a footnote to history-第13节

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Wilson　arrived　without　him；　and　Becker　broke　up　the　meeting　for　

want　of　a　quorum。　　There　was　some　unedifying　disputation　as　to　

whether　he　had　waited　ten　or　twenty　minutes；　whether　he　had　been　

officially　or　unofficially　informed　by　Wilson　that　Sewall　was　on　

the　way；　whether　the　statement　had　been　made　to　himself　or　to　Weber　

in　answer　to　a　question；　and　whether　he　had　heard　Wilson's　answer　

or　only　Weber's　question：　　all　otiose；　if　he　heard　the　question；　he　

was　bound　to　have　waited　for　the　answer；　if　he　heard　it　not；　he　

should　have　put　it　himself；　and　it　was　the　manifest　truth　that　he　

rejoiced　in　his　occasion。　　〃Sir；〃　he　wrote　to　Sewall；　〃I　have　the　

honour　to　inform　you　that；　to　my　regret；　I　am　obliged　to　consider　

the　municipal　government　to　be　provisionally　in　abeyance　since　you　

have　withdrawn　your　consent　to　the　continuation　of　Mr。　Martin　in　

his　position　as　magistrate；　and　since　you　have　refused　to　take　part　

in　the　meeting　of　the　municipal　board　agreed　to　for　the　purpose　of　

electing　a　magistrate。　　The　government　of　the　town　and　district　of　

the　municipality　rests；　as　long　as　the　municipality　is　in　abeyance；　

with　the　Samoan　government。　　The　Samoan　government　has　taken　over　

the　administration；　and　has　applied　to　the　commander　of　the　

imperial　German　squadron　for　assistance　in　the　preservation　of　good　

order。〃　　This　letter　was　not　delivered　until　4　P。M。　　By　three；　

sailors　had　been　landed。　　Already　German　colours　flew　over　

Tamasese's　headquarters　at　Mulinuu；　and　German　guards　had　occupied　

the　hospital；　the　German　consulate；　and　the　municipal　gaol　and　

courthouse；　where　they　stood　to　arms　under　the　flag　of　Tamasese。　　

The　same　day　Sewall　wrote　to　protest。　　Receiving　no　reply；　he　

issued　on　the　morrow　a　proclamation　bidding　all　Americans　look　to　

himself　alone。　　On　the　26th；　he　wrote　again　to　Becker；　and　on　the　

27th　received　this　genial　reply：　〃Sir；　your　high　favour　of　the　26th　

of　this　month；　I　give　myself　the　honour　of　acknowledging。　　At　the　

same　time　I　acknowledge　the　receipt　of　your　high　favour　of　the　14th　

October　in　reply　to　my　communication　of　the　same　date；　which　

contained　the　information　of　the　suspension　of　the　arrangements　for　

the　municipal　government。〃　　There　the　correspondence　ceased。　　And　

on　the　18th　January　came　the　last　step　of　this　irritating　intrigue　

when　Tamasese　appointed　a　judge　…　and　the　judge　proved　to　be　

Martin。



Thus　was　the　adventure　of　the　Castle　Municipal　achieved　by　Sir　

Becker　the　chivalrous。　　The　taxes　of　Apia；　the　gaol；　the　police；　

all　passed　into　the　hands　of　Tamasese…Brandeis；　a　German　was　

secured　upon　the　bench；　and　the　German　flag　might　wave　over　her　

puppet　unquestioned。　　But　there　is　a　law　of　human　nature　which　

diplomatists　should　be　taught　at　school；　and　it　seems　they　are　not；　

that　men　can　tolerate　bare　injustice；　but　not　the　combination　of　

injustice　and　subterfuge。　　Hence　the　chequered　career　of　the　

thimble…rigger。　　Had　the　municipality　been　seized　by　open　force；　

there　might　have　been　complaint；　it　would　not　have　aroused　the　same　

lasting　grudge。



This　grudge　was　an　ill　gift　to　bring　to　Brandeis；　who　had　trouble　

enough　in　front　of　him　without。　　He　was　an　alien；　he　was　supported　

by　the　guns　of　alien　warships；　and　he　had　come　to　do　an　alien's　

work；　highly　needful　for　Samoa；　but　essentially　unpopular　with　all　

Samoans。　　The　law　to　be　enforced；　causes　of　dispute　between　white　

and　brown　to　be　eliminated；　taxes　to　be　raised；　a　central　power　

created；　the　country　opened　up；　the　native　race　taught　industry：　　

all　these　were　detestable　to　the　natives；　and　to　all　of　these　he　

must　set　his　hand。　　The　more　I　learn　of　his　brief　term　of　rule；　the　

more　I　learn　to　admire　him；　and　to　wish　we　had　his　like。



In　the　face　of　bitter　native　opposition；　he　got　some　roads　

accomplished。　　He　set　up　beacons。　　The　taxes　he　enforced　with　

necessary　vigour。　　By　the　6th　of　January；　Aua　and　Fangatonga；　

districts　in　Tutuila；　having　made　a　difficulty；　Brandeis　is　down　at　

the　island　in　a　schooner；　with　the　ADLER　at　his　heels；　seizes　the　

chief　Maunga；　fines　the　recalcitrant　districts　in　three　hundred　

dollars　for　expenses；　and　orders　all　to　be　in　by　April　20th；　which　

if　it　is　not；　〃not　one　thing　will　be　done；〃　he　proclaimed；　〃but　war　

declared　against　you；　and　the　principal　chiefs　taken　to　a　distant　

island。〃　　He　forbade　mortgages　of　copra；　a　frequent　source　of　

