New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-06
THE ABYSSIEIAN QUESTION.

Government has Organized against ADysalhla loE INC
purpose Of ofecng by force the release Of the British
captives has naturally attracted the attention OF the
public toward that distant part Of tho globe. The
statements on the population and area Of the country
differ widely on account of It's never having been
thoroughly explored by European travellers; still the
figures of 3CoOCCO inhabitants ard 400 geographical
square miles probably the most correct which can
bo asccI.ained. Abyssua is q tract OF country in
Eastern Africa, lying between lat. 50 90 and 10 90
South and long $50 and 42o East and is, therefore,
situated wholly within the tropics; the climate, how
ever, is tempcnte, aud the soil rI gated by continents
Of the Nile yields the usual products OF the temper
ate zone. Tho animal kingdom is wei represented
both in regard TO domestic and wild animals; among
the chief agricultural prOductS may Ne enumerated
wheat, barley, beans, and coffee but there - niue
produce imported, and commerce Is not carried on 10
any extent for want of Il seaport. The natives are
mixture Of various races tho Caucasian being preV-
lent, although t has been crossed with tho Gree -
the jew, and the negro. IN regard to their habits
the AbysSinians are rather priuluye they are snow
10 eat meat, and. about their intellectual ana
moral state those Luropoans who have hYcd among
them DO not give q very tlattcTiDR account.
Tho Christian Church, although IN degenerated
f0iu has maintained its fOOthOld in that region IN
spite Of all neiehboug tribes belonging to the Mo-
hammedan faith, q fact which = partly explained by
the following circumstances. When the Council of
Constantinope in The year 81 had settled the IIini
tartan controversy, the doctrine commenced 70 PIE
vail IN TIE Egyptian church at Alexandria that CHRIST
had only nature, namely. the DIVING anu the be-
levers in this doctrine were called MOnOphEsltS'
Alexandria being at that time the great cebitI OF inc
Egyptian and Roman trade, an expedition OF "tscOV
ory was sent out from that cy ana IyIe 70 Tue Coast
of Abyssua, but only two men escaped RON gen
crl massacre who being Christians. uScd tltr IN
tluoucr over the natives ard succeeded IN esflbils.
ing Christian church IN ATeu.n' TIE prncllAi t3d-
ing mart Ot Abyseinia. IUircntouu6, tAe louhuef
Of that church, was on bis return 10 AlcXanGl Or
doi,,rd Bish0p OF Aruum and owing TO the uutiiHs
eyeitons Of bis successors the Whole population 9s
gradually been converted 30 tho CHRISTIAN ialth.
The Ahyssiuiau church syinpat!nzes mere WIN ne
Greek than the Roman church CIRCUMCISION IS used
preceding baptism aud l. piaciced uion u0ih
scxcs: tho standard OF know ledge ana education c'
not however, be very nigh one lu those conllhNh-
ties when We consider that a candidate Tor ple.r-
hood h. only expected 20 know how To READ 10 nc
eligible for that Office; priests aTo very aonno"nt'
and monas.c ordrr founded IN re tAiItSenlh cen
tury, is also eth ~ existence. thoits nave o.,n
made 10 elevate tho moral and religious tore OF tue
natives. both by the English and homan churches.
bat tho violent political agi'al"hs OF we eouh'Iy
and the Jealousy ~ Tire Alp esiA1h priests nave 80
far crippled the efforts II TIC n.is..oLSics.
Turning or ,nuon TO me Hil'gai Iis9Iy OF me
country We fad ALysain,a 10 Doc ruled BY INN !0iS
who mr.. supposed 60 be descended Rom lhhG 500
mon and tie Queen OF Shcha; but until o. present
monarch seized the throne, the Governor: or tle
rIuyucps held the supreme power, aEb it"uctu lie
imperial Throne 10 mere Hun.NA iiNtiu.oN' ~
soon az the present Emperor, Theodore. came mo
mower I'm Is5 is attention Was directed 70 The I'M
poi:arce If h.irg ou terms OF friendship with re
Government when rules India, and WDle! las tStAu-
lshrd itself in the npiLEDuIrG stronghold OF A'ith
him hy virtue AZ tho treaty raue uttNt,h Nit't
Britain and Alyssiua in tie year 1919. and ratiiltd
iu lt2 iH which it WAS stu uated t!at cach stare
ehCuld receive ambassadors from tho other. Mr.
