a footnote to history-第46章

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the　treaty；　and　expects　sooner　or　later　an　election　in　which　he　

shall　be　raised　to　the　chief　power。　　In　the　meanwhile；　or　for　an　

alternative；　he　would　willingly　embrace　a　compromise　with　Laupepa；　

to　which　he　would　probably　add　one　condition；　that　the　joint　

government　should　remain　seated　at　Malie；　a　sensible　but　not　

inconvenient　distance　from　white　intrigues　and　white　officials。　　

One　circumstance　in　my　last　interview　particularly　pleased　me。　　The　

king's　chief　scribe；　Esela；　is　an　old　employe　under　Tamasese；　and　

the　talk　ran　some　while　upon　the　character　of　Brandeis。　　Loyalty　in　

this　world　is　after　all　not　thrown　away；　Brandeis　was　guilty；　in　

Samoan　eyes；　of　many　irritating　errors；　but　he　stood　true　to　

Tamasese；　in　the　course　of　time　a　sense　of　this　virtue　and　of　his　

general　uprightness　has　obliterated　the　memory　of　his　mistakes；　and　

it　would　have　done　his　heart　good　if　he　could　have　heard　his　old　

scribe　and　his　old　adversary　join　in　praising　him。　　〃Yes；〃　

concluded　Mataafa；　〃I　wish　we　had　Planteisa　back　again。〃　　A　QUELQUE　

CHOSE　MALHEUR　EST　BON。　　So　strong　is　the　impression　produced　by　the　

defects　of　Cedarcrantz　and　Baron　Senfft；　that　I　believe　Mataafa　far　

from　singular　in　this　opinion；　and　that　the　return　of　the　upright　

Brandeis　might　be　even　welcome　to　many。



I　must　add　a　last　touch　to　the　picture　of　Malie　and　the　pretender's　

life。　　About　four　in　the　morning；　the　visitor　in　his　house　will　be　

awakened　by　the　note　of　a　pipe；　blown　without；　very　softly　and　to　a　

soothing　melody。　　This　is　Mataafa's　private　luxury　to　lead　on　

pleasant　dreams。　　We　have　a　bird　here　in　Samoa　that　about　the　same　

hour　of　darkness　sings　in　the　bush。　　The　father　of　Mataafa；　while　

he　lived；　was　a　great　friend　and　protector　to　all　living　creatures；　

and　passed　under　the　by…name　of　THE　KING　OF　BIRDS。　　It　may　be　it　

was　among　the　woodland　clients　of　the　sire　that　the　son　acquired　

his　fancy　for　this　morning　music。





I　have　now　sought　to　render　without　extenuation　the　impressions　

received：　　of　dignity；　plenty；　and　peace　at　Malie；　of　bankruptcy　

and　distraction　at　Mulinuu。　　And　I　wish　I　might　here　bring　to　an　

end　ungrateful　labours。　　But　I　am　sensible　that　there　remain　two　

points　on　which　it　would　be　improper　to　be　silent。　　I　should　be　

blamed　if　I　did　not　indicate　a　practical　conclusion；　and　I　should　

blame　myself　if　I　did　not　do　a　little　justice　to　that　tried　company　

of　the　Land　Commissioners。



The　Land　Commission　has　been　in　many　senses　unfortunate。　　The　

original　German　member；　a　gentleman　of　the　name　of　Eggert；　fell　

early　into　precarious　health；　his　work　was　from　the　first　

interrupted；　he　was　at　last　（to　the　regret　of　all　that　knew　him）　

invalided　home；　and　his　successor　had　but　just　arrived。　　In　like　

manner；　the　first　American　commissioner；　Henry　C。　Ide；　a　man　of　

character　and　intelligence；　was　recalled　（I　believe　by　private　

affairs）　when　he　was　but　just　settling　into　the　spirit　of　the　work；　

and　though　his　place　was　promptly　filled　by　ex…Governor　Ormsbee；　a　

worthy　successor；　distinguished　by　strong　and　vivacious　common　

sense；　the　break　was　again　sensible。　　The　English　commissioner；　my　

friend　Bazett　Michael　Haggard；　is　thus　the　only　one　who　has　

continued　at　his　post　since　the　beginning。　　And　yet；　in　spite　of　

these　unusual　changes；　the　Commission　has　a　record　perhaps　

unrivalled　among　international　commissions。　　It　has　been　unanimous　

practically　from　the　first　until　the　last；　and　out　of　some　four　

hundred　cases　disposed　of；　there　is　but　one　on　which　the　members　

were　divided。　　It　was　the　more　unfortunate　they　should　have　early　

fallen　in　a　difficulty　with　the　chief　justice。　　The　original　ground　

of　this　is　supposed　to　be　a　difference　of　opinion　as　to　the　import　

of　the　Berlin　Act；　on　which；　as　a　layman；　it　would　be　unbecoming　if　

I　were　to　offer　an　opinion。　　But　it　must　always　seem　as　if　the　

chief　justice　had　suffered　himself　to　be　irritated　beyond　the　

