Colonial official Valck argued planter abuses, not insurgent incitement, caused attacks on estates.

Evidence

After all of the above, it need not be said that when it comes to retaliation no one is safe, even if one were surrounded by a complete battalion… . We only agreed to leave a detachment with planters in the Langkat lowlands who were most afraid. This was merely done to calm the feelings of these gentlemen. No government, no matter how well organized, no police force, no matter how diligent, no troops, no matter how numerous, are capable of securing the planters from attacks like those which have taken place. Fairness and justice toward their subordinates will always be the best weapons against them. — Ann Laura Stoler, Along the Archival Grain_ Epistemic…, 1196

Categorization

• QUESTION: Valck’s claim that no military force can secure planters and only fairness will — worth checking whether this is a standard pro-native colonial reformist position of the era or idiosyncratic.