National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-05-29

STR: by the arrival OF the American
mail to-day / am In receipt OF the
New York Herald Of January 81, which
contains letter from Mr.. Henry NJ Stan
ley, criticising in most remarkable man
ner the official reports which l had the
honor TO make as agent OF the United States
of the Congo Association. j have no Wish
to enter upon n controversy with Mr., Stan
ley, who rests placidly on the liberal sup
port from the private purse OF his majesty
The king Of the Belgians, and holds ut com
mand an important part OF the press col
umns OF the world, chiefly because my
duty was TO the government OF the United
States, and not to Mr.. Stanley,ns he appears
to assume.
To you, Mr.. Secretary, as the head Of
the department which honored me With tho
appointment, beg leave to address myself
in this open letter TO confront and answer
tho statements, innuendos, and misrepre-
sensations made by Mr.. Stanley, evidently
for the purpose of Keeping anoat the Congo
bauble, which he has found so pleasant and
profitable, until he shall be able TO drain q
little more gold and glory from the Golfers
OF his majesty, and from a deluded public
which he beguiles indark ways across a still
darker continent.
His majesty the king of the Belgans, out
OF pure and elevated motives, thought TO
build an enduring monument to philan-
thropy In equatorial Africa; and upon that
desire Mr., Stanley has builded in London a
private palace where luxury abounds, ex-
travagance dwells, and a costly museum
has been erected, into which will dwindle
the monument his majesty thought to see
rise In Central Africa; and II is not strange
therefore, that Mr.. Stanley should be I'm
patient with the utterance OF tho truth
concerning the case.
Mr.. stanley's criticisms Of my report are
based on disconnected and garbled extrncts
therefrom, and when he can no longer do
this he has resort to personal detraction,
which, however, fails to prove that the
Congo valley is the paradise which he, un-
aided by the Almighty, has made. A cause
which can only be defended and debated by
lost cause; and Mr.. Stanley is SO grossly
guilty Of this that no gentleman can dis
cuss the matter with him; hence am forced
TO address myself to the head Of the depart
ment, which have had the honor to serve,
and to whom only Lam responsible for my
reports.
am not blind, Mr.. Secretary. have
never found a Livingstone, nor have
crossed dark continent; but have trav-
eled where Mr.. Stanley never thought OF
travelling; more miles, have endured as
many hardshlps, and / cannot yield the
evidence OF my senses to his gorgeous de-
scrlptions, which are unsupported by other
evidence, and which he has made so often
that am not prepared to say he does not
sometimes think them true
In my reports to the government have
stated plain facts as they came under my
observation, and from reliable officials Of
the African International Association; and
you, Mr.. Secretary, have seen the evidence
OF my statements. l thought this my duty,
whereas Mr.. Stanley and certain OF his asso-
ciates thought should serve their schemes.
might have been blessed with the smiles
and approval Of these gentlemen had but
allowed Mr.. Stanley to relieve me from the
trouble OF preparing my reports; indeed, I
fear / neglected a fine opportunity. for
when arrived in Brussels was invited to
Chateau Gingelom, the residence OF OK
! United States minister, Henry s. Sanford,
where was unfolded before me the scheme
OF the "Great Semi-Politlcal Commercial
Trading Company Of the Congo" Capital
to be raised in Enghnd), with the intima.
should make prudent and practicable re-
port in harmony with the proposed scheme.
When II was known that had neglected
so fine an opportunity, and had made my
reports on the basis OF unadorned facts and
tnvarnished truth, at once inherited the
hatred, malice, and yituperation oil Mr..
Sanford aud Mr.. Stanley, and press, cable,
telegraph, and platform were used against
me. Ex-Minister Sanford was so good as
TO write me, at the same time, a letter OF
regret, that had not allowed him TO ex-
anime and revise my reports before sending
them to the department. This letter, with
many others from Mr.. Sanford, are at your
disposal.
Let me suggest, Mr.. Secretary, that you
investigate the subject, and ascertain just
why the United States took such an i'm.
poftant part in the Berlin conference, aud
why the Congress Of the United States be-
came sponsor for this so.called "Congo
Free States,n which, In fact, had no ex'
istence. / know that every gentleman
within the executive and legislative depart.
ments OF the government who participated
In the consideration OF the Congo question
acted with the best intentions and from the
purest motives. The information upon
which congressional action was based came
from one man, and that man was tho Hon
Henry S. Sanford, ex-United States minis
ter to Belgium. While he resided in Wash
ington, urging the passage Of the bill which
gave recognition TO states not In existence
bis "blue ribbon dinners" were the talk oil
, The town. l DO not mean to tnsinuate that
an American legislator can be Influenced
by a dinner; far from 1t. But have heard
the ex-minister of the United States de
clare, time and again, that he wrote thu
clause about the Congo which appeared II
President Arthur's message; that he sup
piled all the information to the Department
of State about the Congo; that he passed
the bill In Congress which gave recognition
10 a state having no existence; and that HI
brought about the call for the Berlin con
ference. The information which you would
obtain by such an investigation would a
least make an interesting chapter in thu
history Of Congo legislation.
Can any one believe for moment that !
Congo was as rich as 1t is reported TO be, Il
would have remained 800 years uneSpioret
except by the Portuguese, who knew ever
inch of country south OF the equator ant
west Of Longitude 15o east2 Can you
imagine, Mr.. Secretary, that the Eng
lish, who explored the valley of the Cong
in the early part Of the present century
would have abandoned 1t II they had fount
the great wealth claimed for 1t by Mr.
StanleyH Is Il possible that the enterpIis
ing Dutch traders could have remained 20
years ut the mouth OF the Congo and neye
heard OF the wonderful deposits OF wealt
at their very DOORS Mr.. Stanley wen
down stream with the current. He coul,
not turn back. He rarely ever landed dun
ing his perilous voyage, and II we are :
believe him he had 70 fight his way acros
sea with tales which are only equaled In III
HArablan Nights.n | cannot deny but thai
In part, he states the truth. have onl
written In general OF the country which
saw. But distinguished English explorer
Lieut.. Cameron, OF the royal navy, VIII
went 70 lhnRanykh anu tne Cppor SouS'
read the wonderful tales Of Mr., Stanley
and In public meeting, held In Merchants
Court, Guildhall, Newcastle, Feb. 90, 1888!
Commander Cameron spoke as follows
No doubt many OF them had read what NJ
Stanley said in his speech at Manchester No
he thought that in that speech Mr. stanle
drew somewhat highly-eolored picture. u
talked Of SO many millions of people living
the basin of the Congo. He Command
Cameron knew there was very large popul
tion, but he should not like 70 bind himse
down TO figures. He had made calculations Z
different data, and found that they varied
much In the results that he could not biz
himself TO any figure. Then there was d