Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-02-27
NEW TESTIMONY
In the Hawaiian Matter From Mr.. Blount and
Ex-Minister Stevens.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.-In the testimoI Y
which accompanies the Morgan report on
the Hawaiian bill, the evidence of Commits
sioner Blount and e1-Minister Stevens
brought out new points.
Mr.. Blount said he did not receive any
instructions except those in writing from
the secretary of state, adding, 81 might per-
haps say the secretary of state expressed
the opinion that no principle Of interna-
tional law, he thought, justified the hoist
ing Of the American flag and the establish :
ment of an American protectorate there,
tinued. understood from that that it was
a matter largely ia my own discretion.
There was no desire to make any change if
it involved blood.hed.'
When asked by the chairman if his judg-
ment was in any wise affected by the desire
to promote or prevent or retard anne X al ion,
Mr.. Blount raid: II would hate to think
so. | had an idea that l was to conduct
myself in decency and pursue the inquiry
with fidelity. l was over-cautious, per-
haps, in all my conduct in reference to it.
kept from their social life. l did not in
innate any opinion to those people,
Mr.. Blount claimed that he had never
seen Liliuokalani but twice, the first inter
view lasting two or three minutes, the other
not twice as long, and Pres. Dole knew of
these interviews. When Mr.. Blount was
asked if he had information from the
United States government before he left
Hawaii, of any purpose to restore the
Queen, he replied:
II never dreamed of such thing as the
reinstatement of Liliuokalani. / never
heard it suggested until my return to the
United States. | had talk with the sec
retary of state and the inclination of his
mind was that circumstances had created
a moral obligation on the part of the
United States to reinstate her. gathered
from the secretary that the President had
not any opinion--was thinking the matter
over.
Minister Stevens, in the course of bis
hearing, said that after he had been in Hon.
olulu year he came to the conclusi On that
the annexation of the islands was inevlta-
Bile, that the existing condition of things
could not last very long, and in his official
communications to this government he dis
closed these views. In his calculations for
annexation he never supposed, nor was it
expected by the friends of annexation, that
it would be by revolution, but through ne
gotiation, and with the assent of the Queen,
on the lines of the treaty of 1854. He
kept his own counsel and no one but this
government knew his views.
When the revolution came he saw that
protectorate was indispensable. The JAP
anese and British were both believed to be
making overtures for an alliance with the
native population. lie feared anarchy ami
and that the British and Japanese agents
would insist upon the same right of dealing
with affairs as he had and this he knew the
United States government was opposed to.
After the protectorate was declared, he un-
as did everyone else, that the SOW
ereignty of the provisional government was
secured and there could be no interference,
not even by himself.
He said Mr.. Blount gave him a copy of
bis Instructions from Washington. which
showed that he was to 60 on with the ordinary
duties of the legation, but he never learned
what Mr.. Blount's instructions were. He
only knew that Blount's authority was para
over his own and he kept his feel
ings about that fact locked in his breast.
Blount was brusque he always
treated him with the utmost kindness.