The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-04


to q conclusion as to whether we have erred
or not in our treatment of that person. Mr..
Fish sends to the House series Of docu-
ments to show that Steinberger has surren-
dered his allegiance. At the same time he
admits that the Colonel did 60 to this Pacific
island with certain presents and a letter from
the President to the chief. The trouble about
Steinberger's case is that he is said to be an
.adventurer He is also friend of the Presi-
dent. Consequently o high toned gentle
man like Mr.. Fish does not want to be wor-
ried about him, and the democrats assail him
on the ground that whatever the President APP
proves must be wrong. Beyond this there
is, as there has always been, strong British
sentiment in our journalism and our pub
lie affairs, which is only too prone to de-
nounce the country which protects 1t. We be-
lieve in the sentiment which the London
Times expressed when Mason and Slidell
were returned, that England would have
threatened war in behalf of couple of
Jamaica negroes as promptly as she did in
behalf of those high placed ambassadors
We cannot rejoice in the arrest of an Amer
lean by British officer, his imprisonment
the confscation of his property. Nor do we
think Mr.. Fish shows the true American
spirit in dealing with this question. The
Spaniard has learned that he may shoot
Americans with impunity, as he did at San
tiago, and it is natural that British officer
should not hesitate to imprison them. Stein
berger's letter from the President and his
presents for the chief of Samoa strengthened
his claims to protection. Even if he did
propose to found government and make
the case. Englishmen are doing the same
thing every day and in oil parts of the
world, in the Fiji Islands, in Ashantee, in
the Hottentot country, in Australasia, in
India, in Asia, in the countries near the
Poles. Who has ever held that an English
man waived his allegiance or forfeited his
right to the protection of his flag because he
endeavored to extend British influence
among savage tribes? Let us suppose
that an American captain were to take an
Englishman from one of these barbarous
countries lock him up. sell his ship and
destroy his enterprises would Lord Derby
be content with anything less than the fullest
reparation? Could we say that the English
man had waived his nationality by becoming
Premier" of FIJI or Dahomey? The
answer would be that England never per-
mitted American or other captains to decide
questions of responsibility between the
Crown and the citizen, that if the English
man had done wrong he was not account
able to America
The truth is, we presume, that Mr.. Fish
does not want to bother about Steinberger.
No one cares much about him or his enter
prises. No doubt he is a nuisance and
should never have been sent to this island as
an American commissioner. Well we care
nothing about Steinberger, but we are
pleading for principle-one that has been
too often violated-the lnviolability of the
American citizen. The doctrine that Stein
berger waived his allegiance and accepted the
protection" of Samoa cannot, we think, be
seriously pressed. We have never recog-
nized the sovereignty of savage chiefs over
our citizens. We do not even recognize the
sovereignty of nations as civilized as Turkey
oy China or Japan. We go SO far as to pro-
feet our citizens in those lands by treaties
which secure them immunity even from
their laws Yet, while we deal in this spirit
with a government like Japan, it is proposed
that we shall deal with the head savage of
Samoa as we do with France and Germany
allow him uncontrolled authority over an
American. We are inclined to think that
no such proposition will be entertained for
a moment by our people. At all events, let
us know the facts. We shall be glad to
think that Mr.. Fish has done all that is
required of him. But it looks as if he had
thrown Steinborger over because everybody
laughed at him and called him humbug
and an adventurer and because he dislikes
vexatious questions. The spectacle of an
American arrested and imprisoned by q
British officer at the request of some savage
South Sea Islander is not pleasant. And
cause this painted, breechless savage, with
rings in his nose, is great sovereign, like
the Car of Russia or the Emperor of Ger
many, with whose jurisdiction we have no
right to interfere, we can only listen in won
der and surprise, asking if our citizenship
is but name.
The President stands by Belknap.
The friends of the President will rejoice
that he stands by his friends under fire."
He has probably no friend. unless it may be
Mcdonald, who is now in Jail, who is as
much under fire" as Belknap Belknap is
not before the Senate for impeachment, but
before the Grand Jury for Indictment. His
offence is that to make show in Washing
ton society he entered into an arrangement
to plumber the poor soldiers on the Plains
This offence he confessed and resigned his
Office The only pretext upon which he can
escape impeachment is one afforded by the