Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-05-10

S~AaeS II 1ldr>SS ~ wv oSSS
WAsHINGToS, D. C., May o.-The
President to-day submitned 10 the Sen
ate the correspondence relative 10 Sa-
moa, called for oy Senator GraY's reSO-
luton. The correspondence is very
voluminous, covering about 10000
pages Ia submitting it 10 ths Presi-
dent, Secretary Gresham has taken the
opportunity 10 set out at length his
conclusions as 10 the workings Of the
tri-partite agreement. This letter of
the Secretary's Is sure 20 give rise 10
much discussion and controversy.
A period Of almost five years having
elapsed since the conclusion OF the gen
erai act OF Berlin, the present occasion
Is, the Secretary says, not Inappropriate
for a review OF It's resclts.
! % order that the subject may De fully
comprshended, be presents a general
survey OF our relations 20 Samoa, both
before and since the conclusion OF the
general act, and reCitss the policy we
have pursued toward the island.
II Is N OUR RELATIONS
70 Samoa that we have msde our frst
departure from our traditional and well
established policy OF avoiding tangilng
alliance with foreign powers in relation
70 objects remote from this hemisphere.
Like all other human transactions, the
w,sdam OF that departure must De tested
by its fruits. II there be no evidence
of detrimeut suffered before It's adOp-
ti0n, or of advantage since gained, We
are confronted with the serious re-
sDonsibility OF having, without sutfi-
cient grounds, imperiled policy which
is not only cO-eviI with our government,
but 10 which may in great measure be
ascribed the peace, prosperity and the
moral influence OF the United States.
UIn 1873 a special agent named Stein
berger was sent 20 the Islands by the
Department Of State for the express
purpose OF obtaining Information 10 re-
gard TO their COudjgiOn. This step
seem 20 have been suggested Oy GER
tain highly respectable commercial
persOu5" VINO represented the OppOr-
tunEies OF Increasing our commercial
relations in that quarter Of the globe
aad by the cirCu instance, that IN tie
pAecedinE year-a-nev officer Of the
Uuited States, acting On his owu re-
soonsibility, had entered iDtO an agree
ment with the grea, chief Of the bay OF
Pago Pago whereby the latter, while
protesting his desire FOR
THE FRIENDSHIP AND PROTECTION
, OF the l.. $ granted 10 th,s govern
ment the exclusive privilege Of estab-
Ishing in that haTb0r naval station.
In Nav, 1872. President Grant COmmu-
uicated this agreement 10 the Senate,
saving that be would not hesitate 10
recommend 90 pledge the L. ). 10 does
not appear that the Senate took any
action on the agreement. Secretary
Gresham continues with an account OF
Sleinberger'S connection with samoa
and his efforts 20 bring about the an
nexatfou Of the islands 20 the L. =, his
unauthorized promise % the islanders
OF the protection OF the O.. -, and bis
final deportation from the islands on a
British man-of-war. The Steinberger-
GodeHrOy agreement is also recOUuted.
On January Is, ISIS, yhere was con
cluded AZ Washington the treaty,
which. I'D % the ratification OF toe
Feneral act OF Berlin twelve years .ater,
coptaiHed TIE only formal definition OF
the relations Of the United states 20 the
samoan group
The occasion TO make Cc0d the oblj-
rat.on OF The United States u1der the
treaty OF ISIS 70 employ IT'S good Offices
tn bebalf Of the samoan Government
arose in lSS5, when Dr. >,elbc. the
German Consul General, took posses
SION OF All the .aud within the muuici-
psIftv OF Apia, 50 far as the samoan
Governments sovereign rights in 10
were concerned, 20 hold 10 as security
u1tIr AN understanding with tlat Gov
e-nmart should bs arrived az for the
protection Of German Interests.
As. COUNTER DEGoS>rArioN,
,be American Consul, G-senebaum,
raised the American tag aud proclaim
ed protectOrate. subsequently our
minister's at London aud Berlin were in
structsd 20 say that the claim Of an
American urotectUrats over samoa by
me United States Consul az AUIa was
wholly uusuthor' zed and Ci>prsved, no
pro,ec;orate 0ysny foreign power being
desired and % suggest THAI the British
and German mInlst- - az Washington
Fs Instructed % confer with toe Secrs-
tary ~ state with the view ~ the
establishment OF order.
Sobe-ly surveying toe history Of our
rsIstions with Samoa, we may vel In
ouire what We nave Ea,Qeo ty our de-
rarru~e from our eSta4<shed policy be-
vood the expenses. ths reSpoUsio .itiss
sod the entang .emeDts that have 50 fsr
haer tts only fruits. O1s OF the great
es- ANTIQUITIES 10 dealing with matters
tbst lie a. a distance S the fact that the
i,oariuation is no longer restrained oy
tbscoptemDlatiOn Of objects 90 their real
,,ronortions. Our experience 10 the case
- samoa serves 20 show that for our
ususl exemption from the consequences
from ,hi, infruity. We are Indebted 70
rbe wise policy that had previously pre-
sarvet Us from such engagements as
rbose mbOdied in the general act Of
Rsrlin. which. besides envo.ving Us 10
eptang.ing alliance, has utterly fail
Cd 70 correct, II indeed 10 has not agra
vsred. tue very evils 10 was designed 20
preyent. Respectfully submitted,
w q. GRESHAM.
Croker WuI Sssign.