a footnote to history-第33部分

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Manono　demanded　to　his　face　a　change　of　kings；　he　had　no　choice　but　

to　refuse　them；　and　（his　reproof　being　unheeded）　to　suspend　the　

meeting。　　Whether　by　any　neglect　of　his　own　or　the　mere　force　of　

circumstance；　he　failed；　however；　to　secure　the　sympathy；　failed　

even　to　gain　the　confidence；　of　Mataafa。　　The　latter　is　not　without　

a　sense　of　his　own　abilities　or　of　the　great　service　he　has　

rendered　to　his　native　land。　　He　felt　himself　neglected；　at　the　

very　moment　when　the　cry　for　his　elevation　rang　throughout　the　

group　he　thought　himself　made　little　of　on　Mulinuu；　and　he　began　to　

weary　of　his　part。　　In　this　humour；　he　was　exposed　to　a　temptation　

which　I　must　try　to　explain；　as　best　I　may　be　able；　to　Europeans。



The　bestowal　of　the　great　name；　Malietoa；　is　in　the　power　of　the　

district　of　Malie；　some　seven　miles　to　the　westward　of　Apia。　　The　

most　noisy　and　conspicuous　supporters　of　that　party　are　the　

inhabitants　of　Manono。　　Hence　in　the　elaborate；　allusive　oratory　of　

Samoa；　Malie　is　always　referred　to　by　the　name　of　PULE　（authority）　

as　having　the　power　of　the　name；　and　Manono　by　that　of　AINGA　（clan；　

sept；　or　household）　as　forming　the　immediate　family　of　the　chief。　　

But　these；　though　so　important；　are　only　small　communities；　and　

perhaps　the　chief　numerical　force　of　the　Malietoas　inhabits　the　

island　of　Savaii。　　Savaii　has　no　royal　name　to　bestow；　all　the　five　

being　in　the　gift　of　different　districts　of　Upolu；　but　she　has　the　

weight　of　numbers；　and　in　these　latter　days　has　acquired　a　certain　

force　by　the　preponderance　in　her　councils　of　a　single　man；　the　

orator　Lauati。　　The　reader　will　now　understand　the　peculiar　

significance　of　a　deputation　which　should　embrace　Lauati　and　the　

orators　of　both　Malie　and　Manono；　how　it　would　represent　all　that　

is　most　effective　on　the　Malietoa　side；　and　all　that　is　most　

considerable　in　Samoan　politics；　except　the　opposite　feudal　party　

of　the　Tupua。　　And　in　the　temptation　brought　to　bear　on　Mataafa；　

even　the　Tupua　was　conjoined。　　Tamasese　was　dead。　　His　followers　

had　conceived　a　not　unnatural　aversion　to　all　Germans；　from　which　

only　the　loyal　Brandeis　is　excepted；　and　a　not　unnatural　admiration　

for　their　late　successful　adversary。　　Men　of　his　own　blood　and　

clan；　men　whom　he　had　fought　in　the　field；　whom　he　had　driven　from　

Matautu；　who　had　smitten　him　back　time　and　again　from　before　the　

rustic　bulwarks　of　Lotoanuu；　they　approached　him　hand　in　hand　with　

their　ancestral　enemies　and　concurred　in　the　same　prayer。　　The　

treaty　（they　argued）　was　not　carried　out。　　The　right　to　elect　their　

king　had　been　granted　them；　or　if　that　were　denied　or　suspended；　

then　the　right　to　elect　〃his　successor。〃　　They　were　dissatisfied　

with　Laupepa；　and　claimed；　〃according　to　the　laws　and　customs　of　

Samoa；〃　duly　to　appoint　another。　　The　orators　of　Malie　declared　

with　irritation　that　their　second　appointment　was　alone　valid　and　

Mataafa　the　sole　Malietoa；　the　whole　body　of　malcontents　named　him　

as　their　choice　for　king；　and　they　requested　him　in　consequence　to　

leave　Apia　and　take　up　his　dwelling　in　Malie；　the　name…place　of　

Malietoa；　a　step　which　may　be　described；　to　European　ears；　as　

placing　before　the　country　his　candidacy　for　the　crown。



