St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-05-10

Wy 0ChnAOi Why tGoOiusbOh VI shS oSsA
ult. The correspondence is very yolum-
inous. containing about 10000 pages. In
submitting it to the president Secretary
Gresham has taken the opportunity to
set out at length his conclusions as TO
the workings Of the tripartite agree
ment. This letter Of the secretary's Is
certain to give rise 60 much controversy.
A period of five years having elapsed
since the general act Of Berlin, the pres
ent occasion is. the secretary says. not
inappropriate for a review OF its results.
In order that the subject may be
fully comprehended. he presents gem
eral survey OF our relations to Samoa.
both before and since the conclusion OF
the general act, and recites the policy
we have pursued toward the island. 1t
is in our relations to Samoa that we
have made the first departure from our
we'll established policy of avoiding eil-
tsngling alliances with foreign powers
in relation to objects remote FROM this
hemisphere. Like all other human
transactions. the wisdom of that de-
parture must be tested by its fruits. If
there he no evidence of detriment suf-
fered before its adoption, or of advan-
tages since gained, we are confronted
with the serious responsibility of haV-
ing, without sufficient grounds. i'm
periled policy which IS not only coeyal
with our government. but to which may
be in a great measure aScribed the,
peace. prosperity aud
THE MORAL INFLUENCE
Of the United States. In 1878 depart.
ment agent named Steinberger was sent
to the Islands by the department of
state for the express purpose of OBJ
tanning information regarding their
condition. This scheme seems to have
been suggested by certain "highly re-
spectacle commercial persons" who
represented the opportunities of i'll
creasing our commercial relations in
that quarter of the globe, and by the
circumstance that in the preceding year
a naval officer of the United States.
acting On his own responsibility. had
entered into an agreement with the
great chief of the Bay of Pago-Pago
whereby the latter. while protesting his
desire for the friendship and protection
of the United States, granted to this
government the exclusive privilege of
establishing in that harbor naval sta
ton. In May. 1872. President Grant
communicated this agreement to the
senate. saying that he would not hest
tate to recommend its approval. but for
the protection to which it seemed TO
pledge the United States. 1t does not
appear that the senate took any action
Oh the agreement.
Secretary Gresham continues with an
account of SteinbergeI'S connection
with Samoa. and his efforts to bring
about the annexation of the islands to
the o tied States; his unauthorized
promise of the protection of the United
States, and his final deportation from
The islands on a British man-ef-war.
Jan. 16, 1878. there was concluded at
Washington the treaty which up to the
ratification of the
GENERAL ACT OF BERLIN,
twelve years later. contained the only
formal definition on the relations of the
: United States to the Samoan group.
The impression produced by AN ex-
animation of these treaty stipulations
is that they were inspired rather by an
amiable desire on tile part of our gov
eminent not to appear to be wholly ill.,
sensible to the friendly advances of the
Samoans than by any supposition that
the character OF our relations to Samoa
greatly concerned US.
The way. however. was then open to
form with Samoa any connection that
our interests might seem to require.
The occasion to make good the obliga-
ton of tho United States under the
treaty of 1878, re-emplOy its good offices
in the behalf of the Samoan govern
ment. arose when in 1875 Dr.. StuehelI,
the German consul, took possession of
all the land in which the municipality
of Apia. SO far as the Samoan govern
ment sovereign rights in it were con-
cerned, to hold it as security till an
understanding with that government
should be arrived at for the protection
OF German interests. AS counter
demonstration the American consul,
Greenbaun. raised the American flag
and proclaimed protectorate. Later
our ministers at London and Berlin
were instructed to say that the claim
of ali American protectOrate over Samoa
by the United States consul at Apia
was wholly unauthorized and disap-
proved, 10 prOtectorate by any foreign
power being desired; and to Suggest that
the British and
GERMAN MINISTER'S
at Washington he instructed to confer
with the secretary of state with view
to the establishment of order.
The secretary details at some length
the events connected with the tripartite
protecterate in Samoa, the establishment
of new form of government, the cleo
ton of MalietOa as king, the reluctance
of the natives TO accept the new re-
gime, the resort to cOercive measures.
the breaking out of war in July, 1898,
the Intervention Of the treaty powers
and Mataafa and eleven other chiefs.
Then followed the appointment of
Henry c. lde as chief justice and the
more recent troubles i'll Samoa. The
secretary concludes as follows:
Soberly surveying the history of our
relations with Samoa, we may well in
quire what have we gained by our de-
parture from our established policy be-
yond the expenses, the responsibilities
and the entanglements that have SO tar
been It's ouly fruits. One of the greatest
difficulties in dealing with matters that
lie at distance is that the fact that the
imagination is no longer restrained by
the contemplation of objects in their
real proportions. Our experience in the
case of Samoa serves to show that for
our usual exemption from the cOuse-
quences of this infirmity we are in
debted to the wise policy that had pre-
viOusly preserved us from such engage
ments as those embodied in the general
act of Berlin, which, besides involving
us in an entangling alliance. has utterly
failed to correct the very evils it was
designed to prevent. Respectfully sub
mitted. W. @. GRESHAM.
The Breckenridge Story.