Arkansas true Democrat., 1861-04-11

ana the Europeans IS that Ot slavery. II this the negroes see nothing unbecomns them, and the English who have done mos for abolishing the slave trade and slavery are treated by the negroes themselves a. enemies. For it is point of first impor tance with the kings to sell their captured enemies, or even their own subjects; and viewed in the light of such facts, we may conclude slavery to have been the occasion of the increase of human feeling among the negroes. The doctrine which we deduce from this condition of slavery among the negroes, and which constitutes the only side of the question that has an interest for our enquiry, is that which we deduce from the Idea, viz: that the '' natural condition itself Is one of absolute and thorough in. justice of the right and just. Every intermediate grade between this and the realization of rational state retain as might be xpected-elements and aspects of injustice; therefore we find slavery even in the Greek and Roman States, as we do serfdom down to the latest times. But thus existing in State, slavery is itself a phase of advance from the merely isolated, sensual existence--a phase of education, mode of becoming participant in higher morality and the culture connected with it" 1 From McCulloch's Universal Gazetteer. ANGoRA.
 Dancing is a favorite diversion, and re- ligious rite; and, like other African people, cruelty. * The religion of the bulk of the people is Feticism.
 AsHANTEE.
 Polygamy is allowed, the kings wives amounting to the extravagant number of 3,333-a mystical number, which is carefully kept up, to enable him to reward any dis tinguished Caboceer by the present of monean x The husband having un- limited power of life limb and liberty, over his wife, (and prostitution being no ways discreditable) females frequently refuse to marry The Ashantees have two high fes tivals--the yam harvest, and the adai cus tom.
 At these festivals, as on all occasions, the most brutal excesses and the most atro- cious crueties are practicea. The skulls of all the kings and chiefs whose fall has sweled the power of the reigning monarch, together with those of rebellious Caboseers, t) the amount of more than 200, are pa raded before the assembled multitude.- Rum and palm wine are swallowed like water, till the guests are brought to a state of intoxication and madness, when hun dreds of human victims are sacrifced.- They seem in fact to delight in cruelty and blood. The death of free person s in almost all cases, attended by the slaughter of human being, to 'acet the grore, and that of chief invariably causes fright ful sacrifice of human life. l. a man of ordinary rank marry a royal female, he must be killed on his wife's grave, should he happen to survive her; and the ocras, personal attendants on the king,) are all murdered on their masters grave, together with many others, male and female, often amounting to some thousands Cannibal ism, as far as respects the blood and heart of an enemy, is practiced, though not avowcd and the teeth and smaller bones of vanquished foes are ostentatiously worn as ornaments, the skulls and larger joints being preserved as public trophies. Such are the disgusting enormities by this na- tion of savages; who, if they contrast ad- vantageously with other negro tribes in energy and decsion of chars.ter yield tp none in that cruelty and blood-thirtinesls which seem to be leading features in the African character
 Religion, Feticism Mahommedans
 BENGoLA.
 Same manners and religion as other tribes of Guinea.
 Same as Guinea.
 Same government; the same religion (Feticism) the same festivals, marked by the same disgusting cruelties, are observed here as in Ashantee, with one additional aggravation, namely, the annual sacrifice of human beings to the power of the sea-"
 CONGO.
 "Speaking generally. they (the Con- goese) seem to be sunk in the lowest state of degradation. They are incorrigibly in- dolent; have little or nothing; and though they raise Indian corn, agriculture is in the lowest state. and they frequently suffer the extremity of famine. Their religion is the grossest Feticism. * k They are prone to all sorts of excesses and debauchery. The women are degraded to the condition of beasts of burden; and prostitution to stran- gers is considered necessary part of hos pitality."
 The author attributes part of this deg radiation of the Congoes to the influence of the slave trade. But he adds:
 But, admitting the influence of these causes, still we apprehend that He intellect ual interiority ot the negro race is at bottom the real cause of the degraded condition of Congo and of all the other negro States The Congoese are said frequently to de- capitate their prisoners. and burn their bodies; and if such barbarity be practiced when prisoners may be sold. the presump- tion would seem to be that it would become more prevalent were the traffic put an end to-
 In giving an account of the animals of Congo the same author remarks:
 "The natives eat these animals in a manner quite characteristic of their rooted laziness. They remove neither skin, feathers, nor haiE and scarcely warming them by the fire, tear the meat in pieces with their teeth."
 As to government, he says.
 1.-The countF uniformly is in state of the most frightful anarchy" | DAHoMEY.
 Of the Dahomians, McCulloch says:
 "Their disposition seems, from their conduct, to be compound of that of the tiger and the spaniel, exhibiting the utmost fa.1,a;4s. 4L:..4 f.r ll1.x.l i4l 4Lc