THE SAMOAN DIFFICULTY.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 596, 17 May 1876, Page 3

THE SAMOAN DIFFICULTY.

The following extract from a Samoan correspondent’s letter, says the New Zealand, Herald, to the Alta California , will throw some little light on the recent extraordinary proceedings that have taken place at Samoa. The letter is written from Apia, Upolu, dated 12th January, 1876, and runs as follows : “ We here in Samoa are rather in an excited state, on account of the English man-of-war and S. S, Foster, our U, S. Consul. Of course, you are interested in our Samoan politics. I will give you a brief account of all things, and a true one also, as no doubt you will see a great many accounts in the papers about it. In the first place, when the Barracoota English ship-of-war — arrived here, seeing the Peerless lying alongside of her, the question was asked by the captain- ‘Where is the United States Consul, that he has not seized this armed vessel V The Peerless had one cannon and a dozen rifles ranged in her cabin, for the use of the Samoan Government, put on board of her by the officers of the Tuscarora when here. The answer was, ‘ Foster is away, in Tutuila.’ Next day Consul Foster arrived, and it was found he, Turner, and Sam Williams went into consultation, and two or three days afterwards the Peerless was seized on account of carrying arms under the American flag. Her guns were taken ashore by the English ship-of-war’s crew, and she was also dismantled by her, and Foster has sold her for the sum of 2150 dollars, at private sale, to a Captain Mackenzie, of Auckland. As soon as the Peerless was seized, the Samoan Government, afraid they would seize their other arms down at Muhinu Point, had them carried inland that same night, into a fort, in command of John Latrobe. Mr S. J Williams, the captain of the Barracouta, and two or three of her officers, went two days after to have a look at the fort. The Commander would not allow them to pass, so they wrote to the Government that they were insulted. The King answered that it was by his orders. The English had a grand meeting, with the Government, English, American and German Consuls, at Muhini Point, for the purpose —afterward, we found out—-

to abuse and force Steinberger to show them bis commission from the Doited States and all his private despatches. He did show hits commission, but not the other papers He behaved very bravely, and the Samoans have now found out that they have a brave man among them. Next, the Missionaries worked among the natives to have Colonel Steinberger sent away. The natives will not think of it. Now, the end of the matter is. the English captain has forbidden all his country men from obeying the Samoan laws, and has also sent to Fiji for another chip-of-war to come up. What in the world they are going to do is what we can’t imagine. Either they will force the Samoans to send away Steinberger (which they can’t do, as the Samoans will fight first), or else they will take the islands by force. Now, I think it is time that America should show her Kind feelings for Samoa ; there is where they look for help. They love the colonel, and I think before they will give him up to any foreign power, they will fight stubbornly.” This letter partly bears out Colonel Steiuberger’s statement, made to us a few days since, and which appeared in the columns of the Herald on Monday last. From the accounts that have previously been given, it is apparent that party feeling has run high at Samoa, a great deal of which may be traced to jealousy. We have been furnished with a copy of a petition of British subjects and other foreign residents in Samoa to Captain Stevens, of H.M.S. Barracoota (to which, however, no signatures are attached) praying that Captain Stevens would remove Colonel Steinberger from their midst, describing him as a very immoral man, and charging him with grave offences. This petition has already been published, but was yesterday shown by one of our staff to Colonel Steinberger, who assured him that half the charges laid at his door were not contained in the petition in question, for he had also been accused of having undergone the process of tatooing, and had so far adopted the habits of the natives, that he each morning ate a man for breakfast in preference to grilled steak. Colonel Steinberger states that he has received no reply whatever to his letters to Commodore Hoskins, requesting to be re conveyed to Samoa, to which island the Pearl is bound, and which ho considers at least ungentleraanly on the part of a British officer. Colonel Steinberger is under the belief that there is something significant in H.M.S. Pearl proceeding to Samoa, as in all possibility that and the adjacent islands will now be taken under British protection. There is not the slightest doubt that Colonel Steinberger’s mission to the Navigators was for the purpose of using his endeavors to make those islands subject to the United States, a feat which probably might have been accomplished but for the embroglio with Consul Foster. Jwing to the break of the cable telegraphic communication with Europe and America is at present intercepted, otherwise there is no doubt some definite instructions would have been received from the United States Government regarding theaffair. Colonel Steinberger appears to base a claim against Captain Stevens or the British Government for alleged false imprisonment, inasmuch as at the instigation of the United States Consul he was conveyed a political prisoner from Samoa to Fiji, and then only sent on shore on its being represented to the captain of the Barracouta by Sir Arthur Gordon and the Chief Justice of Fiji that the principles of the English law did not admit of any foreigner being a political prisoner on British territory, or on board a British ship. There is no doubt that England founds her greatness on the perfect freedom her laws afford, and it may be that if in making Colonel Stsinberger a prisoner on board the Barracouta, a step too far has been taken on proper representation of facts, if Captain Stevens has exceeded his duty, Colonel Steinberger will receive redress. If, however, Captain Stevens has, in affording assistance to the representative of a friendly nation, done that which was perfectly legal and right, Colonel Steinberger will get —nothing.