People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 November 1893 — WHAT BLOUNT SAYS. [ARTICLE]

WHAT BLOUNT SAYS.

Some Extracts from the Hawaiian Commissioner's Report. Liliuokalanl, He Declare*, Would .Not Have Been Deposed Only for toe Interference of Mr. Stevens, the American Minister. SYNOPSIS OF THE DOCUMENT. New York, Nov. 22.—The Herald prints tinder a Washington date what purports to be a large portion of the report of Commissioner Blount It Emms up as follows: Blount’s report will show toat Minister Stevens landed the troops from the Boston long before there was any valid excuse for their presence on Hawaiian soil: that he declined to ro■aove them when requested to do so »y the government and Informed that the ■wrlborities were willing and fully able to >reserve order and to protect American interests; that these troops were stationed across toe sweet from the government building, in which Minister Stevens knew the revoluttonists were about to read their proclamation and that the revolutionist committoe relied upon the American troops to protect them in this act at rebelHee: that Mr. Stevens recognized the provisional government according to a preconceived programme before that government had wbteined possession of the departments and military power at Honolulu, and that the military power was surrendered, as the queen surrendered, only through awe of the superior torce of the United States.” Washington, Nov. 21.—Secretary Clresham decided Monday afternoon to make public all the correspondence and the report of James H. Blount, the special commissioner sent to Hawaii by President Cleveland to investigate the revolution which dethroned Queen lAliuokalani and the establishment of the provisional government. The report in substanee does not add much information to that contained in the extract published in Monday's dispatch, lie says: “Before any demand for surrender had even bees made on the queen or on the commander «r any officer of any of her military forces at any of the points where her troops were located the American minister had recognized toe provisional government and was ready to <ivc it the support of the Uni’ed States troops.” He shows the position which the q[neen occupied, and describes the race and citizenship of the men concerned in the revolution. The various commissioners of the provisional governmentand Minister Stevens are quoted aud commented upon. Nr. Blount shows collusion on the part of the United States minister and the revolutionists. He goes into the details of the matter and points out by time and place the haste with which Mr. Stevens acted, and by quoting from Stevens* report and the papers on file at the legation declares that the minister misrepresented the revolution to the United States government. He points the lack of harmony in the •late meats and criticizes Stevens, saying:

“Mr. Stevens consulted freely with the leaders of the revolutionary movement from the •zoning of June 14. These disclosed to him all toeir plans. They feared arrest and punishment He promised them protection. They heeded the troops on shore to overawe the quota's Supporters and government This fie agreed to and did furnish. They had few *rms aud no trained soldiers. They did Mol mean to fight It was arranged between |hem and tfce American minister that the S Defamation dethroning the queen and organng a provisional government should be read from the government building and should foltow itwlthasppedy recognition. All this was to be done with American troops provided With small arms and artillery across a narrow street within a stone’s throw. This was done. •The leaders of the revolutionary movemreiit would not have undertaken it but for -Mr. Stevens’ promise to protect them against danger from the government. But for tote their mass meeting would not have been -held. But for this no request to land troops J would have been made. Had the troops not ■ been landed no measures for the organization '•C a new government would have been taken The American minister and the revolutionary teaders'had determined on annexation to the -Hailed States and had agreed on the part each ’Was to act to the very end." Mr. Blount says that the natives feel that a great wrong has been done them aad their queen, when the queen resigned under protest, and did not believe that the action of Stevens would be indorsed. He adds: "Indeed, who would have supposed that the •circumstances surrounding her could have been foreseen and sanctioned deliberately by the president of the United States? Her uniform conduct and the prevailing sentiment among the natives point to her belief, as well as theirs, that the Bphit of justice on the part of the •resident would restore her crown." That is the only thing in the nature of a recommendation made in the long report

