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a footnote to history-第8部分
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Mataafa was no sooner set down with the embassy than he was
summoned and ordered on board by two German officers。 The step is
one of those triumphs of temper which can only be admired。 Mataafa
is entertaining the plenipotentiary of a sovereign power in treaty
with his own king; and the captain of a German corvette orders him
to quit his guests。
But there was worse to come。 I gather that Tamasese was at the
time in the sulks。 He had doubtless been promised prompt aid and a
prompt success; he had seen himself surreptitiously helped;
privately ordered about; and publicly disowned; and he was still
the king of nothing more than his own province; and already the
second in command of Captain Brandeis。 With the adhesion of some
part of his native cabinet; and behind the back of his white
minister; he found means to communicate with the Hawaiians。 A
passage on the KAIMILOA; a pension; and a home in Honolulu were the
bribes proposed; and he seems to have been tempted。 A day was set
for a secret interview。 Poor; the Hawaiian secretary; and J。 D。
Strong; an American painter attached to the embassy in the
surprising quality of 〃Government Artist;〃 landed with a Samoan
boat's…crew in Aana; and while the secretary hid himself; according
to agreement; in the outlying home of an English settler; the
artist (ostensibly bent on photography) entered the headquarters of
the rebel king。 It was a great day in Leulumoenga; three hundred
recruits had come in; a feast was cooking; and the photographer; in
view of the native love of being photographed; was made entirely
welcome。 But beneath the friendly surface all were on the alert。
The secret had leaked out: Weber beheld his plans threatened in
the root; Brandeis trembled for the possession of his slave and
sovereign; and the German vice…consul; Mr。 Sonnenschein; had been
sent or summoned to the scene of danger。
It was after dark; prayers had been said and the hymns sung through
all the village; and Strong and the German sat together on the mats
in the house of Tamasese; when the events began。 Strong speaks
German freely; a fact which he had not disclosed; and he was scarce
more amused than embarrassed to be able to follow all the evening
the dissension and the changing counsels of his neighbours。 First
the king himself was missing; and there was a false alarm that he
had escaped and was already closeted with Poor。 Next came certain
intelligence that some of the ministry had run the blockade; and
were on their way to the house of the English settler。 Thereupon;
in spite of some protests from Tamasese; who tried to defend the
independence of his cabinet; Brandeis gathered a posse of warriors;
marched out of the village; brought back the fugitives; and clapped
them in the corrugated iron shanty which served as gaol。 Along
with these he seems to have seized Billy Coe; interpreter to the
Hawaiians; and Poor; seeing his conspiracy public; burst with his
boat's…crew into the town; made his way to the house of the native
prime minister; and demanded Coe's release。 Brandeis hastened to
the spot; with Strong at his heels; and the two principals being
both incensed; and Strong seriously alarmed for his friend's
safety; there began among them a scene of great intemperance。 At
one point; when Strong suddenly disclosed his acquaintance with
German; it attained a high style of comedy; at another; when a
pistol was most foolishly drawn; it bordered on drama; and it may
be said to have ended in a mixed genus; when Poor was finally
packed into the corrugated iron gaol along with the forfeited
ministers。 Meanwhile the captain of his boat; Siteoni; of whom I
shall have to tell again; had cleverly withdrawn the boat's…crew at
an early stage of the quarrel。 Among the population beyond
Tamasese's marches; he collected a body of armed men; returned
before dawn to Leulumoenga; demolished the corrugated iron gaol;
and liberated the Hawaiian secretary and the rump of the rebel
cabinet。 No opposition was shown; and doubtless the rescue was
connived at by Brandeis; who had gained his point。 Poor had the
face to complain the next day to Becker; but to compete with Becker
in effrontery was labour lost。 〃You have been repeatedly warned;
Mr。 Poor; not to expose yourself among these savages;〃 said he。
Not long after; the presence of the KAIMILOA was made A CASUS BELLI
by the Germans; and the rough…and…tumble embassy withdrew; on
borrowed money; to find their own government in hot water to the
neck。
THE EMPEROR'S BIRTHDAY。 It is possible; and it is alleged; that
the Germans entered into the conference with hope。 But it is
certain they were resolved to remain prepared for either fate。 And
I take the liberty of believing that Laupepa was not forgiven his
duplicity; that; during this interval; he stood marked like a tree
