a footnote to history-第34章

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Fritze　admits　that　〃everything　seems　to　show〃　it　was　an　accident。　　

〃Tamasese's　people　fit　to　bear　arms；〃　writes　Knappe；　〃are　certainly　

for　the　moment　equal　to　Mataafa's；〃　though　restrained　from　battle　

by　the　lack　of　ammunition。　　〃As　for　Tamasese；〃　says　Fritze　of　the　

same　date；　〃he　is　now　but　a　phantom　…　DIENT　ER　NUR　ALS　GESPENST。　　

His　party；　for　practical　purposes；　is　no　longer　large。　　They　

pretend　ammunition　to　be　lacking；　but　what　they　lack　most　is　good…

will。　　Captain　Brandeis；　whose　influence　is　now　small；　declares　

they　can　no　longer　sustain　a　serious　engagement；　and　is　himself　in　

the　intention　of　leaving　Samoa　by　the　LUBECK　of　the　5th　February。〃　　

And　Knappe；　in　the　same　despatch；　confutes　himself　and　confirms　the　

testimony　of　his　naval　colleague；　by　the　admission　that　〃the　re…

establishment　of　Tamasese's　government　is；　under　present　

circumstances；　not　to　be　thought　of。〃　　Plainly；　then；　he　was　not　so　

much　seeking　to　deceive　others；　as　he　was　himself　possessed；　and　we　

must　regard　the　whole　series　of　his　acts　and　despatches　as　the　

agitations　of　a　fever。



The　British　steamer　RICHMOND　returned　to　Apia；　January　15th。　　On　

the　last　voyage　she　had　brought　the　ammunition　already　so　

frequently　referred　to；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　she　was　again　bringing　

