a footnote to history-第40章

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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　childishness　of　trust；　that　can　

hardly　be　exaggerated。　　Months　passed；　these　angel…deliverers　still　

delayed　to　arrive；　and　the　impatience　of　the　natives　became　changed　

to　an　ominous　irritation。　　They　have　had　much　experience　of　being　

deceived；　and　they　began　to　think　they　were　deceived　again。　　A　

sudden　crop　of　superstitious　stories　buzzed　about　the　islands。　　

Rivers　had　come　down　red；　unknown　fishes　had　been　taken　on　the　reef　

and　found　to　be　marked　with　menacing　runes；　a　headless　lizard　

crawled　among　chiefs　in　council；　the　gods　of　Upolu　and　Savaii　made　

war　by　night；　they　swam　the　straits　to　battle；　and；　defaced　by　

dreadful　wounds；　they　had　besieged　the　house　of　a　medical　

missionary。　　Readers　will　remember　the　portents　in　mediaeval　

chronicles；　or　those　in　JULIUS　CAESAR　when





〃Fierce　fiery　warriors　fought　upon　the　clouds

In　ranks　and　squadrons。〃





And　doubtless　such　fabrications　are；　in　simple　societies；　a　natural　

expression　of　discontent；　and　those　who　forge；　and　even　those　who　

spread　them；　work　towards　a　conscious　purpose。



Early　in　January　1891　this　period　of　expectancy　was　brought　to　an　

end　by　the　arrival　of　Conrad　Cedarcrantz；　chief　justice　of　Samoa。　　

The　event　was　hailed　with　acclamation；　and　there　was　much　about　the　

new　official　to　increase　the　hopes　already　entertained。　　He　was　

seen　to　be　a　man　of　culture　and　ability；　in　public；　of　an　excellent　

presence　…　in　private；　of　a　most　engaging　cordiality。　　But　there　

was　one　point；　I　scarce　know　whether　to　say　of　his　character　or　

policy；　which　immediately　and　disastrously　affected　public　feeling　

in　the　islands。　　He　had　an　aversion；　part　judicial；　part　perhaps　

constitutional；　to　haste；　and　he　announced　that；　until　he　should　

have　well　satisfied　his　own　mind；　he　should　do　nothing；　that　he　

would　rather　delay　all　than　do　aught　amiss。　　It　was　impossible　to　

hear　this　without　academical　approval；　impossible　to　hear　it　

without　practical　alarm。　　The　natives　desired　to　see　activity；　they　

desired　to　see　many　fair　speeches　taken　on　a　body　of　deeds　and　

works　of　benefit。　　Fired　by　the　event　of　the　war；　filled　with　

impossible　hopes；　they　might　have　welcomed　in　that　hour　a　ruler　of　

the　stamp　of　Brandeis；　breathing　hurry；　perhaps　dealing　blows。　　And　

the　chief　justice；　unconscious　of　the　fleeting　opportunity；　ripened　

his　opinions　deliberately　in　Mulinuu；　and　had　been　already　the　

better　part　of　half　a　year　in　the　islands　before　he　went　through　

the　form　of　opening　his　court。　　The　curtain　had　risen；　there　was　no　

play。　　A　reaction；　a　chill　sense　of　disappointment；　passed　about　

the　island；　and　intrigue；　one　moment　suspended；　was　resumed。



In　the　Berlin　Act；　the　three　Powers　recognise；　on　the　threshold；　

〃the　independence　of　the　Samoan　government；　and　the　free　right　of　

the　natives　to　elect　their　chief　or　king　and　choose　their　form　of　

government。〃　　True；　the　text　continues　that；　〃in　view　of　the　

difficulties　that　surround　an　election　in　the　present　disordered　

condition　of　the　government；〃　Malietoa　Laupepa　shall　be　recognised　

as　king；　〃unless　the　three　Powers　shall　by　common　accord　otherwise　

declare。〃　　But　perhaps　few　natives　have　followed　it　so　far；　and　

even　those　who　have；　were　possibly　all　cast　abroad　again　by　the　

next　clause：　〃and　his　successor　shall　be　duly　elected　according　to　

the　laws　and　customs　of　Samoa。〃　　The　right　to　elect；　freely　given　

in　one　sentence；　was　suspended　in　the　next；　and　a　line　or　so　

further　on　appeared　to　be　reconveyed　by　a　side…wind。　　The　reason　

offered　for　suspension　was　ludicrously　false；　in　May　1889；　when　Sir　

Edward　Malet　moved　the　matter　in　the　conference；　the　election　of　

Mataafa　was　not　only　certain　to　have　been　peaceful；　it　could　not　

have　been　opposed；　and　behind　the　English　puppet　it　was　easy　to　

suspect　the　hand　of　Germany。　　No　one　is　more　swift　to　smell　

trickery　than　a　Samoan；　and　the　thought；　that；　under　the　long；　

bland；　benevolent　sentences　of　the　Berlin　Act；　some　trickery　lay　

lurking；　filled　him　with　the　breath　of　opposition。　　Laupepa　seems　

never　to　have　been　a　popular　king。　　Mataafa；　on　the　other　hand；　

holds　an　unrivalled　position　in　the　eyes　of　his　fellow…countrymen；　

he　was　the　hero　of　the　war；　he　had　lain　with　them　in　the　bush；　he　

had　borne　the　heat　and　burthen　of　the　day；　they　began　to　claim　that　

he　should　enjoy　more　largely　the　fruits　of　victory；　his　exclusion　

was　believed　to　be　a　stroke　of　German　vengeance；　his　elevation　to　

the　kingship　was　looked　for　as　the　fitting　crown　and　copestone　of　

the　Samoan　triumph；　and　but　a　little　after　the　coming　of　the　chief　

justice；　an　ominous　cry　for　Mataafa　began　to　arise　in　the　islands。　　

It　is　difficult　to　see　what　that　official　could　have　done　but　what　

he　did。　　He　was　loyal；　as　in　duty　bound；　to　the　treaty　and　to　

Laupepa；　and　when　the　orators　of　the　important　and　unruly　islet　of　

Manono　demanded　to　his　face　a　change　of　kings；　he　had　no　choice　but　

to　refuse　them；　and　（his　r