1092-1093
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Senator Frye. You then say:
"When he was made minister these same men, who belong to the class who rush forward and force service or information unasked, but who had called formerly and offered to be at his service whenever desired, were still wondering. Those men, like Chief Justice Judd, who was not an active partisan (in fact, many of the prominent men were uncertain whether he was not favorable to the Queen), found that information on vital points was not asked for.
"I formed and expressed the idea that the object was to make it appear that the Provisionals were able to care for themselves. This was quite strongly combated by many who began to feel that Mr. Blount was opposed to the Provisionals and favoring the Queen. And finally, before coming away, I was compelled to admit that Mr. Blount's conduct was certainly very singular; that he was not conducting his intercourse just as I would expect a gentleman to do, and that his treatment of Mr. Stevens seemed very ungentlemanly, to say the least. Mr. Stevens and I never mentioned his name in either of our conversations.
"For a long time there was no American flag at his headquarters, and, inasmuch as the Stars and Stripes were floating everywhere else in Honolulu, this became a subject of marked comment. Finally the wife of one of the naval officers bantered him pretty strongly on the subject, and offered to, and did, present him with a flag which was draped on his front porch. Later Mr. Blount issued, by publication in the press of the city, a proclamation defining the protection he was authorized to give American citizens. The last clause of this proclamation relating to the loss of all claim on the American minister for property, or family, as well as personal protection, by those who took active part in internal affairs of the country, while probably good law, seemed to me unwise, unnecessary, and not at all diplomatic. Its effect was to cause a great deal of uncertainty as to whether he was not contemplating at that moment, as the Royalists positively and confidently asserted, the immediate restoration of the Queen.
"In fact, Mr. Blount's course was such that, justly or unjustly, the Royalists were encouraged and the Provisionals were discouraged. "Whether the Royalists received from him information as to what was the final intention I do not know, but they guessed exceedingly well, for in April, May, and June I heard from the lips of Royalists there the most positive declarations that they knew that President Cleveland would do certain things. Those things the President has since done.
"As to the sentiment of the nation, Hawaiians of Hawaiian parents, the Queen is certainly not popular. There is, I believe, a much stronger feeling in favor of Princess Kaiulani. I talked with a large number of them who were decidedly in favor of annexation also.
"The royalist party there is not made up of or led by natives, but largely by English residents. The motive seems fairly clear. Mr. Davis has had complete control over Kaiulani and her education. The near approach of her reign would give him large advantages in a financial way. He would probably be in fact, if not in name, prime minister. He would have the placing of Government loans (probably) and the inside track in many contracts, etc. Then, socially, his family and that of Mr. Walker, his partner, who are the leaders of the English society, would be very close to the court social world. Mr. Cleghorn, the father of Kaiulani, is Scotch. A son of Mr. Wodehouse, the English minister, is married to a half-sister of Kaiulani. When the native women undertook to have a large mass meeting and present to Mr. Blount a petition they split on the question whether it should be Lilioukalani or Kaiulani."
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The Chairman. Is this the gentleman who furnished those statistics?
Senator Frye. He has them all in there. My impression is that you have them in the record.
The Chairman. Dr. Delamater, where did you get these figures that you have in this statement?
Mr. Delamater. The most of them I got from the report of the board of education. They were issued by the Queen's Government there.
The Chairman. It is a compilation made by you?
Mr. Delamater. A compilation made by me.
The Chairman. From authentic papers?
Mr. Delamater. From the official report of the board of education.
Senator Gray. This is as full a statement as you could make of your observation there?
Mr. Delamater. Yes. I intended it to be as full a statement as I could make.
Senator Gray. When did you go to the islands?
Mr. Delamater. August, 1892.
Senator Gray. How long did you stay?
Mr. Delamater. Until June of this last year-1893.
Senator Gray. If not improper so to do, may I ask what was your object in going?
Mr. Delamater. I was there simply for recreation-a matter of health. I had, for twenty years, a professorship in a medical college, with a fair practice, and had become utterly tired out.
Senator Gray. That is the only object you had?
Mr. Delamater. Yes. You need not fear to ask me any question you may think proper.
Senator Gray. I wanted to know whether you were there in any matter concerning the islands. It was a private purpose for which you were there?
Mr. Delamater. Yes. I had no other interest there.
Senator Gray. I do not wish to know what the private purpose was. Had you any other interest there?
Mr. Delamater. None at all. The private purpose was only to regain my health.
Senator Gray. I can suppose you came in frequent contact with the Americans on those islands?
Mr. Delamater. I have not had any correspondence with any of the Americans since I came away.
Senator Gray. I mean while you were there.
Mr. Delamater. Oh, yes, we had a private boarding house, with an English family; so that I was in pretty close contact with the white people, both English and Americans.
Senator Gray. Was there any sentiment of annexation prevailing there during the few months you were there that you could discover?
Mr. Delamater. Yes.
Senator Gray. Among what classes?
Mr. Delamater. Among the Americans.
Senator Gray. Among the Kanakas?
Mr. Delamater. I should say yes. It seemed to me, taking it under a form of government like that, the expressions in favor of annexation to this country were quite pronounced.
Senator Gray. General?
Mr. Delamater. I should say quite general. The object, it seemed to me, so far as I could judge, was mainly to get better commercial relations.
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