The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-02-24
The English AbysInian Embr6 Sne heber rulers
H A Nh bounty RA9 or had not an origin when he

nature, never liked 1t, and now that
Plowder and Bell were destroyed
he h'oped that he was relieved Of
it. But not so, for after a long
delay, Captain Charles Duncan
Cameron received the appoint
ment, In 1862 he was received by
the Negus, Theodore, at his Capital,
Gondar. At this interview the Negus
was distrustful and tonchy. One
reason which operated on the mind
of Theodore to the prejudice of the
treaty, was that it was ratified by his
predecessor, whose authority Theo-
dOre, by no means. was willing to
recognize; or by whose acts
was he willing to bind himself.
The British Government, too, man
Tested no willingness to grant a re
ciprocity of rights of legation. This
the Negus insisted upon, while the
British Government, afraid to lose by
SO doing, her influence in Egypt, the
natural enemy of Theodore, aud the
ally Of England, withheld her con-
sent TO receive an embassy from his
sable majesty of Abyssiuia, whose
character is we'll described in what
follows:
He is peculiarly jealous" wrote
Mr.. Plowden in 1855, Of his sove-
reign rights, aud of anything that ap-
pears to touch on them. He wishes
In short time to send embassies to
the greatEuropeanP Powers, to treat with
them on equal terms. The most diff
cult trait Ia his character is this jeal-
ousy, and the pride that, fed by iguo-
rance, renders il impossible for him
yet to believe that so great monarch
as himself exists in the world"
This description comedies with the
latter account given by Mr.. Dufton,
who, n dealing with the question of
Theodore 5 objection to foreign con-
sulates, observes:
" The Kings idea is, that the ex-
istence of no other power should be
recognized in the country besides his
own, and that all persons residing in
his territories, natives or foreigners,
must obey the laws Of the land, and
be subject to him entirely. 1t is an
instance of his singularly jealous char
acter, and of his view of despotism.
If, therefore, a consul ventures into
the country, he must not do so with |
the idea that his person will be con
sidered sacred, or that the power
rep esented by him will impose
awe; but he must be prepared |
to stand on the same foot |
ing as native of the country. Hence
the subsequent Imprisonment of the /
French and English Consuls, in what |
ever light we may choose to regard it,
was not looked upon by Theodore as
an infringement of the rights Of ma /
tons, for rights of this nature he had /
never recognized. | believe, how |
ever, with regard to ambassadors the /
case is different, and that the custom |
of ancient nations in respect to them I
holds good In Abyssinia at all events,
the persons of messengers passing be- /
tween two contending armies are held |
sacred"
In the meantime. Theodore was ag-
gravated by rebellions in various parts
of his dominions, and he suspected 7
that the English and French were /
abetting them. Besides these trou-
bles, the Egyptians on the North
were making encroachments on his
territory; and he, therefore, wrote a
circular letter of appeal to the
of France and |
begging their aid
tians of Abyssinia against the hosts
of Islam. The letter to England was
received at the Foreign Office, pigeon
holed, and never answered. This en-
ragged the jealous and proud Negus,
and his amiability of temper was not
improved when the missionaries Stern
and Essential made him a subject Of
their foolish viliica ton. This capped
the climax of his wrath, and
be imprisoned them. Consul Cam
eron was also arbitrarily arrested
some months afterwards, and impris-
Oned. England has exhausted every
means of pacifying the implacable
but to no purpose. The
the Consul, and attend
ants still remain in the mountain fast
ness of Magdala; warlike expedition.
such a. Theodore has never engaged
in fight, is approaching the heart
Of his dominions; hostile and dis
affected tribes surround him. vet
he views his situation without
fear, and without complying with
lhe demands of his enemies. He Is
making every preparation to engage
hem, and to defeat them. But we
lpprehend that he will learn too late
loW foolish he has been in gratifying
MS rage and hate at the expense OF
upon his country ", II dis
,iplined, intrepid, enterprising foe,
armed and equipped with al the
modern appliances of war, and COM
handed by officers skilled In all the
lrts Of a warfare such as he is likely
% adopt. We follow with an In
M Do II ]