a footnote to history-第16章

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should　come　before　provincial。　　But　the　case　occurred　before　the　

promulgation　of　the　law；　and　was；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　the　cause　of　

it；　so　the　most　we　can　say　is　that　he　changed　his　mind；　and　changed　

it　for　the　better。　　If　the　history　of　his　government　be　considered　

…　how　it　originated　in　an　intrigue　between　the　firm　and　the　

consulate；　and　was　（for　the　firm's　sake　alone）　supported　by　the　

consulate　with　foreign　bayonets　…　the　existence　of　the　least　doubt　

on　the　man's　action　must　seem　marvellous。　　We　should　have　looked　to　

find　him　playing　openly　and　wholly　into　their　hands；　that　he　did　

not；　implies　great　independence　and　much　secret　friction；　and　I　

believe　（if　the　truth　were　known）　the　firm　would　be　found　to　have　

been　disgusted　with　the　stubbornness　of　its　intended　tool；　and　

Brandeis　often　impatient　of　the　demands　of　his　creators。



But　I　may　seem　to　exaggerate　the　degree　of　white　opposition。　　And　

it　is　true　that　before　fate　overtook　the　Brandeis　government；　it　

appeared　to　enjoy　the　fruits　of　victory　in　Apia；　and　one　dissident；　

the　unconquerable　Moors；　stood　out　alone　to　refuse　his　taxes。　　But　

the　victory　was　in　appearance　only；　the　opposition　was　latent；　it　

found　vent　in　talk；　and　thus　reacted　on　the　natives；　upon　the　least　

excuse；　it　was　ready　to　flame　forth　again。　　And　this　is　the　more　

singular　because　some　were　far　from　out　of　sympathy　with　the　native　

policy　pursued。　　When　I　met　Captain　Brandeis；　he　was　amazed　at　my　

attitude。　　〃Whom　did　you　find　in　Apia　to　tell　you　so　much　good　of　

me？〃　he　asked。　　I　named　one　of　my　informants。　　〃He？〃　he　cried。　　〃If　

he　thought　all　that；　why　did　he　not　help　me？〃　　I　told　him　as　well　

as　I　was　able。　　The　man　was　a　merchant。　　He　beheld　in　the　

government　of　Brandeis　a　government　created　by　and　for　the　firm　who　

were　his　rivals。　　If　Brandeis　were　minded　to　deal　fairly；　where　was　

the　probability　that　he　would　be　allowed？　　If　Brandeis　insisted　and　

were　strong　enough　to　prevail；　what　guarantee　that；　as　soon　as　the　

government　were　fairly　accepted；　Brandeis　might　not　be　removed？　　

Here　was　the　attitude　of　the　hour；　and　I　am　glad　to　find　it　clearly　

set　forth　in　a　despatch　of　Sewall's；　June　18th；　1888；　when　he　

commends　the　law　against　mortgages；　and　goes　on：　〃Whether　the　

author　of　this　law　will　carry　out　the　good　intentions　which　he　

professes　…　whether　he　will　be　allowed　to　do　so；　if　he　desires；　

against　the　opposition　of　those　who　placed　him　in　power　and　protect　

him　in　the　possession　of　it　…　may　well　be　doubted。〃　　Brandeis　had　

come　to　Apia　in　the　firm's　livery。　　Even　while　he　promised　

neutrality　in　commerce；　the　clerks　were　prating　a　different　story　

in　the　bar…rooms；　and　the　late　high　feat　of　the　knight…errant；　

Becker；　had　killed　all　confidence　in　Germans　at　the　root。　　By　these　

three　impolicies；　the　German　adventure　in　Samoa　was　defeated。



I　imply　that　the　handful　of　whites　were　the　true　obstacle；　not　the　

thousands　of　malcontent　Samoans；　for　had　the　whites　frankly　

accepted　Brandeis；　the　path　of　Germany　was　clear；　and　the　end　of　

their　policy；　however　troublesome　might　be　its　course；　was　obvious。　　

But　this　is　not　to　say　that　the　natives　were　content。　　In　a　sense；　

indeed；　their　opposition　was　continuous。　　There　will　always　be　

opposition　in　Samoa　when　taxes　are　imposed；　and　the　deportation　of　

Malietoa　stuck　in　men's　throats。　　Tuiatua　Mataafa　refused　to　act　

under　the　new　government　from　the　beginning；　and　Tamasese　usurped　

his　place　and　title。　　As　early　as　February；　I　find　him　signing　

himself　〃Tuiaana　TUIATUA　Tamasese；〃　the　first　step　on　a　dangerous　

path。　　Asi；　like　Mataafa；　disclaimed　his　chiefship　and　declared　

himself　a　private　person；　but　he　was　more　rudely　dealt　with。　　

German　sailors　surrounded　his　house　in　the　night；　burst　in；　and　

dragged　the　women　out　of　the　mosquito　nets　…　an　offence　against　

Samoan　manners。　　No　Asi　was　to　be　found；　but　at　last　they　were　