I　do　not　know　when　the　proposal　was　first　made。　　Doubtless　the　

disaffection　grew　slowly；　every　trifle　adding　to　its　force；　

doubtless　there　lingered　for　long　a　willingness　to　give　the　new　

government　a　trial。　　The　chief　justice　at　least　had　been　nearly　

five　months　in　the　country；　and　the　president；　Baron　Senfft　von　

Pilsach；　rather　more　than　a　month　before　the　mine　was　sprung。　　On　

May　31；　1891；　the　house　of　Mataafa　was　found　empty；　he　and　his　

chiefs　had　vanished　from　Apia；　and；　what　was　worse；　three　

prisoners；　liberated　from　the　gaol；　had　accompanied　them　in　their　

secession；　two　being　political　offenders；　and　the　third　（accused　of　

murder）　having　been　perhaps　set　free　by　accident。　　Although　the　

step　had　been　discussed　in　certain　quarters；　it　took　all　men　by　

surprise。　　The　inhabitants　at　large　expected　instant　war。　　The　

officials　awakened　from　a　dream　to　recognise　the　value　of　that　

which　they　had　lost。　　Mataafa　at　Vaiala；　where　he　was　the　pledge　of　

peace；　had　perhaps　not　always　been　deemed　worthy　of　particular　

attention；　Mataafa　at　Malie　was　seen；　twelve　hours　too　late；　to　be　

an　altogether　different　quantity。　　With　excess　of　zeal　on　the　other　

side；　the　officials　trooped　to　their　boats　and　proceeded　almost　in　

a　body　to　Malie；　where　they　seem　to　have　employed　every　artifice　of　

flattery　and　every　resource　of　eloquence　upon　the　fugitive　high　

chief。　　These　courtesies；　perhaps　excessive　in　themselves；　had　the　

unpardonable　fault　of　being　offered　when　too　late。　　Mataafa　showed　

himself　facile　on　small　issues；　inflexible　on　the　main；　he　restored　

the　prisoners；　he　returned　with　the　consuls　to　Apia　on　a　flying　

visit；　he　gave　his　word　that　peace　should　be　preserved　…　a　pledge　

in　which　perhaps　no　one　believed　at　the　moment；　but　which　he　has　

since　nobly　redeemed。　　On　the　rest　he　was　immovable；　he　had　cast　

the　die；　he　had　declared　his　candidacy；　he　had　gone　to　Malie。　　

Thither；　after　his　visit　to　Apia；　he　returned　again；　there　he　has　

practically　since　resided。



Thus　was　created　in　the　islands　a　situation；　strange　in　the　

beginning；　and　which；　as　its　inner　significance　is　developed；　

becomes　daily　stranger　to　observe。　　On　the　one　hand；　Mataafa　sits　

in　Malie；　assumes　a　regal　state；　receives　deputations；　heads　his　

letters　〃Government　of　Samoa；〃　tacitly　treats　the　king　as　a　co…

ordinate；　and　yet　declares　himself；　and　in　many　ways　conducts　

himself；　as　a　law…abiding　citizen。　　On　the　other；　the　white　

officials　in　Mulinuu　stand　contemplating　the　phenomenon　with　eyes　

of　growing　stupefaction；　now　with　symptoms　of　collapse；　now　with　

accesses　of　violence。　　For　long；　even　those　well　versed　in　island　

manners　and　the　island　character　daily　expected　war；　and　heard　

imaginary　drums　beat　in　the　forest。　　But　for　now　close　upon　a　year；　

and　against　every　stress　of　persuasion　and　temptation；　Mataafa　has　

been　the　bulwark　of　our　peace。　　Apia　lay　open　to　be　seized；　he　had　

the　power　in　his　hand；　his　followers　cried　to　be　led　on；　his　

enemies　marshalled　him　the　same　way　by　impotent　examples；　and　he　

has　never　faltered。　　Early　in　the　day；　a　white　man　was　sent　from　

the　government　of　Mulinuu　to　examine　and　report　upon　his　actions：　　

I　saw　the　spy　on　his　return；　〃It　was　only　our　rebel　that　saved　us；〃　

he　said；　with　a　laugh。　　There　is　now　no　honest　man　in　the　islands　

