Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-09-21
DAHOMEY.

THE Gold correspondent of the
Manchester Gatardi01a says:
The Government of Dahomey is
hereditary and despotic; the Kings
will is the law, and he has absolute
power over the lives and property of
his people. There may be revolutions
and changes in the surroundings and
family of the rulers, but this brings
no change to the wretched people, who
remain in state of abject submission
to the tyrannical power, which rules
over them by the double influence of
the fear of it's power to kill and rob,
and Of the religious fear which is so
firmly established in the native Afri-
cans by their belief in the dreaded
fetish
In Dahomey, as in the other king
doms, the Fetish priests support the
absolute power of the King. and to Of
fer any resistance, or even to speak
against the fetish or King, is at once
punished with death. AS to robbery
and confiscation, under the name of
fines, they are SO common that it is
useless for any resident in Dahomey
to attempt to accumulate property, as
that would of itself afford a pretext for
appropriation on the part of the King
or his cabOceerS. The consequence of
this III Dahomey IS that the country is
very sparsely populated and but little
cultivated, while the neighboring ter
rltorIes can be marked on map mere
5 ly as land devastated by Dahomey.
Reform is impossible, for if a king
does not keep up the savage
character of his predecessors, or
show signs of softening the 'scus-
toms" established, or of lessening the
number of human victims required by
the fetish, he is sure to die by poison.
This was the case with Guezo, the
father of the present King, whose
name is Grere. During the reign of
Guezo there were signs of some miti-
CATION III the ferocity of the Govern
ment, and the sacrifices of human
beings were only held at long intervals,
and when held the number of victims
was greatly reduced, and those put to
death were persons who had been found
guilty of crime. There was far
less cruelty and injustice practiced, and
better relations were established with
the white men. Everything promised
well for the country, but suddenly the
king died. The Fetish priests were
alarmed at change which threatened
TO destroy their power and influence,
and removed the danger that menaced
them. The same thing happened to
the last King of Porto Novo. He
showed signs of laxity in keeping up
. the ''customs" of the country. One
morning, in putting on his sandals, a
small nail ran into his foot; it was
poisoned, and in a short time he was
dead. The present King Toffa is taking
every care not to give similar offense,
but ne is in the uncomfortable position
of having the Fetish watching him on
the one side, while the British Govern
ment at Lagos is watching him on the
other.
1t certainly would be difficult, even
: in Africa. to find Z ruler more devoted
to the horrible customs and practices
OF fetlshIsm, or one who has done
more to support and increase the
peculiar 'renown of Dahomey. Tall,
ana with fine regular features of a
lighter hue than the ordinary negro,
his appearance is not that Of the brutal
savage he really is. His manners are
dignitied and courteous, especially with
white men, but underneath all this
there is cruelty and love of blood and
plumber that is perfectly horrible, and
if the man must be allowed to live it
had better be in some place where he
would be kept powerless. No one, not
even his own people, can speak to him
except through an interpreter, and
therefore, no communication can be
made to him except through the me-
dunn of his ministers; and as it would
at once cost any of them his head to
say anything disagreeable to his sable
Majesty, the King seldom hears the
truth, and his trodden-down subjects
nave TO smile in their misery and look
happy before him, or they suffer worse
than ever. There are a large number
OF court dignitaries, who on ordinary