Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 208, 11 September 1894 — A STRONG PLEA. [ARTICLE]

A STRONG PLEA.

Robert Louia Stevenson W&nts Mata&fa Pardoned. ' Tbe following cbaracteristic letter from the famoos aotbor Robert Loais 8teven§on appesred recently in the Samoa Times: * ‘Tbe Government byt be(Berlin General Act is no more tban al mask, and a very expenaive one, for a government Consular Triumvirate, Samoa pays (or tn* to pay) £2,200 a year to a eonple of helpers, and they dare not eall their sonls tbeir own. Tbey take their walks abroad with an ami ions eye on the tbree Consols, like two well bebaved cbildren winh three nucses, and t’Je Con - sals, smiling saperiorily,t allow them to amnse tbemsrives with I routine of busine»s. *But let trouble eome and the farce is suspende»l. At tbe wbistle of a sbip i all thes« heaven-bora m«riners seize tbe tille and the £2,200 ara«teurs are knocted sprawling on tbe bilge. At tbe first beat iof the drum the treaty officials itro sant heiow, gently protesting like a pair of old ladies, and be1 bo!d! tbe indomitable Consuls ready to cleur tbe wreck and made the deadly cutlass sbine. "Mataafa and Tamasese botb made war. Both wars were presumably dynastic in character, though tbe Tupua not rallying to Tamasese as be had expected led him to oover his design. Tbat he carried a gun kimaaW and bimsolf firedwill not seem to £u- : ropeans as a very important «11- j egation. Tamasese received heads, sitting as a Kiog under whatever name; Mataafa forbid the taking of beads—of his own accord, and before Mr. lde had takeu office, TamHsese began wilh threata against tbe white i population; Mataafa u®ver oeased to reassure them and to extend an «flectual protection to their property. What is tho diflference between their cases ? Tkat Ma taala was an old man, already famous, who senred his country well, had been appointed )iing of Samoa.bad served in tbe office, and had heen set aside—uot, indeed, in ihe text, but iu the protocols pf the Berliu Aot —by | uame. Ido not grudge kis good fortnae to Tamasese, who is an amiahle, spirited and bandsome young man; nnd wbq mado a bar-; barous war, indeed, ainoe heads were iaken after tbe old Samoan practioe, but who made it withoot any of tbe savagery whioh we have had reasons to eommenl upon in the eamp of hia adversaries. Ido not grudge ihe invidious fate that has befallen my old friend and hia followers. * * * At first I believed thes« judgment (oondemning Mutaafa apd bis follower to banisbment and prison) to be tbe expression of a severe but equal jastice. I find tbem on further experience, to be mere measures of tho dsgree of panie ia the Consuls. varying direetly as the distance of tbe nearest warahip. The judgment under whieh they fell bave now no sanc tity; they form no longer a precedent: they m»y perfectly well be followed by a p»rdoo aa tbe autborities ahall please.