trickery　and　quarrel；　and　to　clear　off　those　already　contracted；　

passed　a　severe　but　salutary　law。　　Each　individual　or　family　was　

first　to　pay　off　its　own　obligation；　that　settled；　the　free　man　was　

to　pay　for　the　indebted　village；　the　free　village　for　the　indebted　

province；　and　one　island　for　another。　　Samoa；　he　declared；　should　

be　free　of　debt　within　a　year。　　Had　he　given　it　three　years；　and　

gone　more　gently；　I　believe　it　might　have　been　accomplished。　　To　

make　it　the　more　possible；　he　sought　to　interdict　the　natives　from　

buying　cotton　stuffs　and　to　oblige　them　to　dress　（at　least　for　the　

time）　in　their　own　tapa。　　He　laid　the　beginnings　of　a　royal　

territorial　army。　　The　first　draft　was　in　his　hands　drilling。　　But　

it　was　not　so　much　on　drill　that　he　depended；　it　was　his　hope　to　

kindle　in　these　men　an　ESPRIT　DE　CORPS；　which　should　weaken　the　old　

local　jealousies　and　bonds；　and　found　a　central　or　national　party　

in　the　islands。　　Looking　far　before；　and　with　a　wisdom　beyond　that　

of　many　merchants；　he　had　condemned　the　single　dependence　placed　on　

copra　for　the　national　livelihood。　　His　recruits；　even　as　they　

drilled；　were　taught　to　plant　cacao。　　Each；　his　term　of　active　

service　finished；　should　return　to　his　own　land　and　plant　and　

cultivate　a　stipulated　area。　　Thus；　as　the　young　men　continued　to　

pass　through　the　army；　habits　of　discipline　and　industry；　a　central　

sentiment；　the　principles　of　the　new　culture；　and　actual　gardens　of　

cacao；　should　be　concurrently　spread　over　the　face　of　the　islands。



Tamasese　received；　including　his　household　expenses；　1960　dollars　a　

year；　Brandeis；　2400。　　All　such　disproportions　are　regrettable；　but　

this　is　not　extreme：　　we　have　seen　horses　of　a　different　colour　

since　then。　　And　the　Tamaseseites；　with　true　Samoan　ostentation；　

offered　to　increase　the　salary　of　their　white　premier：　　an　offer　he　

had　the　wisdom　and　good　feeling　to　refuse。　　A　European　chief　of　

police　received　twelve　hundred。　　There　were　eight　head　judges；　one　

to　each　province；　and　appeal　lay　from　the　district　judge　to　the　

provincial；　thence　to　Mulinuu。　　From　all　salaries　（I　gather）　a　

small　monthly　guarantee　was　withheld。　　The　army　was　to　cost　from　

three　to　four　thousand；　Apia　（many　whites　refusing　to　pay　taxes　

since　the　suppression　of　the　municipality）　might　cost　three　

thousand　more：　　Sir　Becker's　high　feat　of　arms　coming　expensive　（it　

will　be　noticed）　even　in　money。　　The　whole　outlay　was　estimated　at　

twenty…seven　thousand；　and　the　revenue　forty　thousand：　　a　sum　Samoa　

is　well　able　to　pay。



Such　were　the　arrangements　and　some　of　the　ideas　of　this　strong；　

ardent；　and　sanguine　man。　　Of　criticisms　upon　his　conduct；　beyond　

the　general　consent　that　he　was　rather　harsh　and　in　too　great　a　

hurry；　few　are　articulate。　　The　native　paper　of　complaints　was　

particularly　childish。　　Out　of　twenty…three　counts；　the　first　two　

refer　to　the　private　character　of　Brandeis　and　Tamasese。　　Three　

complain　that　Samoan　officials　were　kept　in　the　dark　as　to　the　

finances；　one；　of　the　tapa　law；　one；　of　the　direct　appointment　of　

chiefs　by　Tamasese…Brandeis；　the　sort　of　mistake　into　which　

Europeans　in　the　South　Seas　fall　so　readily；　one；　of　the　enforced　

labour　of　chiefs；　one；　of　the　taxes；　and　one；　of　the　roads。　　This　I　

may　give　in　full　from　the　very　lame　translation　in　the　American　

white　book。　　〃The　roads　that　were　made　were　called　the　Government　

Roads；　they　were　six　fathoms　wide。　　Their　making　caused　much　damage　

to　Samoa's　lands　and　what　was　planted　on　it。　　The　Samoans　cried　on　

account　of　their　lands；　which　were　taken　high…handedly　and　abused。　　

They　again　cried　on　account　of　the　loss　of　what　they　had　planted；　

which　was　now　thrown　away　in　a　high…handed　way；　without　any　regard　

being　shown　or　question　asked　of　the　owner　of　the　land；　or　any　

compensation　offered　for　the　damage　done。　　This　was　different　with　

foreigners'　land；　in　their　case　permission　was　first　asked　to　make　

the　roads；　the　foreigners　were　paid　for　any　destruction　made。〃　　The　

sting　of　this　count　was；　I　fancy；　in　the　last　clause。　　No　less　than　

six　articles　complain　of　the　administration　of　the　law；　and　I　

believe　that　was　never　satisfactory。　　Brandeis　told　me　himself　he　

was　never　yet　satisfied　with　any　native　judge。　　And　men　say　（and　it　

seems　to　fit　in　well　with　his　hasty　and　eager　character）　that　he　

would　legislate　by　word　of　mouth；　sometimes　forget　what　he　had　

said；　and；　on　the　same　question　arising　in　another　province；　decide　

it　perhaps　otherwise。