Daily national Democrat., 1861-02-22
English Philanthropists and an African
King.


The King of Dahoney, whose domains are
situated about one hundred miles in the IN
interior Of Africa, west Of the Niger river,
has been receiving for a number OF years
past, says the Oregon Advertiser, considera-
| bic attention from the English phianihroPic
societies, more particularly from the African
| Aid Association. Still, with all that has
been done towards achieving a good end, but
! little success has been met with. In 1902
England made treaty with Dahomey, the
chief object Of which was the suppression OF
the African slave trade.
! Al. the influences that have been directed
towards effectng a social and moral improve
rnent among the Dahomcans have resulted
Intellectually. African royalty has not re-
spected the faith of treaties, although ii is
proper to state that the chief with whom the
treaty was made is since dead and although
his successor may not do as other chiefs-sell
his own people into slavery-yet he persists
in making war for the purpose of taking pris,
oners, which he sells into captivity Las'
year ne SOlu ttu lIOuodbbJ lIoIl NuIti liC IL
allied $4,000. According to the supersti-
tious customs Of his people, he continues his
human sacrifices. The number thus murder
cd at one ceremony is stated, in the last news
from Lagos--whch is to Nov. Sth-to have
been 700, and the wholesale butchery was
still going on. The news states that his sa-
Bile majesty had detained ten European tra-
ders at his capital, Abomey, TO witness the
revolving ceremonies. lie purposed to con-
tinue the slaughter until $500 human lives
had been offered up to appease the names of
his father.
The London African Aid Society, with
commendable ZEAL is not disposed to give up
all efforts yet, and has addressed letter to
said potentate which is a curiosity in its way,
urging him to discourage the slave trade.
We make some extracts from the letter:
MAJESTY BADAHUNG The great English
nation is very sad 1t does not like your
ways. They are not good. They are very
bad You might be a great king but what
you do will not make you a great king You
do very much harm for very little money.
TO be great king you should do much good,
and make it give you a great deal of money.
You make war, that you may take slaves and
sell them; and a great many Of your own
people are killed.
You are king Of a great many people. You
may make much money, and your people
too DO not take them to war, where a
great many die. But say to them, get cot
ton bring me cotton" Say to them, tone
hundred and fifty thousand Of you call me
your king | am your king. | must have
one dollars worth of cotton every year from
every one of my people. My chiefs will look
to it; the chief who has one thousand people
will make them bring to Whydah 81 900
worth of cotton. All the rest you can bring
and sell for yourselves. And so you may all
get rich-you may all get many dollars"
We will buy all the cotton of you at Why
dab. You shall not be cheated. 1t is not
for wise king to have many of his people
killed every year, when they would make so
much money for him.
Majesty Badahung, for every 100 lbs of
clean cotton we will give you, at Whydah,
IS. In this way you will be a great king
You will be more rich than any other king
in Africa. You will get now near 5000, 900
a year; we would show you how this may
soon be 100000, and in short time 81 ,OOO,-
600 year.
Majesty Badahung then the great English
people will love you. And to show You how
glad they are to see you a wise, and a good,
and great king, we will send you from the
great English people each year that You do
this, and do not sell any slaves nor let any
slaves be sold or sent off from all your coast,
we will send you each year a present of love
to you of-doIars in silver money, or in
all sorts of beautiful and useful goods which
you like best Yes, we will do this, and
buy, too, all your cotton at a fair price, if
you will be such a good and such great
king.
We have said it, Let us know what you
will do.