The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-01-15

and present attitude on the great issues Of the
day the people, in opposition to the radicals,
can march on to victory. e
Highly Important News from Abyssinia-
Projects of the British ON tho African Con.
tinent.
The exclusive intelligence from Suez which
we received by special telegram to the New
YORK HERALD, and which we published yester-
day, is highly important 1t not only confirms
the testimony which we cited the other day
relative to the proverbial hospitality Of the
tribes among whom the British missionary army
is now engaged in diffnsing modern ideas
and distributing both Bibles and bullets, but 1t
indicates the progress already made in bring
ing the natives Of Africa under British in
6uence. The Chief of Tigre, who had mustered
. large force, the movements Of which had
alarmed the English camp at Senate and
caused forward movement along the line Of
march, Is now reported friendly. This powerful
African warrior has sent in two thousand head
Of cattle for the use of her Majesty's forces and
fresh water has been pointed out in the vicinity
Of the landing place at Annesley bay. General
Sir Robert Napier had arrived at that depot Of
the expedition, and had Immediately set out
for Senate to put himself at the head OF the
British advance. 1t is not impossible that the
British will be a. successful in securing the
alliance Of other rivals Of King Theodorus a.
they have been in securing that Of the Chief Of
Tigre. In that case King Theodorus will
probably have to succumb sooner than was at
drst anticipated to . successful foreign in
vasion.
This astute monarch displayed no little good
sense when he said that he thought he under
stood the British policy in Abyssinia. "First"
he said, "you send hlther your missionary to
spy out the fairness of the land. During the
last twenty-five years we know not how many
travellers have traversed our country with the
same purpose in view. After the missionary
and the protested traveller you send along
consul to look after the missionaries and the
travellers, and then you send troops to look
after missionaries, travellers and consul and to
take possession of our country" General Sir
Robert Napier, in his proclamation against the
Abyssinians, has indeed assured them and "all
people of Ethiopia" that the army commanded
by him seeks only the liberation of the pri-
soners held by King Theodorus and he says to
them, "The Queen of England has not thought
against you, your country, your liberty and
existence
Nevertheless, the history Of British explora-
tons, Of British negotiations, and OF the present
Abyssinian expedition, renders it obvious that
the British government aim at nothing less
than the subjugation of the whole African
continent They contemplate ruling over
territories more vast and richer far in agricul-
tural and mineral wealth than Hindostan.
Guided by their Parkers, Spokes and Living
stones, they intend to take possession of a new
Hindostan extending from the Mountains Of
the Moon to the Cape of Good Hope. Abolish
ing slavery in its own native home, they are
sangune in their anticipation of compelling
the hostile tribes Of Africa to become docile
laborers under their control in the develop
regions hitherto unexplored They mean to
cover Africa if it shall prove practicable, with
a network of railroads like chat which they are
spreading over India They confidently hope
to snrpass the yield of gold in either Siberia,
Australia or California, and the production OF
cotton in our own Southern States. The
American cotton trade they are bent upon
running. In word, they expect to build up
on the African Continent colony that can be
managed somewhat like plantation in South
Carolina, and that shall be more productive OF
wealth than any colonial possession of which
they have heretofore boosted.
These projects OF the British will, of course.
If carried out, checkmate all French designs
connected with the Isthmus OF Suex. In time
they may lead TO the solution OF MANY curious
geological and chronological problems. We
shall be able at length to verify or to contra
dict the theories which have divided the scien-
tic world as 10 the comparative antiquity Of
the various continents and races. Perhaps The
theory OF Du Chaillu and other African ex-
plorers may prove correct, that Africa, if not
the Oldest, was the earliest inhabited portion
OF the earth tha. there Nature "iried her
prentice hand" ON the gorilla and then on the
negro, and in due succession upon the higher
races, until she perfected the Caucasian race,
which is destined to direct and control the
rest and make them available for nobler and
more useful purposes than either Of lhem could
singly have accomplished
Jacks-in- the-Rox