contraband　of　war。　　It　is　necessary　to　be　explicit　upon　this；　which　

served　as　spark　to　so　great　a　flame　of　scandal。　　Knappe　was　

justified　in　interfering；　he　would　have　been　worthy　of　all　

condemnation　if　he　had　neglected；　in　his　posture　of　semi…

investment；　a　precaution　so　elementary；　and　the　manner　in　which　he　

set　about　attempting　it　was　conciliatory　and　almost　timid。　　He　

applied　to　Captain　Hand；　and　begged　him　to　accept　himself　the　duty　

of　〃controlling〃　the　discharge　of　the　RICHMOND'S　cargo。　　Hand　was　

unable　to　move　without　his　consul；　and　at　night　an　armed　boat　from　

the　Germans　boarded；　searched；　and　kept　possession　of；　the　

suspected　ship。　　The　next　day；　as　by　an　after…thought；　war　and　

martial　law　were　proclaimed　for　the　Samoan　Islands；　the　

introduction　of　contraband　of　war　forbidden；　and　ships　and　boats　

declared　liable　to　search。　　〃All　support　of　the　rebels　will　be　

punished　by　martial　law；〃　continued　the　proclamation；　〃no　matter　to　

what　nationality　the　person　＇THATER＇　may　belong。〃



Hand；　it　has　been　seen；　declined　to　act　in　the　matter　of　the　

RICHMOND　without　the　concurrence　of　his　consul；　but　I　have　found　no　

evidence　that　either　Hand　or　Knappe　communicated　with　de　Coetlogon；　

with　whom　they　were　both　at　daggers　drawn。　　First　the　seizure　and　

next　the　proclamation　seem　to　have　burst　on　the　English　consul　from　

a　clear　sky；　and　he　wrote　on　the　same　day；　throwing　doubt　on　

Knappe's　authority　to　declare　war。　　Knappe　replied　on　the　20th　that　

the　Imperial　German　Government　had　been　at　war　as　a　matter　of　fact　

since　December　19th；　and　that　it　was　only　for　the　convenience　of　

the　subjects　of　other　states　that　he　had　been　empowered　to　make　a　

formal　declaration。　　〃From　that　moment；〃　he　added；　〃martial　law　

prevails　in　Samoa。〃　　De　Coetlogon　instantly　retorted；　declining　

martial　law　for　British　subjects；　and　announcing　a　proclamation　in　

that　sense。　　Instantly；　again；　came　that　astonishing　document；　

Knappe's　rejoinder；　without　pause；　without　reflection　…　the　pens　

screeching　on　the　paper；　the　messengers　（you　would　think）　running　

from　consulate　to　consulate：　〃I　have　had　the　honour　to　receive　your　

Excellency's　＇HOCHWOHLGEBOREN＇　agreeable　communication　of　to…day。　　

Since；　on　the　ground　of　received　instructions；　martial　law　has　been　

declared　in　Samoa；　British　subjects　as　well　as　others　fall　under　

its　application。　　I　warn　you　therefore　to　abstain　from　such　a　

proclamation　as　you　announce　in　your　letter。　　It　will　be　such　a　

piece　of　business　as　shall　make　yourself　answerable　under　martial　

law。　　Besides；　your　proclamation　will　be　disregarded。〃　　De　

Coetlogon　of　course　issued　his　proclamation　at　once；　Knappe　

retorted　with　another；　and　night　closed　on　the　first　stage　of　this　

insane　collision。　　I　hear　the　German　consul　was　on　this　day　

prostrated　with　fever；　charity　at　least　must　suppose　him　hardly　

answerable　for　his　language。



Early　on　the　21st；　Mr。　Mansfield　Gallien；　a　passing　traveller；　was　

seized　in　his　berth　on　board　the　RICHMOND；　and　carried；　half…

dressed；　on　board　a　German　war…ship。　　His　offence　was；　in　the　

circumstances　and　after　the　proclamation；　substantial。　　He　had　gone　

the　day　before；　in　the　spirit　of　a　tourist　to　Mataafa's　camp；　had　

spoken　with　the　king；　and　had　even　recommended　him　an　appeal　to　Sir　

George　Grey。　　Fritze；　I　gather；　had　been　long　uneasy；　this　arrest　

on　board　a　British　ship　fitted　the　measure。　　Doubtless；　as　he　had　

written　long　before；　the　consul　alone　was　responsible　〃on　the　legal　

side〃；　but　the　captain　began　to　ask　himself；　〃What　next？〃　…　

telegraphed　direct　home　for　instructions；　〃Is　arrest　of　foreigners　

on　foreign　vessels　legal？〃　…　and　was　ready；　at　a　word　from　Captain　

Hand；　to　discharge　his　dangerous　prisoner。　　The　word　in　question　

（so　the　story　goes）　was　not　without　a　kind　of　wit。　　〃I　wish　you　

would　set　that　man　ashore；〃　Hand　is　reported　to　have　said；　

indicating　Gallien；　〃I　wish　you　would　set　that　man　ashore；　to　save　

me　the　trouble。〃　　The　same　day　de　Coetlogon　published　a　

proclamation　requesting　captains　to　submit　to　search　for　contraband　

of　war。



On　the　22nd　the　SAMOA　TIMES　AND　SOUTH　SEA　ADVERTISER　was　suppressed　

by　order　of　Fritze。　　I　have　hitherto　refrained　from　mentioning　the　

single　paper　of　our　islands；　that　I　might　deal　with　it　once　for　

all。　　It　is　of　course　a　tiny　sheet；　but　I　have　often　had　occasion　

to　wonder　at　the　ability　of　its　articles；　and　almost　always　at　the　

decency　of　its　tone。　　Officials　may　at　times　be　a　little　roughly；　

and　at　times　a　little　captiously；　criticised；　private　persons　are　

habitually　respected；　and　there　are　many　papers　in　England；　and　

still　more　in　the　States；　even　of　leading　organs　in　chief　cities；　

that　might　envy；　and　would　do　well　to　imitate；　the　courtesy　and　

discretion　of　the　SAMOA　TIMES。　　Yet　the　editor；　Cusack；　is　only　an　

amateur　in　journalism；　and　a　carpenter　by　trade。　　His　chief　fault　

is　one　perhaps　inevitable　in　so　small　a　place　…　that　he　seems　a　

little　in　the　leading　of　a　clique；　but　his　interest　in　the　public　

weal　is　genuine　and　generous。　　One　man's　meat　is　another　man's　

poison：　　Anglo…Saxons　and　Germans　have　been　differently　brought　up。　

To　our　galled　experience　the　paper　appears　moderate；　to　their　

untried　sensations　it　seems　violent。　　We　think　a　public　man　fair　

game；　we　think　it　a　part　of　his　duty；　and　I　am　told　he　finds　it　a　

part　of　his　reward；　to　be　continually　canvassed　by　the　press。　　For　

the　Germans；　on　the　other　hand；　an　official　wears　a　certain　

sacredness；　when　he　is　called　over　the　coals；　they　are　shocked；　and　

（if　the　official　be　a　German）　feel　that　Germany　itself　has　been　

insulted。　　The　SAMOA　TIMES　had　been　long　a　mountain　of　offence。　　

Brandeis　had　imported　from　the　colonies　another　printer　of　the　name　

of　Jones；　to　deprive　Cusack　of　the　government　printing。　　German　

sailors　had　come　ashore　one　day；　wild　with　offended　patriotism；　to　

punish　the　editor　with　stripes；　and　the　result　was　delightfully　

amusing。　　The　champions　asked　for　the　English　printer。　　They　were　

shown　the　wrong　man；　and　the　blows　intended　for　Cusack　had　hailed　

on　the　shoulders　of　his　rival　Jones。　　On　the　12th；　Cusack　had　

reprinted　an　article　from　a　San　Francisco　paper；　the　Germans　had　

complained；　and　de　Coetlogon；　in　a　moment　of　weakness；　had　fined　

the　editor　twenty　pounds。　　The　judgment　was　afterwards　reversed　in　

Fiji；　but　even　at　the　time　it　had　not　satisfied　the　Germans。　　And　

so　now；　on　the　third　day　of　martial　law；　the　paper　was　suppressed。　　

Here　we　have　another　of　these　international　obscurities。　　To　Fritze　

the　step　seemed　natural　and　obvious；　for　Anglo…Saxons　it　was　a　hand　

laid　upon　the　altar