The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-04
SAMOA.
How We Came to be Interested There.
Geographical Situation and Dis
lance From Various Points.
First the Harbor of Pago- Page Was
Coded to Us
BY the Chief OF the Bay as a Naval
Station.
The Islands Then Became an Important
Coal station for Our Commercial
steamers-Steinberge Mis-
sion-What He Did.
Special Dispatch to The Appeal

~ iNiNiNhNN W Alit gu
moan difficulty. 1t will doubtless arrive
tomorrow or next day. No new develop
ments have turned up today.
No doubt hundreds of thousands Of
Amer lean citizens have been asking dur
ing the past fortnight how we come to be
in any degree responsible for the peace or
prosperity of the Samoan Islands in the
South Pacific any more than for any other
islands in the same ocean-the Gilbert
Islands, for instance, or the Ellce Islands,
or the Phoenix Islands, all OF which are
nearer to us than the Navigator or Samoan
Islands. The Samoan Islands are
about 5000 miles away from the
nearest port OF the United States.
They are us far or farther from any part Of
the South American continent. They are
not even within our hemisphere, rs they
lie 10 degrees, or 300 miles, south OF the
equator They do not belong 10 the
American world, either geographically or
politically, any more than Sumatra, Java
or the Philippine Islands In fact, they
belong geographically TO the Australian
system, and are sure TO be absorbed
eventually into the great Australian Re-
public, which is slowly but surely rising
IN the South Pacific. The Samoan Islands
are only 200 miles from New Zealand.
They are only about l,5J0 from the
port OF Sydney, or about five DAYS sail,
which must, II they ever become civilized
and commercial, be their principal mar
kei In truth, unless all the signs by
which the future OF States aud nations is
forecast, fail us, they are rs certain 10 be-
come part Of Australia ~ Washington Ter
ritory is to become an American State.
The fact that they lie on our road TO New
Zealand aud Australia will not save them
for us, because We cannot possibly claim
every place, however distant, which II is
Convenient Tor Us 10 touch at in our voy-
ages
Moreover, our public policy ~ defined
by the party coming into power, IL opposed
TO foreign traffic. We ouRht not, It Is said,
- to have any trade or intercourse with New
Zealand or Australia, in which We accept
the products OF those countries m payment
for our goods, or accept anything but cash,
and neither oi them n now, ever has been,
or Is ever likely 10 be able 10 carry on a
cash business with US, or any business but
barter. Consequently we do not need,
aud are not likely 10 need, stopping
place on the road to New Zealand Or any
thing murc than c0aling station for such
passenger ships ns We may subs,dize for
the purpose oi encouraging American ship
builders
How then did We become interested in
Samoa at all2 Well, in this way. Ia 1877
Commander Meade OF the Navy entered
into an agreement with the Chief OF the
BAY OF Pago-Pago for the exclusive privi-
lcgc Of establishing a United States naval
station In that harbOr. Then certain
g.l.I al
called President Grants attention 20 the
importance Of our growing trade with the
islands in the South Pacific. and lac de-
tcrmned o. send Mr.. Stcnbcrger, who
WAS doubtless one OF 'the highly respect
able commercial persons out on voyage
OF discovery to see about IL. In fact,
Steinberser solicited the mission himself,
and was strongly recommended for II by
ten. Horace Porter. Who Sleiuborgcr
was does not appear in the official rcpOr,s.
Ii WIS IN the very noon ui the Grant re-
gime and everybody In Republican politics
was happy aud hopeful, aud few questions
were asked. pars0n Newman had started
around the world already, rs an inspector
of consuls," in the other direction.
Sieinberger was 10 inspect the SimoIns.
1t Is right TO add that before this,
; 10 wit, in 1872, some OF the highly re-
spectacle commercial persons had nl-
ready got the kings and rulers oi the
Samoan Islands names not uvniioncdI
10 send on petition 10 President Grant
asking ion the annexation Of the islands "a
No United states. Here If the petition
which displays very acknowledgements
nncc with our political literature, aud os
pccially the Declaration Of Independence
ior gentlemen who.i habi,ual costume wa
n neat tattoo and brecchcloim
1nn,lati1n.l
MIA. uroIA. samoa.
ToIfs rxoclicncy the President 81 the uul.c,
rm'' of America
NAV blessings from the Almighty res
upon your Exrrllcncy; this Is our letter 4
your ENccllcncy.
We, the chieisand rulers Of Samoa, deem
Il necessary for our future wcll.bCing ans
be ter establishment oi Christianity, ire
institutions, fellowship Of mankind. pro
tccIiun of life and property and 10 sccun
the blessings at liberty and free Trade q
ours Ives and future generations, do pcu
lion the Prcsidcn, vi the United States q
America 10 annex these Islands To th
United States OF America.
Given under our hands and seals tlii
ninth day OF April, IN the year oil on
Lord one thousand eight hundred AN
seycuiy.two.
The mention Of free trade" shows, how
ever. the minds Of these cultured savage
had been already poisoned by the British
missionaries, or by the cmlsiarie- 81 ia
Golden Club.
slpiuberpor started Ia June. 1874 Wit
5000 OF the United States money ~ ~
pocket, IN a schooner yacht chartered b
himself. and on the Gtn ol August sighte
\, the field Of his invest cations. Tie ioun
On American ro,ynesinn land Con
puny" already established on the island
which was contracting with the native
fir immense tracts Of land NJ nomin
prices, paid partly In powder aud lea,
% civil war was raging, and partly on tw
ycam credit This was probably .,
remotely connected with that petite
Of the "kinrs and rulers alrcad
cited. lie made long report {
the scenery, fauna, flora, products, ~
geography, climate, and people Of the