shown　his　fishing…lights　on　the　reef；　rowed　out；　took　him　as　he　

was；　and　carried　him　on　board　a　man…of…war；　where　he　was　detained　

some　while　between…decks。　　At　last；　January　16th；　after　a　farewell　

interview　over　the　ship's　side　with　his　wife；　he　was　discharged　

into　a　ketch；　and　along　with　two　other　chiefs；　Maunga　and　Tuiletu…

funga；　deported　to　the　Marshalls。　　The　blow　struck　fear　upon　all　

sides。　　Le　Mamea　（a　very　able　chief）　was　secretly　among　the　

malcontents。　　His　family　and　followers　murmured　at　his　weakness；　

but　he　continued；　throughout　the　duration　of　the　government；　to　

serve　Brandeis　with　trembling。　　A　circus　coming　to　Apia；　he　seized　

at　the　pretext　for　escape；　and　asked　leave　to　accept　an　engagement　

in　the　company。　　〃I　will　not　allow　you　to　make　a　monkey　of　

yourself；〃　said　Brandeis；　and　the　phrase　had　a　success　throughout　

the　islands；　pungent　expressions　being　so　much　admired　by　the　

natives　that　they　cannot　refrain　from　repeating　them；　even　when　

they　have　been　levelled　at　themselves。　　The　assumption　of　the　Atua　

NAME　spread　discontent　in　that　province；　many　chiefs　from　thence　

were　convicted　of　disaffection；　and　condemned　to　labour　with　their　

hands　upon　the　roads　…　a　great　shock　to　the　Samoan　sense　of　the　

becoming；　which　was　rendered　the　more　sensible　by　the　death　of　one　

of　the　number　at　his　task。　　Mataafa　was　involved　in　the　same　

trouble。　　His　disaffected　speech　at　a　meeting　of　Atua　chiefs　was　

betrayed　by　the　girls　that　made　the　kava；　and　the　man　of　the　future　

was　called　to　Apia　on　safe…conduct；　but；　after　an　interview；　

suffered　to　return　to　his　lair。　　The　peculiarly　tender　treatment　of　

Mataafa　must　be　explained　by　his　relationship　to　Tamasese。　　Laupepa　

was　of　Malietoa　blood。　　The　hereditary　retainers　of　the　Tupua　would　

see　him　exiled　even　with　some　complacency。　　But　Mataafa　was　Tupua　

himself；　and　Tupua　men　would　probably　have　murmured；　and　would　

perhaps　have　mutinied；　had　he　been　harshly　dealt　with。



The　native　opposition；　I　say；　was　in　a　sense　continuous。　　And　it　

kept　continuously　growing。　　The　sphere　of　Brandeis　was　limited　to　

Mulinuu　and　the　north　central　quarters　of　Upolu　…　practically　what　

is　shown　upon　the　map　opposite。　　There　the　taxes　were　expanded；　in　

the　out…districts；　men　paid　their　money　and　saw　no　return。　　Here　

the　eye　and　hand　of　the　dictator　were　ready　to　correct　the　scales　

of　justice；　in　the　out…districts；　all　things　lay　at　the　mercy　of　

the　native　magistrates；　and　their　oppressions　increased　with　the　

course　of　time　and　the　experience　of　impunity。　　In　the　spring　of　

the　year；　a　very　intelligent　observer　had　occasion　to　visit　many　

places　in　the　island　of　Savaii。　　〃Our　lives　are　not　worth　living；〃　

was　the　burthen　of　the　popular　complaint。　　〃We　are　groaning　under　

the　oppression　of　these　men。　　We　would　rather　die　than　continue　to　

endure　it。〃　　On　his　return　to　Apia；　he　made　haste　to　communicate　

his　impressions　to　Brandeis。　　Brandeis　replied　in　an　epigram：　

〃Where　there　has　been　anarchy　in　a　country；　there　must　be　

oppression　for　a　time。〃　　But　unfortunately　the　terms　of　the　epigram　

may　be　reversed；　and　personal　supervision　would　have　been　more　in　

season　than　wit。　　The　same　observer　who　conveyed　to　him　this　

warning　thinks　that；　if　Brandeis　had　himself　visited　the　districts　

and　inquired　into　complaints；　the　blow　might　yet　have　been　averted　

and　the　government　saved。　　At　last；　upon　a　certain　unconstitutional　

act　of　Tamasese；　the　discontent　took　life　and　fire。　　The　act　was　of　

his　own　conception；　the　dull　dog　was　ambitious。　　Brandeis　declares　

he　would　not　be　dissuaded；　perhaps　his　adviser　did　not　seriously　

try；　perhaps　did　not　dream　that　in　that　welter　of　contradictions；　

the　Samoan　constitution；　any　one　point　would　be　considered　sacred。　　

I　have　told　how　Tamasese　assumed　the　title　of　Tuiatua。　　In　August　

1888　a　year　after　his　installation；　he　took　a　more　formidable　step　

and　assumed　that　of　Malietoa。　　This　name；　as　I　have　said；　is　of　

peculiar　honour；　it　had　been　given　to；　it　had　never　been