Jere Krischel at 08:27, 20 December 2005

2005-12-20T08:27:01Z

Jere Krischel at 08:26, 20 December 2005

2005-12-20T08:26:50Z

Jere Krischel at 04:42, 12 December 2005

2005-12-12T04:42:06Z

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7 4 8 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
that he thought justified the hoisting of the American flag—the establishment
of an American protectorate there, and his idea was that it
ought not to be continued.
Senator DOLPH. That it ought not to be continued?
Mr. BLOUNT. Ought not to be continued. But I understood from
him that that was a matter largely in my discretion. There was no
desire to make any change if it involved bloodshed. I took the impression
generally that the opinion of the Secretary of State was that the
flag had better be removed, if it was feasible to do.it.
The CHAIRMAN. Did you receive, from the Secretary of State any
orders or directions based upon his view of the merits or demerits of the
revolution which was alleged to have taken place in Hawaii?
Mr. BLOUNT. JSO.
The CHAIRMAN. The opinions he expressed to you, as I understand,
had reference to the matter of raising the flag and removing the protectorate
over the islands?
Mr. BLOUNT. Yes ; that was the extent of it.
The CHAIRMAN. That your commission—did you have a regular commission
? >
Mr. BLOUNT. I think that appears in the President s communication.
Senator GRAY. Your letter of appointment ?
Mr. BLOUNT. Yes.
Senator GRAY. It was not a regular commission, was it?
The CHAIRMAN. Was there anything beside that letter?
Mr. BLOUNT. Let us see what paper was there?
Senator GRAY. The paper will speak for itself.
The CHAIRMAN. 1 did not. know that it had gotten in the report.
Senator GRAY. It will speak for itself, if there be nothing beside that.
Mr. BLOUNT (referring to his report). This recites that on the 11th
of March, 1893, I was appointed special commissioner to the Hawaiian
Islands with instructions. These are the papers, and I guess you have
the instructions in there.
The CHAIRMAN. Had you any commission independently of this?
Mr. BLOUNT. NO.
The CHAIRMAN. Did you take any oath of office?
Mr. BLOUNT. I do not think I did—not as commissioner; I took the
oath of office as minister.
The CHAIRMAN. That was later?
Mr. BLOUNT. Yes.
The CHAIRMAN. I will come to that after awhile. Now, at the time
you left here the Senate was in session, what we call executive session,
rather at the time you got your appointment?
Senator GRAY. We know that. It was in session from the 4th of
March or 5th of March, was it not?
The CHAIRMAN. Yes. Now, state whether it was your purpose to
confine yourself in your operations in Hawaii in the execution of this
commission of the President to the instructions you received, having
reference, of course, to the discretion which was confided to you in
respect to those orders.
Mr. BLOUNT. It was not only my purpose, but I did it as rigidly as
I ever did anything in my life.
The CHAIRMAN. Was your judgment, which you have given,
your opinion here in your report in regard to the situation of affairs
in Hawaii, and the regularities or irregularities that attended the
conduct of the minister of the United States in connection with that
revolution in any wise influenced by your desire either to promote or
to prevent or retard the annexation of Hawaii to the United States?
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 749
Mr. BLOUNT. I would hate to think so. I had the idea that I was to
conduct myself in decency and pursue the inquiry with fidelity.
The CHAIRMAN. The question is asked you to enable you to give an
affirmative answer.
Mr. BLOUNT. Well, I will say no. What is the question?
The question was read as follows:
"Was your judgment which you have given, your opinion—your
report in regard to the situation of affairs in Hawaii and the regularities
or irregularities that had attended the conduct of the minister of
the United States in connection with that revolution—in anywise
influenced by your desire either to promote or to prevent or retard the
annexation of Hawaii to the United States?"
Mr. BLOUNT. I am not conscious of any such feeling. On the contrary,
I was impressed when I came to the investigation with the conviction
that I had very much at stake. I had confidence in the integrity
and high purposes of the President, and felt that I could give
him no higher offense than to misinform him. I felt that any other
than a truthful, an exhaustive, and impartial examination would bringabout
the contempt of the American people. I was, therefore, timid—
over cautious, perhaps, in all my conduct in reference to it. I kept
from their social life. I did not intimate any opinion to these people
one way or the other. When I left those islands nobody had any idea,
so far as I could gather, what my report was. Bach side claimed in
the newspaper that I was in favor of it. I studiously avoided communicating
anything to anybody, and I turned the facts over and over
again in my mind. I felt that I was alone, without anybody on earth
to consult with, counsel with, and I often felt the need of somebody to
advise with. But there was no impartial person to whom I could talk
at all, and so the responsibility I felt the greater, and went on in that
groove to the end.
Senator GRAY. Was party feeling running high there?
Mr. BLOUNT. Very high, very high.
The CHAIRMAN. You seem to have taken some of the testimony submitted
to you upon oath, and other parts are without being sworn to.
Did you administer the oaths to these witnesses yourself or did you
have it done by the authorities of the islands?
Mr. BLOUNT. I had no authority to administer an oath. It was a
very delicate thing for an American to call upon those people to take
an oath, especially members of the Provisional Government, and wherever
I had the time I would take the testimony down in shorthand,
and had the stenographer write out the shorthand and the witness certify
to its correctness. I used him, the stenographer, all I could in
that way. The communications would come in; some of them I did
not think much of, and some I did. There was no opportunity to crossexamine.
Senator GRAY. Any written statements ?
Mr. BLOUNT. Written statements, yes. I did not like very much to
take them. It occurred tome, I am down here, I can take these things
and weigh them; I shall know all about the parties and topics and if
they are not pertinent I can discard them; and when I came to make
up my report I said, all these things have been here with me; I will put
them in this testimony and let all go along. The statements were
sometimes from one side and sometimes from another.
The CHAIRMAN. Not being authorized to administer an oath yon
received such statements as they brought to you?
Mr. BLOUNT. They would hand them to me, and I would take them
and look at them.

@@ Line 84: / Line 84: @@
 revolution in any wise influenced by your desire either to promote or
 to prevent or retard the annexation of Hawaii to the United States?
-{{p|749{{
+{{p|749}}
 Mr. {{sc|Blount.}} I would hate to think so. I had the idea that I was to
 conduct myself in decency and pursue the inquiry with fidelity.

Template:748-749 - Revision history

Jere Krischel at 08:27, 20 December 2005

Jere Krischel at 08:26, 20 December 2005

Jere Krischel at 04:42, 12 December 2005