His Majesty was greatly (and I
must say justly) offended by the freedom of the expressions used; he
appealed to his white advisers; and these, whether from want of thought
or by design, issued an ignominious proclamation. Intending visitors to
the palace must appear before their consuls and justify their business.
The majesty of buried Samoa was henceforth only to be viewed (like a
private collection) under special permit; and was thus at once cut off
from the company and opinions of the self respecting. To retain any
dignity in such an abject state would require a man of very different
virtues from those claimed by the not unvirtuous Laupepa. He is not
designed to ride the whirlwind or direct the storm, rather to be the
ornament of private life. He is kind, gentle, patient as Job,
conspicuously well-intentioned, of charming manners; and when he pleases,
he has one accomplishment in which he now begins to be alone--I mean that
he can pronounce correctly his own beautiful language.
The government of Brandeis accomplished a good deal and was continually
and heroically attempting more. The government of our two whites has
confined itself almost wholly to paying and receiving salaries. They
have built, indeed, a house for the president; they are believed (if that
be a merit) to have bought the local newspaper with government funds; and
their rule has been enlivened by a number of scandals, into which I feel
with relief that it is unnecessary I should enter.
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