New-York tribune., 1878-02-06
HENRY STANLEY IN LONDON.


WAY HoMEwARD-vIcIoUs ATTACKS MADE ON
HIM BY THE HUMANITARIAN" PARTY-FAIR
PLAY FINALLY sECURED-A BANQUET AND
PUBLIC MEETING TO BE HELD IN MR.. srANLEYs
HONOR.
fFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT THE TRIBUNH.I
LONDON Jan. 2i.-Mr. Stanley arrived in London
on Tuesday. All along his road-at the Cape, at
Caro- at Rome at Paris-he has been received with
honors But his approach to London has reused
the old jeaouses and enmities of a certain section
of the Royal Geographical Society, and they have
renewed the attacks him which they began
while he was still in Africa. He has escaped the
tender mercies Of the Congo savages only to endure
furious onslaught from their English friends.
While Italy was hanging medals around his neck.
and France putting palm branch-one of her rar-
est hOn0rs-intO his hands, England was calculating
how many "niggersn he had needlcssly shot, and
the President of her Geographical Society was writ
ing to the papers to contradict the reportcredita-
bic, if not credible-that the Albert Hall had been
taken for public meeting in his honor. What is
called the Humanitarian Party was rearing its head
once MORE
II use that word in connection with the set of
men who assaling Mr. Stanley. it is not because
/ think they entitled to so honorable name,
but simply because they themselves have seized on
it. 1t is neither apt nor descriptive, but since they
out as believe it will, that they usurp and abuse
it, their condemnation will be only the signal.
1t would be a curious subject for inquiry
how many of Mr.. Staney's accusers are
among tho defenders and eulogsts of the
Turks They were, at any rate, writing in con-
siderable numbers to the authorities of the Geo
graphical Society to protest against any recognition
by the Society of Mr. Staneys labOTs and riumphs.
Some of them announced with sOemnity that if
steps were taken to offer him welcome,
they would resign Sir Rutherford AlcOck, its
President, is man ofpcace, and for while seemed
disposed to make any sacrifice rather than risk
disturbance. 1t was under the influence of this
feeling that he wrote the note have mentioned
above. Presently however, better spirit showed
itself Other members began to make themselves
heard. The British love Of fair play asserted ITSELF
as it did before when q concerted effort to break
down Mr.. Stanley had to be abandoned in Difference
to the indignation of the pubc. meeting OF the
Council took place, and it was resolyed-though
not till Monday of this week-that public meet
ing should be held under direction of the Society,
at which SIr. Stanley should be invited to give an
account of his travels and discoveries, and that a
dinner should be given IN his hOn0rat W Hiss Rooms
by the Council at which the Fellows of the Society
and their friends might be present. The dates OF
these two ceremonies remain TO be fixed. st.
Jamess Hall, the largest iii London except
the Albert Hail. is to be taken for the meeting on
the first evening on which it can be obtained,
which will not be till after the 1st of February 1t
was settled. also, that If the - humanltalians
should attempt 20 disturb the meeting, they should
be told by the President that they were ont of order
that the Society was assembled for geographical DIS
cusson, and that if they desired to offer protest
against Mr. Stanley's proceedings i'll respect OF the
Africans, il would be open to them to convene u
meeting of their own for that purpose. believe L
risk nothing in saying that this decision was taken
In obedience to the wish of the great majority of
he distinguished members
Society. The minority, which aSsalls Mr.. STAN
ley before. having heard his defence, does
I do not know that it includes any, but it has ac-
cess to the columns of one or two newspapers OF
some consequence, and 1t is noisy in proportion TO
its weakness. Ia justice to Mr Stanley, lought
to say that | am not repeating anything have
heard from him, from anybody who represents
him. have neither seen him nor heard from him
since he reached Europe. But | have cOnversed
with some Fellows of the Geographical Society,
who though not Mr.. Stanley's personal friends
some of them do not even know him by sight
have resented and resist the attempt to fasten
stigma on him in his absence, and are determined
that he shall have fair hearing.
Permit me, nevertheless, to say one thing on the
faith of my previous knowledge of Mr. Stanley.
iudge HIM to be one of the coolest men ever saw;
as cool as he is resoue and as unlikely as any man
now living to take to shooting negroes in a panic
for that is what the accusation against him
amounts to- His enemies-I mean his English enc
|
puted to terror, or to mere wantOn delight in mas
sacre of which, also, believe hlm incapable. A
man slow to anger, l should say, but quite
certain when he had made up his mind that a
certain piece of work was to be done, to
do 1t thoroughly; whethc it were shooting negroes
or any other form of disagrecb be eXett9n read at
the time of their publication those letters OF his
which are held to raise AGAINST him presumption
of cruelty or of indifference to cruelty. They
must be within the memory Of many OF my readers,
but do not hesitate to say that to my mind they
fail to support the inference which Mr.. Staneys op-
ponents have striven to draw from them. Whatever
| the truth be, it must come out. There can be no
disposition on his part to withhold it. The man
who has fought bis way through score OF barpaI-
GUS tribes in Central Africa is not likely TO shrink
FROM the ordeal offered him by armchair critics or
Exeter Hall sentimentasts who have followed his
track with keener desire to find him out IN fault
than TO recognize the great qualities to when Ills
great success Is due.
1t is anything but pleasant to be obliged to add
that some part of the animosity which pursues
Mr. Stanley to be due to his American national
ty. Whether he be American by birth or only
American by due process of naturalization, neither
know nor care. But there is a set of people who as
sumo that he is English when credit Is to be
| claimed for his discoveries, and American, when
Obloquy is to be fastened him for alleged cruel
ties. An elaborate indictment appears against him
| this morning in the leading Tory organ none the
| less indictment because 1t puts on the
| garb of an impartial suspense of judgment, and
contains an appeal to the Geographical Society
to arraign and try him. The writer, whoever he
may be. knows his trade and his public we'll IL he
had found space for his attack in Liberal
journal, he would have omitted the suggestion on
which be relies for reaching the lurking anmosies
of his Tory readers. Ii snot on the English Liberal
that the word American acts as red nag Liberal
readers show little disposition to keep alive the he
reditary hatreds and the dread of free institutions
which come readest to the lips of the Old-fashioned
Tory 1t is this latter who is expected to hear with
| approval that "Mr Stanley's American expert