, 1888-03-28

49, 'A'' lH'At'tilH'OiJ : CIV (hNIA
sermons lave caused him more grief than
the cruel sentences of hard hearted politi-
clans, who COldly declare that in the great
battle OF life the weak mast disappear be
tore the strong, that inferior and unpro-
greSSive races are destined to perish, that
one day Europe will conquer all Africa,
and that the negro will take his place
amongst the lost species. thus has decid-
ell an EHgliShman, Mr.. WinwOod Reade,
author of a book on Wild Africa. He
aft ms that the AnglO-SaXon had received
the mission from Heaven to. ciyi!izc and
occupy Africa. ana that the final result
will be the determination of the blacks 0r
their spontaneous disappearance, their gra-
dual extinction. "But," adds he with
infinite grace, "grateful posterity will
cherish their memory. When hotels Will
be established pear the sources of the
Nile; when it will be the fashion to nayi-
gate yachts on the lakes OF the Grand,
Plateau; when the CockneyS of TimbuCtGo
will hay { their tea gardens in the GASES of
Sahara when real gentlemen, building
villas in Central Africa, will have their
elephant parks and their preserves for
~hippopotamI, young ladies seated ON easy
chains, in the shade of the palms, will shed
tears whilst reading a romance called "Thr
Last OF he NegIOS'-and the Niger will
become as romantic a river as tile Rhine"
These amiable predictions are not made
to brighten Mr., Blyden. He knows that
tn laws of nature are stronger than the
malice of man, and that his people of
strong strucf Ue are vigorous and resistant.
1t is not with the negro as with the Red,
skins or the Australians. The contact of
the white is not fatal to him; European
civilization does not kill him, he continues
to reproduce himself even in the house of
his master. notwithstanding the thou.
sands and millions Of men that the slave
trade has taken from it, Africa is as popu-
louS as ever, Africa will always be the
mother country the home of the black
The European may perhaps create open-
ingS for his commerce, have cOmmuuica-
tionS with tribes, conclude treaties and
bargains with their chiefs for mutual assist
ancr; he will never C%olOniSe Nigretia or
the Congo. The moist heat produces ia.
tai effects on him fever undermines him:
strength leaves him his will is weakened
h6 is debilitated he becomes emaciated
he ~languiShes he wastes away: he longs
to see Europe again, and if he il
fortunate enough to return there. the
p~aleneSS of his face tells the dangers he
has run his skin is as wan as that of the
Greek pilgrim who has bad the audacitv to
interr0gate the shadows in the cove of TrC-
phOniuS..
On the contrary, the expatriated negro
who once more breathes his native ar
soon RECEIVERS his health Of body and spirit.
"He throws Off his fears, hiA doubts his
reason becomes firm and confidence returns
to him. He feels that nothing cau iniura
his race. AS far as his eyes can see and
his thoughts can go, he Is surrounded by
millions Of men like himself, and he no
longer asks himself the question, as he did
on The other side of the ocean, what will
become of the negro. Ifhe is kind. hearted
he feels for the fate of the,,iwhite man to
whom Africa can never be a fatherland."
In reality there is little appearance that
the propheSieS and wishes of Mr.. Reade
will ever be accomplished. 1t is very
doubtful if his great grandchildren will
have elephant parks in Central Africa or
that sentimental young ladies will ever be
seen, III the shade of palm trees, shedding
charming and truly English tears over the
tomb of the last of sthe negr0s.
MI. Blyden is firmly convinced, and
Mr.. Valbert is disposed to believe it, that
Africa will not have the fate of America,
that the white will not supplant the black
there, that the future of the Black Contin-
cut will ever be bound up with the desti.
MES of the black race. What are those
destinies? Is that race condemned to
VpUntate i'm eternal infancy. and ia 90 vo oo