Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-10-26

DTdCLtCAUi6.
while the others, though possible, will. |
believe, be found impracticableb because of
the excessive cost and the natural diff
culties to be overcome"
THE CONGO VALLEY.
'Changing the subject, Commodore
from the New World to a newer one.
what are your views about the Congo
valley and the conference of nations to be
held in Europe shortly TO consider it?V
"Well," he said, refectively, "that is
another pretty broad question. l can an
swer it safely, however, by saying that /
am in favor of anything that will break
the Portuguese supremacy that is being
attempted to be fastened upon that coun-
try. The rule of the Portuguese has been
marked with so many unsatisfactory fea-
lures that l think | speak not only my
own sentiments, but those of almost every
careful observer in saying that any con-
certed action which will prevent that
nation from establishing supremacy over
the Congo valley and will open it up to
free trade by all nations, is deYoutly to
be wished for. The Portuguese not only
foster slavery and the slave trade, but if
the treaty which they formed with Great
Britain regarding the mouth of
the Congo and the lower
Congo country is permitted to stand
and to develop, as it naturally will, if it
is recognized, they will make the CON-
merce of every country seeking the Congo
to become tributary to them, and viii
practically shut out all other nations
from that rich valley with its 45 100000 of
people. l found the Portuguese, when l
visited there, very jealous, and inclined
to give as little information and encour-
agement as possible, evidently fearing
that their slave trade and other systems
fhnro TniCht ba ir1fppfnv ed with -
''Do you think that the trade of the Con-
go Valley is so valuable or intercourse
with that country so important as is gen.
orally supposedly
81 do not consider it of of so great i'm
mediate value, but am heartily in favor Of
opening up that great river and valley to
commerce. | do not look for so important
immediate results as many do, but favor
the plans of the International African AS
ISOLATION, by which the Upper Congo with
its great population and possibilities will
be opened TO all the world for equal COM
mercial opportunities"
''What do you think Ofthe people Of that
country? Is their commerce likely to be
of any considerable value?''
'FWell it must be confessed that a coun-
try whose people only want rum and
little cotton cloth, and whose only pro-
ductions are palm oil and little native
ivory, is not likely to be Immediately pro-
ductive of great commerce to the thOus-
and in population, yet as the country of
the Upper Congo is equal to France and
Germany in size, and has a population
nearly as great as the United States, and
is represented as having 5000 miles of
navigable streams, it's possibilities are of
course very great. What the character
of the population of the Upper Congo val
ley is do not know from personal Obser-
walton, though l am informed it is much
better than that of the Lower Congo, where
the native population is, think, the most
degraded of any that l have seen in At
RIGA"
500 you approve Of the proposition that
the United States Government should take
any part in the affairs of this conference
or Of the country in question:
eyes; l was consulted last winter with
reference to the prOpriety of recognizing
the International Association and favored
it. There would be little trouble in re-
establishing our commerce there. Amer
lean cOtton-and cotton cloth is the chief
article of sale there aside from rum
American cottOns were very popular with
the people there, as were also others
our productions, but we lost that trade
during the war and have never re9ained
it, though it would be easy to do so.''
''What do you think of SANKEY'S pro-
position for the construction of a railway
to connect the Lower Congo with the
Upper Congo, along the 235 miles of I'M
navigable stream between the two, and
connecting the 5000 miles of navigable
rivers in the Upper Congo country with
the Lower Congo river and the sea?"
sit may be practicable, but | should
suppose railway connecting the OgOwai
river, which is navigable, with the Upper
Congo would be more easily constructed,
as the country along the unnavigable
between the OgOwai and the Upper Congo
it is more level. 1t seems to me, how
ever" said the Commodore, by way of
conclusion, that there is better field
further up the coast for our trade in and
through Liberia, where all the sentiment
and influence are IN our favor, and where
we may reach the natives of the interior
of Africa through these channels