The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-06-28
no INSULT INTENDED.

The ADVERTISER has received
the following official communica-
ton from the Minister of Foreign
Affairs:
DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ]
Honolulu, II. l., June 81, 1894.
SrR-The attention of the Gov
eminent has been called to an edi-
torial article which appeared In
your paper of June 18th inst, com
menting upon Her Britannia Maj
esty's Minister Resident.
A diplomatic officer is accredited
to a government only, and has no
right to have dealings of any ma
ture with the people among whom
he dwells or any class of them, or
to take any part in domestic poll
tics. ANY sort of communication
with the enemies OF the govern
ment with which he has established
diplomatic relations, or with those
plotting against it, would justify
his immediate removal from the
country. On the other hand the
government near which he resides
has the correlative duty of protect
ing such Minister and Of shielding
him from newspaper attack.
The tone of the article liz ques-
ton tends to hold this gentleman
up to public ridicule and cannot
be sanctioned by the Government.
/ have to ask, therefore, that you
extend an apology to Major Wode-
house.
I have the honor to be, Sir, j
Your obedient servant,
FRANCIS NJ. HATCH,
Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Mr.. HENRY n. CASTLE,
Editor PACIFIC COMMERCIAL AD-
vERTIsER.
The article referred to in the |
above communication threw out |
the tentative suggestion that the Wis
its of the British Mfnister to Wash
ington Place had no connection
with politics, but were only in pur-
suance of a commissarial arrange
ment by which the royal pretender
was supplied with fresh eggs from
the British Legation. Admiral
Walker was supposed to be watch
ing this economical exchange in
the interest of the United States,
while the presence of the red-coat,
the supernumerary of the drama,
was accounted for on the theory
that he was to keep President Dole,
who had already stolen kingdom,
from winding up his predatory ca
reer by the theft of the fruitful
chickens which laid the eggs which
sustained the Queen. There was
no intention in this unpretentious
little sketch to defame any of the
three principals, President Dole,
Admiral Walker or the British
Minister, and none of them have
felt themselves aggrieved, save the ,
last named only.
We fully concur with the views
by the Minister of For
sign Affairs as to the rights of for
sign diplomats, who are entitled to
full protection and immunity from
al attacks of a personal nature.
Minister Wodehouse, as the repre-
sentative of 8. Power which, it must
De presumed, fully recognizes the
Provisional Government, has the
same right as every other diplomat.
While we, in common with hun
lreds of others, regard the attitude
which he has maintained toward
his Government as highly repre- :
lensible, and as grossly misrepre-
enting the real spirit of the great I
md liberty-loving people which has
emit him here, we have certainly
lever had the slightest intention to
comment upon any part of his be- ,
layior in an unbecoming manner.
We learn with the most profound 1
egret that our late observations on
he subject of fresh eggs have been !
misunderstood, and we hasten to
,xtend to the representative of c
Her Britannia Majesty the assur-
,nce that these observations were
never intended to reflect upon his !;
as gentleman or a di- t
plomat.