correct　it　by　extraneous　testimony。　　It　is　not　so　much　the　facts
  that　are　historical；　as　the　man's　attitude。　　No　one　could　hear　this
  tale　as　he　originally　told　it　in　my　hearing　…　I　think　none　can　read
  it　as　here　condensed　and　unadorned　…　without　admiring　the　fairness
  and　simplicity　of　the　Samoan；　and　wondering　at　the　want　of　heart　…
  or　want　of　humour　…　in　so　many　successive　civilised　Germans；　that
  they　should　have　continued　to　surround　this　infant　with　the　secrecy
  of　state。
  CHAPTER　IV　…　BRANDEIS
  SEPTEMBER　'87　TO　AUGUST　'88
  SO　Tamasese　was　on　the　throne；　and　Brandeis　behind　it；　and　I　have
  now　to　deal　with　their　brief　and　luckless　reign。　　That　it　was　the
  reign　of　Brandeis　needs　not　to　be　argued：　　the　policy　is　throughout
  that　of　an　able；　over…hasty　white；　with　eyes　and　ideas。　　But　it
  should　be　borne　in　mind　that　he　had　a　double　task；　and　must　first
  lead　his　sovereign；　before　he　could　begin　to　drive　their　common
  subjects。　　Meanwhile；　he　himself　was　exposed　（if　all　tales　be　true）
  to　much　dictation　and　interference；　and　to　some　〃cumbrous　aid；〃
  from　the　consulate　and　the　firm。　　And　to　one　of　these　aids；　the
  suppression　of　the　municipality；　I　am　inclined　to　attribute　his
  ultimate　failure。
  The　white　enemies　of　the　new　regimen　were　of　two　classes。　　In　the
  first　stood　Moors　and　the　employes　of　MacArthur；　the　two　chief
  rivals　of　the　firm；　who　saw　with　jealousy　a　clerk　（or　a　so…called
  clerk）　of　their　competitors　advanced　to　the　chief　power。　　The
  second　class；　that　of　the　officials；　numbered　at　first　exactly　one。
  Wilson；　the　English　acting　consul；　is　understood　to　have　held
  strict　orders　to　help　Germany。　　Commander　Leary；　of　the　ADAMS；　the
  American　captain；　when　he　arrived；　on　the　16th　October；　and　for
  some　time　after；　seemed　devoted　to　the　German　interest；　and　spent
  his　days　with　a　German　officer；　Captain　Von　Widersheim；　who　was
  deservedly　beloved　by　all　who　knew　him。　　There　remains　the　American
  consul…general；　Harold　Marsh　Sewall；　a　young　man　of　high　spirit　and
  a　generous　disposition。　　He　had　obeyed　the　orders　of　his　government
  with　a　grudge；　and　looked　back　on　his　past　action　with　regret
  almost　to　be　called　repentance。　　From　the　moment　of　the　declaration
  of　war　against　Laupepa；　we　find　him　standing　forth　in　bold；
  consistent；　and　sometimes　rather　captious　opposition；　stirring　up
  his　government　at　home　with　clear　and　forcible　despatches；　and　on
  the　spot　grasping　at　every　opportunity　to　thrust　a　stick　into　the
  German　wheels。　　For　some　while；　he　and　Moors　fought　their　difficult
  battle　in　conjunction；　in　the　course　of　which；　first　one；　and　then
  the　other；　paid　a　visit　home　to　reason　with　the　authorities　at
  Washington；　and　during　the　consul's　absence；　there　was　found　an
  American　clerk　in　Apia；　William　Blacklock；　to　perform　the　duties　of
  the　office　with　remarkable　ability　and　courage。　　The　three　names
  just　brought　together；　Sewall；　Moors；　and　Blacklock；　make　the　head
  and　front　of　the　opposition；　if　Tamasese　fell；　if　Brandeis　was
  driven　forth；　if　the　treaty　of　Berlin　was　signed；　theirs　is　the
  blame　or　the　credit。
  To　understand　the　feelings　of　self…reproach　and　bitterness　with
  which　Sewall　took　the　field；　the　reader　must　see　Laupepa's　letter
  of　farewell　to　the　consuls　of　England　and　America。　　It　is　singular
  that　this　far　from　brilliant　or　dignified　monarch；　writing　in　the
  forest；　in　heaviness　of　spirit　and　under　pressure　for　time；　should
  have　left　behind　him　not　only　one；　but　two　remarkable　and　most
  effective　documents。　　The　farewell　to　his　people　was　touching；　the
  farewell　to　the　consuls；　for　a　man　of　the　character　of　Sewall；　must
  have　cut　like　a　whip。　　〃When　the　chief　Tamasese　and　others　first
  moved　the　present　troubles；〃　he　wrote；　〃it　was　my　wish　to　punish
  them　and　put　an　end　to　the　rebellion；　but　I　yielded　to　the　advice
  of　the　British　and　American　consuls。　　Assistance　and　protection　was
  repeatedly　promised　to　me　and　my　government；　if　I　abstained　from
  bringing　war　upon　my　country。　　Relying　upon　these　promises；　I　did
  not　put　down　the　rebellion。　　Now　I　find　that　war　has　been　made　upon
  me　by　the　Emperor　of　Germany；　and　Tamasese　has　been　proclaimed　king
  of　Samoa。　　I　desire　to　remind　you　of　the　promises　so　frequently
  made　by　your　government；　and　trust　that　you　will　so　far　redeem　them
  as　to　cause　the　lives　and　liberties　of　my　chiefs　and　people　to　be
  respected。〃
  Sewall's　immediate　adversary　was；　of　course；　Becker。　　I　have　formed
