The New York herald., 1879-12-10
AFRICAN EXPLORATION.

ORGANIZATION AND HISTORY OF THE INTERIM
TIoNAL AFRICAN AssocIATIoN--oPEvING UP
THE DARK CONTINENT TO CIVILIZATION.
From the Baltimore Sun. December 81
The Sun is indebted TO Mr.. J. II. L. Latrobe. who
has been connected with the affairs of Liberia and
the American Colonization Society for more
than hfy years. and is president Of the
latter society now, as we'll as president also
OF the United States branch of the International
African Association. to the first meeting Of which
he was invited in very handsome personal letter of
the King OF the Begians, requesting him to become
his guest during the seances of the association and
expressing the highest appreciation of his widely
known public services, for some very interesting
facts and papers illustrating the present phases Of
the African exploration.
Africa Is the last Of the continents which remains
to be explored. 1t is the richest and most populous
Of the sections of the globe from which the white
man continues to be excluded In spite OF wars. of
the slave trade and very ferocious sort of ndig-
cnous barbarsm. 1t seems likely that the native ne
gro races of Africa not diminishing. They pre-
serve ther vitality and their numbers and they aud
the deadly climate of the country together have SO
FAR permanently repelled both the whites and Arabs
settlers and colonists. though not altogether
traders.
The French. the Dutch. the Portuguese and the
English have their coast settlements and their
colonies at various points around the ocean line
of Africa-its frontier. in other words; but ex-
cept in Algeria and its Sinegambian adjuncts
and the Cape colonies there has been
far but little success in penetrating far into
the interior. except by individual explorers of
phenomenal vgor at once of persistence and Of con-
stitution. such Mungo Park. the Landers. Barth.
Livingstone. Stanley. Denhsm and Clapperton.
Schweinfurth. Reade aud others, constituting not
long list. No progressive population has yet
forced its way into the heart of Africa. and the
cent rapid spread of Mohammedanism nearly
half Of the Continent. and especially over all the
Soudan. is pretty much all the evidence we have
that there is still life in the "dsrk Continent"
LIBERIA AND OTHER COLONIES.
We do not intend to impeach the which led
to tho foundation of the British colonies the West
Coast of Africa. They were various as the differ
between the motives of Granville sharpe and
william Wilberforce. and those OF the Liverpool
merchants interested in securing good trade palm
proved. that the American colony. Liberia and par
ticularly the Maryland Cape Palmas part of
this colony founded in the spirit OF the purest
and most disnterested sort OF philanthropy and
benevdlence. and with no other ends in view. The
Sera ppSpy this their de-
scendants do. 1t Is record that in the earlier
days of the colony. when the natives on the coast
In the very extremity OF their hour of disaster.
% ofersd % his services A' to j Elijah w Watkins and and
Cufee Johnson. "Only let me plant my standard on
said the commandant. .'But no. replied Elijah and
Cuffee, with q single breath. "That flag. planted
we can possibly experience from other causes. We
are lighting for the liberty OF Liberia and do not
want your assistance It was by such heroes
the society ut home. that the colony Of Liberia
the free State Of Liberia. became not only an
actuality, but fixed fact Liberia in fact. was tho
result of spirit of humanitaranism pure and
simple. but the motives going to the creation of
mixed. Our colored people only just beginning
to understand Liberia. but the time will probably
come when they will comprehend the purposes Of
its ancient founders and Its present supporters
much better. Liberia has never been offered to our
colored brethren Of Maryland and elsewhere as
sine qua n0n but only as an alternative in case
their sef-respect as free race should be in
volved. The day may comet Is to be hoped 1t
will come-hOwever. whom 1t will not be
compatible with the self-respect and tho dignity
the colored citizen of the United States, in spite
sort Of law and constitutional provision. to re-
main any longer social pariah and political
ssaipss inSuperass odds shall be finally Ina sSsn
doned (the general result finally in all race
viii the Se ans ana
motives of its founders appreciated. That colony
Keeps open the door Of Africa IN order that the
sefrespecting Of the Africans descended from those
imported into the country by the slave trade may
they see ft, improve 1t. aud to beautify it, and
rule it their own eventually-just as Israes de-
scendants returned into Canaan after long expstr
alton and laid foundations for the kingdom of David
and solomon.
RECENT EXPLORATIONS.
Meantime before and since the plantation Of this
colony, exalted and disnterested in it's motives
other countries have planted other colonies at
peninsula, with divers other objects in view.
Portugal. earliest of any other country OF
she still maintains on both the east and west
coasts. The Dutch followed next. then the English
for two generations to teach her people 60 abroad
and she offers them tempting invitations to 20 to
lands the tropics in both the Eastern and West
ern hemspheres. Whether they settle in Algeria,
Senegambia or in Cochin China. they may be sure
ment. Great Britain however has planted her foot
deepest African soil. She made the Dutch yield
to her the Cape Colony. which now extends north
Kalir and Zulu races overwhelmed with dofeat she
protects" Egypt. rules the Gulf Of Guinea and the
all the explorers and their expeditions
Until recently the British Geographical Society and
the British Association for the Encouragement of
Foreign Missions had rivals. II Is true that
and then the world heard of Jesuit priest penetrate
ing into countries whore British consul forbid
to go; but even these cases OF supreme devotion
rare. The British Geographical Society has
done some noble work. 1t hus fostered repeated
expeditions toward the Pole. mt the same time
that it knew tho Greenland Esquimaux had
for Manchester calicoes aud gray shirtings. But
this society still looked to the main chance. and.
whether 1t was operating up the Nile or down the
Niger. on the Zambese or the Luaaba. the great
lakes Oh tue west OF tue shbhOW mhrBnes oI tuo
Soudan. the established policy of providing new
outlets for British manufactures has never
been lost sight of. Great Britain seems. In fact,
to look Africa her She regards with
u jealous eye the effort of every country to wrest
these 7O0O0.006 Of calico-buying and shirtwenring
negroes Of the future from their predcstined tribute
to Manchester. Consequently she has maintained
great activity In exploration and has tried surpass
other countries IN the force and character Of her
infringement upon the dark continent. She has
also isolated herself in this regard. and refused
to cooperate with any other countries, SO as to
divide up the objects of exploration and multiply
the number and the resources OF the explorers in
the same proportion This policy natural. and
under the circumstances not, perhaps. bameworthy;
but still 1t narrow and selfish The continental
nations OF Europe determined 10 meet and defeat 1t
by more liberal programme. and this they havo
succeeded in instituting. in the face of many OBJ
stacles.
AN INTERNATIONAL AssocIArIoE.
For many years France. Germany Austria,
Italy. Belgium and Switzerland have had their
own geographical society and have engaged in
hIsiileka African exuQratiOn