Jere Krischel at 09:27, 20 December 2005

2005-12-20T09:27:37Z

Jere Krischel at 09:27, 20 December 2005

2005-12-20T09:27:08Z

Jere Krischel at 04:43, 12 December 2005

2005-12-12T04:43:27Z

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762 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
of Hawaii, so as to favor either the Queen's form of government or
the then existing Government—the Dole regime?
Mr. BLOUNT. My idea about it was, the effect would be to impress
both sides with the belief that I was not going to participate in their
local affairs.
The CHAIRMAN. Was that your intention?
Mr. BLOUNT. Such was my intention. I did not think the flagtroops
ought to be there. It did not occur to me just; it did not occur
to me that investigation could go on with them there.
Senator GRAY. I understand the chairman's question to be, did you
intend the removal of those troops to give intimation to either side of
your intention toward them?
Mr. BLOUNT. I did not. I thought that it would be an intimation
to both sides that I did not come down there to do anything with their
controversies.
The CHAIRMAN. Your position was one of strict neutrality between
them?
Mr. BLOUNT. AS much so as I could possibly make it. I never went
into the house of a royalist but once while I was in Honolulu. I called
on Mr. J. O. A. Carter with my family, with Mrs. Blount, just before
leaving.
Senator SHERMAN. He was the former minister?
Mr. BLOUNT. He was a brother of the former minister.
Senator CRAY. I think the former minister is dead.
Mr. BLOUNT. He is. He is the brother of the former minister, on
whom I called. I called on President Dole, the attorney-general, the
minister of the interior, the vice-president—the persons connected with
the Government. I felt that I could do that without subjecting myself
to general intercourse with the people. They were officials of the Government,
and I announced to both sides that I felt bound to do that.
The CHAIRMAN. With the exception of the Queen and cabinet and
the commander of the military forces, and of the civil forces, called the
police, was there any subslantial change in the personnel of the Government
from what it was formerly, when you got to Hawaii f
Mr. BLOUNT. AS to the personnel?
The CHAIRMAN. Yes.
Mr. BLOUNT. Well, the
Senator BUTLER. AS I understand, you arrived there after the
Provisional Government was established?
Mr. BLOUNT. Yes.
Senator BUTLER. YOU have no information as to the personnel of
the Queen's government?
The CHAIRMAN. My question relates to what Mr. Blount learned as
to what was the composition of the former government, as to its
personnel.
Mr. BLOUNT. I think the police force as a rule was left untouched.
I never went into it particularly.
The CHAIRMAN. The army was disbanded—the Queen's army, body
guard.
Mr. BLOUNT. Oh, yes.
The CHAIRMAN. DO you remember whether any body guard was
reserved to her for her protection ?
Mr. BLOUNT. It was not so when I was there.
The CHAIRMAN. In other respects the Government went on under
existing laws, saving, of course, the revolution which had taken place
in the head of the Government?
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 163
Mr. B OUNT. The information on that point appears in the correspondence
between the Provisional Government and the Government
here, and I would t;.ke it as the highest evidence.
The CHAIRMAN. That conforms to your own observations?
Mr. BLOUNT. Yes, as to the character of the Government set up.
The CHAIRMAN. I suppose you ascertained that during the decade
previously to this revolution there had been a great many changes in
the political attitude of a great many leading men in Hawaii?
Mr. BLOUNT. Oh, yes.
The CHAIRMAN. Politics had been a pretty lively subject in Hawaii
some years before you got there?
Mr. BLOUNT. Everything is little down there. It was lively for them
in noise.
Senator BUTLER. It would not be considered very lively in Georgia,
New York, or Ohio, I suspect?
Mr. BLOUNT. Oh, no.
The CHAIRMAN. Would you say that the people there are given to
participating in i^olitical agitations?
Mr. BLOUNT. I would say more so than in Alabama. They get them
pretty well worked up.
The CHAIRMAN. Meeting in conventions, public meetings, and having
their say?
Mr. BLOUNT. Oh, yes. I want to say that so far as that matter is
Concerned I took no testimony.
The CHAIRMAN. I am getting your impressions aside from the testimony
you took.
Mr. BLOUNT. Yes.
The CHAIRMAN. YOU would say, I suppose, that there was a pretty
large feeling on the part of the press in Hawaii?
Mr. BLOUNT. Oh, yes. You would take up the papers there and
read one side and the other where they would make the most villifying
personal attacks that you could conceive of. I would learn when these
gentlemen would meet that it was just a good joke. I spoke once to
Mr. Dole about it; I said, "I do not see how you can keep the peace
with the people attacking each other this way."
He said, " That does not amount to anything ; they are friendly when
they meet. My attention was directed to that because I was apprehensive
from seeing these articles that some disturbance would come,
and I always talked very freely to the Government about the public
peace. I was doing no harm on that ground; they seemed to want to
talk with me; they came to me when there was fear of disturbance, and
I would not communicate it to the other side. Then the other side
would come, and I did not mention what they said to the Government.
In this way I got information of both sides. I saw that there would
be no trouble.
The CHAIRMAN. We have gone through a general view of this matter;
I will turn Mr. Blount over to any one who wishes to ask any questions.
Senator DOLPH. I wish to ask a few questions.
Senator GRAY. NO questions occur to me now.
Senator DOLPH. You say that Secretary Foster showed you a letter
from Minister Stevens, written in November, 1892?
Mr. BLOUNT. Yes.
Senator DOLPH. Concerning affairs in the islands?
Mr. BLOUNT. Yes.
Senator DOLPH. That letter contains a pretty full account of the
political situation there?

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 The {{sc|Chairman.}} Yes.
-Mr. {{sc|Blount.}} Well, the
+Mr. {{sc|Blount.}} Well, the---
 Senator {{sc|Butler.}} As I understand, you arrived there after the

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Jere Krischel at 09:27, 20 December 2005

Jere Krischel at 09:27, 20 December 2005

Jere Krischel at 04:43, 12 December 2005