Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1889-02-09
SEW A HAS HIS SAY.
Glad He Is Freed from a False and
Humiliating Position.
he TELLS H REASON OF
Asked to Resign Because His Evidence Be.
fore the Senate Committee Revealed
the Weak-Kneed Samoan Policy
of the State Department.

~ASiilNtloN, Tep, .. ~ lePoitei
called upon Mr.. Sewau and asked for a
of the reasons given by the
state department for requesting his res
ignation as consul general to. Samoa,
Mr.. Sewall said:
''The reason given is the disagreement
of my expressed views with the views
entertained by the state department on
Samoan affairs. This refers, | suppose.
to the testimony given by me before the
senate committee on foreign relations.
No disapproval of my conduct in Sa-
moa has ever been expressed by the de.
partment SO far as | know. The views
/ expressed on the situation and remedy
necessary were given at the request of
the senate committee. 1t was not for
be to consider whether those views
agreed with Mr.. Bayard's or not. ] do
know, however, that they coincide with
those of all Americans who have given
the matter any thought, the state de-
partment excepted, for which l can not
speak.
II believe" continued Mr.. SewaIl.
that the deposition of Malietoa wasssde-
termined upon before the conference of
the three powers was began, and that it
was the German intention to carry out
the policy it had decided upon regard
less of that conference. The purpose of
Germany is to secure control of Samoa
in defiance of the solemn and repeated
assurances is has given government.
furthermore, ] believe Lord Salisbury is
q party to this scheme, and the move
ment against Samoa is only a precursor
of an Anglo-German attempt to secure
supremacy in the Hawaiian islands. l
concu with Mr.. Bates, our late commits
sioner to Samoa, in his opinion that Adj
miral Kimberly cannot accomplish any
thing under his instructions from the
state. Bayard expects Admiral Kim
berly to succeed in doing by a protest
what he has been trying without success
to do for a year. Does Mr.. Bayard sup
pose protests will turn Germany from
her course, They have been received
with contempt in the past. / believe
with Secretary Whitney, that a definite
policy should be adoptedin Samoa, but as
Secretary Bayard cannot pun ish Score
tary Whitney or Mr.. Bates for their
views. / am singled out for sacrifice.
Sewall said, whatever his personal
opinion of Bayard's attitude might be he
had during the entire term of his serv-
ice implicitly followed Instructions. not.
w~ithstanding they placed him in a false
and humiliating position "A great stir
was made" said he, "by the recent n
nouncement of the declaration of mar
tiai law by the in Apia, but
this was only a repetition of what had
happened before. Even before the
right to a joint vote in the government
Of Apia, the German sentries had beer
posted and instructed to shoot men not
answering a challenge. Notices giving
warning of this were posted only in
German script. When war was de-
clared against Malietoa, Apia was occu-
pied without notice to the Americans. A
leading American merchant, standing
on his own land, was knocked down by
a Germon sailor, who on returning to
his ship was imprisoned for not haEing
bayonetted the man.
Il myself was stopped on the high
way even before war had been declared,
and an officer threatened to shoot me if
/ proceeded. German sentries were
posted around my consulate at night.
1t was for testifying to these facts, !
presume, that my resignation was asked,
lit is natural that | should differ with
Mr.. Bayard in a policy--if suck it could
be called (which permits such things to
be lone. Were my regret, said Sewall,
at the losssof prestige in the Pacific by
our submission to German aggression
in Samoa the measure of my humiliating
experience there, i could await patient
ly the publication of my testimony and
the certain results of an aroused and
intelligent public opinion. But to my
lasting chagrin and sorrow, milsed by
Bayard and acting under his instruc-
tons, | misled the weak end suffering
Samoans into fresh misfortune. Upon
Mr., Bayard and myself, as an innocent
! instrument obeying his instructions,
must rest the grievous responsibility for
the distresses which now threaten the
very existence of the Samoan people.
when ] arrived in Samoa the insur-
~rection of Tamasesa, fostered by Ger
man officials for purposes now made
PLAN, was on the point of disintegra-
| ton. Malietoa, who had beer repeat.
eddy held back by our representatives
from asserting his authority, had deter
mined to tolerate this no longer. The
day after l arrived l received instruc-
| tions, the purport of which was to re-
strain him. did so, giving him to un-
| derstand as Bayard gave me to under.
| stand. that neither he o his people
| would be allowed to suffer. Malietoa
| Welded at NV solicitation and our ma
| tional honor was pledged that we would
| insist upon our treaty rights to the in.
| dependens existence of Samoa. could
| not better have served German purposes
| than Inv this mission Of mine Az mat