The Worthington advance., 1878-10-24
otanIey's Wars.

Or SANKEY'S wars much has been writ
ten Various Englishmen. from Lord
Derby down. have expressed an opinion
upon these conflicts, and the discussion
bids fair to become a permanent chapter
in African literature. The American OBJ
server will notice that at the time Stanley
was adding fame to the names of the
British Princess Beatrice and the future
British Queen Alexandra by giving these
names to two important discoveries in
Africa. Lord Derby was issuing orders 70
the British consuls to prevent his carry
ing the British flag. This reminds US Of
Columbus returning home in chains
prisoner to the king to wfose empire he
had added continental dominion. 1t was
rumored that Stanley was to be arrested
when he came TO the coast, if he ever did
come and the New York Herald. as his
employer and champion, went so tar as to
advance his American citizenship as
reason why he should not be arrested
without at least protest from the Amer
ican government. But as it happened
that Stanley did return to British soil an
honoled guest on q British man -ot-war
and not prisoner, and the first to well
come him was the Prince of Wales. we
may be justified in assuming that Lord
Derby's action was an impulse based up
on incorrect Information, and never a
serious purpose of the government. OF
course if Stanley could have crossed the
African continent without harming anv
one, MS taking of life would have been
massacre. The history OF African ex.
Dloration in our own Indian territories, is
unhappily the history of continued war.
In our country white men were slain to
crafty savage's craving for blood. In
many parts of Africa men are slain for
food. Stanley good part Of his time
was moving among people who would
have killed him and his whole command,
as our Indians kill the buffalo, namely 70
eat them. II don't choose" said Living
ston. ito be made meat for bl;.ckmen."
This was one of the reasons why that
gentle soul refused to 90 into the Congo
country; and it was in the Congo country
that Stanley fought most of his battles.
We think the law Of self defense can be
put on no higher ground than the dislike
10 be killed and eaten by your enemv. In
other regions Stanley fought to save him
~rIf from being killed and his army
robbed. His expedition was a tempting
ONE tc the black men. He carried his
army chest with him in the shape of beads
au.i cloths and wire aud cowri.s and arti-
lies OF merchandise, which were as much
the curreI cv OF his command as the
greenbacks with which we paid our
armies during the war We take it no
prudent commander would allow his
army chest to be carried away without
detendi g il, espe ecially if he depended
upon it,as Stanley did, for all his supplies.
It was his army chest, and CT ntained his
provisions. He could only live by buy
ing from the people, and he could only
buy with hi. supplies. In some cases
the people were in fear of the slave
trad. rs. Stanley may have been attacked
under the inp~ession that he was coming
10 carry off men and women and children
into slavery. If this led to the loss OF
life, then we must all lament it, but the
blame is not upon Stanley, but upon the
odious system which European civiliza-
tion planted in Africa, which still -four
ishes, but which no one one has done SO
much to destroy as our explorer. In all
these savage countries the traveller Is sub
ject to one Of this sudden, lawless gusts
OF passion which fell upon Captain Cook
in the Pacific and deprived sc.ence and
humanity of that intrepid and glorious
life. The difference between Stanley and
Captain Cook is that Stanley killed his
assailants. If Captain Cook had been so
fortunate, we Question if Lord Chatham
would have been so eager 10 deprive
him of his flag as Lord Derby was to with
draw from Stanley the flag witch was
the emblem OF the English fraction of his
expedition.--JoAn Russell Young, in Har-
per's Magazine fo, October