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German Conduct in Samoa.

[eomxits ] [lfy-Om Hit Xiiiflr'tith ('enfury fit Nov.) Four days fcfterWaVda the Mohican, an American iimn-of-wiir, Captain Day, arrived. Prom the captains and ottiicrs of those two ships, Mnlieton ; r<it-iv.i! the honors usuallj given to ! crowned heads. By the Germans, as wo have scon, he had been treated with oohtompt. After the departure of the sonadron the Gorman Bag was hauled down • from. Muliuuu, and subsequently the . Samoan flag was hoisted withuut'thnt of the United Slates. Tamaseso yet preseivtd his military camp uiilil Malietoa determined to attack hint. Hostilities were, however, finally avoided hy pressuro being brought to hear upon tho rebels by nil the consuls. The American Government promptly ! disavowed thu action of their consul, j Mr. Ihi.viiid did not in this iustnnce prove himself the equal of Prince Bis- ! march in diplomacy, for it is beyond ! dispute that the Germans nvro ( -j tiunaily on tho aggressive and moving j step by s'.ep towards annexation. Ea< hj step was disavowed by Horliii, and ' solemn assurance* given t,. England' and America that no stuh object \vu*' entertained, and yet not one step so] taken wusevi r retraced nor has it been to this day. Had Mr. Bnynrd permit, ted the American Wag still to fly, the eouferonco would not ii ivo been broken up. Mulietoa would uot have been seized and deported, tllP Bcandllls related and iujustico suffered by the subjects of other powers in tnirton would not have born heard of, and tho present civil war, with iiM-crtaiu dangers and unpleasant re>ults, would not ! I.uvo taken place A coufor.incu was appointed bv the three powers. It met in Washington early in 1.5.57, but prior tn its meeting ■ the representatives of the diffirent nations wero des.putc.lied to tjamoii to : gather personally all poa«iblu imform- j atioo upon tho whole subject, ft in I remarkable tint although when in the j islands the English ami Amoricaii r- | preseutuiives, Mr. [now Sir J. IJ) Thur.-tua ami Mr. Dales, were. nii.Nion.-. , to work in conjunction with Hen j Trav.rs, who lepif.-ti.tcd Germany, | that uuiith'iiinii M1,«,,M,r,.U- ~,.(',,.,..! ... i

do null, although private ><n>! couli.leuthil tiitcivit\v>; worn sometimes held between the thru*',-lien - Truvors ; stipulated that such into views should nut he made the subject maltin’ of itports to their respective Govoi uiiirnis. Im! eccl his conduct au.’t his rojiort t" Hi'ilin go far a> eviduiieo to show that lie had been instructed from headquniters. 11 is rein ms are so fallacious, his hoot so ovident, us to preclude the j belief I hut tiio German represt ututive ■ was a free agent in the maUe.'. Jf J,« i was a free agent his mind was too I much Inns sell to permit him to judge ! impartially. Tito conference having 1 met in Washington, an evident ten- I demy became appaient for tho ling- ] lisli and German commission- rs always | t-i side against ill** American, and ns I it was known lhat liistructiens had j been transiniltcd to tho lluglish consul j in chimoa to piny tlio same purl there, iho American Government became, I not unnaturally, sore and impatient. ! In ease the friction thence insulting, ho conference wi.» udjoiumd until he autumn. Prior to its re-assem-diug Malic tea had coiuplaiiied tliat a foutlonmn nitachcd to the German ictisulato, Herr Brunclem (culled in ocont telegrams from Samoa, Herr Iranders), had been sent to Tamaseso’s teople to instruct them in the use of irearm 9 and in military tactics. To liis complaint the German consul re«rued an evasive and impudent anwer, in which he told Molietou that hj rmany regarded Tutnasese as luiving tpml authority with himself tho Kirg. On tho IDih of August, 1887, n orman squadron of four ships oil■rod Apia. Four days later demand as made upon Mali emu that ho should ly a largo sum of money ns indein - ty for insults and injuries which ho is alleged to have inflicted upon the Vinuu l.mporor and his people some g time previous, prior oven to tho juintaiont of the commission hy the powers, lu addition to demand , money there was a peremptory l 4 that he should make “ tho most : apology to Germany." Tho j used in the insolent letter I n 4sed to him hy the consul-general isi,"* involved in this is •Met terrible that the Samoan ®i\n imagine. It consist in apP**«g the conqueter with tlio face °* conquered in tho dust and wa 'l upon his belly upon tho Bro*jB ro *j the feet of the victor. These werAprms which tho great Oor«n.«fcw dictated to a king with *° ot %nno years tho bad been at solemn treaty, and who in irau done her ao injury what- “»*» lot of ths EogiiA and