bounds　of　discretion。　　It　must　always　seem　as　if　his　original　

attempt　to　deprive　the　commissioners　of　the　services　of　a　secretary　

and　the　use　of　a　safe　were　even　senseless；　and　his　step　in　printing　

and　posting　a　proclamation　denying　their　jurisdiction　were　equally　

impolitic　and　undignified。　　The　dispute　had　a　secondary　result　

worse　than　itself。　　The　gentleman　appointed　to　be　Natives'　Advocate　

shared　the　chief　justice's　opinion；　was　his　close　intimate；　advised　

with　him　almost　daily；　and　drifted　at　last　into　an　attitude　of　

opposition　to　his　colleagues。　　He　suffered　himself　besides　（being　a　

layman　in　law）　to　embrace　the　interest　of　his　clients　with　

something　of　the　warmth　of　a　partisan。　　Disagreeable　scenes　

occurred　in　court；　the　advocate　was　more　than　once　reproved；　he　was　

warned　that　his　consultations　with　the　judge　of　appeal　tended　to　

damage　his　own　character　and　to　lower　the　credit　of　the　appellate　

court。　　Having　lost　some　cases　on　which　he　set　importance；　it　

should　seem　that　he　spoke　unwisely　among　natives。　　A　sudden　cry　of　

colour　prejudice　went　up；　and　Samoans　were　heard　to　assure　each　

other　that　it　was　useless　to　appear　before　the　Land　Commission；　

which　was　sworn　to　support　the　whites。



This　deplorable　state　of　affairs　was　brought　to　an　end　by　the　

departure　from　Samoa　of　the　Natives'　Advocate。　　He　was　succeeded　

PRO　TEMPORE　by　a　young　New　Zealander；　E。　W。　Gurr；　not　much　more　

versed　in　law　than　himself；　and　very　much　less　so　in　Samoan。　　

Whether　by　more　skill　or　better　fortune；　Gurr　has　been　able　in　the　

course　of　a　few　weeks　to　recover　for　the　natives　several　important　

tracts　of　land；　and　the　prejudice　against　the　Commission　seems　to　

be　abating　as　fast　as　it　arose。　　I　should　not　omit　to　say　that；　in　

the　eagerness　of　the　original　advocate；　there　was　much　that　was　

amiable；　nor　must　I　fail　to　point　out　how　much　there　was　of　

blindness。　　Fired　by　the　ardour　of　pursuit；　he　seems　to　have　

regarded　his　immediate　clients　as　the　only　natives　extant　and　the　

epitome　and　emblem　of　the　Samoan　race。　　Thus；　in　the　case　that　was　

the　most　exclaimed　against　as　〃an　injustice　to　natives；〃　his　

client；　Puaauli；　was　certainly　nonsuited。　　But　in　that　intricate　

affair　who　lost　the　money？　　The　German　firm。　　And　who　got　the　land？　　

Other　natives。　　To　twist　such　a　decision　into　evidence；　either　of　a　

prejudice　against　Samoans　or　a　partiality　to　whites；　is　to　keep　one　

eye　shut　and　have　the　other　bandaged。



And　lastly；　one　word　as　to　the　future。　　Laupepa　and　Mataafa　stand　

over　against　each　other；　rivals　with　no　third　competitor。　　They　may　

be　said　to　hold　the　great　name　of　Malietoa　in　commission；　each　has　

borne　the　style；　each　exercised　the　authority；　of　a　Samoan　king；　

one　is　secure　of　the　small　but　compact　and　fervent　following　of　the　

Catholics；　the　other　has　the　sympathies　of　a　large　part　of　the　

Protestant　majority；　and　upon　any　sign　of　Catholic　aggression　would　

have　more。　　With　men　so　nearly　balanced；　it　may　be　asked　whether　a　

prolonged　successful　exercise　of　power　be　possible　for　either。　　In　

the　case　of　the　feeble　Laupepa；　it　is　certainly　not；　we　have　the　

proof　before　us。　　Nor　do　I　think　we　should　judge；　from　what　we　see　

to…day；　that　it　would　be　possible；　or　would　continue　to　be　

possible；　even　for　the　kingly　Mataafa。　　It　is　always　the　easier　

game　to　be　in　opposition。　　The　tale　of　David　and　Saul　would　

infallibly　be　re…enacted；　once　more　we　shall　have　two　kings　in　the　

land；　…　the　latent　and　the　patent；　and　the　house　of　the　first　will　

become　once　more　the　resort　of　〃every　one　that　is　in　distress；　and　

every　one　that　is　in　debt；　and　every　one　that　is　discontented。〃　　

Against　such　odds　it　is　my　fear　that　Mataafa　might　contend　in　vain；　

it　is　beyond　the　bounds　of　my　imagination　that　Laupepa　should　

contend　at　all。　　Foreign　ships　and　bayonets　is　the　cure　proposed　in　

Mulinuu。　　And　certainly；　if　people　at　home　desire　that　money　should　

be　thrown　away　and　blood　shed　in　Samoa；　an　effect　of