Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1867-11-09

deliberate hostility. In this uneasy con
dltlon matters remained till November
! 1868, when an event occurred which, |
without any apparently adequate reason
threw the Emperor into transports of
rage, and inspired him with an intense
hatred of England. Offended pride at
the neglect with which his letter to the
Queen had been treated had probably /
before this disposed him to look with |
an evil eye upon Englishmen. Unfortu-
nately pretext for the out-pouring of
his allimosity was now given him. The
society for promoting Christianity among
the Jews had sent out to Abyssinia some
time before missionary named Stern, |
who had criticized the actions of the En-
peror somewhat severely in pamphlet
IN Which he had spoken of the AbysSini-
~ monarch as cold blooded murderer.
Mf. Stern, after visit to Europe, had
returned to Abyssinia, accompanied by
a brother nj sionary, Mr.. Rosenthal, and
had sought and obtained an audience of
! 1heoderls. At this audience, it is sta
ted by himself, he was made prisoner
and grossly maltyeated, his only offence
being that he had expressed involuntari- |
ly his disgust at the brutal treatment
Of his Interpreters by the imperial execu-
tiopers. The AbysSinianS, on the other
hand alleged that both missionaries had
used reasonable expressions towards the
Emperor, and it is quite probable that
the language employed in-Mr. Stern's
pamphlet had become known to the pee
pie 10 whom he so rashly entrusted him
SELF Mr.. Consul Cameron, us we believe
through motives of pure humanity, re-
nIonstrater, with the King cn the man.
ner in which the missionaries and their
fImilies were treated. This was the
sp; rk to the powder a fIighttul cut
burst of rage followed, and all the Euro
peans on wLom the troops of Theodorus
lay hands were thrown into prison and
treated with savage cruelty. Mr. Stern
Mr.. Rosenthal and Capt. Cameron were
loaded with Chains and halt starved
Bat, bad as their condition was ut first,
worse was to be endured, for the rage
of the Emperor w&s aggravated when !
letter arrived for the consul from the for |
eigp office, in which no notice was ta-
ken of Theodore's communication to the
Queen, and Capt. Cameron WIS ordered
back with some aspcrity from Gondar to
MasSowah. The condition of the captivrS
became, day by day, more hopeless. AT !!
last, in FEBRUARY, 1864, Captain Cameron |
succeeded in sending letter home, with |
an account Of the captivity and suppli-
cation that something should be done to
rescue him aRd his co4lpanions.
This letter reached Lonjon the 2Gth of
May, 1861, ami i'll week after Mr.. H. !
Dandy Seymour asked question about |
the affair in the House of Commons. AT !
the time, of course, the government knew |
no details and could make no reply. But |
the startling circumstances, and the at
tentiOn drawn to the matter III Parlia- !
ment brought Theodore's letter to the |
Queen out Of the obscurity in which it |
had been allowed to repoSe. 1t was de-
termined that Il plausible answer to this |
missiye should be sent out ut once to !
Abyssinia, with presents for the Emperor,
and the envoy, who should request the
release Of the captiveS. The post WAS
given to a gentleman who had assisted |
Mr.. Layard i'll his explorations at Nine
van, being IN Armenian, his appointment |
must have appeared to the piInctiliously |
vain Theodore ]. not very respectful aci.
Mr.. Rassam, on arriving at MasSOwah III
August, sent up the letter under the !
sign-manuel of her Majesty, with which
he was entrusted to the Emperor, and |
enlisted the services Of the Coptic Patri-
arch, to whom he had letter Of intro
duction, on behalf Of the captives. He
was left for long time i'll suspense
Theolorus was detern ined to be even
with the English, and TO show that he !
could take as much time to answer let |
ter as the most civilized potentate Of
them all At last he relented, though !
having sent messengers to Nassowah to
make inquiries he was much offended at
the petty character of the mission. Mr..
RaSsam was invited to the capital, and
entered into negotiations Of an amcable
and familiar kind with the Emperor, who
was resolved apparently to drive as hard
L bargain as he could, and to obtain as
the price of the captiyes release some ma
terial advantages But his restless vani-
ty was startled at every breath Of rumor
and every tritic which might be construed |
into slight. Some too jealous friends
of the prisoners i'll this country estimat-
ing, perhaps correctly enough, the obJec
tions to Mr.. Rassam rs an envoy, got up
a very unwise opposition embassy OF
their own. Dr. Beke went out disclaim-
inc connection with Mr.. Rassam, and
this gave, perhaps the final blow to any
hopes which the latter gentleman might
have entertained accomplishing his dit
ficult task. Theoaorus became suspicious
again. Mr. Rassam was arrested, with
all the other English upon whom bands
could be laid, and so the matter has since
rested.
A HoRTIcULTUEAL CURIosErY.-Mr
Frederick Simonson. has shown us
beautiful speciman of fruit, the result OF
a new process of migrating. A plum
tree and peach tree grew si,'e By side in
the garden of Mrs. L. A. Simon son, iii
Washington street. Early in the season.