American consuls ami coitimisiuum that Malietou, ulthough impatient ami • angry by reason of the iaMUM offered , ti.Tiim by Gcriiiiniiiili'-iuls, \rt had the greatest leveicm-o for the'r Goyern,mi ut ami the Kmperor. ttejfetoa | prayed foe a few days' time, but with- ; "ut any delay upon tho next morning iil o <f. imansd.i lured war. The King ; and his Council and frit mis fled to thu | mountains. On iho day following, i 25th of August, Tuniasfttu was I brought by tins Germans into Ap>a ami appointed King. Tho English ■im! A'uuriftm cuii»nla then mot and publicly pr.i< luinud that they ackuowlodjrud Mniieton only ami told the nativoa to aw..it t!iu result of tlm conference. A ftvr being in the hills for three weeks hiding from thu pursuit of his enemies, fearing that war would be declarud against hispooplo—for already theGerinaus bad begun to burn their villages and confiscate their property—Mnlietoa cm in o in upon tho 17th September and, in accordance with a promiso iinide to tho Germain, gave himself up. In addition to the tear that bis

subjects would be killed ami their property confiscated Molietoa drcndod ibu certainty of being made n prisoner by the Germans. No man of his line had over been made a prisoner by an enemy in war. Either death or the victor's wreith had been the tot of nil his auccstors. Ho did not fear death. All bear testimony, both Europeans and natives, to his conrago nnd resolute character, but ho knew that his owu death would 1 o the signal for the death of man} - of hi» principal chief*, and a lmijr und terrible civil war Ijetweeu the contending factions. It \va." solely in the interesi of his peoplo that he determined lo yit-l I himself to the will of his enemies. If anything were needed to add to the Internes* of the dethroned king it wus found in the I desertion of his friends. Ho had trusted in the assurances of England and America. He had held his hand repeatedly when it was in his power to havo mulied the rch.ds, and the English and Americans persuaded him j to patience. Missionaries of all the.] Churches had ul»o ditsuaded him from | rioU-iice, not roerelj from a desire to ivtit bloodshed, but because thoy he- | liovod in ih<- assertions made by those I in authority that Kughuid and America | ivonld be lit..- friends of the Miinoim ( King.

