National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-05-29
tina! the natives refused to have anything to do


that II / lived to get out would tell the
truth about the country as | saw II. have
I'm my possession to-day letters from many
Of these same officials, requesting me to
make an expose of tho whole affair, and
other letters from tho Same gentlemen
thanking me for having told the truth 10
the king (meaning Leopold ~, and for
having published II TO the world. had the
pleasure to place In the hands Of Col.
Strauch, president of the association, an
autographs letter from one Of the highest
officials in the Congo, which letter was an
appeal for medicines, stores, and for doctors
TO attend the sick, aud had later advlces
from the author OF that lettor thanking me
aud saying that tho Brussels people had
taken partial notice OF the request.
MIR. btanley's statement as to the number
OF men who have been employed by the as.
ISOLATION, and the number who have died,
may be correct, but, II so, IL does not tally
with the information which received from
the officials OF the association. In my
opinion, II is as far from the truth as Is his
statement, published IN tho latest book Of
romance, that the Congo states have sea
frontage on the Atlantic Of $50 miles,
when the fact is they have just thirty.elght
miles. He is very careful not 10 speak OF
the numerous expeditions, sent by various
governments and geographical societies,
which have boon completely annihilated.
lie is careful not 10 mention the deaths Of
DIR. Nachtigal, Lieut.. Schultz, DR.. Comber,
Mr.. Craven, Mr.. Mcmillan, Mr.. Crulcl1-
shank, Mr.. Condet, Mr.. Faron, and many
others not connected with the association,
but whose deaths were caused by the bad
climate Of the Congo. There may be many
errors in my reports, but the Wholesale
charge made by Mr.. Stanley that they are
gross exaggertions is maliciously false;
and TO you, Mr.. Secretary, have demon
strated that the exaggerations are on the
side Of the great explorer, who has mapped
out y country covering an area Of
i,5Vo, goo square miles, without ever having
left the river which flows through Its center
Mr.. Stanley's writings are romantic, to say
| the least, and his 'Aoross the Dark Con-
| tinentp and 1.-THE Free States OF Congo,
and How They We're Founded" can hardly
| be accepted as proof positive that he IS
right and nm wrong, sincs bis works are
| openly denounced by the African explorers
| OF character as gross exagRerations.
i have never In any way associated the
name Of his majeSty the King OF Belglans,
| Col. Strauch, Mr.. Stanley, nor any other
| person or persons directly identified with
| the Congo scheme, with fraud, nor have
represented them as "deludlug the public
with false reports, and enticing innocent
| persons TO their DOOM l have, In dis.
charging my duty, stated the condition OF
| affairs In the Congo as / found them; and
as Mr.. Stanley was the father Of the So
called free statee, imagine that his ego
| tism has been wounded.
His majesty the king Of the Belgians said
to me that my report simply confirmed the
information which had come TO him; and
his majesty remarked In the same breath
"that Mr.. Stanley would never beappointed
governor Of the Congo.n II 10 all very we'll
for Mr.. Stanley to tell the readers OF the
New York Herald what he might write
about. II he were to write less fiction aud
more truth, should have some hope that
the Congo states might succeed under the
wise and judicious administration of Sir
Francis de Winton. LIDO not question the
wealth of the Upper Congo country. Other
travellers do, however. simply say
that the country through which travelled
Is worthless after passing Vivi, and that
white men cannot live there, With money,
1t is possible TO build q railway around the
rapids or even across to Zanzibar. But
venture to say that to take out one dollars
worth Of produce by means of this road the
cost would be three dollars. Capitalists will,
| at least, investigate before they invest their
money. Naturally, with the personal
guarantee Of Leopold ii, the money can be
raised, but never upon the guarantee of the
free states Of the Congo. Has Mr.. Stanley
ever heard Of the Dom Pedro ii railway OF
Brazil, which was constructed by the i'm
perial government, and which runs to tho
great rich coffee fields Of the interior2 The
first 100 miles passes through country
which yields little or nothing; yet beyond,
on thshighlands, its riches are unparalleled
Two trains each day pass over this line In
both directions heavily laden with provis-
ions and stores for the interior and with
coffee for export. The passenger traffic,
too, is large. Yet this railway has never
been made topay its running expenses.
Does Mir. Stanley expect better results from
his Congo railway
The names which figure in Mr.. SANKEY'S
list as having served three years In the Congo
country can be very largely culled down.
Mr.. Tugmau was there less than two years,
and carried him In my arms on board the
steamer which took him to England, aud,
though Ill myself, nursed him back to life,
DR.. Allard never went to the interior be-
yond Vivi. He established the pest house
near Bona, and called 1t hospital, from
which very few ever escaped alive after once
passing within its portal, and from which
DIR. Allard was compelled to flee three times,
taking refuge In the salubrious climes OF
Mossamedes, In South Angola. Mr.. Lehr-
man was never on the Congo east of Vlyi,
and he went with me to Vivi for tho first
time. His service was at Granville and In
the valley Of the Quillu, where he has left
most excellent record. Soulez Micik,
Shaw, Valcke, and many Others were In
Europe when left, broken in health. Mr..
Stanley writes fervently Of the little hand
full of brave men who did manage to pull
through the three years Of contract time; but
he does not refer TO the hundreds OF Others
who, II alive to-day, are helpless, hopeless
invalids--the result OF their engagement to
serve the International Association In this
fever.strlcken country. Nor does he men,
ton the fact that 90 per cent of the mission
aries who have gone to this country have
died, or, II living, are invalids. Mr.. Secre-
tary, have the names OF every man who
has entered the service up to the LIST OF
April, 1885, and the notes under the head
Of "Where are they nowr make sad
| chapter In my memoranda OF travel.
The suggestion that was requested by
the American minister In Berlin to leave
during the sitting of the conference Is false,
and need only refer you to the official
correspondence on file In the department.
Mr.. Sanford and Mr. Stanley suggested It..
They did not want me there, yet It was only
out Of courtesy to the American minister
that Mr.. Sanford was admitted to the con-
ference at all. He knocked loudly for
three days before the doors were open to
him. He went there TO advocate his pet
"semi- political. commercial" scheme Do
you not remember how quickly quietly,
and permanently he was suppressed OF
tho munificent sum Of $4,000 to which Mr..
Stanley refers, he knows very we'll that no
such sum was used by me. To the Congo
fund to-day there is balance Of about
Sl2,OC0.
Mr.. Secretary, propose that you ap'
point two special agents and allow me Ia
name third, and let this commission go
over the same ground which l trav
ersed. will pay one-third of the expense,
} and II the majority OF the commission dc
not sustain my reports In every particular
will pay It all. will gladly be the pilot
and take them step by step over the same
! ground. My own losses consequent to the
acceptance Of the Congo mission were iivt
times greater than the entire sum voted BY
Congress, yet can stand little more TO
, the sake Of the vindication OF the trutl
and the exposure OF pompous pretense.