146
The bands of warriors devoted even unto death found but few recruits in the districts near the coast.
The people of this latter region would have preferred to construct out of the inevitable march of events conditions as endurable and advantageous as possible, rather than squander life and property with but little prospect of success.
Two causes, however, united to prevent the majority of them from bringing this to pass. First, the great internal division that prevailed among them and made it easily possible for a man of peaceful counsels to be decried as a traitor by his enemies; and secondly the certainty that the people of the highlands would never consent to the bargain, and slow though they were to render active support outside their own boundaries, might treat as infidels all who seemed to take the infidels' part. The lowlanders were accounted cowards by their highland brethren by reason of their leaning towards peace.
Thus among the few in the Dalam who at first advised friendly negociations with the Gōmpeuni[1], there were some who wished to see this policy carried out in such a way as to keep the highlanders in ignorance of the real nature of the treaty which they hoped to conclude, and mislead them as to the import of the hoisting of a foreign flag.
As might have been expected amid the universal hatred and contempt for the infidel, which had not yet been reduced within bounds by sharp lessons, these isolated voices of worldly wisdom were speedily hushed. There was, besides, no single individual or body competent or authorized to adopt resolutions as to the fate of Acheh or even of the capital itself, since there was no guarantee that such resolutions would be binding on others.
The sultanate at once exhibited itself in all its nullity. The resistance offered was not that of an army collected and led forth by the prince or his military commanders, but was the work of unorganized bands, which combined their plans only so far as circumstances imperatively required.
- ↑ Gōmpeuni, the Achehnese pronunciation of "Compagnie," is used throughout the whole country of Acheh to signify the Dutch Government. Many of the people believe it to be the official title of the representative of that government at Batavia (Peutawi). Others use the word in the general sense of "government", and speak of gōmpeuni Blanda, gōmpeuni Inggréh (Dutch and English governments). The military meaning of the word is also known to the Achehnese, who even use gōmpeuni in the collective sense of "soldiers." The ordinary word for the latter is sidadu. (See also Translator's note on p. 13 above).
