The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-04-29

1t has already been stated in these columns Tin
our issue Of March ID that the Samoan Govern
ment chartered in January last the German
schooner LeUuka at Apia to proceed TO this port
with Mr.. Frank Plat, their commissioner and
bearer Of dispatches to the Government of the
United States at Washington. Mr.. Platt reached
this port on I'd March and furnished as with news
from Samoa, up to 2sd January. Since then moth
ing has been heard from Samoa until the r.. NJ. S.
S. Zeqlandid, which arrived on Thursday last,
brought two passengers, who are en- route for the
United States and are from Samoa via Fiji. These
! gentlemen are DIR. C. NJ. Steinberger, who arrived
at Apia on 18th February last as a passenger on a
sailing vessel. the Ida Nay, of San Francisco, and
who is brother of Col. \. B. Steinberger, the late
premier of Samoa. (Dr. Steinberger took passage
on a German bark at Apia for Levuka, Fiji, at the
conjoint peremptory request of the U. S. Consul at
Apia and OF Capt. Chas. f. Stevens, r. N, COM
handing Fl. b. NJ. S. Barracuda, as the doctor
was in their way with regard to their action re-
specting Samoan politics, and he was forbidden to
return again to Apia by the aforesaid gentlemen)
and Mr.. J. NJ. Coe, an American citizen, resident
in Samoa for thirty years, aud late U. S. Consul
for the Samoan Islands for ten years. He also has
been deported from Samoa Gas alleged for political
causes) by the aforesaid gentlemen. Mr.. Coe was
held a prisoner on shore at Apia and on board of
II. B. NJ. S. barracuda, by Capt. Stevens, from the
29th February last to April 4th, and was then
landed on shore at Levuka, Fiji Islands.
We are indebted to Mr.. Coe for the following
interesting resume of events at Samoa after the
departure of Mr.. Platt, up to the 29th of March
On the departure OF Mr.. Plat from Apia, Capt.
Stevens together with S. F. Williams, British Act
ing Consul, and S. S. Foster, U. S. Consul, had
completely succeeded in Withdrawing the British
and American residents from under the laws Of
the Samoan Government, and had violated such In
every way that lay in their power. They next
commenced to intrigue with the king, Malietoa !,
desiring him to remove Col. Steinberger the pre-
mier from his position. The king and the Taimua
and Faipule declined to listen to any such de-
mands, and peremptOrily refused to remove or
part with their premier. When Capt. Stevens and
the consuls discovered that writing to the king
was of no avail, an idea anne to their minds,
prompted by the missionary Rev. DR.. Geo. A.
Turner,-thati if the missionaries were brought into
the field their influence might gain the object they
most desired, that is, in the removal of Col. A. b.
Steinberger; accordingly, the missionaries of the
London Missionary Society were consulted. These
gentlemen had taken an active part in the pro-
ceedings from the first arrival of the BdrrdcOuhd
at Apia. The aforesaid Missionaries first sent
their Samoan teachers in a body, (about City men)
to the capitol at Mulinuu. On their reaching the
council house, the king with the Taimua and Fai-
pule received them very eourteously, and listened
very attentively to what they had to say. After
the teachers were through with their say, they
were invited to return again to where they came
from and were told that Samoa was enlightened,
and church and state could not be mixed, as their
functions were essentially different. The teachers
returned to their masters dissatisfied and disconso-
late at not having accomplished anything.
The missionaries, feeling that their influence
with the Samoans was decreasing, then determined
to make a visit in a body to the capitol. They did
so, but accomplished no more than the teachers
who went before them.
Capt. Stevens and the consnls had expected
much through missionary influence, but were sore
~ disappointed they however determined to fol-
low up their course of action against Col. Stein
berger and the Samoan Government, and entered
at once into an alliance with, and made a tool of
a Rarotonga man whose name is Ia, a man well
and unfavorably known in the foreign community
at Apia. This man Ia was at this time working
(when not too lazy and drunk) in the kings yard
at Mulinuu. He has existed on the hospitality and
charity of the Samoans for thirty-fve years and
understands the Samoan language better than bis
OVhs - ~ ~ v cAA S1O AAOW t1los
and Tia was the man for their work, and be was
consulted with and subsequently, sent on his mis-
sion to bring the king secretly on board Of H. N.
S. Barracuda. After much solicitation, the king
aoeeded to the request Of Tia, and was padded by
him in a small canoe on February Tth at twelve
O'Clock midnight, on board the Barracuda, where
be found Capt. Stevens and DR.. Geo. A. Turner
awaiting his arrival. An interview was held and
the king yielded to persuasion and gave his con-
sent to write The letter that caused the bloodshed
of innocent peOple,-a letter written and signed
by "Mslietoa Rex l." and addressed TO S. s. Eos
ter, u. S. Consul, desiring him to remove Col. A.
Steinberger, an American citizen, from the Gov
eminent of Samoa, as he was a bad and wicked
man and a liar and imposter. This letter was
sent to the consul on the following morning.
Malietoa was a student, who had graduated
from the Malua College, and when young was al
ways under the eye and care of the missionaries.
Mr.. Foster, the consul, lost no time after the re-
ceipt of Malietoa's letter, before a prearranged
application was made to Capt. Stevens for assist
ance to arrest Col. Steinberger.
At two O'Clock p. N. on the 9Th of February an
armed force of marines and blue jackets from the
Barracoaaa, accompanied by Capt. Stevens il full
uniform, the British Acting Consul, the U. S. Con-
sui, the officers of H. NJ. S. Barracuda. and DR..
Geo. a Turner, were seen marching towards the
capitol of the Government of Samoa at Mulinuu,
for the purpose of removing Col. Steinberger.
This was.the fourth time that the Barracuda men
had invaded the capitol of Samoa, as an armed
force, and yet the peaceable SamOans permitted
them to do as they wished, as they did not desire
any trouble with the whites. On the arrival of
the Barracuda men, consuls, &c, at the kings
house, it was surrounded by the marines and blue
jackets. Capt. Stevens sent a message to Col.
Steinberger, who was a few yards distant, aud on
his presenting himself In the kings hoHse, Capt.
Stevens read the kings letter, Gt having been
translated into English by DR.. Geo. A. Turner)
and informed Col. Steinberger be was a prisoner.
The colonel was delivered in charge of the lst
lieutenant and escorted By the armed force, con-