When Mali..-:.,.-, yielded hiui.,.df into captivity ho in ule two pruekuuutiotis. : 'I hey a,o hero given in full : To ..il S,imo... j On account <•!' my great love tu lay country and my groat affection to ill S. m, thi-i is ih ■ rf.is..n tli.it 1 deliver up my !>;• ly to tho German Government. That (inVranmii may do as tbey wish tome. The tc.i*,ii o{ I tlii.l is biieiiudo i do not desire that again tho | Wood of Samoa almll lie spilt for in-. But I (In not know wli.it in my offence which bus c.iusccl their uoger to mo mid my country. 'l'uiiii isu'.i, farewell! Munoim uti.l family, > farewell! So also, S.d.ifai, 'i'utuiU, Anna, ! auilAtua, farewell '. If wo • !■» not again "•■■ j ciio another .a t»«i-. world, pray tli.it we nmv Ih? again together alio. May you bo ble.«scd.~i am, M.vuctiU, the King. (This was written in the Bush nout Apia.) The second is to Mr. Sewell, tho United Static Uonsul, and is hoadeii In tho Hii-.li. Saiump.i, Sept. Ifi, issr. I, Malietoa, tin; Kin;.'of Samoa! 1 writo j tin* letter to yon bteuiis..' I ma now in great distress mi account ~f T.uuas, -,<• nod other I chiefs, also whin they commenced tbeso I troubles nty desire indeed was to punish Lheui. and put nu end to the rebellion thoy had raised, lot I yielded tn tho udvioen nf the British and American consul-'. For assist- j mice and protection was ottered to me nud my Government if I would not do anything that would onilßO war in my country U lying upon these directions I did not put duwn the rebellion. Now war hits been raised ; against mo by the lanpcror of (iennauy, ami i they have niadu Taina-tcse King of Samoa ' Tho liininii forces aud the adherent* of Taraascso threatened to make war on all my ; jieoplo who do not acknowledge Tnmnseso an king. 1 do not know what wrongful act 1 have done, mid do hereby protest agaiust tho in tion done by Germany. But tho Herman Government in strong aud 1 indeed inn .cak, j therefore 1 yield to their strength th t my people may live uu.l not be slaughte/cii. , 1 shall now obey, ami put myself to-mor- ' row in the haud* of the German forces, to prevent the blood of my people being spilt, Bnd because of my love to my country. , I desire to remind you of the promise.! .<> I frequently made by your (ioveruiueut, and j trust that you will cause these assurances to come to puns iu order to cause the liven and ' liberties of my pconle to be lcspectcd. \ I deslro to make known to you this: I fear, \ indeed, that Gemany will desire to compel me, n» they an now making my people, to i sign papers uckuowlodgiog Tuiihim-ho as king. If 1 write my uamo on paper it will be under eompulsou, and to avoid war being j mode on my people by the German forces. | May you live -1 am. Mauktoa, King of ! Samoa. No mora dignified aud heroin documents were evor penned, or acts performed, than those of Malietoa on tho 10th »nd 17th duys of September. It , is inipossiblo to prevent u feeling of indignation against all three Governmouts when per using theso prooinmations. Tho pathos is complete. The caae which be brings against all three greet powers is conclusive : against the Germans, who without cause robbed him of his crown and his liberty, and against England and America, who had led him into his present partition, and then abandoned him in tun hour of trial. The untutored savage

. and his barbarian subjects stand oul out nobly iu comparison with the rulere I and people of Germany, of England, and of tho United Status. Xho 17th of September will lon- be i omeuiber< (1 by tho Sumoaus. In the luoruing Mnltetoa cume down from the hills and. sat with hid chiefs bonenth tho toleu tree iu front of Government House. Under tho brunches of that tree councils had often before ' been held. It was from that tree, towering high in tho nir, that the Samoan dug had flown until it was torn down by Gorman officers and sea- ; men ; '.hero it hud again boen hoisted : beneath the Stars and .Stripes when : tiie Gurmuu Hoot sailed away ; there the people had eoine iu long nrruy to pay their ti ibute; thoro tho >. King hud received the oflieors of men-of-war and the representatives of grout nations; and there n< w ho sat upon the gra.-u, surrounded by a crowd of weeping friends, to take a sail furowcll before he delivered himself up into the hands of his enemies. Tho Germans did not interrupt him. Tutiiuseae kept fur away. And while he Spoke bis last words of ndvico to his people, the tours fluWrd freely from nil eyes. " Jjau-ati," the talking chief, followad the King. It w.is to the powerful stranger, whose force was overwhelming, and to resist whom meant destruction, that tho King yielded, and not to Tntuascso. They had given utterance to many prayers, and they must leave their CAUBO in tho hands of One mightier than earthly princes. At two o'clock the fnrewdl speeches were (tided. Malietou then rose, ami, accompanied by his chiefs and a huge number of Europeans, i went to the German barracks and gave I himself up. An hour afterwards the Gorman con-

sul funic out with Mafiotoa, and they marched together to the wharf, where tin id was u bunt >o lake thorn to ilio Bismarck. As Malietoa proceeded tho crowds followed him. Many voices cried out in tones of grief, his.friends clung about his person, his servants; sought to touch, if it were possible, : his hand, and amid the bitter grief which pervaded the whole assemblage j it seemed us if it would scarcely po-si- | Ido for them to give up 'bo perron of ih.-ir beloved King, At length the exiledisengaged himself itoin the embraces of his people. Willi lmiiies.sivo diiruitv in; lifted his

