The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-17


to say during the past three or four years
The whole job WAS nothing more nor less
thnn o vast speculation connected between
Stelnburger and Babcock, which for cheeki.
ness and audacity was never surpassed. There
are, however, some ugly features in the husl-
nees for Grant, which Congress could very
easily expose by calling on the Secretary
Of the Navy for certain. documents which
ought to be on file In his department.
kxeinburger first went out to Samoa
In TFI with II rowing commission from
tho United States government, which Bah
cock had procured from Grant, to examine
the islands and report their condition. re-
sources, etc. He proceeded to San Francisco
and chartered the yacht Fannie, stocked her
and sailed for Apia. Once there, he ingratia-
ted himself with the natives who are dis
posed to like Americans. while they are con-
stantIy apprehensive that tho English are go
ing to take their islands from them, and have
even less love for tho Germans, because Of the
oppressive monopoly OF trade by the Code
frogs by representing TO them That the
rate over their islands and defend them
against tho expressions of the Germans and
English. Returning from this expedition
Steinburger made an elaborate and highly
colored report ~ regard TO the fertllityy ana
resources Of the Samoan islands. ana the ar
dent desire of the natives to place themselves
under the protection Of the United States
Stenburger's next move was to have him
| self sent back tn Samoa In man war, IN
1
and Germans us we'll with q due sense Of his
Importance. Not only did he succeed IN this
project but through the instruInentality OF
bis friend and partner. Babcock, he obtained
from the government, on the ORDER o. Grant,
q lnrge quantity Of arms, ammunition and
military supplies, including twelve twelve
pound field pieces with caissOns, q GatllDR
gun, $50 Henry rifles, with large supply Of
ammunition and uniforms and steam
lauDeh. Tho commotion produced by Stein
burgers arrival with this imposing armament
was indescribable. Tho natives were wild
with exultation and the dynasty of Godefroy
was Ia dismay. He Immediately set to
work to organize a government, with
q congress, and even Judiciary de had
things all his own way for awhile aud car
rled them with high hand, ana had he pos
sessed sagacity equal to his audncity 1t
| would not have taken him long to make mn
immense fortune, and by the introduction III
! American capital and enterprise to Eventually
break down the Godefroy monopoly. But his
| self-lmportance and overweentng confidence
proved his ruin. He antagonized every pow
erful foreign influence and organized oppo-
sition on all sides But his great mistake
was In throwing up his commission from the
| United States as soon MS he felt assured OF ha
! ability to maintain himself and it was not
long before he discovered that an American
envoy commanded infinitely more respect
than a Samoan Premier. Webber, the Ger
man consul ut Apia and the agent o.
Company Of San Francisco which had
lands Of the islands, and which SteiDburger
had undertaken to put under tribute to hrn-
self, Immediately combined TO get rid of him
| He had demanded n bonus OF $45 900 from
this company, and upon its being refused he
procured the nnnument of all their titles
from tho natives In power. The first stepe
taken by these two powerful establishments
was to procure the removal of Mr.. Jonas M
Nh tod INT his o.
sian Land Company had vainly endeavored
to use In the accomplishment Of their meta
rious schemes. and the appointment in hia
place Of IN ignorant and unprtncipled tool
named Foster.
} At the instigation OF Webber this man Fos-
ter addressed a note M United States consul
to Capt Stevens, OF tho British man-of- wal
Baracota, requesting him to remove Stein
burger from the Islands as an adyenturer and
dsturber, and representing to him that
neither life nor property were safe so long as
he WAS allowed To remain there and poison The
minds OF the natives against the foreign pop
mIatiOu. On the receipt OF this note Capt
Stevens. after the custom OF the British II
those regions, sent his marines ashore ant
seized Stenburger, broke up his government
and placed him under custody aboard The
Baracota, where he kept him for sevnra
weeks and finally carried him off aud landed
him at another island, leaving him to make
his way home as best he could. He was giveT
no time to make any preparations nnd was
not even allowed to take his trunks with him
These were broken open and rifled, even o.
tha trinkets and mementoes of his dead wife
n most estimabie lady and the daughter o
Congressman Alfred Ely, Of Rochester, N. Y.
who had died short while before Stenburgel
. went to Samoa. His yacht, the Peerless, which
had cost him not less than $4,000, was sole
to an Englishman for $3.50 and he ran her of
to some other island while Foster, who go
the spoila, was dispatched by Weber to some
; distant trading point to get him out OF tht
l | T1r Vun( IN IN ~
ment of Steinburger was an infamous AM
high handed outrage, and that Capt. Ste
, venss participation In 1t was no better THAI
an act OF piracy on the high seas. He has
been ordered home to account for 1t, and also
for the encounter with the natives about
month after Steinburger's arrest In which
seven mariners were killed and a larger mum
Der wounded.
tempt. on the part of Capt. Stevens, to tak'
possession Of the arms and ammunition
turned over by Steinburger to the Samoans
In the excitement attending the landing o
the marines gun was, discharged, ant
Stevens, pretending to believe himself fire.
on ordered his marines to fire. They did 80
killing number OF the natives, but to hii
profound astoniehment the fire WAS returned
with deadly effect, seven marines being killed
outright and dozen or more wounded. The
English succeeded in spiking the guns anc
dismantling the Gatling gun, and then bea
q hasty retreat to their ship. The natives
were fearfully aroused, and had Steinburgel
, been ashore to direct them. DR.. Van Camp Ii
OF the opinion that the Baracota would have
, been destroyed and her entire crew murdered
The statu quo may be stated as follows
| Steinburger is urging a claim for PREPARATION
} for So, 500, 900 against the British government
through the State Department at Washing
ton; the Samoan islands have been recog
nized as an independent state by the Unitet
States, with Malatoa as King, with Gen. Bart
lette friend and representative Of Stein
burger, as his adviser, and the Germans AM
, English are demanding treaty as liberal al
that with the United States.
THE TREATY.
1t will probably be of interest to relate hoy
this treaty happened to be negotiated. I'm
mediateiy upon the removal OF Steinburger
Webher, assisted by Foster and the Polyne
, sian Land Company, undertook to form a ne1
r party and obtain possession Of the govern
ment, and to this end they endeavored t.
| ralIu the old Puluatlla marty which hal