Page:Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje - The Achehnese - tr. Arthur Warren Swete O'Sullivan (1906).djvu/18

Rh of the Company in London: "I prefer Penang to the Port of Acheen as being more healthy and entirely free from that oppression, war and confusion which have ever distressed and at length driven out every European nation who has attempted to settle there". And in 1825 Governor wrote: "With respect to the future establishment of European influence over Acheen, it may be observed that such an arrangement on our part was long considered a desirable object, but it has been found utterly impracticable without employing a large military force to overawe the inhabitants".

As the one power which was settled in Sumatra and had brought the other territories in the island under its suzerainty or control, Holland, during the second decennial period of the XIX$th$ Century, was compelled to take measures to ensure the safety of foreign trade in Acheh. In 1824, the Dutch Government, with great lack of foresight, entered into a treaty with Great Britain, under which it guaranteed the security of trade and shipping in Acheh—with its fanatical and treacherous population, turbulent and warlike to a degree unknown among the other races of the Archipelago, as well as hopelessly divided against itself,—and made the further stipulation (which rendered its undertaking impossible to carry out) that it would respect the independence of the country.

No wonder then that in the following half-century the complaints of wrongs of every sort suffered at the hands of the Achehnese by European and American traders became more and more plentiful, and that these ultimately led up in 1871 to a new treaty with England, under which Holland was left with more freedom of action in the control of Acheh.

The British experience of 1786—that to effect the security of trade and shipping in Acheh it would be absolutely necessary "to subdue all the chiefs" and "to overawe the inhabitants"—was now, after a long struggle, to be acquired by the Dutch as well. People flattered themselves quite seriously with the hope that a treaty with the Sultan of Acheh—forced out of him, if need be, by menaces and by the despatch of a small force,—would succeed in doing all that was wanted; they did not trouble their minds in the least degree with the internal condition of the country. Even after the war had actually begun