The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1860-10-18
Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana,


}. TIE Ki.eAes. q Darkness.
} The kingdom of D.homey occupies that
portion Of the African Slave Coast which
lies between the rivers Volta and Niger'
stretching about one hundred ana eighty
niles fron east to west. and extending TWO
hundred or more miles into the inferio'--
originally tributary to the once powerful
monarchy Of Ashante.-. il dates its r'se 70
the revolutions that agitaied the lat er our'
ing the irst half of ii e last century. As
the power ot the Ash .ntees declined. that
o. the DAhomans rose. until their ruler now
I. holds sway over the most vigorous native
community on the western shore OF the AT
rican continent When We have said this.
VIZ have exhausted all that can be placed
to the credi, OF people or ruler. A more
savage. treacherous and brutal community
from Highest 70 lowe-t, is not 10 be found
on earth II the Dshomans are not eanoi
balls it is because they are more luteli'gsaily
wicked than tas Inhabitants OF the Marquee
sas. Ths. goodly portion Of their dep Az
ity is to be attributed to the slave trade there
is no .oubt. Still, much Of it must be
ascribsd to natural mali entity. especially -
OF late years the negro traffic with foraign
dealers has been much curtail-d. Until
pal ports # Dshomey. were the slave ira.
ders' paradise. Near them the notorious
DsSouza. Portuguese mulatto. had his bar.
racoons. and splendid drinking and gaming
houses for the accommodation and ruin Of
sailors. So grea, was his wealth, and 20
large were the profits of his netarious bust
ness. that though nineteen of bis vessels
were ptured bv the British in a single
year. he still made money. In private ne
lived the lite of an eastern despot; ard to
retain the good will OF the king. assisted IN
the Sbominable human sacrifices performed
by that monarch every year u S"uss
died SOME Eight or ton y srs ago oat oid
not leave the fortune that he wsS believed 10
possess. having me, with May rev.rsss
hot long previous to his death. HIS sons'
howeve-. AT last accounts. were carrying on
the pserual establishments thou n since the
bomhar im-pt OF L.g,s by the E ,g'i>h d-es
IN 1858. and The p rial suppression OF the
slave tra.ic on The coast. the field OF ther
operations has oeen much restricted
G-zo, the late kin, of D.',,nsy. aad The
Il IA friend .! D. 5 .iz !. died few mosths
since. when hectacpnbs Of human vic:ims
sere sacrificed ID his names ny Btdtaha"g
his successor VINO now reigns. The 'A'ess
sdvIc-s from the coast Alto thar this csre-
'nony was aoolt to be repea',j on larger
'cale than ever. A great pit has been duS.
~hica is to contain hum An blood enough TO
Il at canoe. Two thousand persons will
b., inundated upon the occ aston. H .rribIe
as III. above may appear. bsrbarities Just
As revolving. if not involving so many vic
tins. are an every day occurrence among
the Dahomsns.
Ab,mey. the capital Of Dshomsy. has
bst q vi,i'ad since Is 10 BY two EnsSshmen.
Captain + 'sbes Of the Royal Nav ;, aud J.,hn
Da"can, who accompanied ths-Ssoshers
Lander on that me "or.bie expedition which
resulted in the discovery OF the IN .uths Of
the Niger. TIE independent narratives Of
these two uaimpeachable witnesses unite in
describi & q condi'inn 1T affairs almost TOO
sickaniug tor belief The king is not only
the absolute monarch OF his people. bus il .
te'ich or god. All must bow to the dust in
bis presence. and it is treason to say that
he eats or sleeps or is in any way bj-ct to
human irfrmities- Sacred serpenfs and IT,
gers share with him the attribute of divini
ty. but in q lesser degree. The life of every
mao except his prime minister. and the Der
son Of every woman belong to him Once
year all the females iu the kingdom appear
before him. and after he has selected two or
three thousand for his haren. the remain.
der;are distributed among his grandees.
Perhaps the most singular institution in
Dahomey is shs army of Amazons. To this
f'rcs all the inmates Of the royal harem be-
long. forming his most sacred msi-sty's
body guard. Mr. Duncan. who had an op.
portunity to witness their prowess, states
that tho women are better lighters than the
men charging upon the enemy with terrible
ferocity. and welding the gun aud spear
with remarkable skill.
The palace at Abomsy is admirably acap-
ted for its bloodthirs,y inmates. LIS calls
are bails OF skulls plas.erel together. its pill
lars, rafters aud window frames are cons,ruc-
ted Of thigh bones. and other parts of the
hum an skeleton. But We have already said
more than enough Those who desire fur
Their Information, will find their Gil OF hor-
rors in the volumes already referred to- 1t
is OILY to be regretted that the B ,sh. in
their bombsrdment Of the seapor,s. did no.
send force Tor the destruction OF The CAPT.
! tai itself. The fate OF Dahoney is DELAYED.
however. no. averted. Tae arrogance of
its rulers has brought upon i, the hatred of
the surrounding nations. win whom it 10
making continual warfare. The res,ric.
tons upon the slave trade By ihse treaties
which the Englsh compelled -k,ng G-s, 20
sign and his successor to rally. hsve cut cf
the chief source of the national wealth.
Sill deep-r humiliation must ere long cosuc
and the Oaho,r aus become less fend:sh
from sheer NECESSITY. if not from disposition.
AE IDssr OF rae IsDIAsA SxxArr
the last session OF the Indiana Legislature.
during the sickness Of L;eutenau, Governor