The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1867-11-07
THE ABYss1NIAN CAPTIVE
An Interview with King Thee
dOrc.

Abyssinian monarch, gives the fol
lowing account of personal inter
view with the famous tyrant
After having been kept in durance
some three weeks, the Abuna one
day summoned me to the Imperial
presence. He seemed much better
tempered than on the occasion of
my first visit, and began. by asking
if would ever have been treated in
more clement manner in any 9TH
er country. "Certainly not, your
Majesty especially not in England
where the innocent are incarcerated
and criminals left at freedom and
rewarded !" replied as coolly as
he had questioned me. He seemed
amused, and after while said:
THAT I can easily believe: if the
British Government treats it's sub
jects in the same manner they have
acted toward me-"
In answer to this attack, I endeav-
ored to look upon all the disagree
ments that had occurred between
him and Great Britain as caused by
the lamentable ignorance prevailing
in England respecting the manners
and customs of Abyssinia, and beg
ged him to remember that Queen
Victoria, against whom he seemed
to have the greatest grudge, was but
an instrument in the hands Of the
Parliament, and not possessing the
power and strength his majesty did,
who had but. to command and he
was obeyed.
"Avoonat, very true" answered
Theodore; '.But that does not alter
the facts, except in so far that |
must hold the British Parliament re-
sponsible for the insults heaped up
on me, looking to it for an apology
and reparation, and not to the Brit
ish Queen"
Thereupon I modestly asked what
he required for the release of the
prisoners. He answered with great
show Of dignity aud wounded pride.
''Stern and the other missionar-
les have been guilty Of many breach
es of faith, and of great disrespect
and treachery towards me, for which
they have been justly condemned to
death by the likaonent but I, in the
fullness Of my clemency, have dimin-
ished and softened the severity of
their sentence, and commuted il
to Imprisonment for life. What the
law has pronounced, justice must
1 carry out. 1 am no robber, who
makes prisoners merely in order to
extort o ransom. / act in accord
ance with Justice
"Then, your Majesty, Iwould beg
Of you to treat me with the same Sc
verify as Consul Cameron; cast me
in chains, and lacerate my body with
the scourge He is not more guilty
than l am Therefore seemed rath-
er astonished, but continued, say
ing that not being a spy nor mis-
sionary-never having given him
cause for anger, never for a mo-
ment entertained any fear for my
safety while in his dominions. He
had the reputation of great man !;
no truly great man would ever act
so tyranically, and ended by advis-
ing him to cut off my hands and feet,
and see if he could then say to his
conscience, II have acted rightly"
.'Will you engage in single com,
bat with one of my knights, and
stake your life for your liberty p ask
ed Theodore when had concluded.
"No, I do not dream of it, being
quite inexperienced in the use ofthe
sword and lance. Besides, should
have fancied enough English blood
had been shed for your Majesty"
GLOW so % he inquired
Consul Plowden was murdered
because he was your friend. That
fact might probably escape your
memory, but that you should have
forgotten Mr.. Bell, who sacrificed
his own life to save yours, is not
what should have expected"
On hearing this, Theodore became
furious, for any allusion to Bells
death was extremely dangerous, and
for a moment I fancied it was all
over with my chauce of escaping
However, thrusting his sword back
into its scabbard, from which he had
half drawn it, he remarked: 81 do
remember him, else your head would
now have left it's shoulders''
Herewith his Majesty ordered
me back to my residence, and I saw
no more of him for six weeks, dur
ing which time I piled the Abuna
with every reason I could think of
to prove how advantageous my re-
lease would be to himself
| succeeded in getting him over to
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