a footnote to history-第11部分

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to　much　dictation　and　interference；　and　to　some　〃cumbrous　aid；〃　

from　the　consulate　and　the　firm。　　And　to　one　of　these　aids；　the　

suppression　of　the　municipality；　I　am　inclined　to　attribute　his　

ultimate　failure。



The　white　enemies　of　the　new　regimen　were　of　two　classes。　　In　the　

first　stood　Moors　and　the　employes　of　MacArthur；　the　two　chief　

rivals　of　the　firm；　who　saw　with　jealousy　a　clerk　（or　a　so…called　

clerk）　of　their　competitors　advanced　to　the　chief　power。　　The　

second　class；　that　of　the　officials；　numbered　at　first　exactly　one。　　

Wilson；　the　English　acting　consul；　is　understood　to　have　held　

strict　orders　to　help　Germany。　　Commander　Leary；　of　the　ADAMS；　the　

American　captain；　when　he　arrived；　on　the　16th　October；　and　for　

some　time　after；　seemed　devoted　to　the　German　interest；　and　spent　

his　days　with　a　German　officer；　Captain　Von　Widersheim；　who　was　

deservedly　beloved　by　all　who　knew　him。　　There　remains　the　American　

consul…general；　Harold　Marsh　Sewall；　a　young　man　of　high　spirit　and　

a　generous　disposition。　　He　had　obeyed　the　orders　of　his　government　

with　a　grudge；　and　looked　back　on　his　past　action　with　regret　

almost　to　be　called　repentance。　　From　the　moment　of　the　declaration　

of　war　against　Laupepa；　we　find　him　standing　forth　in　bold；　

consistent；　and　sometimes　rather　captious　opposition；　stirring　up　

his　government　at　home　with　clear　and　forcible　despatches；　and　on　

the　spot　grasping　at　every　opportunity　to　thrust　a　stick　into　the　

German　wheels。　　For　some　while；　he　and　Moors　fought　their　difficult　

battle　in　conjunction；　in　the　course　of　which；　first　one；　and　then　

the　other；　paid　a　visit　home　to　reason　with　the　authorities　at　

Washington；　and　during　the　consul's　absence；　there　was　found　an　

American　clerk　in　Apia；　William　Blacklock；　to　perform　the　duties　of　

the　office　with　remarkable　ability　and　courage。　　The　three　names　

just　brought　together；　Sewall；　Moors；　and　Blacklock；　make　the　head　

and　front　of　the　opposition；　if　Tamasese　fell；　if　Brandeis　was　

driven　forth；　if　the　treaty　of　Berlin　was　signed；　theirs　is　the　

blame　or　the　credit。



To　understand　the　feelings　of　self…reproach　and　bitterness　with　

which　Sewall　took　the　field；　the　reader　must　see　Laupepa's　letter　

of　farewell　to　the　consuls　of　England　and　America。　　It　is　singular　

that　this　far　from　brilliant　or　dignified　monarch；　writing　in　the　

forest；　in　heaviness　of　spirit　and　under　pressure　for　time；　should　

have　left　behind　him　not　only　one；　but　two　remarkable　and　most　

effective　documents。　　The　farewell　to　his　people　was　touching；　the　

farewell　to　the　consuls；　for　a　man　of　the　character　of　Sewall；　must　

have　cut　like　a　whip。　　〃When　the　chief　Tamasese　and　others　first　

moved　the　present　troubles；〃　he　wrote；　〃it　was　my　wish　to　punish　

them　and　put　an　end　to　the　rebellion；　but　I　yielded　to　the　advice　

of　the　British　and　American　consuls。　　Assistance　and　protection　was　

repeatedly　promised　to　me　and　my　government；　if　I　abstained　from　

bringing　war　upon　my　country。　　Relying　upon　these　promises；　I　did　

not　put　down　the　rebellion。　　Now　I　find　that　war　has　been　made　upon　

me　by　the　Emperor　of　Germany；　and　Tamasese　has　been　proclaimed　king　

of　Samoa。　　I　desire　to　remind　you　of　the　promises　so　frequently　

