a footnote to history-第42章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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　inert。　　

Into　the　question　of　motive　I　refuse　to　enter；　but　if　we　come　to　

war　in　these　islands；　and　with　no　fresh　occasion；　it　will　be　a　

manufactured　war；　and　one　that　has　been　manufactured；　against　the　

grain　of　opinion；　by　two　foreigners。



For　the　last　and　worst　of　the　mistakes　on　the　Laupepa　side　it　would　

be　unfair　to　blame　any　but　the　king　himself。　　Capable　both　of　

virtuous　resolutions　and　of　fits　of　apathetic　obstinacy；　His　

Majesty　is　usually　the　whip…top　of　competitive　advisers；　and　his　

conduct　is　so　unstable　as　to　wear　at　times　an　appearance　of　

treachery　which　would　surprise　himself　if　he　could　see　it。　　Take；　

for　example；　the　experience　of　Lieutenant　Ulfsparre；　late　chief　of　

police；　and　（so　to　speak）　commander　of　the　forces。　　His　men　were　

under　orders　for　a　certain　hour；　he　found　himself　almost　alone　at　

the　place　of　muster；　and　learned　the　king　had　sent　the　soldiery　on　

errands。　　He　sought　an　audience；　explained　that　he　was　here　to　

implant　discipline；　that　（with　this　purpose　in　view）　his　men　could　

only　receive　orders　through　himself；　and　if　that　condition　were　not　

agreed　to　and　faithfully　observed；　he　must　send　in　his　papers。　　The　

king　was　as　usual　easily　persuaded；　the　interview　passed　and　ended　

to　the　satisfaction　of　all　parties　engaged　…　and　the　bargain　was　

kept　for　one　day。　　On　the　day　after；　the　troops　were　again　

dispersed　as　post…runners；　and　their　commander　resigned。　　With　such　

a　sovereign；　I　repeat；　it　would　be　unfair　to　blame　any　individual　

minister　for　any　specific　fault。　　And　yet　the　policy　of　our　two　

whites　against　Mataafa　has　appeared　uniformly　so　excessive　and　

implacable；　that　the　blame　of　the　last　scandal　is　laid　generally　at　

their　doors。　　It　is　yet　fresh。　　Lauati；　towards　the　end　of　last　

year；　became　deeply　concerned　about　the　situation；　and　by　great　

personal　exertions　and　the　charms　of　oratory　brought　Savaii　and　

Manono　into　agreement　upon　certain　terms　of　compromise：　　Laupepa　

still　to　be　king；　Mataafa　to　accept　a　high　executive　office　

comparable　to　that　of　our　own　prime　minister；　and　the　two　

governments　to　coalesce。　　Intractable　Manono　was　a　party。　　Malie　

was　said　to　view　the　proposal　with　resignation；　if　not　relief。　　

Peace　was　thought　secure。　　The　night　before　the　king　was　to　receive　

Lauati；　I　met　one　of　his　company；　…　the　family　chief；　Iina；　…　and　

we　shook　hands　over　the　unexpected　issue　of　our　troubles。　　What　no　

one　dreamed　was　that　Laupepa　would　refuse。　　And　he　did。　　He　refused　

undisputed　royalty　for　himself　and　peace　for　these　unhappy　islands；　

and　the　two　whites　on　Mulinuu　rightly　or　wrongly　got　the　blame　of　

it。



But　their　policy　has　another　and　a　more　awkward　side。　　About　the　

time　of　the　secession　to　Malie；　many　ugly　things　were　said；　I　will　

not　repeat　that　which　I　hope　and　believe　the　speakers　did　not　

wholly　mean；　let　it　suffice　that；　if　rumour　carried　to　Mataafa　the　

language　I　have　heard　used　in　my　own　house　and　before　my　own　native　

se