Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-02-08
AMERICA DISGRACBD.
THE STORY or DAYAGB'S Sub.
MISSION TO GERMAN.
Consul sewan Tells Ttow ais Hands
We're Tied While N Samoa
The Natives Betrayed
FssEolAl DISPATCHES TO rHE nEooaD-usnssl

ss'1AoiAA DISPATCHES TO TIE nEeeRD-uN6osS
WASHINGTON, February 7th.-,phis mYrySnc.
hasold n. Sewall, Consul General. TO the "a
moan Islands, received notification from the
State Department that his resignation would
be acceptable, on the ground fhSt his viey1a
were not in harmony with those Of the Al
ministrstiOn.
WHAT sEwALL HAS To SAY
MAslsiSsToS, February 7th.-AIr Sew AL was
seen tonight at the Arlington HoteS and sc,
knowledsed having received a reouess for h1s
resignation, and that il would be sanf Ia Spe-
retary sayar1 tonight. He was avere to esriti-
..Ig S.slag the secIetarys action, but a, the same
tlIhe saiu ne considered he had been sacrificed.
TO appeaSe Bayani's wrath Ee aid nor reyrsf
giving his testimony before the Senate Com
mlttee. because il was the Truth. He also said
that he did not believe his testimony bsi done
as mueh 70 arouse Bayard'S ire as the pubIjca--
since. 'A-io
-, And, Of course, said sewall, "Bayard could
not sacrifice Whitney, so ! was chosen Tor
Slanghter NJ. Sewali said he would Ike to
nave returned % his post in ord to carry out
hls plans, he had always eudeayored 10 M
hoio American interests s.. all hazards IN con
elusIon. he believed that his removal would ef.
rect American interests in Samoa considerably
as the Germans had claimed that they had the
power 20 have INN tSewalN removed and Iyould
do so; and now that he had been removed fbe
troll merica.
and in 1884 was delegate TO the Chicaco Con-
Yention in favor OF Bayard
A pEEP-LAID ScHEplE.
Referring to other ques ti3ns, Mr.. Sewall said:
=, oeheYe that the deposition of Male toa was
determined upon before the conference of the
three Powers began, and that ii was Ciermany's
intention TO carry out the policy she had de-
elded upon regardless of that conference The
purpose Of Germany is to secure control of Sa.
aro n par, tod.
suTances IT has given our Government. Furth-
ermore, believe that Lord Salisbury is q partv
70 this scheme, and that the movement against
samoa is only the precursor of an Anglo-Ger-
man attempt TO secure supremacy in the Hawa-
ian Islands,"
What, in your opinion. will be the effect of
the dispatch OF American ships of war to pro-
teet our interests in Samoa ~
" lseoneur with Mr.. Bates, our late Commits
sioner 20 Samoa, IN his published opinion that
Admiral Kimberly can accomplish nothing
under his instructions from the State Depsrt-
ment. Bsydrd expects Admiral Kimberly to
succeed in doing by protest what he had been
trying, without success, to do for year"
Does Bayard suppose protest viii turn Ger
many from the course she has been steadily
pursuing
- believe, with Secretary Whitney. that a
dennlte policy should be adopted in samoa To
send our ships there with only their present in
structlons is simply to subject their officers and
men TO humiliation or as Secretary Whitney,
luslng polite term out of respect suppose to
BayaId) terms Irritating conditions from
which their self-respect makes them revolt
But Secretary Bayard cannot punish Secretary
Whitney or Mr.. Bates, aud as | am the wesk kesf
am singled out or the sacrifice"
sewal said that whatever his personal opin-
ion OF the attitude OF Bayard in Samoan affairs
might be, he had during his entire term of
seTvt Loyalty and implicitly followed the Sec
retary's instructions, notwithstanding they
placed him IN false and humiliating position
THE LATE oUTRAGEs NOTHING NEW.
In reply to an inquiry as TO whether German
aggression had been going on for so long a time
Sewall said the recent news from Samoa. which
mad so aroused the country, was only a repeti-
ton of what had happened before .'Whv''
said he, q great stir has beeu made By the an
nounceuent that martial law had been de
clared by Germany in Apia, but this is not the
first time the German Consul has declared mar
tlal law in force. German sentries even before
the Americans had been deprived of their
rights to.a joint vote in the Government of the
town, had been commanded to shoot until dead
men not answering a challenge, and the notice
giving warning OF this was posted i'll Ger
man script only. AN American banner
was torn down by the Germans and tram
pea on. When war was declared against
Maletoa Apla was occupied without notice
TO the Americans. A leading American mer-
chant standing on his own land was knocked
down by a German soldier, who on his return to
his ship was imprisoned for not having bavo-
neted the man. 1 myself was stopped on the
highway of Apia even before war had been de-
clSred, snd an oiheer, whose command had
taken possession of that part of the town
threatened that would be Shot if proceeded.
