility in regard to the Hawaiian
question. 1t was hardly necessary for him
10 say that he did not speak as the advo-
cate or special defender of the admins
tration. He spoke as an American senator
and as an American citizen in relation to
questions involving the honor and welfare
Of the common country. 1t was to be
greatly regretted that partisan malevo-
lenCe should show itself so distinctly in a
debate on those great questions. Mr.
Vest went on to ridicule the pretensions
set up by Minister Stevens as to the
Christian character of those who had
oyerthrown the government of the queen
in the Hawaiian islands. and said that
they had "Christianized the natives
of their country They had taken
possession of the country under the name
Of God, and had then divided the lands
among themselves under laws made by
themselves" Laughter Minister Ste
yens might be all that he pretends to be,
an honest, Godlike Christian. Mr. Vest
did not question that, and did not care
anything about it, He proposed to treat
him as he would treat any other witness.
BLoUNT DEFENDED.
He did know Commissioner Blount.
His most intimate knowledge of that
gentleman for twenty years authorized
him TO state in the most public and en-
phatlc manner, that purer man, pub
licly and privately, had never appeared
on the arena of American politics AS to
Minister Stevens reference to Commits
sloner Blount as a neophyte in diplomacy,
Mr. Vest saw in it only 1.-The Godlike
arrogance which we have always heard
from that quarter Of the country He
again characterized Minister Stevens as
''toul-mOuthed, scurrilous witness, -
and he asked who, in the Hawaiian
islands that was opposed to annexation,
mad escaped Minister Stevens billings
gate, He (Stevens) had taken up in the
Islands from the highest to the lowest in
NE and had disposed of them seriatim by
personal charges, some of them criminal
NeSt) from criticising them further in
the presence of the Senate.
LOWERING oE THE FLAG.
Coming to the question of taking down
the flag, Mr.. Vest said that he would like
the senator's on the other 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 propertyl
Was there, he asked any use for the
nag there after there was, according to
Minister Stevens, perfect order on the
Islands, and whens the de facto govern
ment was supported by the entire people
why keep the flag there uselessly,
ana as threat to any portion of the
people? A part of Minister Stevens
statement should not, Mr.. Vest said, have
been read by Mr.. Frye. There was one
appeal always omnlpotent with certain
people in the United States and that was,
Inc late war. The cry You are rebels,
you tried to tear down the government -
was, Mr Vest said, the ultimate ratio of
everything with such people, and Minis
yer stevens understood that. Here, said
Mr.: Vest, is what this God fearing, chari-
ta0le, sentimental old logician of Maine
says, quoting sentence in which. Minis
yer Stevens said that he had never raised
llS rifle against the government. What
Hau that to do, Mr.. Vest asked, with the
hawaiian question: What had Minister
Stevens meant by it except to array the
preludlces of the American, people, so
called, against Commissioner Blount
because he had been a confederate soldier
Mr.. Frye hoped that Mr.. Vest did not
suppose he had omitted to read that por-
vlon OF Minister Stevens address for any
special purpose.
Mr.. Vest-No, the senator from Maine
Is as frank and open an adversary as
ever met. No doubt he has the same
SSPlnion of me politically as l have of him.
1II1ether of us strike below the belt.
laughter
THE THREAT OF IMPEACHMENT.
Mr.. Vest went on to speak of the threat
VI unpeaching the President. The crime
ooQSIuinltted by the President, in the minds
y, ms opponents, was that he did not favor
Ha!leNation of the Hawaiian islands to the
ouIJed States. If that constituted a
lime ne (Nest) was a criminal; and, in
40 Judgment, large majority of the
11IJHnCrlcan people were criminals One OF
tttiAlster Stevens complaints was that
tnS government Of the United States had
"a. rai!ed TO seize the islands as a. maritime
Il prlle. The senator from Maine objected
1ue word piracy" and it appeared TO
A Piracy.
The plain issue before us, Mr.. Vest
Soonllhued, lis whether we are TO break
tro"h the traditional policy of this coun-
csrr; cay, established by Washington and