THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6. 1888.

Samoa Times and South Sea Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 2, 6 October 1888, Page 2

THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6. 1888.

The settlement of native troubles should engage the immediate attention of the three Great Powers whose subjects comprise principally the foreign residents of the Samoan Islands, many of whom have spent . the best part of their lives and borne the troubles and difficulties that invariably accompany the pioneers of civilisation in all parts of the world. They have by their indomitable industry and patient perseverance developed the production of the soil ' and established commercial relations ' with nearly all the civilised nations of the world. They have form-. 'rd a city out of a desert, and now it is only reasonable that the countries to which they severally txdong should do their part in protecting their property from the chances of interference; while such outbreaks as the present are allowed ; to continue all foreign residents are considerable sufferers in business. , Even their lives cannot be considered Secure. Native combatants in the heat of passion may commit arts which they probably never intended and regret it afterwards, but their repentance would of course be too late if lives were lost, and whatever other injury might be committed by j them, no recompense in the shape ' of fines or penalties would be satis-

factor}', simply because the natives themselves would be impoverished for years in their endeavor to pay them. Even now it will be a few years before they will recover themselves from the heavy expenses attendant on a war, to say nothing of the neglect of thoir plantations and destruction of some of their homes. We have now in the harbor the battle ships of those three Powers, and we have also Consuls representing them. Surely it is not too much to expect that with all those advantages some satisfactory arrangement cannot be arrived at to prevent further bloodshed. It seems to us extraordinary that those gentlemen cannot do something to at least delay further fighting until definite instructions are received from their respective Governments. To a stranger it looks uncommonly inhuman to see four warships of the greatest nations of the world lying quietly by, looking on a number of natives slaughtering themselves to little purpose, because forsooth some trifling diplomatic question nas not been solved. It should be borne in mind that more or less those Great Powers are to blame for the present disturbance, for no matter who is native King those nations were the ruliug power. tbey framed laws, imposed taxes, and generally conducted affairs as if the country belonged to tlumiselves. The natives have evidently not been satisfied with this a i rangement, and hence the outbreak. However in any case it is the duty of those Great Powers to endeavor to stay the war. We are happy to hear that Admiral Fairfax is anxious to do so, and we hope he will be assisted by the other nations who are now represented here.