The Express.
London, England, 1865-06-21 00:00:00

LITERATURE•

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IMPILIIIININ Or BRIr SUBJECTS
ABVISII4I
. . .
Yelped. , evening the innello this subject prc-
senteli,to the House of Lo ia pursuance of their
ealdreal, wens issued as a ' entary paper. The
first &cement, dated Feb. 2, 1861, consists of the
instructions to Captain Cameron, British consul at
Massowah, upon his proceeding to his conantate,
and a list of the presents which he was ordered to
deliver to the King of Abyssinia. These instructions
were very general. Captain Cameron was to make
Maasowah his headquarters, inform himself of the
political state of affairs in Abyssinia, with which her
Majesty's government were imperfectly acquainted ;
and ordered, if he found the civil war still going
on, not to become the partizan of either side, but to
promote amicable arrangements between the rival
caudidatea for power. He was to keep her Majesty's
government at home fully informed of all matters
of interest, and, iu addition to concerns of a political
or commercial nature, to pay particular attention
to any traffic iu slaves which might be carried on
within his district. The second paper is a short
letter to Consul Cameron, dated November 13, in
which Earl Russell states that the Queen having
heard that the King of Abyssinia pail a ransom for
I the late Mr. Consul Plowden, and being desirous
'of making some acknowledgment for that act of
kindness, had directed that a suitable present
should he sent to the King. A rifle and a pair of
I revolver pistols accompanied this message, and
Consul Cameron was to deliver them to the King as
possibleBl.onOnsuastograpt letatfeter rofhtishearKritvoagl
of
AAbbyyssruninfaia.toThhere
nextm e jesl eftytetrhies
Queen,a
ao, composition o
itmipoas
as follows
i: s a copy of
Till BING OF ABYSSINIA TO nil QUM Or INGLAID.
(Received February 12, 1863.)
Ie the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost, one God in Trinity, chosen by God, King of Kings,
II Tkeodoros of Ethiopia to her Majesty Victoria, Queen of
I Eegland. I bops your Majesty is in good health. By the
I power of God 1 out well. My fathers the Emperors having
II forgotten our Creator, be handed over their kingdom to the
Galles and Turks. But God created me, lilted me out of
1 the dust, and restored this empire to my rule. He endowed
me with power, sad enabled me to stand in the place of my
lathers. By His power I drove away the Gallas. Bat for
the Turks I have told them to leave the land of my an-
cestors. They refuse. I am now going to wrestle with
them. Mr. Fiords!), and my late Grand Chamberlain, the
Englishman Bell, used to tell me that them is a great
ICerietiee Queen, who loves ell Christiana When they
said to me ibis—" We are able to make you kaown
to her, and to establish friendship between you," then is
those times I was very glad. I gave them my love,
thinking that I bad found your Majesty's goodwill. All
men are subject to death, and my enemies, thinking
to Injure me, killed theme my friends. But,by the power of
God I have extermiusted those enemies, not leaving !me
alive, though they were of my own family, that I may get,
by the power of God, your friendship. I was prevented by
the Turks occupying the see-coast from sending you as em-
bassy when I was in difficulty. Consul Cameron arrived
with a letter, and presents of friendship. By the power of
God I was very; glAd hearing of your welfare, sad boss
assured of your amity. I have received jour present, and
thank you much. 1 fear that if I seed ambassadors with
presents of amity by Consul Cameron they may be arrested
by the Turks. And now I wish that you may arrange for
the safe pump of my ambassadors everywhere on the road.
I wish to have as viewer to this letter by Comma Cameron,
and that he may conduct my embeary to Ragland. Pee bow
the Islam oppress the Christie&
The 4th, sth, and 6th letters were dated respec-
tively April 22, August 13, and September 8, 1863,
and express Earl Russell's disapprobation of Con-
sul Cameron's conduct in intermeddliug in the
*Beira of Abyssiuia, and directing him to return
to his post. The remaining papers consist chiefly
of copies of lettters sent to the Foreign-office, con-
taining offers of assistance to obtain the liberation
of the British subjects imprisoned in Abyssinia.
On the 28th April, 1864, Dr. Charles Beke wrote
to Earl Russell stating that a messenger from
fromwithhflmet.terspr.
Behe Euronpeee,
ohfadopn
that fallenfnfo
into the hauds of the King, who had had the letters
Ilitir,ito rusnesuitliwint:ega_bd' to
effect upon the King of the letter from the
office, directing Consul Cameron to leave
the court and return to Massowab, would be most
unfortunate, and expressed doubts whether the con-
sul would be permitted to take his departure. On
Ithe 18th May in the same year Dr. Nike wrote to
the Foreign-office, renewing the offer of his ser-
vices, observing that he had resided three years in
Abyssiuia, visitiug its remotest provinces, and was
familiar with its language and intimately acquainted
with its political, religious, commercial, and social
affairs. On the 4th June, 1864, Major Plowden,
find cousin of the late consul, made a similar offer
of his services. On the 4th June Mr. Henry
I, Dalton, of Leeds, wrote to the Foreign-office,
I stating that his sun, who had spent four months
at the Abyssinian court, and bad had good oppor-
tunities of judging of King Theodore's character,
was ready to be the bearer of a despatch from our
guverument to his Abyssinian Majesty. An ex-
tract is also given from the Leeds Diteliigencer, in
which Mr. Duf ton offers his views of the cause of the
King's strange conduct. A memorandum by Bri-
gather-General W. M. Coghlan on the Abysainian
difficulty and bow to get out of it, dated Feb. 8,1866,
gives the opinion of that officer substantially itsol-
low& King Theodore is a parvenu, a powerful spot
of high aspirations and strong will, but he is not a
savage. The chief cause of his altered demeanour
towards Captain Cameron is the long delay in re-
plying to the letter which he addressed to her
Majesty in January, 1863. It is understood that
his dignity is grievously wounded by this silence,
which he accepts as an affront, and a sense of this
injury, coupled with other circumstances, has led
to the deplorable state of affairs now existing at
Goudar. There is reason to believe that
the King refuses the mission of Mr. Hu-
sain, the assistant resident at Aden, as
not beiug of sufficient dignity, regarding
Mr. Remain as a mere messenger and not an envoy.
General Coghlan therefore recommends a military
embassy, headed by an officer of rank, and including
some members of a scientific oorps, as Theodore is
known to attach great importance to military rank
and to scientific men. The embassy should carry
a Queen's letter indited in Oriental phrseeology,
highly emblazoned and sealed, and oontaining
compliments and excuses, but no mention of the
captives,whose case is to be supposed to have
become known to the envoy on his way out. At
Cairo the envoy should endeavour to secure the
services of two Abyssinian monks, who, if IRA pro-
curable there, might be got from Jerusalem, who
should be treated with liberal consideration, im-
pressed with the dignity of their mission, and in-
-1 duced to interest themselves in its ultimate
object. One of them should be despatched from
' the coast to Gondar, carrying a letter from the
envoy announcing his arrival bearing a letter from
the Queen. Arrived at Gondar, the envoy might,
as on his own responsibility, address the King on
the subject of the captives, expreeslu the hope
1 that they had done nothing to incur his displeasure,
and requesting that in any case they should be
released, in order that the proposed interview might
' proceed on the most friendly footing. Supposing
the British mission to be well received, and the
captives to be released, there would then arise the
more difficult task of obtaining from the King some
apology as a reparation for the wrong committed
on her Majesty's subjects. This would perhaps be
the severest trial of the diplomatic skill of the li
British embassy. There is, however, no reason to
inhnadespairto mission f
outlay,
conduct, successnlweflli gratify ot
moderate
fin
e n thei contrary,nhietits
demands,pe n:fmt
constitution,t e
eyen
Kingtneliberaleeethat hoped
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he will make no difficulty in the matter of tendering with but gibs hopes of recovery. The deceased wee ye
such apology as may be acceptable to her Majesty's I eldest son of Mr. Andrew Berkeley Drummeed, me g iwit
g.ivernment. General Coghlan believes that there ' Hon. Robe.. .._,,.._Te Dnueneli sixth I" c.f,,r..lllljigg. ea
is no alternative process open by which this object I Vimmst
arrlsd in°7=reb, 8'22, Hwy Eu.beut I/wooers, estai..„
can be obtained ; lie doubts the value of any waxlike . daughter of John Henry, fifth Duke of Berthed, b ver.
aid to be obtained from Egypt, if even it could hub, who minim him,be leaves hew a large Weft.
be obtained at all ; and observes that Theodore is' eldest daughter, is married to Mr. A. Beffie
alleged to have sworn to put all his prisoners to . Cochrane, 1L P. • and his second daughterisForeeleaeef
await
death on any foreign invasion of his country to , rleatto Litt.
.Eiiortlia Scar.b:::,, el...,TehanaDZaujo. of wet
effect their release. In April last Major H. A. ''''" an pleased
in lamming by the semi.
Leof °C"apntnaionff.er:dnerob his
services
the to nl9theVtialiftylthDer.reßeleal: TUIBDAT. JUNI 20 --Adlldados• AB veriest, 3,951 ; dies
addressed a long communication to Earl Russell. hr mem tickers, 1,242 1 tekol. 5,193.
CRYSTAL PALACZ..—ONI STULL'S° DAY.."'