Commissioner Blount in his report <ives the following account of the causes leading up to the deposition of XJneen Lijiuokalani: “In the legislatures of 1891) and 1892. many petitions were filed asking for a new constitution. Many were presented to the king and ■qtueen. The discontent with the constitution of 1887 find the eagerness to escape from it •ohtrolled the elections against the ' party which had established it. Ditrisions on fee 'mode of changing the constitution, whether by legislative action or by conctitutiomtl convention and the necessity of •a. - twO-thirds vote of the legislature to effect amendments, prevented relief by either ■aethod. .Such was the -situation at the proro*atton of'the legislature of 1892. This was folsowed by the usual ceremonies at the palace on fee day of prorogation—the presence of the febinet, supreme court judges, diplomatic corps ana troops. The Queen informed her cabinet of her purpose to proclaim a new con•titnaon and requested them to sign it." Mr. Blount tells how the cabinet refused to sign the constitution and the consequent displeasure of the queen. Januaiy 16 a proclamation was issued by the queen and her cabinet saying that what she proposed to do the Saturday previous was compelled by stress of her native subjects. This was sent to Minister Stevens. There was no response. January H she sent another letter, telling him the present constitution would be wuintainfed. On the back of this was •written the Avord “Declined," also the tk»e receivCTi noted. Mr Blount says 4be dSmnet pould not be removed for ifep and, it being against a new eDDStituMou, there was no possibility being proclaimed. |p* description of the revolution is as all of the arm* on the island us MUfefe Honolulu to situated, were tn of the queen’dgovernment. A flUwy force organized *nd drilled occupied *| boa**, the bsmeks and the «uty points es strage tic stg•fefew ** fee crest of • conflict. The •* ***» «t fee moved on their Wsssea sod chljdrcu leased

to and fro through the streets, seemingly ua concerned of any impending danger, and yet there were secret conferences held by a small body of men. some of whom were Germans some Americans and some native-born subjects of foreign origin On Saturday evening, the 14th vs January, they took up the subject of dethroning the queen and proclaiming a new government with a view to annexation to the United States. “The first and most momentous question with them was to devise some plan to have the United States troops landed. Mr. Thurston, who appears to have been the leading spirit, on Sunday sought two members of the queen's cabinet and urged them to head a movement against the queen, and to ask Mr. Stevens to land the troops, assuring them that in such an event Mr. Stevens would do so. Falling to enlist any of the queen’s cabinet In the cause, It was necessary to devise some other mode to accomplish this purpose. A committee of safety consisting of thirteen members had been formed f-om a .little body of men assembled in W. O. Smith’s offlee. A deputation of these, informing Mr. Stevens of their plans, arranged with him to land the troops if they would ask it, for the purpose of protecting life and property. It was agreed between him and them that in the event they should occupy the government building and proclaim a new governmen i he would recognize it “The two leading members of the committee, Messrs. Thurston and Smith, growing uneasy as to the safety of their persons, went to him to know if he would protect them in the event of their arrest by the authorities, to whlchhegave his assent. At the mass-meeting called by the committee of safety on the 16th of January there was no communication to the crown of any purpose to dethrone the queen or to change the form of government, but only to authorize the committee to take steps to prevent a consummation of the queen's purpose and to have guarantees of public safety. The committee of public safety had kept their purpose from the public view at this mass-meeting and at their small gatherings for fear of proceedings against them by the government of the queen. After the mass-meeting had closed a call on the American minister for troops was made and signed indiscriminately by Germans, by Americans and by Hawaiian subjects of foreign extraction.”

The commissioner says the response to that call does not appear on the files of the legation. That very night the committee on public safety assembled in a house next to Minister Stevens’ residence. J. H. Soper, an American, was elected to command the military forces. It was on Monday evening, January 16, at 5 o’clock that United States troops were landed. Not much time elapsed before it was given out by members of the committee of safety that they were designed to support them. At the palace, with the cabinet, among the leaders of the queen’s military forces and the great body of the people who were loyal to the queen the apprehension came that it was a movement hostile to the existing government Protests were filed by the minister of foreign affairs and by the governor of the islands against the landing of troops. M essrs. Parker and Peterson testify that on Tuesday at 1 o’clock they called on Mr. Stevens and by him were informed that in the event the queen’s forces assailed the insurrectionary forces he would intervene. At 2:30 the same day the members of the provisional government proceeded to the government building in squads and read their proclamation. They had separated in their march to the government building for fear of observation and arrest Mr. Blount describes the location of the troops, showing that the American troops controlled the position of the queen’s troops, and continues: “They were doubtless so located to suggest to the queen and her counsellors that they were in cooperation with the insurrectionary movement and would, when the emergency arose, manifest it by active support. It did doubtless suggest to the men who read the proclamation that they were having the support of the American minister and naval commander and were safe from personal harm."