A PLEA FOR THE SAMOANS.

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

A PLEA FOR THE SAMOANS.

TO THE KPITOR OP THE SAMOA TIMES. 811,—Foreigners who have been a few years in Samoa, do not know the character, the mind, or the habits of theßamoans. They area social people, fond of being together in numbers, and aro full of talk and longhter. From youth upwards they are always together in numbers. At the eventide and moonlight nightayou will find the old men chatting together, the younger

ouee generally engage in tho Maufuuht or dancing a sort of JPouh. In journeys they go together in great numbers. Even in a single taunolua there will be fr >m twenty to twenty-five. It is very seldom that you can get one of either sex to sing by himself or herself. There must be a party to join in. In their social affaire in private life they are very jealous of an individual making himself appear to be wiser, or j above his fellows in rank, or showing a domineering spirit. This is sure to end in a quarrel. ,They cannot bear to be driven, but yet in a way they can be led, and while being led will look up to you for support and for an affable demeanor towards them. They are very irritable, and when irritated will »how a hold front, and also their temper. They are proud of liberty and brook no restraint. Even in youth they show their fondness of liberty by an independent spirit. Often will persons notice that an order from a native to another of equal rank, will not bo carried out, for the party ordered will look at you and then walk away. In former years, ere there was any attempt made to bring the people together to form a Government, each chief was like a king in his own district, jealous of any interference from other chiefs, and would quickly resent it. Every one was at liberty to do what he liked with his own.

In the European way of governing the Samoansyou must now treat them, as you would children. They have onlv been a few years trying to govern themst'vles, but what with the interfeaente of other.European parties ttying to foist on them this sort and that sort of Government, they have lost themselves and got bewildered. In asking for help from the Governments thty have applied to, they have always reserved to themselves the form of their own Government; in fact to govern themselves and the out.tide to be adviiert, showing to them which is right and which is wrong, and to point out to them what would be advantageous to them. They hear from every white mau that has »een and is now in Samoa, about governing 'and governments, but it took many years to get a party of them together to attempt to form a government, and that brought l on a war between the natives. Lately they have followed the European customs, or it may be called civilisation. They see Europeans getting drunk Hud quarrelling; they do the same. They hear the Europeans swearing and cursing; they do the same in broken English. Thus tiny follow and are led, but not driven.

Now comos the pinch, and the parties that are referred to, am not to take the following remarks in a bad spirit. In administering the Government of Tamaseae, while he has been at Mulinu, the spirit of the Govern. m»>i>t has been too much of the "autocratic' There has been no fonong, no consultation with the Taiwan and Fipuli. As the Government has been, :hey are " nobody." It has been, do this or do that, or I will make yon doit; do not refuse to doit, for I have might behind me. There has been no investigotiou into the means of the natives, bowfarthey can go in taxation, or what they can do in producing the means of paying a tax. It has been patent to every one here in Samoa that the go- \ verning party has i-aid, I want so much and I must have it. I

I Many mistakes have been made, and these mistakes have irritated the people, a people fond of their private and public liberty. Iu my next communication I will point the mistakes, and how they could have been avoided, and how to act so as to pleiute the natives in the form of a government.—l am, &o.

Old Gap