In his opinion it would not be oonsiatent with the
dignity of the British nation to replace Mr.
Rassam's mission by one on a larger and more
magnificent scale. lie considers that it
is well established that King Theodore's ill-
treatment of her Majesty's consul had been
mainly caused by the altered policy of the British
government with respect to the relations between
Sort and Abyssinia, sad that the King hopes to
induce her Majesty's government to retrace their
steps, and coutiuue to afford him material aid
spiest his enemies as was virtually done when
W. Consul Plowden was alive that officer having
been an active partizan of the King, and having lost
his life while bearing arms in his cause. This hops
cannot be fulfilled, but Dr. Beke believes that it
would not be difficult to make the Abyssinian
monarch understand that by the policy now pro-
poaed to be pursued towards bim by the British
government, and recommended foe his adop-
tion, be might eventually obtain the obits*
he has so much at heart, inasmuch as
by the cultivation of the arts of peace he
would so aggrandize himself as to be able to cops
effectually with his powerful neighbour. Dr. Beke
enlarges upon this subject, and dwells upon the
advantages which oould be pointed out to King
Theodo e in the capabilities of his conntryin cotton
growing, and its resources in coal and iron. He is of
opinion also that the telegraphic communication
between England and India should be effected by
continuing the Egyptian line from Khartum across
Abyssinia to the sea coast. Dr. Beke would support
his arguments by presenting to the King specimens
of articles of British manufacture capable of being
made from the cotton of Abyssinia, and specimens
of the infinite variety of articles that might be mean-
factured from the fine iron which the King's territo-
ries contain iu such abundance.

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