The Civil War in Samoa.

Samoa Times and South Sea Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 15, 12 January 1889, Page 3

The Civil War in Samoa.

i Wo copy tho fallowing letter from ! ihe Neie Zealand Herald at December I 31*1:- » -•. • Sir;- In yesbM-dayy fesuo. of the j Herald yon publishiimloi- the hipading ['• Tho civil war in Samoa: Contradictory reports," a paragraph' fr«tti tltt* Sydney Horning /Jf>/ , »/!if*inipngtiing the accuracy of the -vepor' furnished you •upon the arrival of Ti.M.S. Lizard at Auckland. Tli« paragraph, in -the, Ufns ?fid&»> ' been irispii'Cit hy" nmYrurrc in symrnfcsMyJ I With, lir il«yi:igl)ffiri' llmlfl tit»'"i'lMMllsese GovCTjithe .t. It w wellku ownin fVtfmn -tfc«fW»st oTtha articles appearing iu.the jfrriney paper* haver been' wHttett'o^flppir''d'by-thi-e WrV'Are _ iiostile to Kri i-h IpWests, or fu &f J have boan ni-ich and in';(>«theltftherhtwd tho; re|h#&i and thoite- '»» 'l' o arrival of tin- Liz.id iin b»-i|bf»iWttlo uf tne 29th*oitinFo, was sab«t*nJij*Uv- correct. In any battlefoUg!itbjrtwee:i &»»!*'"* jiiuiiihur of kifl**-«i^lßwjiffiW;Vp^ jyOUis to iniuiiuiis.i UsTwPwifniinl tliui uf tUii|»i«)uultt, UIU ;i:i:r rircfiil Q'.(jtiirv it wits estimated that i tho lmttl<- in (rWeitiuii botw*en 30 I id flu of if .lie ita'n tiilliuruiiU were il'ed iilid 40 wounded. The stnto- j ■•nt in tho Sydney Morning Hirald that j tlui robots " by which. I premtme, j meant the udher-nt* of Malietua | *t 1.l hj ads and 70 lulled hj iuO'irrout. ' id mu-t havo been known to ho no bv is person who supplie I your ooutemOrary with tlio iufortuatioii. The utility of the writer in or informant K\m Sydney Morning Herald to the ftlietoi cnii«o ii Sfien hy his stigma; fiily: tlio adherents of Mulietoa us bel*. " A rebel " is defined to he r>re who revolt* from the Government which he owes alleginnoe, or who Son or xeeks t« overthrow tho authorto which he in rightfully subject." dietoa Maiaafa and hi* follower*owe allegiance to Tuiuasese, who was t entitled to tho position of Kin); her from birth or influence. Mdi ba Laupepa, the exiled King, was »p«rtod by the German (Commodore, ho proclaimed Tamasese King in doanoe of the wishes of the .vast iiiajory of the Bamoan people. It is true Ithnt about a mouth aftor Taniascso had Ibeen proclaimed King a gathering of Pchiffs was held at Mulinuu Point, under the guns of five Gurmau mstkofwar, at which a paper was sighdd by the Samoans pro-ont acknowledging Tauiasese aa King, but tho doeuuu-nt was executed under duress, no discus- j lap being allowi.-'l ut.tho meeting, and Mm/at tWsignnloftes wWe unaware if the oontenta of the document placed lefore them., and which they were jeremptorily ordered to sign. The lorernmepi of, Tsinasees has never teen acknowledged by the United State*, who ornithine to reo ignise the ixiied Malietoa aa Kiogof Samoa, and t was only recognised aa a i* fmto tarexnaeot by the BHbyhirepresauta-

