COLONEL STEINBERGER.

Auckland Star, Volume VII, Issue 1976, 9 June 1876, Page 2

COLONEL STEINBERGER.

Mr P. A. Jones, of Vuloan Lane, has sent us a long defence of the action of Colonel Steinberger, in whi6h he expresses his conviction that; " when all the circumstances are well-known and considered, it will be-found that a great outrage has been committed on an enterprising and respected American citizen, engaged in a good and honorable v/orfe, by parties having no moral or political right to interfere with him, his goods, or his labours." A large of his letter is occupied with a recapitulation of the circumstances already published, under which the Colonel went to Samoa. He says that on the Colonel's second arrival at the Island, "He at once contrived to stop the faction wars which had raged for years among the inhabitants ; reconciled their differences; gave them a liberal, wise, and satisfactory constitution, and the benefits of the great lessohs he had learned in his native land. He bo arranged the terms of their constitution that a chief of one of the two great factions should reign for four years, and a chief of the other faction should reign for the next four years, and with the unanimous consent of all parties, he accepted the position of perpetual Prime Minister and constitutional adviser, acting on behalf of all and for the good of all, devoting.his raro abilities and energy to the protection and development of their political and social interests^ Cnder the Government thus arranged the people were satisfied, and the islands were at peace. The Colonel at once introduced; tho mechanical and agricultural implements he had brougbt over and taiignt their advantages and uses. They were made fully to understand tbe commercial value of the very many products of their fertile land, and the minister indicated the best markets in the world. As to the matter of arms,..about which, so much has been said and written, it would,have been an exceedingly unwise and dubious policy to have the new Government without some force at its command, and themeans of enforcing itsdecrees, and the present of the one hundred stand of arms sufficient :to arm the small but efficient 'police guard' was opportune, > .and: it was never supposed that these weapons were supplied for aggresive purposes, or that they would be called on for public defence, against hostile subjects, still less against foreign and civilised invasion. The smallneßS and character of the armament, at once proves that had it once been expected tbat defence would be required against navies and armies : of7 the civilized and the Christian—had , it beep thought that a cobra speculating Consul, or a ;; land trading missionary agent could have »«,

/Itteed the commander of a cruiser, commiseioned to preserve and protect, to intrude into their councils, overthrow their Government, destroy and _ devastate their erections, arrest and imprison their benefactor, and slaughter their astonished subjects, tbe'n totally different would have been their modes and preparations for defence. The arsenals of the Union, from their untold resources, would have supplied them with armament adapted to the daDger and ample to resist any force that jealousy or avarice could bring against them. Works would be erected which would have defied fleets as W ell as cruizers. Their battlements would have bristled with Dahlgreens, Columbiads, and " Grant's Persuaders ;" Sharps and GatJicgs would have peered from every loop-hole; while their boom proofs would have contained if necessary one of those new terrific weapons, the latest born of American inventive genius, the master piece of the chemical and military art never yet displayed upon the field of battle. The death of iron clads and the scourge of fields." Mr Jones has waxed so eloquent at this stage that we cannot do better than terminate our extract.