The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-08-30
NO. 81.

comes blacker, both morally and
physically. Why it should be do not
know, but the skin of the coast tribe is
of much darker tint than that of his
inland brother, and his morality is i'm
measurably worse. What you have to
do, therefore, is to pierce through this
evil fringe of savagery and you find q
whole virgin continent waiting to well
come the advent of British goods.
There is no one whom they esteem
more highly than trader. They have
a great desire to purchase European
goods, and when once a market is op-
ened there is no fear of its being closed
unless you let some European rival in
who will bolt the door against you.
That is the danger to be apprehendod,
and that, it seems to me, is precisely
what the government has been attempt
ing to do in the case of the Congo
treaty. Anything more utterly infatu-
ated than to establish Portuguese Off
cials along any part of Africa not al
ready cursed by their presence, cannot
imagine. If the foreign secretary had
ever lived under Portuguese rule he
would have thought twice and even
thrice before recognizing Portuguese
sovereignty over the Congo. Portu-
guese rule is simply a Portuguese
sponge. That is to say, the Portuguese
officials regard every district committed
to their care as a source of wealth to be
drained for their own private benefit.
They ruin district after district by their
exactions, by their restrictions and
their corruption. They have already
sucked dry all regions over which their
flag flies, and the prospect of laying
their plundering hands upon the great
and growing trade of the Congo has
the imagination of the min
listers Of Lisbon. That l can under
stand; but that any English minister
could connive for one moment at such
an extension of their authority is what
cannot understand. The Congo is
destined to be a great highway into
Central Africa, and the only port at
which seagoing vessels can discharge
their cargoes lies within the territory
by the treaty as belonging
10 Portugal. l cannot for the life Of
me see why there is any need for any
change in the status quo on the Congo.
The natives like it, the traders like
t.; then why can it not stop at thisP
The only argument in favor of our ac-
action is that with the increase of trade
ldventurers from all lands, especially
rom the neighboring Portuguese COL
,nies, may settle on its banks, and IN
hat case you may want some author
ty, but it should be European and not
Portuguese, for Portuguese would only
make matters worse. But of that there
8 as yet no proof. The disorder quoted
n the dispatches to justify Portuguese
is not recent, and my own
opinion is very strong that the more
ou leave these natives alone the better
will be for all concerned.
"What is wanted along the west
oast is piers, wharves, harbors, rail-
rays, far more than custom houses and
'ortuguese officials. Along the whole
tretch of the West African coast there
not even an apology for these ele-
lentary appliances of civilization. Sew
raj years ago the first sod of what was
, have been the first railway in Portu-
uese territory in West Africa was cut
the presence of an English admiral
ith great rejoicing. That first sod
as the first and last work that was
yer done on the Portuguese railway.
nd yet in spite of all these disadvan-
ges, trade has increased wonderfully.
is mistake to imagine that the eli
ate is 80 deadly as to be fatal to Euro
ian enterprises. have lived there
any years and the insurance company
ntinues my policy at the same rate Of
emium as before went out. The
le thing needful is to keep a good
art, live temperate life and not ex-
'se your head to the sun. As for the
'rican fever it is only like bad cold,
ID we think nothing of it after time.
sglect of these precautions, however,
questionably has serious results.
INT out with twenty-four young fell
VS. several years ago, of whom am
g solitary survivor. But 1 never was
aid, and that makes all the differ
ce. The moment you lose heart you
10 your life, especially when yellow
7er is raging around you, as is some
les the case in those parts. If had
sum up in one word my advice to
ropean governments as to the true
icy on the Congo, should adopt
{. Gladstone's formula and say:
ands off,"