THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 1879.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 67, 11 January 1879, Page 2

THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 1879.

On'UK mora tho fabric trembles and the builders are in danger of being driven to the four points of the compass. That body of men known as tho Tairnua and j-'aipule, and called the " Government " of Samoa, have 'been .-omenhat disconcerted by the actions of the Malietoaparty duriigt' e ) >::■ .!".,-.> aays ui briigin a I dutoa to Mulinuu Point aiid introducing him to the would-be Government. So sharp, quick, and decisive has been the action of tho -Malietoa party that the '• Government" party base been placed upon the boms of a dilemma from which they will, to all appearances, have to extricate themselves either by "backing right down " and accepting the position, or proving their right or otherwise to dictate, at the point of tho bayonet. No doubt the Taimua and b'nipulu feared this when thev sent the request reported to have Ijcou sent to General Itartlett on ' 'le.ilay night last, asking him to accept

. usition under them. No doubt they tliiuk that il' tli-J- can only succeed iu getting thu General to join them they will thereby Ijo nblu to overawe the Malietoa party, and threaten them with t!iu vengeance of the United States if t!,'V dare to oppose thu faction which i.-, supported by an American citizen. Whether tin- Uaneral has consented to accept the otter thus made, we are unable to positively assert, though report says lie has. However this may bo wo say that at the present juncture it, is decidedly impolitic for any foreigner to become the special adviser of either of tiio contending parties, In tact we will go further and suy that it is the bonndeii duty not only of the Consuls, hut of the whole of the foreign residents to do all iu their power to prevent any foreigner from interfering in any shape or form iu the present cr'sis. Civil war is apparently imminent, and it any foreiguor iutorfores and takes the part of cither party it may compromise the whole of tho foreign residents in tin; broil, therefore it behoves us all to be strictly neutral. It will no doubt be argued that tho faction which seeks the General's aid is tho Government of the country, and that tllu Malieton party is nothing nunc nor less than a rebel-rising against the authority of such Government, and as such overy effort should be i»ts fc forth to assist the Government to quell the rising, hut we certainly cannot look upon the present crisis iu this light. A (JovomiUOUt is only a (!■>- vernincnl so long as it is able to exercise authority olid uuforeu obedience to i!< laws, and when it fails in thi I it IJHI.It give pi ice to a body that lias the necessary power; if it fails to listen to the

i'U' iii an* r thai I • fonn may bo effected, i; becom«a i tuy f«»r tli<- paaplo to u •■• !'.>•■. Thai the party :it pignut claiming to bold the reins of Government is utterly incapable to enforce obedience to t!..-J : laws ha - b d proved ovwr an 1 ovc\ again daring the time they have held the position. Therefore, evou though it were admitted that they legally constituted the Government, which we di* pute, reform is iu (•-,-.n-y, n. id it is with the Sauioans, and with them alone, to aay how .such reform shall be effecte I. Had the General been offered and :u pte 1 a position under the "Government" a mouth or two iu;» it would have been a vastly different matter. The probability is that if any foreigner now takes the part of the "Government," it will tend to make them stubborn, and exasperate the others, so t.iat war and bloodshed will be certain to follow, whereas if left to themselves, we believe the matter will be settled amicably. Therefore for the sake of justice ami humanity wo prote.it against any foreign interference at the pioseut juncture.