The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-06-29
: A.rslcAx corrox IN .AseE. ,
wiu IL be OvssnatehsA ~ tAs british h
the Heart Of Afrlcas

wan 10 Do Ovsematehsa ~ The BPAeasA u
the Heart Of Afrioas
South Of the Sahara lies tho Soudan. The
Soudan. to most Americans. is but . phrase
designating portion Of Africa. Utmost I'M
known and OF small account commercially or
otherwise. We have thought Of the region.
when we thought Of II at oil. as bsrbArous land.
Inhabited by fetish worshipping and savage
blacks. With contemptuous smile We have
dismissed all thoughts Of the Soudan and Its
products ever having any influence ON the
prosperity Of America. That Mohammedan en-
plrss exist within tho Soudan. that hundreds
OF walled towns stand on the soil Of the black
Africa. that the land 10 fertile and teeming with
slaves engaged In agriculture. is unknown 10
most Americans. The Soudan Ii rich In native
resources. Ithas languished because there has
been no outlet for its agricultural productions.
Cotton manufactures were established hum
drods Of years ago. The cotton plant grows to
perfection In many portions OF the Soudan. and
the land suitable for tho remunerative cutiva-
ton OF cotton far exceeds the area OF our cotton
States. Food 10 cheap aud abundant. Labor
IL as low 40 slaves. oheaply supplied by the men
who hunt for human flesh In the apparently
inexhaustible slave preserves OF Africa can
make 1t. For ycars thinking men have realized
the fact that the only rivalous cotton zone had
lain hidden In the heart OF Africa. and that there
WAS but remote probability Of its ever being
opened ~ a supply market from which raw cot
ton could be drawn to Manchester.
Traders arc proverbially koen. far-sighted
men. At the head Of them stand the English
traders. They conduct trade us other people
conduct war. Opposition is ruthlessly crushed;
custom houses and trade barriers ereotod by
weak and unwariike peoples are destroyed and
overturned by these mon, who control the most
powerful nation on earth. The advance OF
English traders has LEFT corpse-encumberod
trails in all Oriental lands. Bold. careless OF
the rights OF other nations: determined to
gather the wealth OF tho world into English
hands. II It can DO done by trading; ever ready
for war II necessary to opon new markets
for tho products OF her mills. and resoluts
In the intention to retain her commercial SUI
premacy. England is tho most dangerous an
tagonist on earth to cope WITH either in COM
mercial or military strife. With dogged obsti-
macy. tho English traders and manufacturers
(really the Govornment) rofuse to acknowledge
themselves beaten in any enterprise they un-
dertake. We have soen what they are capable
OF doing when fully aroused to danger threat
ening their supremacy in trade. by the rapidity
with which they developed the resources Of the
Indian wheat field. when men in this country
sought to advance the price OF food by provision
corners and excessive transportation rates.
From London comes the news that England
projects the building Of q military railroad
across the Sahara. All men who know the
commercial history Of the English people un-
derstand that this railroad will. IL built. speed
lily develop into commercial highway. Our
Southern people have rather enjoyed tho fall in
value OF breadstufYs. Cheap food for their i'll.
paid labor was advantageous to them. Their
agriculture WAS secure from assault. They
had the cotton trade OF the world In their hands.
m ~ A.
foreign fields They ignored the fact that the
determining factor In their struggle WAS the
climate OF the other folds. that rendered the
the cotton fibre harsh and unfit for the
manufacture OF the goods the trade demanded.
Soon altar the completion OF this strictly mill
tarv African road the Southern people will have
the pleasure Of gratifying their. love for strife
by a trade conflict with foe worthy OF their
most serious consideration. The railroad pro-
jected is In every sense Of the word CONNER
| cial highway. and 1t is intended to develop
| the Soudan cotton fields. That England hesi-
| tates to sQuander mon or money in war is not
| true. II 1t was war only that she meant her
troops would be pushed across the desert into
the Soudan. and they would conquer 1t as
| quickly as the Moorish musketeers did in the
| sixteenth century. No. a nation bent on the
| chastsement OF q semi-civiized people, q job
| Of short duration. does not build line OF rail-
road into that peoples land England means
to occupy the land.
A country where slavery Is established. and
where tho price Of slaves is nominal they cnn
BIO had for the catching). and where the soil and
climate are suitable for cotton culture. Is a land
that can cause the suspension OF cotton Guilt
walton in our Southern States. 1t il this COM
petition that the developed Soudan will afford.
and that the English Government will ask us
to meet. Our Southern planters can no more
compete with the cotton fields Of the Soudan.
| once they are developed by railroads than our
bfgadstuffs producers can overcome the Indian
competition in the worlds wheat market.
Our newspapers have OF late been full OF Bit
| ter denunciations OF the cowardly policy OF the
Gladstone Cabinet. Taunts and jeers have
been the order OF the day. That the English
Government Is seldom overreached In diplo-
matte negotiation. and that that nation Is gifted
beyond all others In being able to manage its
business skilfully. seem to have been ovor-
looked by American critics prone to discover
mares nests OF weakness and imbeciity in all
things English. 1t is Dot probable that the
Gladstone Cabinet foresAw that the Egyptian
trouble would result In the development OF the
| Soudan cotton field when they occupied Egypt
But no Intelligent man will deny that they see
1t now. and that the plan Of building q railroad
Is the direct outcome Of that foresight. 1t Is q
blow aimed at American supremacy In cotton
growing. and 1t will prove to be a fatal blow
The policy OF our Government has been
against internal improvements executed at
national expense. and against any Interference
In tho disposition European powers have seen
fit to mako OF such portions OF the earth as are
not Inhabited by white men banded together
into powerful nations. 1t has been On eminent
ly safe policy as far as our personal health has
been concerned. But this policy is to be con-
tinued In the future our children will be made
to suffer for the political blindness n their
fathers. The time is at hand for this nation to
take part in the politics Of tho world. II we
continue to sit supinely and make pretence
OF believing that the finished craft displayed by
our politicians in obtaining Office for their
political strikers is Craftsmanship. 1t is
highly probable that in q few decades we will
sink into provincial country where the expert
mont OF growing rich by devouring ourselves