but　is　well　aware　of　it；　none　but　knows　that；　if　we　have　enjoyed　

during　the　past　eleven　months　the　conveniences　of　peace；　it　is　due　

to　the　forbearance　of　〃our　rebel。〃　　Nor　does　this　part　of　his　

conduct　stand　alone。　　He　calls　his　party　at　Malie　the　government；　…　

〃our　government；〃　…　but　he　pays　his　taxes　to　the　government　at　

Mulinuu。　　He　takes　ground　like　a　king；　he　has　steadily　and　blandly　

refused　to　obey　all　orders　as　to　his　own　movements　or　behaviour；　

but　upon　requisition　he　sends　offenders　to　be　tried　under　the　chief　

justice。



We　have　here　a　problem　of　conduct；　and　what　seems　an　image　of　

inconsistency；　very　hard　at　the　first　sight　to　be　solved　by　any　

European。　　Plainly　Mataafa　does　not　act　at　random。　　Plainly；　in　the　

depths　of　his　Samoan　mind；　he　regards　his　attitude　as　regular　and　

constitutional。　　It　may　be　unexpected；　it　may　be　inauspicious；　it　

may　be　undesirable；　but　he　thinks　it　…　and　perhaps　it　is　…　in　full　

accordance　with　those　〃laws　and　customs　of　Samoa〃　ignorantly　

invoked　by　the　draughtsmen　of　the　Berlin　Act。　　The　point　is　worth　

an　effort　of　comprehension；　a　man's　life　may　yet　depend　upon　it。　　

Let　us　conceive；　in　the　first　place；　that　there　are　five　separate　

kingships　in　Samoa；　though　not　always　five　different　kings；　and　

that　though　one　man；　by　holding　the　five　royal　names；　might　become　

king　in　ALL　PARTS　of　Samoa；　there　is　perhaps　no　such　matter　as　a　

kingship　of　all　Samoa。　　He　who　holds　one　royal　name　would　be；　upon　

this　view；　as　much　a　sovereign　person　as　he　who　should　chance　to　

hold　the　other　four；　he　would　have　less　territory　and　fewer　

subjects；　but　the　like　independence　and　an　equal　royalty。　　Now　

Mataafa；　even　if　all　debatable　points　were　decided　against　him；　is　

still　Tuiatua；　and　as　such；　on　this　hypothesis；　a　sovereign　prince。　　

In　the　second　place；　the　draughtsmen　of　the　Act；　waxing　exceeding　

bold；　employed　the　word　〃election；〃　and　implicitly　justified　all　

precedented　steps　towards　the　kingship　according　with　the　〃customs　

of　Samoa。〃　　I　am　not　asking　what　was　intended　by　the　gentlemen　who　

sat　and　debated　very　benignly　and；　on　the　whole；　wisely　in　Berlin；　

I　am　asking　what　will　be　understood　by　a　Samoan　studying　their　

literary　work；　the　Berlin　Act；　I　am　asking　what　is　the　result　of　

taking　a　word　out　of　one　state　of　society；　and　applying　it　to　

another；　of　which　the　writers　know　less　than　nothing；　and　no　

European　knows　much。　　Several　interpreters　and　several　days　were　

employed　last　September　in　the　fruitless　attempt　to　convey　to　the　

mind　of　Laupepa　the　sense　of　the　word　〃resignation。〃　　What　can　a　

Samoan　gather　from　the　words；　ELECTION？　ELECTION　OF　A　KING？　

ELECTION　OF　A　KING　ACCORDING　TO　THE　LAWS　AND　CUSTOMS　OF　SAMOA？　　

What　are　the　electoral　measures；　what　is　the　method　of　canvassing；　

likely　to　be　employed　by　two；　three；　four；　or　five；　more　or　less　

absolute　princelings；　eager　to　evince　each　other？　　And　who　is　to　

distinguish　such　a　process　from　the　state　of　war？　　In　such　

international　…　or；　I　should　say；　interparochial　…　differences；　the　

nearest　we　can　come　towards　understanding　is　to　appreciate　the　

cloud　of　ambiguity　in　which　all　parties　grope　…





〃Treading　the　crude　consistence；　half　on　foot；

Half　flying。〃





Now；　in　one　part　of　Mataafa's　behaviour　his　purpose　is　beyond　

mistake。　　Towards