The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-12-29
Fhq 1at}g Menus
SATURDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 90 1866.
King Pcppe1o

King Peppel is dead. The Africa, at Halifax
brought the news. It was not thought of ssuficien
Importance to- send tho announcement by cable
but was brought to Halifax by the steamer ans
thence telegraphed to New York. 'sKing Peppel
some Of the ardent gentlemen who claim to be tn
special friends of the colorcd race that this deceas;
OF the most Important man OF that race, perhsp:
q N all the world, might well receive some notice Al
their hands.
But it is highly probable that great many O
the most ardent advocates Of negro equality are sc
profoundly ignorant Of what they ought to know
befosg discussing such subject that they vii! be
% a5 x0 bnt e se 6as n0R2S5 Faan Kna
Tho electric wires do not tell US wnothcr be was
murdered by his mobiles, who have threatened it
Tor ten years past, or whether he died of obesity
or drunkenness, any other Of the ordinary vices
and diseases OF African kings But it is highly
probable that there has been waling in the Blight
OF Benin, not over the dead king, whom overy one
! detested, but over the ether dead who have per-
ished IN the funeral fights, honors ind massacres
some readers will remember when PePpel was in
England. He resided there and received atten-
ton. Civilization tried to win him, but made a
miserable failure of it, as civilization has often
failed in similar attempts. He went back to Africa
and established his throne on the mud banks ,f
tho River Bonnv, one OF the mouths OF the Niger.
His palace consisted Of three huts, on the ooSing
black mud Of the sll3rc, 1edolent OF filth.
The latest account we havc Of him from q visitor
describes him as especially addicted to- dog stews,
the animals being bred expressly for his eating
After bis long residence in England he carried
back with him. in his yach-, an English farmer, a
lady's maid, and some other enthusiastic English
people, Wlc went out to seive Pcn,el III the ca11sa
Of civilization. But he had scarcely reached nome
when he dropped his English projudices, and re-
turned, like a hog. to the rnire. We don't know
what became Of tho deluded people that went out
with him. One traveller said that 'sthe ai1y's maid
made plant upon Peppel, which provoked the
Jealousy Of the Queen. BIT whether they devour
sn sno ner oh Mhas rs rs ssr late is not 50 far as
farming for the King, and the others. who had
been promised life pensions and homes in the
royal palace, were put rations Of two yams pcr
can civiliz::..;;rII, .1 -11A -l1- a
But the king waxed strong, fat and rich in the
AFRICAN way. He became tho wealthiest king on
me coast. Els income has been estimated at
$15,OlJ per annum. He once lost his throne,
rdving blown out the brains Of one Of his wives
and raised q family quarrel thereby. He regained
the nominal sovereignty, but for time past it
has only been nominal the Government being in
the hands Of four mobiles as regents Tho traders
the coast live IN old hulks, off Shore and never
trust themselves the land at night. Dealing
with them IN all tho tproducts' Of the coast has
made King Peppcl, Of Bonny, q man Of mark in
the world, SO that his death announced BY tele-
graph, and that is the end OF him.
There is this Importance in the history Of the
man, that he was an African, having some intelli-
gence, long resident in England wealthy, with
every inducement and every opportunity to receive
Tor himself and carry to his countrynen the
blessings Of civilization, who deliberately rejected
the opportunity, and lived and died in mud
howell finding his highest pleasures in the wild
life and habits of his original barbarisn. It is
ono of the most melancholy facts in the history Of
Arica.-N. 7. Journal Of Commerce.