> hands and blossud Uieiit, and then out i . down in the bout uud was sw il '< ly rowed ,t(i tliu (ierinan morning uu was Irnusterod-linm the . Bismarck to the Adler. All night 1 many of the poop!') wntejied the ships, , . i and ia the mor ing thoy saw hint taken ; ;; from one vessel to tho other, which i ; latter pot up steam ami left tho bar- | bor. Thousands of oyos, blinded j with tours, wati-li-d the retreating fortn of tlm Gerinuii. ship until Uio ln>t wreath of its smoke r.'ini; bcne-illi the hoii/on. Then they dispersed to their homos. That day and for tuauy days ; afterwards t hero was a bit tor sorrow tlirniif'hot t Samoa, Tho tnovoiiiQjits of Maiiotoa sine.. that timo have been somewhat uucor- i tain, lie wa>, however, takon to the Caiuoioons on the African coast and dot.lined there for Some time. Latterly he has boon romovod to Berlin, and a few days beforo tho roe- lit outbreak in the Xavigittors 1 givup it w.is telegra|>hod that the German Goverutnont wore about to geutl him batk to bis own country. I On September li.'Jrd. live days after Midiotoi bad bora carried off iu tho Adler. the (rermtia minister iu Wash- ' ingtoo, acting tinder instructions from | I'i'iuco Bismarck, announced to tho , ' American Ministry that Germany had declared war against Aluliotoa; iu ; answer to which Mr. Bayard i>ointod '■ out that Germany had no right to take such a course, as the conference was i ut that timo adjourned, and ail the i injuries complained of wore of date 1 long prior to the conference having ! been appm .ted. This was the first notice given to tbo American Govern- • 1 inent of the declaration of war, aud it I will bo seen that it was only givou ! aftor Maiiotoa bad been six days iu ! captivity. j Mr. Bayard reminded the Gemini ' I representative that it bud been nr- . '■ ranged by the powers that n new king , was to bo elected by the SanmauH, and j ', that Maiiotoa was to bo eligible, and ■ bo also urged upou the notice of Prince ■ | Bismarck that tbo Samoans could not ; givo the guarantee required by Ger-; 1 many without breaking thoir treaties ' with England and the United States. Correspondence, however, was now usotos*, as Mulietoa had boon deported : from his kingdom nud Tamaeeae had boon declared king by the German forces, Hti act totally in derogation' of the rights of the other two countries. Subsequently the conference fell through. Sis J. B. Thurston attended at- Washington confessedly with his bands tied by the instruction of the English Government. Finally the American representative withdrew, because,- to use Mr. Bayard'* own words. " neither the commissioner nor , tho United (States Government would 1

! submit to bo made use of for the purEisph of Germany, or Germany and ngland combined." j Before the sitting of Congress in ; this pronent year, aud iu anticipation ' of the President's message, Mr. Bay- ; ard requested tho assent of Lord SatisI bury ami Princo Bismarck to the pubt lication of all documents aud proceed- ! ings iu tho Suuioan matter. Hut both j the German aud English ministers reI fused. Soon after the deportation of Mulietoa a meeting was held 1 y order of Tamasese tin I tho Germuu offu mis, at which the Samoan chiefs were called i upon to attend. • At this meeting Herr : 1 (randeis, TamuseseVGenuau minister, issued n command that there should be no disputation as to the right of ' Taiunsese to bo king, aud uo diacus- } sion. It had been reported to the German ! Government, and waa steadily main mined by thorn, the followers of Tamaj sese far outnumbered thoadheronta of I Malietoa. The German Government : ulleged that Tamaseae wus'ohoseu king |by the Samoans at this meeting. This j statement was mmlo to the American ; ambassador by Count Herbert Bistiiar. k. Herr Brundeis himself states j that at this same meeting he made this | speech : "It is strictly forbidden that | any discussion dionld take place re- ■ liting to the que«tion as to whether it I is good or not that Tamasese is King j of Samoa both at this and any future fono (meoting)." The Samoan chiefs displayed no implicit obedience to tho command of Brandeis. Tho majority of them indeed signed the paper presented to them by Brandeis stating that Taninsc.se had assumed tho government of Samoa, but the principal chief-, made no effort to conceal their contempt for 'fainasoso nnd their opposition to his government. ;

( To he continued in our next.) I

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/STSSA18890216.2.14

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Samoa Times and South Sea Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 18, 16 February 1889, Page 3

Word count
Tapeke kupu
2,943

German Conduct in Samoa. Samoa Times and South Sea Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 18, 16 February 1889, Page 3

German Conduct in Samoa. Samoa Times and South Sea Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 18, 16 February 1889, Page 3

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