a footnote to history-第14章

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moves　played　into　his　hands；　and　he　was　swift　to　seize　and　to　

improve　the　advantage。　　The　neutral　territory　and　the　tripartite　

municipality　of　Apia　were　eyesores　to　the　German　consulate　and　

Brandeis。　　By　landing　Tamasese's　two　or　three　hundred　warriors　at　

Mulinuu；　as　Becker　himself　owns；　they　had　infringed　the　treaties；　

and　Sewall　entered　protest　twice。　　There　were　two　ways　of　escaping　

this　dilemma：　　one　was　to　withdraw　the　warriors；　the　other；　by　some　

hocus…pocus；　to　abrogate　the　neutrality。　　And　the　second　had　

subsidiary　advantages：　　it　would　restore　the　taxes　of　the　richest　

district　in　the　islands　to　the　Samoan　king；　and　it　would　enable　

them　to　substitute　over　the　royal　seat　the　flag　of　Germany　for　the　

new　flag　of　Tamasese。　　It　is　true　（and　it　was　the　subject　of　much　

remark）　that　these　two　could　hardly　be　distinguished　by　the　naked　

eye；　but　their　effects　were　different。　　To　seat　the　puppet　king　on　

German　land　and　under　German　colours；　so　that　any　rebellion　was　

constructive　war　on　Germany；　was　a　trick　apparently　invented　by　

Becker；　and　which　we　shall　find　was　repeated　and　persevered　in　till　

the　end。



Otto　Martin　was　at　this　time　magistrate　in　the　municipality。　　The　

post　was　held　in　turn　by　the　three　nationalities；　Martin　had　served　

far　beyond　his　term；　and　should　have　been　succeeded　months　before　

by　an　American。　　To　make　the　change　it　was　necessary　to　hold　a　

meeting　of　the　municipal　board；　consisting　of　the　three　consuls；　

each　backed　by　an　assessor。　　And　for　some　time　these　meetings　had　

been　evaded　or　refused　by　the　German　consul。　　As　long　as　it　was　

agreed　to　continue　Martin；　Becker　had　attended　regularly；　as　soon　

as　Sewall　indicated　a　wish　for　his　removal；　Becker　tacitly　

suspended　the　municipality　by　refusing　to　appear。　　This　policy　was　

now　the　more　necessary；　for　if　the　whole　existence　of　the　

municipality　were　a　check　on　the　freedom　of　the　new　government；　it　

was　plainly　less　so　when　the　power　to　enforce　and　punish　lay　in　

German　hands。　　For　some　while　back　the　Malietoa　flag　had　been　flown　

on　the　municipal　building：　　Becker　denies　this；　I　am　sorry；　my　

information　obliges　me　to　suppose　he　is　in　error。　　Sewall；　with　

post…mortem　loyalty　to　the　past；　insisted　that　this　flag　should　be　

continued。　　And　Becker　immediately　made　his　point。　　He　declared；　

justly　enough；　that　the　proposal　was　hostile；　and　argued　that　it　

was　impossible　he　should　attend　a　meeting　under　a　flag　with　which　

his　sovereign　was　at　war。　　Upon　one　occasion　of　urgency；　he　was　

invited　to　meet　the　two　other　consuls　at　the　British　consulate；　

even　this　he　refused；　and　for　four　months　the　municipality　

slumbered；　Martin　still　in　office。　　In　the　month　of　October；　in　

consequence；　the　British　and　American　ratepayers　announced　they　

would　refuse　to　pay。　　Becker　doubtless　rubbed　his　hands。　　On　

Saturday；　the　10th；　the　chief　Tamaseu；　a　Malietoa　man　of　substance　

and　good　character；　was　arrested　on　a　charge　of　theft　believed　to　

be　vexatious；　and　cast　by　Martin　into　the　municipal　prison。　　He　

sent　to　Moors；　who　was　his　tenant　and　owed　him　money　at　the　time；　

for　bail。　　Moors　applied　to　Sewall；　ranking　consul。　　After　some　

search；　Martin　was　found　and　refused　to　consider　bail　before　the　

Monday　morning。　　Whereupon　Sewall　demanded　the　keys　from　the　

gaoler；　accepted　Moors's　verbal　recognisances；　and　set　Tamaseu　

free。



Things　were　now　at　a　deadlock；　and　Becker　astonished　every　one　by　

agreeing　to　a　meeting　on　the　14th。　　It　seems　he　knew　what　to　

expect。　　Writing　on　the　13th　at　least；　he　prophesies　that　the　

meeting　will　be　held　in　vain；　that　the　municipality　must　lapse；　and　

the　government　of　Tamasese　step　in。　　On　the　14th；　Sewall　left　his　

consulate　in　time；　and　walked　some　part　of　the　way　to　the　place　of　

meeting　in　company　with　Wilson；　the　English　pro…consul。　　But　he　had　

forgotten　a　paper；　and　in　an　evil　hour　returned　for　it　alone。　　

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；