a footnote to history-第35节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



and　the　fear　of　whose　misconduct　marred　the　sleep　of　their　

commanders。　　Both　paused　aghast；　both　had　time　to　recognise　that　

not　the　whole　Samoan　Archipelago　was　worth　the　loss　in　men　and　

costly　ships　already　suffered。　　The　so…called　hurricane　of　March　

16th　made　thus　a　marking　epoch　in　world…history；　directly；　and　at　

once；　it　brought　about　the　congress　and　treaty　of　Berlin；　

indirectly；　and　by　a　process　still　continuing；　it　founded　the　

modern　navy　of　the　States。　　Coming　years　and　other　historians　will　

declare　the　influence　of　that。







CHAPTER　XI　…　LAUPEPA　AND　MATAAFA

1889…1892







WITH　the　hurricane；　the　broken　war…ships；　and　the　stranded　sailors；　

I　am　at　an　end　of　violence；　and　my　tale　flows　henceforth　among　

carpet　incidents。　　The　blue…jackets　on　Apia　beach　were　still　

jealously　held　apart　by　sentries；　when　the　powers　at　home　were　

already　seeking　a　peaceable　solution。　　It　was　agreed；　so　far　as　

might　be；　to　obliterate　two　years　of　blundering；　and　to　resume　in　

1889；　and　at　Berlin；　those　negotiations　which　had　been　so　unhappily　

broken　off　at　Washington　in　1887。　　The　example　thus　offered　by　

Germany　is　rare　in　history；　in　the　career　of　Prince　Bismarck；　so　

far　as　I　am　instructed；　it　should　stand　unique。　　On　a　review　of　

these　two　years　of　blundering；　bullying；　and　failure　in　a　little　

isle　of　the　Pacific；　he　seems　magnanimously　to　have　owned　his　

policy　was　in　the　wrong。　　He　left　Fangalii　unexpiated；　suffered　

that　house　of　cards；　the　Tamasese　government；　to　fall　by　its　own　

frailty　and　without　remark　or　lamentation；　left　the　Samoan　question　

openly　and　fairly　to　the　conference：　　and　in　the　meanwhile；　to　

allay　the　local　heats　engendered　by　Becker　and　Knappe；　he　sent　to　

Apia　that　invaluable　public　servant；　Dr。　Stuebel。　　I　should　be　a　

dishonest　man　if　I　did　not　bear　testimony　to　the　loyalty　since　

shown　by　Germans　in　Samoa。　　Their　position　was　painful；　they　had　

talked　big　in　the　old　days；　now　they　had　to　sing　small。　　Even　

Stuebel　returned　to　the　islands　under　the　prejudice　of　an　

unfortunate　record。　　To　the　minds　of　the　Samoans　his　name　

represented　the　beginning　of　their　sorrows；　and　in　his　first　term　

of　office　he　had　unquestionably　driven　hard。　　The　greater　his　merit　

in　the　surprising　success　of　the　second。　　So　long　as　he　stayed；　the　

current　of　affairs　moved　smoothly；　he　left　behind　him　on　his　

departure　all　men　at　peace；　and　whether　by　fortune；　or　for　the　want　

of　that　wise　hand　of　guidance；　he　was　scarce　gone　before　the　clouds　

began　to　gather　once　more　on　our　horizon。



Before　the　first　convention；　Germany　and　the　States　hauled　down　

their　flags。　　It　was　so　done　again　before　the　second；　and　Germany；　

by　a　still　more　emphatic　step　of　retrogression；　returned　the　exile　

Laupepa　to　his　native　shores。　　For　two　years　the　unfortunate　man　

had　trembled　and　suffered　in　the　Cameroons；　in　Germany；　in　the　

rainy　Marshalls。　　When　he　left　（September　1887）　Tamasese　was　king；　

served　by　five　iron　war…ships；　his　right　to　rule　（like　a　dogma　of　

the　Church）　was　placed　outside　dispute；　the　Germans　were　still；　as　

they　were　called　at　that　last　tearful　interview　in　the　house　by　the　

river；　〃the　invincible　strangers〃；　the　thought　of　resistance；　far　

less　the　hope　of　success；　had　not　yet　dawned　on　the　Samoan　mind。　　

He　returned　（November　1889）　to　a　changed　world。　　The　Tupua　party　

was　reduced　to　sue　for　peace；　Brandeis　was　withdrawn；　Tamasese　was　

dying　obscurely　of　a　broken　heart；　the　German　flag　no　longer　waved　

over　the　capital；　and　over　all　the　islands　one　figure　stood　

supreme。　　During　Laupepa's　absence　this　man　had　succeeded　him　in　

all　his　honours　and　titles；　in　tenfold　more　than　all　his　power　and　

popularity。　　He　was　the　idol　of　the　whole　nation　but　the　rump　of　

the　Tamaseses；　and　of　these　he　was　already　the　secret　admiration。　　

In　his　position　there　was　but　one　weak　point；　…　that　he　had　even　

been　tacitly　excluded　by　the　Germans。　　Becker；　indeed；　once　

coquetted　with　the　thought　of　patronising　him；　but　the　project　had　

no　sequel；　and　it　stands　alone。　　In　every　other　juncture　of　history　

the　German　attitude　has　been　the　same。　　Choose　whom　you　will　to　be　

king；　when　he　has　failed；　choose　whom　you　please　to　succeed　him；　

when　the　second　fails　also；　replace　the　first：　　upon　the　one　

condition；　that　Mataafa　be　excluded。　　〃POURVU　QU'IL　SACHE　SIGNER！〃　

…　an　official　is　said　to　have　thus　summed　up　the　qualifications　