made　by　your　government；　and　trust　that　you　will　so　far　redeem　them　

as　to　cause　the　lives　and　liberties　of　my　chiefs　and　people　to　be　

respected。〃



Sewall's　immediate　adversary　was；　of　course；　Becker。　　I　have　formed　

an　opinion　of　this　gentleman；　largely　from　his　printed　despatches；　

which　I　am　at　a　loss　to　put　in　words。　　Astute；　ingenious；　capable；　

at　moments　almost　witty　with　a　kind　of　glacial　wit　in　action；　he　

displayed　in　the　course　of　this　affair　every　description　of　

capacity　but　that　which　is　alone　useful　and　which　springs　from　a　

knowledge　of　men's　natures。　　It　chanced　that　one　of　Sewall's　early　

moves　played　into　his　hands；　and　he　was　swift　to　seize　and　to　

improve　the　advantage。　　The　neutral　territory　and　the　tripartite　

municipality　of　Apia　were　eyesores　to　the　German　consulate　and　

Brandeis。　　By　landing　Tamasese's　two　or　three　hundred　warriors　at　

Mulinuu；　as　Becker　himself　owns；　they　had　infringed　the　treaties；　

and　Sewall　entered　protest　twice。　　There　were　two　ways　of　escaping　

this　dilemma：　　one　was　to　withdraw　the　warriors；　the　other；　by　some　

hocus…pocus；　to　abrogate　the　neutrality。　　And　the　second　had　

subsidiary　advantages：　　it　would　restore　the　taxes　of　the　richest　

district　in　the　islands　to　the　Samoan　king；　and　it　would　enable　

them　to　substitute　over　the　royal　seat　the　flag　of　Germany　for　the　

new　flag　of　Tamasese。　　It　is　true　（and　it　was　the　subject　of　much　

remark）　that　these　two　could　hardly　be　distinguished　by　the　naked　

eye；　but　their　effects　were　different。　　To　seat　the　puppet　king　on　

German　land　and　under　German　colours；　so　that　any　rebellion　was　

constructive　war　on　Germany；　was　a　trick　apparently　invented　by　

Becker；　and　which　we　shall　find　was　repeated　and　persevered　in　till　

the　end。



Otto　Martin　was　at　this　time　magistrate　in　the　municipality。　　The　

post　was　held　in　turn　by　the　three　nationalities；　Martin　had　served　

far　beyond　his　term；　and　should　have　been　succeeded　months　before　

by　an　American。　　To　make　the　change　it　was　necessary　to　hold　a　

meeting　of　the　municipal　board；　consisting　of　the　three　consuls；　

each　backed　by　an　assessor。　　And　for　some　time　these　meetings　had　

been　evaded　or　refused　by　the　German　consul。　　As　long　as　it　was　

agreed　to　continue　Martin；　Becker　had　attended　regularly；　as　soon　

as　Sewall　indicated　a　wish　for　his　removal；　Becker　tacitly　

suspended　the　municipality　by　refusing　to　appear。　　This　policy　was　

now　the　more　necessary；　for　if　the　whole　existence　of　the　

municipality　were　a　check　on　the　freedom　of　the　new　government；　it　

was　plainly　less　so　when　the　power　to　enforce　and　punish　lay　in　

German　hands。　　For　some　while　back　the　Malietoa　flag　had　been　flown　

on　the　municipal　building：　　Becker　denies　this；　I　am　sorry；　my　

information　obliges　me　to　suppose　he　is　in　error。　　Sewall；　with　

post…mortem　loyalty　to　the　past；　insisted　that　this　flag　should　be　

continued。　　And　Becker　immediately　made　his　point。　　He　declared；　

justly　enough；　that　the　proposal　was　hostile；　and　argued　that　it　

was　impossible　he　should　attend　a　meeting　under　a　flag　with　which　

his　sovereign　was　at　war。　　Upon　one　occasion　of　urgency；　he　was　

invited　to　meet　the　two　other　consuls　at　the　British　consulate；　

even　this　he　refused；　and　for　four　months　the　municipality　

slumbered；　Martin　still　in　office。　　In　the　month　of　October；　in　