for felling; and that his conduct was daily scrutinised for further
pretexts of offence。 On the evening of the Emperor's birthday;
March 22nd; 1887; certain Germans were congregated in a public bar。
The season and the place considered; it is scarce cynical to assume
they had been drinking; nor; so much being granted; can it be
thought exorbitant to suppose them possibly in fault for the
squabble that took place。 A squabble; I say; but I am willing to
call it a riot。 And this was the new fault of Laupepa; this it is
that was described by a German commodore as 〃the trampling upon by
Malietoa of the German Emperor。〃 I pass the rhetoric by to examine
the point of liability。 Four natives were brought to trial for
this horrid fact: not before a native judge; but before the German
magistrate of the tripartite municipality of Apia。 One was
acquitted; one condemned for theft; and two for assault。 On
appeal; not to Malietoa; but to the three consuls; the case was by
a majority of two to one returned to the magistrate and (as far as
I can learn) was then allowed to drop。 Consul Becker himself laid
the chief blame on one of the policemen of the municipality; a
half…white of the name of Scanlon。 Him he sought to have
discharged; but was again baffled by his brother consuls。 Where;
in all this; are we to find a corner of responsibility for the king
of Samoa? Scanlon; the alleged author of the outrage; was a half…
white; as Becker was to learn to his cost; he claimed to be an
American subject; and he was not even in the king's employment。
Apia; the scene of the outrage; was outside the king's jurisdiction
by treaty; by the choice of Germany; he was not so much as allowed
to fly his flag there。 And the denial of justice (if justice were
denied) rested with the consuls of Britain and the States。
But when a dog is to be beaten; any stick will serve。 In the
meanwhile; on the proposition of Mr。 Bayard; the Washington
conference on Samoan affairs was adjourned till autumn; so that
〃the ministers of Germany and Great Britain might submit the
protocols to their respective Governments。〃 〃You propose that the
conference is to adjourn and not to be broken up?〃 asked Sir Lionel
West。 〃To adjourn for the reasons stated;〃 replied Bayard。 This
was on July 26th; and; twenty…nine days later; by Wednesday the
24th of August; Germany had practically seized Samoa。 For this
flagrant breach of faith one excuse is openly alleged; another
whispered。 It is openly alleged that Bayard had shown himself
impracticable; it is whispered that the Hawaiian embassy was an
expression of American intrigue; and that the Germans only did as
they were done by。 The sufficiency of these excuses may be left to
the discretion of the reader。 But; however excused; the breach of
faith was public and express; it must have been deliberately
predetermined and it was resented in the States as a deliberate
insult。
By the middle of August 1887 there were five sail of German war…
ships in Apia bay: the BISMARCK; of 3000 tons displacement; the
CAROLA; the SOPHIE; and the OLGA; all considerable ships; and the
beautiful ADLER; which lies there to this day; kanted on her beam;
dismantled; scarlet with rust; the day showing through her ribs。
They waited inactive; as a burglar waits till the patrol goes by。
And on the 23rd; when the mail had left for Sydney; when the eyes
of the world were withdrawn; and Samoa plunged again for a period
of weeks into her original island…obscurity; Becker opened his
guns。 The policy was too cunning to seem dignified; it gave to
conduct which would otherwise have seemed bold and even brutally
straightforward; the appearance of a timid ambuscade; and helped to
shake men's reliance on the word of Germany。 On the day named; an
ultimatum reached Malietoa at Afenga; whither he had retired months
before to avoid friction。 A fine of one thousand dollars and an
IFO; or public humiliation; were demanded for the affair of the
Emperor's birthday。 Twelve thousand dollars were to be 〃paid
quickly〃 for thefts from German plantations in the course of the
last four years。 〃It is my opinion that there is nothing just or
correct in Samoa while you are at the head of the government;〃
concluded Becker。 〃I shall be at Afenga in the morning of to…
morrow; Wednesday; at 11 A。M。〃 The blow fell on Laupepa (in his
own expression) 〃out of the bush〃; the dilatory fellow had seen
things hang over so long; he had perhaps begun to suppose they
might hang over for ever; and here was ruin at the door。 He rode
at once to Apia; and summoned his chiefs。 The council lasted all
night long。 Many voices were for defiance。 But Laupepa had grown
inured to a policy of procrastination; and the answer ultimately
drawn only begged for delay till Saturday; the 27th。 So soon as it
was signed; the king took horse and fled in the early morning to
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