The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-12-07
NIB. BLOUNT's ONE-sIDED REPORT.

1t is not strange that the remark
able report of President Cleveland's
Commissioner Paramount was kept
hidden from sight and inspection
80 long. The wonder is that its
incredible one-sidedness was ever
allowed to come out under day
light.
On the 10Th of March last arri-
we'd here this commissioner, avow-
eddy to make inquiries and investi-
cations, in which he called for and
received every possible aid from
the Provisional Government of Ha-
wall, to which he came accredited.
No precise line of his intended in
quiries was specified. 1t was nat
urally taken to be an inquiry con-
corning all points bearing upon the
propriety and expediency of ratify-
ing or otherwise the Treaty of An
nexation already concluded with
this Government by President Har-
rison, but Withdrawn from the SEN
ate by President Cleveland. There
was no other question at issue be-
tween Hawaii and the United
States upon which the latter could
properly institute inquiries. Mel
Their Mr.. Cleveland's letters of cred
ence nor Mr.. Blount's own avowals,
nor his subsequently published in-
structions ever suggested any other
line of inquiries.
Mr.. Blount's ostensible methods
of investigation also indicated that
his object was mainly the one above
named: He called for extended
tabulated reports upon the resour-
ces, revenues, land system, govern
ment property, taxation, private
enterprises, distribution of wealth
aud productive activity, and
all other matters calculated
to throw light upon the
prospective usefulness of these ISL
ands to the United States, and
their adaptation to become desir-
able member Of the Union. This
question all supposed to be his OBJ
jective point-all except the royal
lists who were better advised, and
here and there an annexationist
whom his associates frowned upon
as exhibiting a suspicious and I'M
reasonable temper.
1t is true that Mr.. Blount did
ask many questions about the
causes and beginnings of the revo-
luton, about the sequence of events
connected with it, the influences
leading to it, and the objects sought
by it. But these were supposed to
be asked merely to add complete
ness to his report of affairs, and
not at all as bearing upon the main
thing that he was in pursuit of.
The very late and partial publ
cation of Mr.. Blount's report now
plainly shows upon the face OF it
that his inquiries all bore in reality
upon one question and one only,
namely: "Did Minister Stevens
overthrow the Queen by the use OF
the forces of the United States, so
as to require the latter to redress
the wrong done by replacing her
upon the throne7" 1t was this
question and this alone which
President Cleveland sent his Com
missioner here to conduct inquiries
upon. It vas this question alone
that Mr.. Blount was seriously con-
cerned to obtain testimony about.
It was to gaining such testimony
that he diligently devoted his most
arduous and protracted labors.
Probably no one will now contro-
vert this fact. The royalists al
WAYS maintained that he was here
To get at the facts about that one
thing. so that when ascertained, as
they would be, to stand in the
Queens favor, and in condemna-
ton of Mr.. Stevens, it would only
remain for the President to order
her restoration.
We do not say that Mr.. Cleve-
land had no right to make