Translation:Max Havelaar/34

The private letter Mr Sliming sent te Havelaar announced that, in spite of his "being very busy" he would go to Rangkas-Betoeng the next day to discuss what had to be done. Havelaar, who knew very well what could be expected of this discussion – his predecessor had often discussed with the Resident of Bantam! – wrote the following letter, which he sent to the Resident, hoping that it would have been read before he arrived in the capital of Lebak. Comments will not be needed.
 * Nr 91. Secret. Urgent. --- Rangkas-Betoeng, 25 February 1856, 11 p.m.
 * Yesterday at noon I had the honour to send you my urgent missive number 88, which contained in summary:
 * that after a long investigation, and after many futile attempts to have the concerned person repent from his evil behaviour, I felt, because of my office oath, that it was my duty to accuse the Regent of Lebak of abuse of authority, and that I suspected him of extortion.
 * I took the liberty to suggest that the native chief were called to Serang, so that, after his removal and after neutralising the spoiling influence of his extensive kin, I could do an investigation after the solidity of my accusation and my suspicion.
 * If considered a long time, or rather, I considered much, before I took this decision.
 * It was known to you that I have attempted, with admonitions and threats, to save the old Regent for bad luck and shame.
 * However, on the other side I saw the population, which has been extorted and depressed, for many years, I saw the necessity to show an example – for there will be a lot more to report, if this situation is not finished as soon as possible. I repeat: after careful consideration I did what I considered my duty.
 * Presently I received your kind and esteemed private letter, with a message that you will be here tomorrow, and a hint hat you preferred a private treatment of the matter.
 * So I'll have the honour to see you tomorrow. It is for this reason that I take the liberty to send you this letter, so you can read it before we meet.
 * Everything I investigated about the behaviour of the Regent, was top secret. Only he and the patteh knew about it, for I had carefully warned him. Even my Controller knows only part if the result of my investigations. This secrecy was for two purposes. First, when I still hoped that the Regent would repent, I had no intention to compromise his good name. The patteh has explicitly thanked me for this discretion – that was on the 12th of this month. But afterwards I began to despair that my attempts would not be successful, or better that my indignation rose after a recent event, and if I remained silent any longer, I would be guilty of complicity, so the secrecy was also needed for myself for I have duties for myself and my family too.
 * After writing the missive of yesterday, I would have been unworthy to serve the government of that letter had turned out to be idle, unfounded, fiction. And if it had been possible to prove that I did what a good Assistant-Resident should do, to prove that I am not unworthy to the job which has been given to me, to prove that I do not thoughtlessly wager seventeen years of service, and what's more, the interest of my wife and child, it will be possible to prove all this, if there is not a big secret that covers my investigations and prevents the suspect to cover himself.
 * At the least suspicion the Regent will send an urgent message to his nephew who is on the way and who is interested in his maintien. He asks, whatever it may cost, money, gives it generously to anyone who has received to little in recent times, and the result would be – I 'd rather not say: shall be - that my judgement was thoughtless, so that I am a worthless clerk, perhaps worse.
 * To protect myself against this happening, I write this. I esteem you much, but I know the spirit which could be called "the spirit of the clerks in the East Indies". That spirit is not mine!
 * Your hint that the case had better be treated privately ,makes me fear that we will only discuss it. What I wrote in yesterday's letter, is true. Perhaps it appears untrue when the case would have been treated in a way which will lead to publishing my accusation and suspicion, before the Regent has been removed.
 * I cannot deny that even your unexpected coming, because of the missive I sent to Serang yesterday, makes me fear that the accused, who did not want to listen to my admonishment, will now wake up in time and attempt, if possible to remove his debt tant soit peu.
 * I have the honour to behave according to yesterday's missive, but I take the liberty to remark that that missive also contained a suggestion: to remove the Regent before the investigation, and to render his kin, for the time, harmless. I am no more responsible for my approach, unless it pleases you to agree with my suggestion for the way of investigation, which is: impartial, open and in particular free.
 * That freedom does not exist when the Regent is still in his position, and it is my opinion that there is a danger here. One can tell him that I accuse and suspect him, that I am in danger, not he, when it turns out that he is innocent. For it is my opinion that I should be fired from service i fit turns out that I acted thoughtlessly, or even premature.
 * Premature! After many years of abuse!
 * Premature! If an honest man could sleep, live and enjoy, as long as those are extorted and suppressed while he is called to guard over their well-being, them who are his neighbours in the highest sense!
 * It is true, I am here a short time, but I hope that the question will be: what one has done, and whether is was done well, not whether it has been done in too short time. For me the time is always too long if it is marred by extortion and suppression, and every second is heavy when it is a second of misery caused by my omission, my neglect of duty, my spirit of compromising.
 * I am sorry that many days have passed before I sent you an official report, and I apologise for this neglect.
 * I take the liberty to ask you to give me the opportunity to justify yesterday's letter, and to safeguard me against the failure of my attempts to free the department Lebak of the worms which gnaw at her well-being since time immemorial.
 * It is therefore that I once more take the liberty to beg you to approve of these acts – which only consist of investigation, report and suggestion – to remove the Regent of Lebak, without a previous warning, and to start an investigation to the accusations I reported in my letter of yesterday, number 88.
 * The Assistant-Resident of Lebak,
 * MAX HAVELAAR

