Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-04-17
PRICE 1 GENT.
From the Baltimore Gazette,
A Relic in Ashantee.

Some fifty or 30 centuries ago we read OF
curse that was uttered and 10 recorded,
and our faith is that the curse continues in
fun yigor sliils Africa yet Rroans under the
eciipses Daheme y. II We arc to believe
the news which comes 10 US. the English
expeditionsry corps which reached the Ash
antee capital-their march dotted by the
graves which disease 30 fearfulIy filled
actually recoiled In horror from what they
found. The application OF the torch, the
burning up as much as possible of this den
OF iniquity, really seem TO have been all
that could be dono. and 1t is the sckest SEN
timentality which deplores It.. We read of
one place, and, In order to be more accurate
we quote the very words, in which "dead
| bodies OF men and women were dragged
after decapitation'':
These dead bodies In the carly stages of
relic of skulls, thigh bones. ribs and verte-
| bro. say untold strata Intentionally, for
the reason that, ever since the city OF Coo
massie was founded in the Eighteenth Gen.
tury, this portion OF the grove has been the
receptacle OF the hundreds OF victims
slaughtered annually for the observance of
the cruel customs imposed upon the natives
by the abject and pitiful superstitution
Bowdlch mentions that in 1917 the place was
lcrowded with relics OF mortality. Remem-
bsr then, that at the rate OF 1000 unfortunate
slaves sacrificed every years. period of fift,-
seven years which has transpired since
| Bowdich visited Coonassie, there has been
81, 900 victims slaughtered AT the bloody
| footstool OF fetichism! 1t has been repeated
lover and over 10 us that the people OF Coo
| massie slaughter thousand men and wo.
m en- slaves annually for the obser ance Of
their customs. Nj. Bonsr, French captive
| lately released, says he saw about 800 KILL
l ed in one day. So that the enormous num-
| Der of 81 600 il only q moders te estimate of
} the victims which have been dragged into
. this grove to bleach and rot during nifty
| seven years. We cannot, then, be very far
1wrong II we compute the dead which have
been throwa into this grove since the ac-
, cession OF Sy Tutu 10 the throne OF Ashantee
in the Eighteenth Century, at about 100 600.
And here they lie, strata upon strata OF hu-
man dust, fresh victims hurled in each day
'I-somelimes one, sometimes u dozen, SONG
: times three hundred-relics of humanity
scattered by the thousand, nay, tens OF
: thousands. as II the negroes OF Africa
. had been specially born for the obser vance
. of the Ashantee ceremonies, and to pander
! to the lust Of murder inherent in the souls
: or this cruel, tratrIcidal race"
FL And this is Africai THIS the land and
y these the creatures over whom so much
oIsympathy has been wasted. Who shall say
reading this. even admitting all the horrors
. OF the middle passage, that the translated
> negro IN bondage, Christianized and hu
: manized, was not better OIL than his kindred
= at home, But Ashantee had other relics be-
:, side mutilat6d corpses-precious sentiment.
al flowers blooming over these bloody
20 graves-for, we are told, ami again we quote
10 literally;
FL "One of the most curious things OF al
81 found was an old brass SNUFF or tobaC C
~ box, on which were engraved tho unmis
taxable features OF Mrs. Beecher Stowe II
at the name of Mrs. Stowe" engraved upon
re IL. There were certainly the outlines o
=. | tho face OF the famous authoress OF "Uucl,
I'd TOMS Cabin" anl the ringlets hangnl
Ia down each side OF tho face-a true portrait,
re- suppose, OF Mrs. stowe, as she appearc,
in twenty or thirty years ago. The gentleman
e. who picked up This antique box intends I.
av present 1t TO the british Museum.''
ri 4 We sincerely congratulate the Britisi
ia 81 Museum on THIS anti-slavery trophy.