  an　opinion　of　this　gentleman；　largely　from　his　printed　despatches；
  which　I　am　at　a　loss　to　put　in　words。　　Astute；　ingenious；　capable；
  at　moments　almost　witty　with　a　kind　of　glacial　wit　in　action；　he
  displayed　in　the　course　of　this　affair　every　description　of
  capacity　but　that　which　is　alone　useful　and　which　springs　from　a
  knowledge　of　men's　natures。　　It　chanced　that　one　of　Sewall's　early
  moves　played　into　his　hands；　and　he　was　swift　to　seize　and　to
  improve　the　advantage。　　The　neutral　territory　and　the　tripartite
  municipality　of　Apia　were　eyesores　to　the　German　consulate　and
  Brandeis。　　By　landing　Tamasese's　two　or　three　hundred　warriors　at
  Mulinuu；　as　Becker　himself　owns；　they　had　infringed　the　treaties；
  and　Sewall　entered　protest　twice。　　There　were　two　ways　of　escaping
  this　dilemma：　　one　was　to　withdraw　the　warriors；　the　other；　by　some
  hocus…pocus；　to　abrogate　the　neutrality。　　And　the　second　had
  subsidiary　advantages：　　it　would　restore　the　taxes　of　the　richest
  district　in　the　islands　to　the　Samoan　king；　and　it　would　enable
  them　to　substitute　over　the　royal　seat　the　flag　of　Germany　for　the
  new　flag　of　Tamasese。　　It　is　true　（and　it　was　the　subject　of　much
  remark）　that　these　two　could　hardly　be　distinguished　by　the　naked
  eye；　but　their　effects　were　different。　　To　seat　the　puppet　king　on
  German　land　and　under　German　colours；　so　that　any　rebellion　was
  constructive　war　on　Germany；　was　a　trick　apparently　invented　by
  Becker；　and　which　we　shall　find　was　repeated　and　persevered　in　till
  the　end。
  Otto　Martin　was　at　this　time　magistrate　in　the　municipality。　　The
  post　was　held　in　turn　by　the　three　nationalities；　Martin　had　served
  far　beyond　his　term；　and　should　have　been　succeeded　months　before
  by　an　American。　　To　make　the　change　it　was　necessary　to　hold　a
  meeting　of　the　municipal　board；　consisting　of　the　three　consuls；
  each　backed　by　an　assessor。　　And　for　some　time　these　meetings　had
  been　evaded　or　refused　by　the　German　consul。　　As　long　as　it　was
  agreed　to　continue　Martin；　Becker　had　attended　regularly；　as　soon
  as　Sewall　indicated　a　wish　for　his　removal；　Becker　tacitly
  suspended　the　municipality　by　refusing　to　appear。　　This　policy　was
  now　the　more　necessary；　for　if　the　whole　existence　of　the
  municipality　were　a　check　on　the　freedom　of　the　new　government；　it
  was　plainly　less　so　when　the　power　to　enforce　and　punish　lay　in
  German　hands。　　For　some　while　back　the　Malietoa　flag　had　been　flown
  on　the　municipal　building：　　Becker　denies　this；　I　am　sorry；　my
  information　obliges　me　to　suppose　he　is　in　error。　　Sewall；　with
  post…mortem　loyalty　to　the　past；　insisted　that　this　flag　should　be
  continued。　　And　Becker　immediately　made　his　point。　　He　declared；
  justly　enough；　that　the　proposal　was　hostile；　and　argued　that　it
  was　impossible　he　should　attend　a　meeting　under　a　flag　with　which
  his　sovereign　was　at　war。　　Upon　one　occasion　of　urgency；　he　was
  invited　to　meet　the　two　other　consuls　at　the　British　consulate；
  even　this　he　refused；　and　for　four　months　the　municipality
  slumbered；　Martin　still　in　office。　　In　the　month　of　October；　in
  consequence；　the　British　and　American　ratepayers　announced　they
  would　refuse　to　pay。　　Becker　doubtless　rubbed　his　hands。　　On
  Saturday；　the　10th；　the　chief　Tamaseu；　a　Malietoa　man　of　substance
  and　good　character；　was　arrested　on　a　charge　of　theft　believed　to
  be　vexatious；　and　cast　by　Martin　into　the　municipal　prison。　　He
  sent　to　Moors；　who　was　his　tenant　and　owed　him　money　at　the　time；
  for　bail。　　Moors　applied　to　Sewall；　ranking　consul。　　After　some
  search；　Martin　was　found　and　refused　to　consider　bail　before　the
  Monday　morning。　　Whereupon　Sewall　demanded　the　keys　from　the
  gaoler；　accepted　Moors's　verbal　recognisances；　and　set　Tamaseu
  free。
  Things　were　now　at　a　deadlock；　and　Becker　astonished　every　one　by
  agreeing　to　a　meeting　on　the　14th。　　It　seems　he　knew　what　to
  expect。　　Writing　on　the　13th　at　least；　he　prophesies　that　the
  meeting　will　be　held　in　vain；　that　the　municipality　must　lapse；　and
  the　government　of　Tamasese　step　in。　　On　the　14th；　Sewall　left　his
  consulate　in　time；　and　walked　some　part　of　the　way　to　the　place　of
  meeting　in　company　with　Wilson；　the　English　pro…consul。　　But　he　had
  forgotten　a　paper；　and　in　an　evil　hour　returned　for　it　alone。
  Wilson　arrived　without　him；　and　Becker　broke　up　the　meeting　for
  want　of　a　quorum。　　There　was　some　unedifyin