THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 1879.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 89, 14 June 1879, Page 2

THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 1879.

Owing to thu folly of the United States Consul wo feel ourselves compelled to refer toa matter which wo had hoped to jiass over unnotioed. In our issue of Saturday last " Cyril " in " Talk about Town," in referring to a second attack upon Mr. Stnalley's house by certain British half-castes, stated that it was consequent upon the United States Consul's refusal to acknowledge thu legality of the lligh Commissioner's Court, and wound up, in speaking of the United Statos Consul, by saying, "Of course while refusing to recognise tho High Commissioner's Court, ho lays himself just as liablo-to bo asaulted by these British hulfcasto rowdies as his follow citizens, and he will Lave to take an insult or an assault from them as quietly as ho has forced Mr. Smalley to do." The United States Consul having hail business down the coast, did not see the paper till .his return at about 10 p.m. on Saturday, when, upon reading tho above quotation, terror seems to have seized his soul, and it would appoar as though ho thought that his very life depended upon his having the following notico potted in certain conspicuous places:— !

"Notice.—An article on the High 'Commissioner's Court in the Samoa.Tisiks •of Juno 7th is iucondiary—an effort intended to incite to riot and bloodshed, and an assault by British subjects upon ■the lives of American-citizens in Samoa, and especially the American Consul.— Both tho incendiaries and ihcir tools are hereby warned that such a course of action will not bo to thoir advantage.— Thomas M. Dawson, United Stales Consul—Afia, Juuo 7,1870."

\ So terror-stricken does he seem to have been at the bare idea having been suggested that he hoi laid himself (me, in comuion with his fellow-citizens, to insult or assault by British half-caste rowdies, and so much faith docs he appear to have had in the-deterrent effect his formidable notice would have upon " IJoth the incendiaries and their tools " —whoever they may be—that he could not wait till Monday, but posted it on Sunday morning. What has been the effect ? Why, instead of making the "incendiaries" tremble, it has caused the writer to become the laughing-stock of all who have read it; and wore we to repeat hero one half the remarks wo have heard passed by persons who have read his notices, wo will venture to say that the United States Consul would come to tiro conclusion that his own writing was for more incendiary, "especially" towards "the American Consul," than the article of which he complains. Wo aro sorry to think that the United States Consul is so thin skinned that he cannot hear a little wholesome and legitimate criticism upon his public acts. And wo are the more astonished in this case, as tho United States Cousid professes to have been editor of a newspaper in America, which papers are noted for tho severity, and often tho unwarranted attacks upon all public men, officials or otherwise. Public men are public property, mid ore fair game for public criticism, therefore if the United States Consul is of such a nervous temperament that he cannot bear a word to be said against his public actions, the sooner ho retires from public life and seeks some more genial occupation, where the Argus eye of the newspaper editor or of an enlightened public, will not watch his v\ury act, the better it will be for himself, the country he represents, and his fellow-citizens bore. We have read and re-read the article referred to by the United States Consul and have failed to hud uiit anything of an inflamatory nature. it is simply a plain statement of stubborn facts, shewing the awkward position in which he has not only placed those who look to him for protection, but himself. It is not to be supposed that the Deputy Commissioner could any more try a charge preferred against a British subject by the United States Consul than ho could the one preferred by Mr. Siualley. Therefore it was quite natural to conclude " and he will have to take an insult or an assault from them as quietly as ho has forced Mr. Smalley to do," which we have reason to know are the words pronounced by the United States Consul as incendiary. Taking these words without the context their meaning could scarcely be mistaken, but add the context and their meaning is so plain that "he who runs may read." It is, " should the United Stato3 Consul be insulted or assaulted he will have, &e.," which would bo but a natural sequeuco of his own acts. Had the United States Consul not disputed tho legality of the High Commissioner's Court this would, to a certain extent, have been obviated ; that is if he had been insulted or assaulted the culprit could havo been punished by a responsible tribunal, whereas now the only protection Americans havo against British rowdies is club law, in tho execution of which tho administrator stands as good a chance of getting the punishment ns the culprit. Admitting that tho United States Consul was justified in refusing to recognise the legality of the High Commissioner's Court, seeing that it is a necessary evil for tho protection of himself and fellow-countrymen, he might, without compromising himself, have acknowledged the Court conditionally, which acknowledgment would havo allowed cases to be tried in the meantime, and could have been withdrawn if the United States Government refused to recognise the legality of tho Court. To bo publicly placarded as incendiaries, without being allowed a chance of disproving it, and without the slightest justification for such placarding, is hail enough, but when wo are charged with "an effort intended to incite to riot and bloodshed, and an assault by British subjects upon the lives of American citizens in Samoa, and especially the American Consul," when wo had no intention of tho kind is a very grave charge, and a libel upon ns of a-criminal nature. liut knowing, as wo do, the nature of the per. son who makes the charge, and knowing tho estimation in which wo are held by tho American residents here, the charge is reduced to nil and we can afford to laugh at it as a fruitless attempt to estrango us from some of our best friends. With regard to tho American Consul, we have simply to although we havo boon compelled to oppoM him in sonio public matters, we are not so thin-skinned, and -wo have too much pity for him, to wish him any harm.