The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1889-02-02

Opinions Of an american Who Knows the
Islands,

Washington Special to the y. Y Tend
A gentleman who knows = good
deal about Samoa and the relations Of
our government and of European gov
ernments to that Island kingdom is
Gen. Joseph J. Bartlett, second Deputy
Commissioner Of Pensions here. In
1873 he went out to Samoa to accept
an appointment as Premier of that
government He was not only to head
the civil government, but also to
organize and command the army.
There was no army to command. lie
had to create 1t, and there was practi-
eally no civil government to lead be-
cause the islands were in state of re-
bellion. When he was invited to go
out and take the premiership there
was no king on the throne. The gov
ernment was in the hands of a Legis-
lature of two houses, called the Taimua.
and the Faipule. 1t was by these two
houses that he was invited to become
Premier.
"Mataafa and Tamasese,n said Gen
Bartlett to World correspondent,
@were conspicuous figures in the events
of that time. They were both engaged
in the rebellion, which at that time had
thrown the islands into hostile camps,
but they were not then as they are
now, pitted against each other. They
fought side by side and for a common
object. The Samoans are not at all a
quarrelsome people if left to them
selves, but Germany then, as now, was
bent on stirring up s,rlfe among them
Apart from the German influence
Tamasese is good natured man. lie
bears a striking resemblance to Abra.
ham Lincoln.
From the knowledge which | OBJ.
tanned of the situation in Samoa then
and from information which has come
to me since, | would not be prepared
to say whether Mataafa or Tamascse i
: now entitled to be recognized as King
but ifI had no other knowledge of thii
subject than the fact that Germany i:
supporting Tamasese, should have
' no hesitation in saying that Tamasest
Is not the man, for the Germans are
consistent only in being in the wrong
"If it had not been for obstacles
placed in my way by the naval officer
of our own government when l was II
Samoa, | could have restored peac
: and order and given the people goo,
a government. But as there was rebel
:. lion ON the island was obliged to TAX
i an active part in the fighting, fol
which Ralph Chandler, now rear ad
. miral, had me arrested and tried unde
It an obsolute law of the United States
d which provides that when an Ameri
n can citizen takes part on any side of
civil war in foreign country he Il
amenable to the orders of this govern
ment, and may be prohibited from par
e ticipation ON one side or the other. Ad
! miral Chandler served such a prohibi
. ton on me, and TO make II effectiv,
' placed me under arrest and put nj
;, through the form Of trial, which, O
o course, rendered me helpless. | had
/. to give up tho task which | had gon,
q out to perform, and home | came.
"But before leaving Samoa, | had
ample opportunity to learn the aims
I and objects and to observe the oper
$ ations of the Germans. They were
I doing the same thing then as now
They wanted then, as they want now
to gain possession of the island, and
their method of proceeding was to stil
up strife among the people, divide
them into hostile camps and supply
them with arms to carry on war with
4 each other. Germany has never been
G very particular as to which side she
n took; the one object was to keep them
fighting, so that she might have an
!, opportunity of coming in and dividing
d the oyster, as il were, between the con.
n testants, giving shell to each and
r gobbling up the meat herself.
"There should be no timidity and nc
lack of force and frmness in dealing
9 with Germany in this matter. | be-
o lieve England is sincere in The attitude
h she assumes, but the United States
government must act for itself and
stand on its own bottom. This gov.
> ernment should define to Germany
n very quickly the point beyond which
d she will not be permitted to 60, and
il our naval officers should not be tram.
meled by any such conditions as weigh
Il down the instructions given to Admiral
I Kimberly by Secretary Whitney. The
i naval officers intrusted with the pro-
: lection of our interests and the asser.
ton of our rights in Samoa ought Ia
be allowed much greater latitude.
s. "Germany has practically enslaved
/ the Samoans. There is hardly white
4 man in the kingdom who is not in heI
e pay and her service, and the native
who dares to say or do anything often
: sive to Germany is ground down
e under those petty prosecutions to
a which none but Germans ever descend
: You may depend upon 1t that the re
ports which reach us do not exaggeratt
y the evils of the situation or the mis-
Is deeds of the Germans. We would
IS probably know more than we do were
, it not for the system that the German
10 have of suppressing information snt
coloring it to suit themselves. Ger
! many needs to be handled with NOR,
5 firmness than our government at pres
G. ent seems disposed to exert.
i.
:, THEIR HOPES.
! Tho Goufhoru Ra1ioala aro ettbo;ot