German SentIieS were posted around my Con
sulate at night Ii is for testifypg TO these facts
presume, that my resignation was asked Is il
MT natural that should differ with Mr.. sayard
mits these things to be doneY'
\ sTINGING REBUKE.
Were my regret" said Seawan !" at our loss
of prestige ii the Pacific by our submission TO
German aggression in Samoa the measure OF my
Illuminating experience there 1 could await
M INV fv,,o,
certain results OF an aroused and intelligent
public opinion; but to my lasting ehaCrin and
sorrow mislead by Bayard and acting under his
instructions, mislead the weak and suffering
Samoans into fresh misfortunes. Upon Mr.
Bayard-and myself as an innocent instrument
obeylng his lnstructions-must rest in a large
measure gr1evous responsibility for the dis
tr sses which now threaten the very existence
of the Samoan people. When l arrived IN Sa-
moa the insurreetion of TamaseSe .fostered by
German officials for purposes now made plain.
was on the point OF disintegration. Malfetoa
who had been repeatedly held back by our
representatives from asserting his authority
had determined TO tolerate this no longer The
day after arrived received instructions the
purport of which was to restrain him. l did So
giving him to uudefstand-as Bayard gave me
to understand-that neither he nor his people
would be allowed TO suffer Malietoa Welded
81 my solicitation, and
OUR NATIONAL HONOR WAS PLEDGED
That we would insist upon our treaty rights to
the independent existence of Samoa. He could
not better have served Germany's purposes than
by this mission of mine. As matter of fact
public dot uments now before Congress showed
that the instructions in obedience 10 which |
acted on this occasion were sent me at the in
stance of the German and British Ministers. In
less than month German ships arrived;
Malietoa and his Chiefs were dcported; a man
whose Ii e had saved by my Intervention was
installed in Malietoa's place; pitiless perseeu-
ton was began against all Samoase suspected OF
friendship tor our flag, and German control as
etfeclually established as under open annexa-
ton. Having restrained the Samoans when
they could have destroyed TamaSese and with
his destruction the basis for German interfer-
ence, urged their submission, trusting that
finally, when the truth was known, our promises
to them would be fulfilled and our own honor
saved by the restoration of the status before the
conference when gave Malietoa such fatal ad-
vice.
IN JUSTICE TO MYSELF
And in the hope of securngi it for these wretcbed
people. | speak as do. Before leaving for
Samoa hM been about the state Department
and with the President at odd intervals fer q
month, explaining the situation, pointing out
the inevitable result OF German proceedings
and warning them that that would happen
which has come to Fass. When the rising of
Mataafa became known, and the German fleet
was ordered to return to Samoa. / asserted posi-
lively to Bayard that there could be but one
motive in this, and that s.to &C lively assist
1amasese in fighting Mataafa. Bsyard re-
peaied to me fresh assurance from Bismarck
that Germany did not care who was King But
Immediately on the arrival of the German ships
with the new German Consul, DR.. Knappe we /
find them siding with Tamasese and precipi-
tating conflict for which the Samcans will be
fore. to ray heavily. Realizing the unfortu-
nate predieament OF our own people, and bit
ierly conscious of our obligations to the Sa-
moans, sought to get fIom Bayard instructions
that would enable me to assert our proper posi-
tion, but all the instructions / received was g.
copy of an apologetic note to the German Con-
SUI on acc INT OF an alleged newspaper inter
view with me, and fresh assurances from Ger
many
BIsMARCK's LATEsr DODGE.
Regarding the action of the State Department
in accepting BismaIcks deposition for con-
ference at Berlin, Mr.. Se.sall ssid he concurs-
with every one who has studied the question
that the restoration of the status quo should be
preliminary to any Negotiations. BismaIck's
proposition to renew tAs conference on German
ground means much, Minister Penileton is
sick. and whoever rspFs sents us is 10 be re-
moved from American public feeling, and.
moreover, is not likely to be well acquainted
with the subjeos Weber, for several yeaFs
German Consul SsSaraoa, and Becker, the. late
German C.nsul there, together ySilh hosa of
other officials E4h0, know Samoan politics. are
in Berlin and viii aid Bismarck. Weber Bas ia
Washington Sanipg the conieresce here. eoseil-
ing their Minister. Besides, the history of our
negotiations with Germany, SIS pointed out by
Bates, shorsd d caution US and make us reluctant
To accept any assurances, Eo1 they have been
made most freely on the eve 0! her most import