consequence；　the　British　and　American　ratepayers　announced　they　

would　refuse　to　pay。　　Becker　doubtless　rubbed　his　hands。　　On　

Saturday；　the　10th；　the　chief　Tamaseu；　a　Malietoa　man　of　substance　

and　good　character；　was　arrested　on　a　charge　of　theft　believed　to　

be　vexatious；　and　cast　by　Martin　into　the　municipal　prison。　　He　

sent　to　Moors；　who　was　his　tenant　and　owed　him　money　at　the　time；　

for　bail。　　Moors　applied　to　Sewall；　ranking　consul。　　After　some　

search；　Martin　was　found　and　refused　to　consider　bail　before　the　

Monday　morning。　　Whereupon　Sewall　demanded　the　keys　from　the　

gaoler；　accepted　Moors's　verbal　recognisances；　and　set　Tamaseu　

free。



Things　were　now　at　a　deadlock；　and　Becker　astonished　every　one　by　

agreeing　to　a　meeting　on　the　14th。　　It　seems　he　knew　what　to　

expect。　　Writing　on　the　13th　at　least；　he　prophesies　that　the　

meeting　will　be　held　in　vain；　that　the　municipality　must　lapse；　and　

the　government　of　Tamasese　step　in。　　On　the　14th；　Sewall　left　his　

consulate　in　time；　and　walked　some　part　of　the　way　to　the　place　of　

meeting　in　company　with　Wilson；　the　English　pro…consul。　　But　he　had　

forgotten　a　paper；　and　in　an　evil　hour　returned　for　it　alone。　　

Wilson　arrived　without　him；　and　Becker　broke　up　the　meeting　for　

want　of　a　quorum。　　There　was　some　unedifying　disputation　as　to　

whether　he　had　waited　ten　or　twenty　minutes；　whether　he　had　been　

officially　or　unofficially　informed　by　Wilson　that　Sewall　was　on　

the　way；　whether　the　statement　had　been　made　to　himself　or　to　Weber　

in　answer　to　a　question；　and　whether　he　had　heard　Wilson's　answer　

or　only　Weber's　question：　　all　otiose；　if　he　heard　the　question；　he　

was　bound　to　have　waited　for　the　answer；　if　he　heard　it　not；　he　

should　have　put　it　himself；　and　it　was　the　manifest　truth　that　he　

rejoiced　in　his　occasion。　　〃Sir；〃　he　wrote　to　Sewall；　〃I　have　the　

honour　to　inform　you　that；　to　my　regret；　I　am　obliged　to　consider　

the　municipal　government　to　be　provisionally　in　abeyance　since　you　

have　withdrawn　your　consent　to　the　continuation　of　Mr。　Martin　in　

his　position　as　magistrate；　and　since　you　have　refused　to　take　part　

in　the　meeting　of　the　municipal　board　agreed　to　for　the　purpose　of　

electing　a　magistrate。　　The　government　of　the　town　and　district　of　

the　municipality　rests；　as　long　as　the　municipality　is　in　abeyance；　

with　the　Samoan　government。　　The　Samoan　government　has　taken　over　

the　administration；　and　has　applied　to　the　commander　of　the　

imperial　German　squadron　for　assistance　in　the　preservation　of　good　

order。〃　　This　letter　was　not　delivered　until　4　P。M。　　By　three；　

sailors　had　been　landed。　　Already　German　colours　flew　over　

Tamasese's　headquarters　at　Mulinuu；　and　German　guards　had　occupied　

the　hospital；　the　German　consulate；　and　the　municipal　gaol　and　

courthouse；　where　they　stood　to　arms　under　the　flag　of　Tamasese。　　

The　same　day　Sewall　wrote　to　protest。　　Receiving　no　reply；　he　

issued　on　the　morrow　a　proclamation　bidding　all　Americans　look　to　

himself　alone。　　On　the　26th；　he　wrote　again　to　Becker；　and　on　the　

27th　received　this　genial　reply：　〃Sir；　your　high　favour　of　the　26th　

of　this　month；　I　give　myself　the　honour　of　acknowledging。　　At　the　

same　time　I　acknowledge　the　receipt　of　your　high　favour　of　the　14th　

October　in　reply　to　my　communication　of　the　same　date；　which