St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-21
THE SAMOAN TROUBLE.


been telling Secretary BAYARD that
it was of more Importance to our gov
eminent to be giving its attention to
Samoan affairs than it was to be making
the ridiculous naval display off the
coast of Hayti. But Mr.. BAYARD seems
to be constituted somewhat after the
fashion or the old Scotchman who could
never get joke into his head unless it
was blown in from mortar. Mr.. BAY
ARD didn't seem to realize that the ma
tionai flag was in danger OF being in
suited at Samoa until it had been rid
died and torn down by the Germans.
There is something admirable, however,
in the GOODNESS with which the secretary
of state received the intelligence of the
Samoan trouble. There was no evil
dence of excitement Oh his part, and eX-
pressed real satisfaction that the first
cablegram was not half so sensational as
the details which followed. This is
what we call being as cool as cucum-
Der and doubly as fragrant. OF course,
nothing will follow from the Sa-
moan outrage: there will be no war
a man Of such remarkable equipoise at
the head of our state department, it
would be utterly impossible for a war
to grow out of this OF any other outrage.
In due course Of time our German
friends will send an apology: this gov
eminent will accept it, and we will all
shake hands and laugh over the Incl
&c wi q
in diplomatic circles: but down in the
breast of the people of this country will
rankle the memory of the gross insult
to the national flag. We can recall the
time when shot fired at the stars and
stripes floating over Fort Sumter awak
ened the nation to arms. But the glO-
rious old standard can be shot from its
mast and trampled into dirt on foreign
soil without scarcely provoking a re-
monStrance.
There is large conservative element
among our population who think that
the government can afford to make any
sacrifice rather than to be provoked
into war with another country. Then
there are those who think that in event
many of all others is the last one to be
pitted against us, both because of
the hitherto friendly relations that
have existed between that country
and this, and the fact that such
large proportion Of our population
come from German descent. The first
view is ultra conservative. The truth
&c nj
would be a national blessing. 1t would
have a tendency to revive business
prosperity, and most aSSuredly would
unity the country and create a healthy
national sentiment that would be most
desirable. Then. as to the second
point, while the affection for Faith
erland is strong in the hearts of
our German population, it is not so
strong as to reconcile them 10 our own
national humiliation through fear of
offending the old country. They are
now more American than German, and
will be the first to respond to the call to
arms in case our government reSents
the insult to our flag in the Samoan
islands.
of Islands is in their location in the
South Pacific Immediately in the path
way of commerce between this country
and Australia. The harbor at Apia is
one of the best and safest in the Pacific.
1t is natural therefore that this country
should be interested in keeping these
islands from under the protecterate of
any foreign power. In 1872 Commodore
MEADE, by an agreement with the
native chiefs, took the harbor of Pango-
Pango under the protection of the
United States, and during the GRANT
administration the natives formally ex-
pressed their desire to have the whole
group of nine islands brought under
the protection of this country. The
mercantile business of the islands is
chiefly controlled by Hamburg firm,
consequently the German government
uses this as a pretext for assuming a.
protectorate.