THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 1878.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 17, 26 January 1878, Page 2

THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 1878.

I.n- the month of March, 1873, Mr. A. B. Steinbergor was appointed by an order of President Grant, special agent tn visit and report to the United States of America upon these islands. In August of the Same year ho arrived here. Very soon a most elaborate and glowing description is made out by that individual That it did not take Mr. Steinbergor long to rind out the wonderful resources of the Navigator's Group, is evident from the fact mat in May, 187+, his report, with a recommendation to the American Government to annex them, was laid upon the table of the House of Representatives, and duly discussed. But, notwithstanding, that the matter was recommended by so distinguished a person as the .special agent, and that the most brilliant picture possiblo was painted of these islands, the matter was thrown out for want of sufficient supportors. After this, however, Mr. Stoinbcrger roturns to Samoa with a present of several guns, rnuskets, and military clothing, &c, for ■which he was almost immediately created Premier of Samoa, and the American Government over afterwards idolised. Since the deportation of Mr. Steinbcrgtr by Captain Stevens, of H.JJLS. Barracouta, if any penniless adventurer or intreguing politician, desired to ingratiate himself into favor with tho Samoan Government, he had only to mention America, and Btate the possibility of their cither annexing or offering a protectorate to Samoa. Thus it is, that the Samoans have, upon several occasions bcon persuaded to send cither messages or messengers to the United States asking for a protectorate to bo granted to them, probably in the hope of obtaining a few more guns, be., but to which they have hitherto hod no satisfactory reply. The last attempt in this lino has been the sending of one of their secretaries— Mamca—to present tho desires and wishes of his Government to tho Prosidont of the United States, at .Washington. For reasons which we cannot even conjecture, it was deemed necessary to send this man away upon such important diplomatic business, in thu incuu capacity ot wail agent. However, wo notice by a telegram, dated London, December U, the trustworthy scribe has succeeded so far in his mission as to have ptmudod

President Hen in hi* fcUraaa to Congress to advise the consideration of | the Samoa petition for a treaty of commerce and protectorate. Whether this advice will Iw carried out to the vitLsfaction of the Samoans remain* yet to bese.ii, but We are of opinion that* it "HI nut. We have not the slightest doabt but that it -will receive the same fate as did the recommendation of Mr. A. B. Steinberger sumo four voars ago. Though they may not have S. S. Cox to sbmd up and defend the appropriation funds of the country, there will be others in the House of sufficient sense to see that it would involve, not only a useless expense, but bo almost impossible for t hem to attempt to protect tneso islands so far away from them. Charity begins at home. Before America attempts to protect islands that can havo little or no claim upon tho spreading wings of the eagle, it will bo her duty to look after her own people, and protest those resident ujkhi ner own continent, from the ravages of the Indian race, which has done considerable damage of late. We will not protend to say that it would not be to the advantage of the Samoans to have the prot-ction of such a countrv as the (United States, if it were at all practicable. But knowing how impracticable this is we deprecate everything that tends to keep the native mind in a continual stpte of ferment upon this matter. There arc people who care for nothing but the serving of their own ends, and it is those who, when the American feeling shows some signs of dying out, find some means for stirring it up again. If such sis these could be persuaded to leave Samoa, or when they have left it keep from it, it would be ail the better for the country. Were America to come to the conclusion to grant a protectorate to these islands it would be neee-sary for her to keep a ship-of-war in these waters. As she bus no other business for her vessels here, we ask any right-minded and thinking person, whether it is reasonable to suppose that, for the sake of what trade America does or is likely to do here, she will go to the expense of placing a ship-of-war here simply to gratify the greed, it may lie. of a few possible land sharks, or Sin Francisco merchants? Or docs the feeling of philanthrophy run so high in the United States that the people are willing to submit to an extra taxation for the purpose of protecting the Samoans from civil war amongst themselves, or. as they state in their petition to England, foreigners obtaining all their land < We think that any person looking at this matter, other than through the spectacles of prejudice or selfishness, must see with us that it is most improbable, however much we may desire it, that the United States will ad'ord a protectorate to these islands. There is, we hope, one good to come out of this, and that is, that should the American Government decide to have n ithtng to do with us, they will express themselves in such a manner as to give tho natives and future adventurers here no encouragement to renew the application. This American question has ever been a source of discontcnttothoSamoans, and while there is 'the least encouragement given whereby this .discontented feeling may be kept up we cannot expect that they will settle down to govern themselves with anything like a reasonable government; therefore we hope that this matter will this time be settled by the American Government at once and for ever, as much for their own sakes as that of the Samoans and those foreigners who live in their midst.