The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-07-10
Elder Ashford Had Designs on the
Throne as Volney I
Hatred for the Men in Power Here-Out-
eide Assassins Who Hun the Govern
ment-English Foreign ONCE Appeal
ed tO-Troubles Of Republic Not Ended

The young Republic of Hawaii has
not escaped all its troubles, by any
means. So say the political eXiles
from the islands in this city, who
make their headquarters about a
down town hotel, where Volney '.
Ashford, his brother Clarence, Fred
Wundenberg and other men without
country foregather. The chief of the
exile clan is the elder Ashford, who is
now an invalid, but filled with the
most intense bitterness against the re-
public.
He admitted yesterday that the
powers o1.the Hawaiian Republic were
to be tested in the near future.
have stated my case to the English
Foreign Office, and all the deported
English subjects, so far as 1 know,
have done the same thing. If were
well I'd go to Honolulu despite the
prescription pronounced against me,
but am not able to do so. 1t is quite
possible, though, that others will do
so, and they may have to go on
British warship."
This is the spirit that seems to ami
mate all the eXiles and, natural Y,
they are very bitter against the people
in power.
Though suspected of treason to the
republic, it has been said that Ash
ford had designs on the throne and
aimed for the title of VoIney I. He
has lost heavily in the political trans
formation on the islands, and feels
bitter against the republic.
at is not only the English subjects
who have appealed TO their Govern
ment for protection" he said, "but
the Americans are equally anxious,
and 1 understand they have placed
their grievances in the hands of
Senator White. [ hate the men who
are in power over there; they have
treated me brutally, and [ mean to
make them pay for it.
"They have arrested me without
warrant and on mere suspicion. They
feared that if / were left at large /
would do harm. w. o. Smith, the
Attorney General, told me that no
charge lay against me, but that L had
been reported as present at royalist
meetings and that / visited the houses
of royalists. The story was wrong,
and / was in a position to prove it so,
but had to go to Jail. 1t was not the
Government that was so bad as the
outside assassins who inspired and
ran it,"
Ashford makes no secret that he
means to have satisfaction and eX-
poets his Government TO secure it for
him, but the real interest in the case
is centered in the effort to embrOif the
republic with foreign powers. When
Ashford was cOnditiOnally pardOned
he was handed the following passport:
81, Sanford 3. Dole, President of the
Republic of the Hawaiian Islands,
moved by just causes made known to
hUy hn
Executive and Advisory Councils of
the Government, do hereby, in ac-
cordance with the power in me vested,
grant unto Volney Y. Ashford, now in
Oahu Prison, who was found guilty of
the crime of misprisiOn of treason by a
military commission DULY convened,
and sentenced to imprisonment at
hard labor for a term Of one year, to
date from the 4th day of February,
A. d. 1895, and to pay fine of $1,000,
which sentence was approved by the
Commander-in- Chief, a conditional
pardon for the said crime committed
by him, upon the express condition
that he, the said VOlney Y. Ashford,
will depart and forever remain away
from the Hawaiian Islands, and that
this pardon shall take effect from the
date of his departure from the said
Hawaiian Islands, and the officer hav-
ing the said VOlney V. As ford in
charge is hereby commanded to allow
him at said date of departure to go
free. And further, that if the said
VOlney V. Ashford shall at any time
thereafter be found within the Ra-
waiian Islands he shall serve and per-
form his unexpired sentence.
"Given under my hand and the great
seal of the Government of the Hawaii
an Islands this 18th day of April, AID.
1895.
''Signed by Sanford B. Dole; Fran
els NJ. Hatch, Minister of Foreign
Affairs; J. A. King, Minister OF the
Interior, and William o. Smith, At
torney General"
The exiles here are impressed with
the idea that though they have been
holding office on the islands for years,
have iBaugurated and carried on revo-
lutions, they are now entitled to the
protection of their respective govern
ments, and their effort is to enlist
such protection on the lines outlined.
They represent the Republic as
make believe government, that has
assumed autOcratic powers and should
be punished for depOTting per-Ons
whom it believed to be inimical to
its purposes.
Encouragement from England is
daily looked for, and test case, the
eXiles say, will be made sOOn.-LS. +.
san-. l.