The New York herald., 1872-08-20
THE CONTINENTAL PRESS on THE LIVING.
STONE EXPEDITION.

We present below the opinions Of the European
press outside of Great Britain upon the HERALD
Livingstone expedition. For several days after the
publication of the first letters from DR.. Livingstone
to the HERALD the leading journals Of France, Ger
many, Belgium Russia and Italy cOntented them
selves with reproducing from the London dailies
the text OF these communications, introducing
them their readers In that peculiar which
In the United States is known as ''being on the
fence" Soon, however, scandal became rife; 'the
letters were not genuine )" "they contained no
Information, were made up from books OF travel"
These and thousand other suggestions were made
In the different countries by the savans, to doubt
whom would be considered worse than treason.
First in order came the Berlin geographcr Ktepert,
who sent letter to the Ai0enleine Zeitung filing
half page Of that Journal in which, as II by sudden
and apparently infallibe inspiration. he predicted
the whole affair would turn out a huge hoax. STAN
ley'sletters to his mind bore their confuatiOn;
as for the geographical data contained In them they
were not worth the paper they were written on.
Herr Kiepert was determined to be first to exhibit
his rare knowledge Of the geography of Central AZ
rica. Unfortunately, like the wiseacre Plantamour,
he was slightly advance Of his age. Scarcely had
this remarkable "epistolary confusion" OF Kiepert's
been reprinted throughout Germany and at st.
Petersburg than Earl Granvile's letter was given
to the world, Affirming undoubtedly, upon the
authority of the experts of the Foreign ONCE well
acquainted with DR.. Livingstone's handwriting, the
genuineness Of the letters brought by Stanley to
the British government This communication was
not copied In several OF the German papers for
very good reason. II upset the splendid theory of
Kiepert, so brilliantly elaborated few days pre-
vOusy.
While Germany was endeavoring to clear herself
OF the blunder made by the Berlin savant, France
mad awakened to a sense of the importance Of the
question. The Geographical Society OF Paris
called special meeting. M. de vienne, French
Consul at Zanzibar, was called in to give his version
Of the affair and, If possible assist them In arriv
ing at just conclusion amidst all the camor and
doubt and uncertainty that appeared to exist
This functionary did give interesting details, as
we shall presently show. The result OF this meet
ing appeared the following day in the Journal des
Debdts in the form OF long letter from NJ.
Cortambert, secretary to the old royalist associa-
tion, denying the genuineness Of the whole AFFAIR.
M Cortambert however, was soon undeceived. In
the same number Of the paper In which ap-
peared his letter were the communica-
tions from DR.. Livingston's son and the British
Foreign Office, headed by paragraph THAT all
doubts concerning the authenticity OF the letters
were dissipated." From this time the tone OF the en-
tire press has changed Italy and Spain have added
warm congratulations to the originator and leader
of the great work. The following extracts Will
speak for the other countrles:--
The Journal des Debats, of the 4th instant, after
having translated the letters OF DR.. Livingstone to
! the HERALD, wished its readers clearly to under
stand there was doubt abroad concerning the
truthfuness OF these reports OF which IL would not
nave them ignorant. Prudhommc-ke, IL would
ieign believe them false for the sake OF the re-
spected savans, whose Judgments, according to a
certain scientific code in France are infallIble,
while 1t is apparent from its own language that
conviction OF the genuneness and authenticity Of
the communication were established. II says
| The publication OF the two letters from Dr.
Livingstone, Of which our readers have seen a full
| translation In our recent editions has produced,
as might be expected, great excitement,
| not only In the world Of science and progress
| but also among those who are interested
| from purely romantic and anecdotical
| point OF view In the adventures Of man isolate
| ior seven years In the midst Of savage people, and
Of kind that could not fail TO give rise to the most
serious apprehensi0ns. Unfortunately there Is a
fear abroad that these but coups DE theatre which
have found their way into print, transmitted by Mr..
] stanley W the NEW YORK HERALD. and teleEraphed