The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-03-24
IPp00 Ilg on SLAVERY.
The African Potentafe IngeniousIy
Defends the System.


where BE had spens three years. ne
had q long talk with the faFncus TIP
POO Tib, she richest man IN Gentral
/ Afrsca. ca the slave trade in the Dark
Continent. Fsw people Ia Europe who
read OF him have any conception ol
the power and zeaIth this man has
acqsfsred during his = years ln Cen
tr1i Africa. On .ReclHs's map consid-
erabie part Of the Eastern territory Of
the Congo State i indicated rs '+The
Domain Of Isppoo lib. Some idea
os the immense operations of this
| yrlnce4y trader nay be gathered from
| The size Of the caravan be was taking
| 10 Zanzibar when Becker met MIN at
Tabora. some powerful Chiefs were
al war in the country through which
he had Travelled. and he had with him
TG05 armed slaves TO guard his ivory.
His ivory poYters numbered 2i1o
slaves, each OF whons carried a fusk.
The property he was taking 10 the
coast included, therefore, 300 tnsks
OF Ivory and 800 slaves. The process
sion stretched for miles along the mar
row roadway, and no such enormous
caravan had ever before been seen in
equatorial Africa.
Iippoo lib showed this2 intellectual
aezlteness 10 the defence OF slavery
White men. be said, have very IN
| correct ideas ut our manners ana Gus
toms. They have the eflrontery to
propose TO abolish at once III other
lands institutions which quite recently
/ fiouri~hed 80 their own. ] am told
that IN 4 bsg country called Russia,
some years ago nearly ali common
/ people Aere slaves. and great misery
have hefalien them since they became
their own masters.
What Is the difference between a
slave and . servant The servant IS
free aud may leave his master when
he pieasas. 70 may my slaves. ! have
no guards 30 keep them from desert
ing rae. They are too we'll content
with tneir lot 10 run away. I'll were
Just to them, perhaps they nigh {
flee. But hog weuId that help them 2
They would simply fail once more
into the power of their equals, to be
! sold again, 20 be nIaitreated. to be
/ killed, perhaps, or to toll. very likely
| twice IS hard as they did before.
You say II Is immoral to own
slaves; that slavery debases men and
puts them on level with cattle. Nov,
! IL does not debasc negro 10 exchange
the aborninabIe yoke of a negro tyrarit
! for the protecting care OF an Arab
master. whose religion commands
him to be benevolent and just. You
say the negroes are Our brethren.
Well. We treat them quite fraternaily.
since We raise our children with theirs.
We are kinder 10 them than YOU are
TO your iaekeys. | would not dare TO
| treat a negro a | have seen white
travellers treat their white servants.
If we buy men it is only because
they are offered to us, and We cannot
| procure labor in any other way; and |
am sure IL is better for them To fall
into our hands than into those OF
tribal enemies. who kill or further de-
grade them. Ii you call il immoral to
compel men To work for their bread
men who would rather steal il than
win il honorably. | would like 10 ask
on.Nhat basis you morality rests.
Ii AL the sayages and cannibals OF
| Africa could be reduced 10 slavery
their children would some day consti-
tute nations, and would bless as for
lifting them out OF q state of sayagery.
1 The slave trade exists everywhere In
the interior. and the African himself
does not wish 10 suppress il. lie
would sell himself If he were enamel.
pated. Freedom for him means moth
ing more than license To steal, to Kill.
20 get drunk. You come here with
your theories from Europe. but tell
| yon the facts as they exist in Africa. .
iaeuf. Becker says the Arabs IN the
lake regions no longer send oct slave
stealing expeditions. but only buy the
slaves that are brought to their mar
kets. We know, however, that they
stimulate slave tuntiag and all It's hor-
rors ~ the large markets for slaves
which they naintain. Tippo lib cid
not speak OF the iuhuman and MUIR
derou- aspects OF the slave trade. IL
must he admitted, however, that in
Africa thefe is force in some of his ar
guments. Becker says: Between the
happy, faithful and devoted slaves OF
/ ltppoo lib and the wretchefi men
Siayers and cattle thieves we
meet here IN "a free con-
dition, no comparison can be made. =
The fact that this same rippoo lib
Is nov in the service OF a white GOV
eminent, and subsidized for the ex-
press purpose OF stepping slave raids
aud compelling hts Arab brethren 10
submit IL the new regime introduced
from Europe - not SO strange as il APP
/ pears. THIS powerful person is a con-
slstent Iippoo Iih aian every time.
His chief interest Is ivory, aud the
| great cost OF sending tusks by porters
from the Congo to Zanzibar has cut
sadly into his profits. lie needs the
Congo route 10 the sea, and he cannot
get u without cooperating with the
whites. For this reason he promised
10 stop slave ratting and to restore
order in the Stanley Falls district, and
/ be has done il.