The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-04-26 00:00:00

3touqribge o,serr.

SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 1873.

SIR SAMUEL BAKER.

Those who remember the many apparently
truthful reports of the death of Dr. Livingstone
will be slow to credit the rumour which was
somewhat inconsiderately published by a con-
temporary last week, detailing the death of Sir
Samuel and Lady Baker, with the remainder of
the force sent by the Viceroy of Egypt for the
suppression of the slave trade in the Nile
country. Of course, the dismal information
may be only too true ; even though deprived of
ite authority by the telegram from the British
Consul at Alexandria, we may still cherish a
fond and perhaps delusive hope that it had its
origin in the mendacious tongue of an African
newsmonger or a rascally slaver, to whom the
sad disaster would be, welcome and joyful in-
telligence. There is no doubt Sir Samuel
B.lter had rendered himself and the exp. di-
tion be commanded obnoxious to tte inhuman
monsters who trade in human flesh by his
resolute and determined endeavours to stamp
out their unholy traffic ; they had successfully
incited the native tribes and their savage rulers
against him, and the last reliable news we had
concerning mini placed the gallant commander
and his little army in a most perilous position,
but not suiticiently so as to warrant anything
lisee tho wisg•viugs the sinister rumour was cal. ,
ed to raise. It appears that he was then
uifaged in combating a most formidable
cuiettain Abu &tut, woo, however, had given
ordera to oie troops whom he had left at Fab.,
in charge of his stores, not to resist Baker if lie
demeuded their /mummer. Fabo is hut a few
days journey from Ooudokoro, an Egyptian
foriified town, awl silppusing the savages as
Fabo to have defeated air semuel, he is too
good a stretegist not to have secured his lines of
retreat to this stronguold open. Besides this
what little is known of his character makes it •
extreinely unlikely that a leader so
.hold, aim
teeming aitii resources, should expose hituseit
to the Cnauces 0/ starvation, or surrender 'to
some petty potentate, whilst lie had a ride, a
charge of powilur, anti a bullet at his command..
The enterprise which Sir Samuel Baker ,
undertook at the request of the Knedive ul
Egypt, is censured by many persons who sup•
pose, and pereaps rightly, twit under the cloak
of extirpating the slave trade, tee Egyptian
Panne is really bent upon extending the
boundaries of his Empire. This is most pro•
bably the ease, and whilst we cannot defend the
principle of ,forciabie annexatiun, We euntemi
that the cause of civilisation demands that the
vile dealings and iniquitous customs which have
existed in the Nyman country for centuries
should be put an end to. 'this cannot be done,
as the opposition to the advance uf Sir Samuel
Baker shows without an appeal to arms, and
natural though the feeling against conqueet may
be, it should be met by the thought tuat thou-
sands of slaved will be treed from a intuit terrible
servitude,and theta nowe of cruel and rapacious
chiefs will be repiacuu by an enlightened ruler,
and one whose European experiences will enatne
him to devemp toe trade of a limit portion 01
the African Ltdatinent. But let us not forget
that although tne rumour of the murder of our
brave countrymen is unconliimed it le also un-
contradicted ; slwahl the unhappy news be true,
and his bones with those of his faithful, wife are
hieachuig beneath the burning sun in the adios
of a Suomi, juugie, hug:is/wont way haply boa
consolation Ili the thought that not only has
British gold been given, but British tiluou been
shed twat the Mama of the captive migut be
shattered.