The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-04-25
KING MTEsA.

The King of Uganda, whose death we
announced on Wednesday, was, for
Africa, a remarkable man, probably the
most notable potentate of purely native
origin that the dark continent has pro-
duced. According to the estimate of
Colonel Grant, who, with Spoke, was
his guest twenty-three years ago, Mtesa
was probably not more than forty-eight
years Of age at the time of his death,
and, having succeeded his father, Suna,
in 1857, he has reigned twenty-eight
years. The Waganda have the names
of thirty-live Kings who have reigned
down to the time of Mtesa in regular
succession, and, as Colonel Grant points
out, may probably account for the
"blue blood and vanity which certain
ly ran in the veins OF Mtesa. This van
ity comes out in all the narratives we
have from foreign yisltors-Speke and
Grant, Stanley, and Wilson and Felkn.
1t was eXcusable in potentate who
| had probably never been hundred
miles from home, and who had never
come into contact with any greater
power than his own, to send ambassa-
doris to the Queen of England, and to
believe their reports of the insignificance
of the British Empire as compared with
Uganda. Probably, however, no other
native African Prince, not even the
Muata Janvo himself, had been able to
organize a state so completely and
make so great an advance toward civ
ililat on as the King who has Just died
and his predecessors. Colonel Grant,
who knew him well, speaks of him
proc. r. G. S., vol. ", D. 479) in terms
of real respect, and his estimate is es-
sentially supported by such men rs Sir
Samuel Baker and Mr.. Stanley We have
all read the latter long, interesting and
dramatic account of his many CONVEX
sations with Mtesa about civilization
and Christianity. As we know, the result
of Mr.. Stanley's visit was that Protes-
tant missions were established in the
country, and, according to the mission
aries own reports, have had gratifying
success. But Mtesa was much per-
picked when he learned that there are
two Christian religions, the adhercnts
of which are as hostile TO each other as
both are 10 Northumberland or heath
anjsm. For time. We believe, the
Roman Catholic emiSsares succeeded
in placing their Protestant brethren
under the shadow of Mesa neglect,
if not absolute dispieasure, and in the
end he and his chiefs abandoned both
and reverted to Mohammedanism AS
might be expected, the missionaries
from their point Of view do not speak
so favorablY of the late King as the ex-
plorers. Certainly from the European
point of view Mtesa was guilty of great
cruelties; but, as Colonel Grant shows,
these apparently indiscriminate sacri'
fees of human life were really the recog-
nized and organized modes of admin
istering justice in Uganda. Mtesa him
self was evidently man governed
I largely by impulse. 1t was a good poin
in his character that, when Colone
Grant visited him, he made point o
Wis ting his mother every two days a
,, least. When Baker, as Colonel Gran
reminds us, was all but defeated by thu
Wanyoro, a force from Uganda arriv
ing in the distance was the cause of the
; dispersion of the enemy Mtesa for
warded letters from Baker to Living
stone by his swift-footed soldiers, who,
after journey of six hundred miles
: found the veteran traveller was dead
These and other facts, which may be reaC
in the pages of the travellers we hav,
mentioned, show that Mtesa was capa
3 bic of taking real interest in matter
;. far outside the range of the ordinary
+ savage mind. His army, wonderfully
g organized and diciplined, Mr.. Stanle,
h estimates at 125000 men, and his flee
at 500 canoes. The population o
Uganda proper is probably about
u million, but with neighborng Deepen
Il dent territories about three millions Tn
. capital is timely situated on the slope
Z ANA, from which, as Mr.. Stanley's il
q lustration shows, broad path leads u
, to the royal quarters 1t is gratifying
u TO learn that there have been compare
II lively little violence and bloodshed a
. the change of monarchy. 1t used to b
d the custom at the coronation of the neN
u King to sacrifice his brothers, custom
u which the latter evidently regarded a
II perfectly natural. Mtesas brothers, a
}; the time of Colonel Grants visit, wen
a about in chains, but all the same, an
a though conscious of their fate, "cor
q versed, and attended picncs, an
= boated, and played musical instrument
d with their brother, the King, with pei
feet freedom of action and of speech.
's What all the outside influences hav
10 been that have had civilizing effect o
e. Uganda before it was discovered b
l. Europeans, we do not know; what the
y have been since we do know prett
"a fully. and the results so far have bee
10 on the whole good. 1t is to be hope
~ that, under the young prince who no
re succeeds his father, this native stat
+ may be allowed to develop itself alon
$, its own lines, without any undue a