This plea, that the guilty persons should not be protected, reached the Resident while he was en route. An hour after his arrival in Rangkas-Betoeng he visited the Regent, asking him whether he had any objections against the Assistant-Resident, and whether he Adhipatti, was in want of money? To the first question the Regent replied: "nothing, I can swear!" To the second question he replied affirmative, and the Resident gave him a few banknotes which he got from hit waistcoat pocket and had taken for the opportunity. It is obvious that Havelaar knew nothing about this, and further on we will read how this outrageous behaviour became known.

When the Resident Sliming alighted near Havelaar's house, he was paler than usual, and his words were further apart than ever. It was certainly no simple matter for someone who excelled in compromising and yearly reports of rest, to receive sudden letters which contained not a trace of the common official optimism, or of an artful change of the matter, or of fear that the government would complain about unfavourable messages. The Resident of Bantam was frightened, and if one forgives this respectless comparison because I want to be truthful I'd like to compare him to a brat who complains about the raping of the customs of his ancestors, because a strange friend hit him without previous warning.

First he asked the Controller why he had not attempt to prevent Havelaar's accusation. Poor Verbrugge, who did not know about the accusation, said so, but he was not believed. Mr Sliming could not understand that someone, all on his own, on his own responsibility and without time-consuming considerations or consultations, could decide to such a strange performance of his duty. But Verbrugge insisted that he knew nothing about Havelaar's letters – and that was true – and the Resident had to surrender, after many exclamations of amazement and unbelief. The Resident now started – I don't know why – to read the letters aloud.

It is hard to describe what Verbrugge suffered when he heard those letters. He as an honest man and would certainly not have lied if Havelaar had appealed to him to confirm the truth of the letters. But even without this honesty he had not been able to avoid the truth in many written reports, even when the truth was dangerous. What would it be if Havelaar made use of it?

After reading the letters the Resident said that it would please him if Havelaar took the letters back, as if they had not been written. Havelaar refused politely. After these futile attempts the Resident said that he could only start an investigation to the complaints, so he had to ask Havelaar to call witness who could confirm his accusations.

Poor people who had crawled through the thorns in the valley, how must your hearts have been beating when you could have heard this requirement!

Poor Verbrugge! You, first witness, main witness, witness ex officio, witness from office and oath! Witness, who had already witnessed in writing! The writing that was there, on the table, under Havelaar's hand...

Havelaar replied: "Resident, I am Assistant-Resident of Lebak, I promised to protect the people against extortion and tyranny, I lay charges against the Regent and his son-in-law of Parang-Koedjang, I shall prove that my charges are justified as soon as I get the opportunity which I suggested in my letters. I pronounce myself guilty of slandering of my charges turn out to be false!"

Verbrugge breathed again!

And the Resident found Havelaar's words strange!

The conversation took a long time. With politeness – for Mr Sliming was polite and well educated – he attempted to persuade Havelaar to change his wrong principles. But with equal politeness his assistant refused. Eventually the Resident had to surrender, and he threatened – Havelaar felt it as a victory – that he felt forced to show the letters to the government.

The meeting was adjourned. The Resident went to visit the Adhipatti – we already know what he had to do – and had lunch on the lean table of the Havelaars. Immediately he went back to Serang, with great hurry: "Because. He. Was. So Very. Busy."