j lit.t* of life occurred being eventually i raptured and retained by Mataafa's I iroopii. Oil no occasion has » buttle been f»ugh*. w> Lr wih •«« tha Moliepitoa troops obtaining euiun advantage. j Xhoio «u« do expectation whatever, j u-henilie Lubwkl fttiauio.onthellth ! inst., tli t Mali, t.'i.'n party won id lute j in strength, and tl.o informant of the < SyJiuy MurHing JltraUh again inoorrovt iu stating thi» to be so. Muliotoa has just obtained a largo supply of ammunition, nnd it was expected that I a general attack Would be malleoli the | reiuaiuing fort nud thai i: would bo I ci.pt med. TxuiaVso was boiug sup- . plied with powder, dynnmite.mid »<m. j visions by a German waiter which was running between Apia nnd the fort at !-*»*»* Anna. The allegation in tl.o ' paragraph in quest on, '-that the represeiitaiives of il.u United Sin:e* may be considered.responsible fur the disturbances in Sumo., and that it was thoy who incited the r«d.ol» (Matanfu party) against Tamaseso." oaly displays the mendacity of tlm correspondent, hs utter recklenaiifiw am.to his statements, nnd Ida hostility to the United Hliiies representatives; iu Samoa. Tin' disturbances in Samoa •weio not caused or induced by tljr- ml- j tion of the representatives of the Uni- j "ted Staffs but by the arbitrary proceedings of the TMma><-*i!-Braudcis Government' ; nnd their harsh, urnei, nud op- . I prcs.-ive treatment of the natives. What Iml to the disturbances was the ' deportation of Mnlioton; excessive thx- ' ation, Arbitrarily imposed, tho levying • of arbitrary r,nd excessive fine's, the ; doui.il -of justice, tli.) deportation of chiefs without trial, the degradation of chiefs by forcing tliein to work on tho roads for thu most trivial offences or : none whatever—tho abolition of th" right of public meeting, the intorferencS with S.imonu customs and amuse-' uionls, including tho right of travelling | from' place to place, and tho announced ' intention of Tam.tsoxe to assume tin. 1 name and title of ilulietoa, Neither ' tho representatives of the United State* E i.pr any oilier- foreign nsile-ifs were |i»%-ar»> of.tliejiitcndo.l revolt, and wer« j surpri-e.l when tho natives rose up ..mi determined to throw olf the cruel and crushingyoke lh.it hud been arbitrarily impose I upon ihn:ii*.M«siet<a MatofiTn. who has n uiuml itefirom tho et 'tied Mnliet"! to act in lii«ab-»':i o, his about 6000 fighting man under his 'ominan'.. while the forces of Tuiiusosmay boe».iot<tit»l ft! u.»iii l.»0u to 2'Mlt. About three-fourths of the p«n>ph> of Samoa ar. adherents'of .\.'..tietoa. andabolit one fouth bejfotig,,t<» Tau.asese. Tile wouil led belongtUg to the Sralietoa ably wli-n r-jfet.tfauioa, enr'y this month. In the^^ioi.of tho fonigu resid-wt-'. tlio feuls eieirt-.d at tho Pin'tish Polley, of the T/znrd, and fj«"ptuiu Uoary. of th" Adams, co.ipled «itu thn devoted e-ire and skiiful treatment of.JL)r. (>akb'; and tho surge iu- of the Am-ii ici'i inon-of war, bad been the means of j saving many lives. In conclusion, I I would desire to point out that tho attitude of n"it'r.-.!i*y n-simed by Great Brit.iii and the United States isdirctlv responsible tor the great loss of life I which has already nvcurre.' iu Sa.niu. j Ft is a disgrace to hiinai.it;' and to our j boauted civilisation, th.it the Samoaii war should be allow d t lenntinie, and

it cuul'l b:> Rtii|t(ioil (it ouue if ttio thru • Poivorw having trua y relation-) with Sumo i or any two of them would infy to the Bam ana that lighting tuna c<'uso. Tliu |ir>'rout wnri»thuoutco ii<> <>f a struggle for commercial supremacy between the subjects of th>- three treaty Power*, o'nl lia< in'Oii diivc'ly brought about by tli>; high-huudod and uniniili uis d ititcrfoiouet) of Q-erminy in thu internal politic* of Samoa. This intHrfnn'iiC'" wa« all (he mor.; uajusii(iublo insomuch that it occurred during the adjournment of the Conference at Washington assembled for the purpose of dnliher itiug and deciding aa to the future of Samoa. Hud Great Hritaiu and tho United States firmly rofused to allow suoh interference, the Tauiu-hi-ko Government would never h-vo boon established, and the necessity for ii revolt from arbitrary and cruel misgnverntnont would not have arisen.— I urn, Sr., J. P. Campuell. Auckland. Dee. 2!>, 1088