Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-11-29
The Congo Conference.
Cfneinnaff pnce

| Ine congo COnfeFencc'
Cincinnati Post. se
There is now being held in Berlin
a conference of all the nations hav-
ing any interest in the affairs OF
| Africa. 1t is called the
Congo Conference; and to the river
of that name, and the country
through which it flows, the deliber-
ations are asSumedly TO be confined.
Next to the Amazon, this river
Congo pours the largest flood OF
waters into the ocean. Until Stan
ley followed it from its source to its
mouth there had been erroneous
ideas, both OF its origin and course,
which are now known. From its
source in one of the great inland
lakes to its mouth on the west coast
it runs about 1900 miles. From
mouth to source il is considerably
over 1000 miles as the crow flies,
and navigable the entire distance,
save for about 100 miles, where its
smooth and broad current Is broken
by falls. With a railroad around
these, a highway is opened up for
the commerce of the world 10 The
heart of Africa. The Congo in its
course runs five degrees south and
two degrees north of the equator,
and traverseS a. country rich in all
the native products ut the tropics,
and one that can be made TO rival
in useful products the most favored
portions OF the globe. Thus far the
Portuguese ALMOST exclusively have
carried on trade with the natives
from the west coast, knowing tut
little of sne vast interior from which
they received the two principal
commodities, hides and ivory. The
tribes Of the interior are principally
engaged i'm raising cattle, and are
by no means so harbarOus as might
be supposed. Since Stanley's ex-
ploratiOns, the eyes Of all Europe,
as well as those OF America, have
been upon it. And there will be
difference of opinion whether the
millions of unsuspecting blacks are
| to be blessed with European civlli-
zatIon or cursed by European greed.
Doomed most certainly are the
kings and chieftains of the numer;
Gus tribes to lose their rights OF em-
inent domain 10 the overthrow OF
their laws and customs; to the dis
ruptiOn of their simple forms Oi
government, and to the subvtr,ion
of their crude religious beliefs. In
return, they are to be invited. To
adopt Christianity, in sOme OF its
many denominatiOnal divisions; to
grow poor under European guard
ianship; to be taught how they can
best labo to make their despOilers
rich, under the assumption that
they may possibly grow knowl-
edgeable and rich themselves, and
to be taught to pray and drink
whiskey, and finally become a
horde OF pariahs in their own free
lard. In what manner this Is TO be
accomplished and in the interest OF
what nation or nations, is to be
determined by the conference, TO
which the representatives OF all
Governments are invited, except
those Of the kings aforesaid OF AT
RIGA.
There now exists an African In
ternational Association, OF which
King Leopold, OF Belgium, is Presi-
dent, ana Stanley the executive
official in the Congo. 1t has for an
assumed object the civilization OF
the country through the medium OF
European missionaries, and does
not aim, it is said, at gubernatorial
authority. The Belgian envoy to
the conference is expected TO advo-
cate the interests of this association
The formulated questions foa settle
ment are a@ follows:
|. Freedom of commerce and
free access on the Congo for the flags
of all nations.
2. The same freedom on the Nj
:: ger.
3. A determination Of the right
of any power to occupy territories
which have not yet been subjugated
by IA civilized State.
The last VIII probably afford an
opportunity To say very civilly t.
Portugal "YOur occupation Of ter
ritory on the Congo and trade witt
the natives has not been Of That ef-
fective character which entities yol
; to any claim upon African territory
, by conquest or otherwise" P"rtu-
guese claims Overruled, and tbs
African Association ignored it, l.
2 difficult to imagine that anything
; can be done e&hat will be satisfactory
to the greedy powers except to e.
tablish an International commission
) on the Congo somewhat similar t.
that on the DInube. II so, IL may
. be safely assumed that Bismarck
will provide for predominhnee o
? German influence and power. AL
r ready the churches are saying
''Lo, the poor negro, whose untutor
} ed mind" and pushing their mis-
1 sionarias onto the new fields in or
: der to evangelize the sOOty sons q
| the tropics, and they will go han'
In hand with the money grabbers o
! all nations, who, with guns ant
!, whiskey, will enslaye and corrup
e the semi-civiIized HOttontots a
I only the highly civilized can. Tn
= conquest and subjugetion, the civil
{ ization, the evangelization, and th
q utter moral corruption OF the dark
8, hued populations Of Central Airic'
I has begun. A new bone of cOnten
5 ton has entered into European pol
e itics. in which there are SO man.
: already to quarrel over that Eur0p
Y Is always on the eve oil a fight.