necessary　in　a　Samoan　king。　　And　it　was　perhaps　feared　that　Mataafa　

could　do　no　more　and　might　not　always　do　so　much。　　But　this　

original　diffidence　was　heightened　by　late　events　to　something　

verging　upon　animosity。　　Fangalii　was　unavenged：　　the　arms　of　

Mataafa　were





NONDUM　INEXPIATIS　UNCTA　CRUORIBUS；

Still　soiled　with　the　unexpiated　blood





of　German　sailors；　and　though　the　chief　was　not　present　in　the　

field；　nor　could　have　heard　of　the　affair　till　it　was　over；　he　had　

reaped　from　it　credit　with　his　countrymen　and　dislike　from　the　

Germans。



I　may　not　say　that　trouble　was　hoped。　　I　must　say　…　if　it　were　not　

feared；　the　practice　of　diplomacy　must　teach　a　very　hopeful　view　of　

human　nature。　　Mataafa　and　Laupepa；　by　the　sudden　repatriation　of　

the　last；　found　themselves　face　to　face　in　conditions　of　

exasperating　rivalry。　　The　one　returned　from　the　dead　of　exile　to　

find　himself　replaced　and　excelled。　　The　other；　at　the　end　of　a　

long；　anxious；　and　successful　struggle；　beheld　his　only　possible　

competitor　resuscitated　from　the　grave。　　The　qualities　of　both；　in　

this　difficult　moment；　shone　out　nobly。　　I　feel　I　seem　always　less　

than　partial　to　the　lovable　Laupepa；　his　virtues　are　perhaps　not　

those　which　chiefly　please　me；　and　are　certainly　not　royal；　but　he　

found　on　his　return　an　opportunity　to　display　the　admirable　

sweetness　of　his　nature。　　The　two　entered　into　a　competition　of　

generosity；　for　which　I　can　recall　no　parallel　in　history；　each　

waiving　the　throne　for　himself；　each　pressing　it　upon　his　rival；　

and　they　embraced　at　last　a　compromise　the　terms　of　which　seem　to　

have　been　always　obscure　and　are　now　disputed。　　Laupepa　at　least　

resumed　his　style　of　King　of　Samoa；　Mataafa　retained　much　of　the　

conduct　of　affairs；　and　continued　to　receive　much　of　the　attendance　

and　respect　befitting　royalty；　and　the　two　Malietoas；　with　so　many　

causes　of　disunion；　dwelt　and　met　together　in　the　same　town　like　

kinsmen。　　It　was　so；　that　I　first　saw　them；　so；　in　a　house　set　

about　with　sentries　…　for　there　was　still　a　haunting　fear　of　

Germany；　…　that　I　heard　them　relate　their　various　experience　in　the　

past；　heard　Laupepa　tell　with　touching　candour　of　the　sorrows　of　

his　exile；　and　Mataafa　with　mirthful　simplicity　of　his　resources　

and　anxieties　in　the　war。　　The　relation　was　perhaps　too　beautiful　

to　last；　it　was　perhaps　impossible　but　the　titular　king　should　grow　

at　last　uneasily　conscious　of　the　MAIRE　DE　PALAIS　at　his　side；　or　

the　king…maker　be　at　last　offended　by　some　shadow　of　distrust　or　

assumption　in　his　creature。　　I　repeat　the　words　king…maker　and　

creature；　it　is　so　that　Mataafa　himself　conceives　of　their　

relation：　　surely　not　without　justice；　for；　had　he　not　contended　

and　prevailed；　and　been　helped　by　the　folly　of　consuls　and　the　fury　

of　the　storm；　Laupepa　must　have　died　in　exile。



Foreigners　in　these　islands　know　little　of　the　course　of　native　

intrigue。　　Partly　the　Samoans　cannot　explain；　partly　they　will　not　

tell。　　Ask　how　much　a　master　can　follow　of　the　puerile　politics　in　

any　school；　so　much　and　no　more　we　may　understand　of　the　events　

which　surround　and　menace　us　with　their　results。　　The　missions　may　

perhaps　have　been　to　blame。　　Missionaries　are　perhaps　apt　to　meddle　

overmuch　outside　their　discipline；　it　is　a　fault　which　should　be　

judged　with　mercy；　the　problem　is　sometimes　so　insidiously　

presented　that　even　a　moderate　and　able　man　is　betrayed　beyond　his　

own　intention；　and　the　missionary　in　such　a　land　as　Samoa　is　

something　else　besides　a　minister　of　mere　religion；　he　represents　

civilisation；　he　is　condemned　to　be　an　organ　of　reform；　he　could　

scarce　evade　（even　if　he　desired）　a　certain　influence　in　political　

affairs。　　And　it　is　believed；　besides；　by　those　who　fancy　they　

know；　that　the　effective　force　of　division　between　Mataafa　and　

Laupepa　came　from　the　natives　rather　than　from　whites。　　Before　the　

end　of　1890；　at　least；　it　began　to　be　rumoured　that　there　was　

dispeace　between　the　two　Malietoas；　and　doubtless　this　had　an　

unsettling　influence　throughout　the　islands。　　But　there　was　another　

ingredient　of　anxiety。　　The　Berlin　convention　had　long　closed　its　

sittings；　the　text　of　the　Act　had　been　long　in　our　hands；　

commissioners　were　announced　to　right　the　wrongs　of　the　land　

question；　and　two　high　officials；　a　chief　justice　and　a　president；　

to　guide　policy　and　administer　law　in　Samoa。　　Their　coming　was　

expected　with　an　impatience；　with　a　childishnes