The Irish republic. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1867-18??, 1867-10-19
CINCINNATI, o., 9th October, 1867

To the Editors of The Irish Republic.
MEssRs. EDIToRs thank you for your kindness in in
sorting the sketch which 1 lately forwarded of William
Thompson the Maori King Maker" 1t has been read with
much interest in this locality.
ncose short account of another remarkable char
acer the Emperor Theodore of Abyssnia He very
different sort of in reality from what he has been
generally represented for according the English themselves
the nclosed sketch being taken from London publication
called Once Wee-he is manifesting patriotism and
independence which pretending countries and
their rulers would do well to initiate Next week, if you
will accept of il, shall send you something, which
slider interesting respecting the Abysnans themselves and
the country they inhabit.
am, very truly yours, ULADH.
THEODORE OF ABYssINIA.
Every nation have had its good old times and
look forward to coming The Abyssinian Christians
(by which is meant the inhabitants of Northern Abyssina
country described by Consul Powden about four hun
dred miles in length from north SOUTH and three hundred
in its greatest BREADTH have rarely had the former and if
his assertion to be believedf may be forgiven
Irishism-they governed by the latter There
those doubt who decline to accept the Emperor Theo
dore opinion in precisely the does but
these must admit that he is of character
At quite recent period Northern Abyssinia governed
by Ras ALI and subject to him, much of the most
powerful English mobiles in the feuda times the King
of England the Deajmatch their titles have been
sometimes rendered. Dukes Oobeay and Kassa There was
in addition to these large number of less powerful chiefs
who also did pretty much they pleased in way fight
ing and punderng each other which the Ras had
objection they thereby weakened themselves and there
less danger of their uniting against himself These pos
of Shirts" they termed governed from ten
thirty villages conferred them with silk robe the
bem of their dignity Ras They mostly soldiers
whom he wished to reward and they had not been parc
ular whose property they laid their hands when in his
service they likely to be scrupulous when
further removed from his supervisions especially if he
troops against them punish them for their misdeed
they could either take sanctuary in church, within the
precincts of the residence of the Aboon the head of the
Al
tnue active e could with their followers the
service of powerful chief The feudal SYSTEM in fact with
it attendant evils prevailed through the country.
This the state of things when Kassa began to give
indications of character and policy which, if the Ras had
been of greater descernment would have induced him
to use his efforts have brought his pre-
mature end AT all events that would have been the
pursued by Indian ruler but to the credit of the Abyssn
ans be it sad they rarely resort poison assassination
At very early he is said to have openly declared that
he the coming man, whose advent looked for and
certainly his faith in his star quite equal to that of
any European poenate He defeated army sent against
him by the queenmother nevertheless he did not fear to
come into the Rass camp after this receiving pledge of
safety and completely did he lu the Ras suspicion that
he gave him his daughter In marriages after which kassa
his province and continued his preparations for
extending his power When these completed he boldly
avowed his designs and after giving him notice of his in
tenton he attacked his rival Oobeay and by marching with
surprising apdy and at the worst he arrived at the
territories of that chief long before he expected and
though Oobeay sent much larger army into the field
against him. composed of unusually large proportion OF
cavalry the plain where they fought being well suited for
the operations of horsemen he utterly routed his foes took
Oobeay and of the chiefs who had out to battle
with him prisoners captured his treasures which contained
the accumulation of three generations and then returned to
his province to mature his strength for decisive cam
pag which should put the entire country under has control
AS for Oobeay himself he fixed his ransom at $ZOooo lie
independent and sufficiently powerful to contest the
government of Abysnia with the Ras and the chiefs who
remained faithful and ultimately to subdue and to stamp
out" the feudua system.
No had better opportunities for forming an estimate
of the character of Kas Theodore than Consul Pow
partial at the time he wrote his report Lord Clarendon he
certainly open the charge Of Partially he
then negotiating treaty with Ras Ali He describes Theo
wife, pure word and deed He free from rancor and
who made attempt to murder him he pardoned
Though extremely Jealous in the practice OF his religious
creed he by to be led by PRIESTS far
from it, that envoy who sent to him by the present
Emperor of France who subsequently wrote narrative of his