p.owdcn. who bad been for many years English
Consul 40 MasaWlh. although not an aCr,e"Itttt
agent e. AbyssIuia, went tp that country WIN
presents Tor tIe people in Authority, and Th1alnfd
during war wlc! broke oG 80 tl' accession OF TIE
present Emperor Unfortunately. Nr lloWdtn, WHO
had succeeded in winning the favor o. the Llupe-
Tor. 10 large extent. WAS killed. and us Successor,
fHt
1852 Ly the King mat Ic desired % carry out tlc
mathematician treaty; he even wrote an auo-
graph letter t0 Queen Victoria as king runissi"n 10
send an embassy To London. AIIVNRh tue It'ttI
reached ENGLAND IN February, Ioi-, ~ remained M
answered: and the suIro>Ion - mar ms tl4cunl-
stance, together v.th quarrel WIN Ar' -Sle. ~,
missionary WaO lad demonstrated against tho HOG
cling 10 death al two Interpreters, las loN>eu lhe
Kings temper, and year a.ter having "Epl'cn,u
the unanswered letter c set an armed force 70 Ihe
missionary station, seized the ms ofallrs' HNu put
them ia chains. lie also cast Alr. cameron lhtp
prison, and bad Lin chained continually 70 an
bbys.iulu soldier. Ever since that time, which
was in November lSr'. 90 The present day, the I'M
Iaurv victims II the baTbaIous Kings capfc" nave
been IN confinement. Great excitement prevailed IN
ENGLAND ON the arrival of tie news ~ this outrage
AGAINST British subjects; but ~ consideration 81 an
armed expedition having 20 undergo many hardHiips
In such warm climate. 70 WaS deemed best by me
English Government TO use GiVlonaCy IL IVS eHO4 .
To have tie prisoners Ic'aStd. . e.-
Ii was not until the second half OF August, lSOo
that Mr. Eassam. IN Estate by birth, was sent on Il
received on L4 arrival IN February, l'@. IN q trnlY
magrNceut STYLE the rcleasr of the prisoners beng
NJ once ordered by the King. Bnt tue hope thus
missed was soon % ho disappointed. Tor when eir.
Eassam and che other pflNucTs were Just on me
y, ut Of taking leave OF The Emperor, theY were put
iudpr arrest and notified that they would have 10
remain in tho country As state guests untl an an
svrr cOud he obtained 20 another letter winch the
King was going 20 write 20 tho Queen. Hypocrisy,
Glseness. and mcudacity, however. seem 10 take a
prominent part in tic character of King theodore
for while he in az uuctuous letter u The Queen os-
teu,ibiy attributed the Diet. nlOn OF Mt I'assa 20
his wish Of consulting with nm IN What way the
friendly relations of the English and AbYssluan
monarchics might be best extended, he treated the
prisoners with lcncucy only for sGctJ period ana
soon used rigorous measures toward his victims. AS
a reason for his change of C0nunct ne afttrWaio
gave an alleged report that English. French and
Turkish troops were On their way 10 invade ADys-
Theodore's letter was conveyed to England by Mr..
Had. German missionary, VINO was also the bearer
of letter from Mr.. Eassln, IN which he requested
that English artisans he sent TO engage IN the Abys-
siuiLu ice. As this requesbwas made M me Sig-
gyst.on of King hcodoFt, WAS supposed tLnt thes9
Iuon were required more hostages than as artisans;
for the Emperor dreaded that his conduct toward
Consul Cameron and his associates would DING down
upon him the vengeance OF tho British Government.
Letters arrived from Sir. stern and Consul Jam
crou dated Stpt Is 1865 I'm which they stated that
crisis in the fate of the prisoners was approaching
Another letter from Or Berke, who Is courCrsant
with the Abyssnan language. has lived IN the
country for - number OF years ana bong PERSONALLY
acquainted with the King has taken particular pans
10 effect tie liberation al the PRISONERS. went To snow
that tho Emperor had refused The services Of Two
prisoners, Mcssrs RoSenthal and Mckelyle, while
those Of several other prisoners were accepted.
In 1865 . society had been organized IN France.
under tho auspices of Count de MOunicr for the pur-
pose oi establishing at laai, IN Abyssnla. u COM
morcial agency. The undertaking proved. however
ab1itiyc, and another project of civilization was
started by Count do Bison, who. in letter TO u
Paris Journal stated that Theodore had granted TO
him concession of ali the uncultvatcd land Of the
empire, and put an armed force at his disposal for
the protection OF himself and his associates IL Is
however, not probable that the Kings troops could
have given effective protection. masmuch rs for the
last few years tho Emperor has been engaged IN war
with tLn r-Inr! Of two OF Tho nLlnrnnl and mnst