Difference between revisions of "Template:896-897"

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any mob of citizens of Hawaii would possibly or probably attack the
 
any mob of citizens of Hawaii would possibly or probably attack the
 
American legation?
 
American legation?
 +
 
Mr. {{sc|Stevens.}} No. What we alluded to were irresponsible parties
 
Mr. {{sc|Stevens.}} No. What we alluded to were irresponsible parties
 
in the night setting fire to property.
 
in the night setting fire to property.

Revision as of 23:00, 2 February 2006

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Mr. Stevens. I think I did not. It is barely possible I sent him a note speaking of the danger on shore; but I think not, because the naval officers were as well aware of that danger.

The Chairman. Did you send him any request?

Mr. Stevens. None except that which is on file.

The Chairman. And which you took with you ?

Mr. Stevens. I think I took it with me; I have no recollection of sending it by any person. That is my memory.

The Chairman. Is that the paper which you prepared and presented to Capt. Wiltse and upon which the discussion arose as to a more enlarged scope of the order which he gave to Capt. Swinburne?

Mr. Stevens. That is all; and perhaps it was not more than two minutes' talk. After I carried my note, we compared them and found out the difference.

The Chairman. Your attention was called to the fact that Capt. Wiltse's order---

Mr. Stevens. Went further than mine.

The Chairman. Upon what precedent had you formulated the order which you took with you on board the ship?

Mr. Stevens. I had been in a revolutionary country before as minister, and I had gotten used to the formula, and the request that I carried to Capt. Wiltse was the formula I was then familiar with. The files of the legation show that. I knew that Mr. Bayard's instructions went further; but they had passed out of my recollection. When I saw Capt. Wiltse's order, I remembered that Mr. Bayard's went further than mine.

The Chairman. Where were you a minister before?

Mr. Stevens. In 1867,1870,1871, and 1873 in Paraguay and Uruguay. Uruguay was in civil war nearly all the time.

The Chairman. You were minister there?

Mr. Stevens. Had charge of the legation.

The Chairman. How long did you stay there?

Mr. Stevens. Three years. Paraguay had just gotten through that struggle with Brazil, and Uruguay was in a state of war for two years and a half, which was settled during my residence there.

The Chairman. So that you had gotten familiar with the duties of U. S. minister under the circumstances you have given?

Mr. Stevens. Yes; and the responsibilities of a naval commander, which made me exceedingly careful on every point.

The Chairman. Had you returned on shore before the troops left the ship?

Mr. Stevens. Before the troops left the ship.

The Chairman. Where did you go?

Mr. Stevens. To the legation.

The Chairman. Did you give any orders or advice as to the manner of landing the troops, the streets through which the troops were to proceed or march, the place at which they were to be posted, or the place where they were to be encamped?

Mr. Stevens. At first we arranged that a portion should go to the United States consulate.

The Chairman. Who arranged ?

Mr. Stevens. Capt. Wiltse and I.

The Chairman. Where was that done?

Mr. Stevens. On board the ship. And as many at the legation as we could take. If our grounds could take any more, we would ; but we could not encamp more than 15 or 18. I assumed that the marines

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had their camp utensils, and I then learned that they needed a hall for the first time---

The Chairman. Why did you request that any troops be sent to the legation?

Mr. Stevens. Why did I?

The Chairman. Yes.

Mr. Stevens. For the reason that the state of anarchy in which the city was, and knowing that the only government which existed there was that committee of safety and the citizens back of it, and the military force that we had—knowing that the legation is the one of all other places around which there should be some men, and that was a more important part of the city where a dozen men could be sent this way or that way to take care of the contingencies of fires. By stating a little more in this connection you will understand it better. The only two things that were new to me on the part of the request of the naval officers was this: So soon as we found that they were to land I learned from Capt. Wiltse and his officers that they must have a hall no stay in and maps of the city for use in case of fires. So that from the time I struck the legation, at 4 o'clock, up to nearly 10 o'clock, my entire time was consumed in finding maps and a hall for the officers and men for the night.

The Chairman. Did you go out in town?

Mr. Stevens. I stayed at the legation and sent a messenger.

The Chairman. Whom did you send?

Mr. Stevens. Mr. Pringle.

The Chairman. Your aide-de-camp?

Mr. Stevens. Yes.

The Chairman. Did you, at the time you left the ship and made this arrangement with Capt. Wiltse, have any apprehension that there was any danger of life and property at the American legation?

Mr. Stevens. I knew this, that there was a liability of a crank—or irresponsible persons—liable to come there and alarm my family.

The Chairman. Did you expect that the Queen's government or any mob of citizens of Hawaii would possibly or probably attack the American legation?

Mr. Stevens. No. What we alluded to were irresponsible parties in the night setting fire to property.

The Chairman. You apprehended that danger?

Mr. Stevens. We apprehended that danger.

The Chairman. Did you apprehend that danger?

Mr. Stevens. I apprehended it, or I would not have consented to the landing of the troops.

The Chairman. Did you apprehend it as an attack on the legation?

Mr. Stevens. I did not apprehend that the representatives of the Government or the Queen would have anything to do with that.

The Chairman. You also agreed that Capt. Wiltse should send a detachment to the consulate?

Mr. Stevens. Yes.

The Chairman. Had Mr. Severance requested the presence of any troops there?

Mr. Stevens. Prior to my visit on board ship, without my knowledge, Mr. Severance had communicated his fear to Capt. Wiltse.

The Chairman. Did Capt. Wiltse so tell you?

Mr. Stevens. Capt. Wiltse so told me. And, still more, Capt. Wiltse had the note, and while I was on board the consul telephoned Capt. Wiltse that he would give a signal in case there was an outbreak.

S. Doc. 231, pt 6----57