a footnote to history-第37节

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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　the　provisions　of　the　Berlin　Act；　his　desire　to　

be　formally　obedient　is　manifest。　　The　Act　imposed　the　tax。　　He　has　

paid　his　taxes；　although　he　thus　contributes　to　the　ways　and　means　

of　his　immediate　rival。　　The　Act　decreed　the　supreme　court；　and　he　

sends　his　partisans　to　be　tried　at　Mulinuu；　although　he　thus　places　

them　（as　I　shall　have　occasion　to　show）　in　a　position　far　from　

wholly　safe。　　From　this　literal　conformity；　in　matters　regulated；　

to　the　terms　of　the　Berlin　plenipotentiaries；　we　may　plausibly　

infer；　in　regard　to　the　rest；　a　no　less　exact　observance　of　the　

famous　and　obscure　〃laws　and　customs　of　Samoa。〃



But　though　it　may　be　possible　to　attain；　in　the　study；　to　some　such　

adumbration　of　an　understanding；　it　were　plainly　unfair　to　expect　

it　of　officials　in　the　hurry　of　events。　　Our　two　white　officers　

have　accordingly　been　no　more　perspicacious　than　was　to　be　looked　

for；　and　I　think　they　have　sometimes　been　less　wise。　　It　was　not　

wise　in　the　president　to　proclaim　Mataafa　and　his　followers　rebels　

and　their　estates　confiscated。　　Such　words　are　not　respectable　till　

they　repose　on　force；　on　the　lips　of　an　angry　white　man；　standing　

alone　on　a　small　promontory；　they　were　both　dangerous　and　absurd；　

they　might　have　provoked　ruin；　thanks　to　the　character　of　Mataafa；　

they　only　raised　a　smile　and　damaged　the　authority　of　government。　　

And　again　it　is　not　wise　in　the　government　of　Mulinuu　to　have　twice　

attempted　to　precipitate　hostilities；　once　in　Savaii；　once　here　in　

the　Tuamasanga。　　The　fate　of　the　Savaii　attempt　I　never　heard；　it　

seems　to　have　been　stillborn。　　The　other　passed　under　my　eyes。　　A　

war…party　was　armed　in　Apia；　and　despatched　across　the　island　

against　Mataafa　villages；　where　it　was　to　seize　the　women　and　

children。　　It　was　absent　for　some　days；　engaged　in　feasting　with　

those　whom　it　went　out　to　fight；　and　returned　at　last；　innocuous　

and　replete。　　In　this　fortunate　though　undignified　ending　we　may　

read　the　fact　that　the　natives　on　Laupepa's　side　are　sometimes　more　

wise　than　their　advisers。　　Indeed；　for　our　last　twelve　months　of　

miraculous　peace　under　what　seem　to　be　two　rival　kings；　the　credit　

is　due　first　of　all　to　Mataafa；　and　second　to　the　half…heartedness；　

or　the　forbearance；　or　both；　of　the　natives　in　the　other　camp。　　The　

voice　of　the　two　whites　has　ever　been　for　war。　　They　have　published　

at　least　one　incendiary　proclamation；　they　have　armed　and　sent　into　

the　field　at　least　one　Samoan　war…party；　they　have　continually　

besieged　captains　of　war…ships　to　attack　Malie；　and　the　captains　of　

the　war…ships　have　religiously　refused。　　Thus　in　the　last　twelve　

months　our　European　rulers　have　drawn　a　picture　of　themselves；　as　

bearded　like　the　pard；　full　of　strange　oaths；　and　gesticulating　

like　semaphores；　while　over　against　them　Mataafa　reposes　smilingly　

obstinate；　and　their　own　retainers　surround　them；　frowningly　ine