The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-14

it to be heard, or even to know who the
witnesses were.
Mr.. BlOunt came here as stranger and
at once entered upon his duties. He de-
voted himself to the work of collecting in
formation both by the examination of wit
nesses and the collection of statistics and
other documentary matter with great en-
ergy and industry, giving up, substan-
tally, his whole time to its prosecution.
He was here but a few months. and dur
ing that time was so occupied with this
work that be had little opportunity left
for receiving those impressions of the
state of affairs which could best have
come to him incidentally through a wide
social intercourse with the people of the
country and a personal acquaintance with
its various communities and educational
aud industrial enterprises. he saw the
country from his cottage in the center of
Honolulu mainly through the eyes of the
witnesses whom he examined. Under
these circumstances is it probable that the
most earnest of men would be able to
form statement that could safely be re-
lied upon as the basis of decision upon
the question of the standing of a Govern
ment?
In view therefore of all the facts in rela-
tion 10 the question of the Presidents au-
thority to interfere and concerning which
| the members of the executive were actors
and eye-witnesses, l am able to assure
your Excellency that by no action of this
Government on the 18th day of January
last or since that time, has the authority
devolved upon the President of the United
States to interfere in the in ternal affairs
of this country through any conscious act
| OF expression of this Government with
such an intention.
You state in your communication:
After a patient examination of Mr..
Blount's reports. the President is satisfied
that the movement against the Queen if
not instgated was encouraged and sup
ported by the representative OF this Gov
eminent IN Honolulu: that he promised in
| advance to aid her enemies in an effort to
overthrow the Hawaiian Government and
set up by force new Government in its
place; that he kept his promise by
cansing q detachment of troops to be
| landed from the Boston on the 10th of Jam
uary, 1893. and by recognizing the Pro-
visioBal Government the next day, when it
was too feeble to defend itself and the con-
| stitutional Government was able to sue
cessfuIly maintain its authority against
any threatening force other than that
of the United States already landed"
Without entering into a discussion OF
| the facts, / beg so state in reply that am
| unable to Judge of the correctness of Mr..
| Blount's report. from which the Presi-
| dents conclusions we're drawn, as have
! had no opportunity of examining such re-
port. But desire to specifically and en-
phatically deny the correctness of each
and every one of the allegations OF fact
contained in the sbove-quoted statement;
yet. as the President has arrived at a
positive opinion in his own mind in the
matter, l will refer to 1t from his own
| standpoint.
My position Is this: If the American
forces illegally assisted the revolutionists
in the establishment of a Provisional Gov
ernment that Government is not respon-
sible for their wroDg-doing. 1t was purely
Q private matter for discipline between