Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-02-07
THEY BACK down.
Uncle Sam Objects to German
Martial Law in Samoa.
THE GERMAN CONSUL wITHDRAws
SOME OF HIS DEMANDS.

The President Sends a Supplementary
Message to Congress-Important Cor
respondence Between Bismarck and
Bayard-The Rights of the United States
at Pago-Pago HarbOr-The Cologne Ga
zette Clamors for Restoration Of Ger
man Authority in the Islands.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 4-The president has
sent the following message to congress:
"As supplementary to my previous mes
sages on the subject, have now the honor
to transmit a report from the secretary of
state relating to affairs in Samoa.
"GRovER CLEVELAND"
The report contains the following letter
from Mr.. Bayard to the president:
Gas the question of German action and
American rights in Samoa is under consider
alton by the congress, beg leave to trans
nit herewith, with view to being laid be-
fore congress, copies of correspondence
touching affairs in Samoa which has taken
place since January 30, the date of your last
message to congress on the subject. This
consist Of a telegram to this department
from Mr.. Blackjack, vice consul of the United
States at Apia, dated January 81, and a
paraphrase Of my telegraphic instruction Of
the same date to our minister at Berlin, of
which a copy was also sent to the charge
d'affaires at London, and my note Of the
same date to Count Arco-Valley. To-day I
was waited by the German minister at this
capital, who read me note from his govern
ment which transcribed from his dictation,
and now inclose copy of its text. The in
closed telegram from Mr.. Blackjack reads:
"'AUCKLAND, Jan. 31.-The German consul
declares Germany at war with Mataafa and
Samoa under martial law
"The paraphrase of the note to Minister
Pendleton is as follows:
"'Mr. Bayard instructs the minister of the
United States at Berlin to inform the Ger
man government that advices from Apia
state that the German consul had declared
Germany to be at war with Mataafa, and
Samoa to be under martial law Mr.. Bayard
informs Minister Pendleton that the German
minister at this capital, under instruc tions
from Prince Bismarck, had already ac-
quainted this government of the declaration
of war by Germany against Mataafa, and
had accompanied the notification with the
statement that Germany would, of course,
abide by the agreements with America and
England touching Samoa, and preserve,
under all circumstances, the rights of this
government established by treaty. But, in
view of the advices from Apia, Mr. Bayard
instructs Mr.. Pendleton to say that this gov
ernment assumes that the German officials
in Samoa would be instructed carefully to
refrain from interference with American
citizens and property there, since no dechra-
tion of martial law could extend German
jurisdiction so as to include control Of Amer
leans in Samoa. Such pretensions could not
be recognized or conceded by this govern
ment'n
The remainder of the correspondence, as
transmitted by the president, reads as fol-
lows:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Jan. 81.
"Mr Bayard TO Count Arco- Valley-Tn-
forms him of the receipt of telegram from
Mr.. Blackjack, and says:
Mot knowing what construction might be
given to his authority by the German consul
at Samoa in said proclamation of martial
law, I deemed it expedient at once to COM
municate to our minister at Berlin, inform
ing him Of the precise language of the tele-
gram from Mr.. Blackjack, and stating that
the declaration of n state of war by the Ger
man empire against Mataafa and his party
in Samoa had been revSusly communicated
through you, and that Prince Bismarck. in
his instructions to you, also &ated that the
German government would, of course abide
by the agreement with America and En-
gland with respect to Samoa, and pay due re-
gard in all instructions to the rights Of those
powers established by treaty.
l. '"Our minister at Berlin was therefore in
structed to make it known at the German
foreign Office that the United States assumes
that the German officials in Samoa would be
instructed scrupulously to abstain from all
interference with American citizens and
their property in Samoa, and that no in
crease or expansion of German jurisdiction
over American citizens or their property
would be caused by the German declaration
of martial law, nor would such jurisdiction
be recognized or conceded by the United
States.
Count Arco-V Valley to Mr.. Bayard- Under
instructions from the prince chancellor,
| February l. as a state of war was declared
against Mataafa, the commando of the Ger
man squadron issued a proclamation by
which the foreigners established in Samoa
| were subject to martial law. international
| law would, to certain extent, not prevent
such measure, but as Prince Bismarck is Of
opinion that our military authority has gone
too far in this instance, the military com
mander has received telegraph orders to
withdraw the part of the proclamation con-
cerning foreigners. In negotiating with
| Mataafa, our consul at Samoa has asked that
| the administration Of the islands of Samoa
might be temporarily banded over to him
which demand not being in conformity to
our previous promise regarding the neutral
ity and independence of Samoa, Mr.. Knappe
has been ordered by telegram to withdraw
Immediately his demand"
| Our Title to Pago-PagO Harbor.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-The papers re
lating to the harbor of harbor of Pago- Pago,
which Senator Sherman announced in the
senate, Friday morning, that he had re-
ceived from Secretary Bayard, are of inter
est, in view Of the prominence given at pres
ent by Samoan affairs. Secretary Bayard's
letter to Senator Sherman is as follows:
| DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
| WASHINGTON, Feb. l, 1889. .
"Hon. John Sherman, Chairman Committee
| on Foreign Relations, United States Sen
| ate
"DEAR SIR-Observing that the question
l -