Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-01-25
NTANLkY.S SAFEIN.

STANLEY'S SAFEiY.
The mystery about Henry NJ Stanley's
whereabouts is preserved while an assur-
nnoe uf his safety ia published. The
British government has received letters
from tho explorer, which It withholds
from publication for official reasons not
gIyen, but promlses soon to give to the
the circumstances of spcculating con
oerning the matter, yet it seems safe to
say that Stanley does not intend to re
turn without accomplishing something,
and that Lieut.. Kerkhoven's dispatch up
the Congo Rt Che head of an expedition
which was to camp on the Aruwimi, in
the Stanley expedition. Unless Emin
has broken down, of which there is no
likelit ood, he will not return with Stan.
ley under any conditions. Last year he
roviowtd all the possibilities, and has de-
oided that ho would not leave hi5 people,
whom ho had through II years labor
felt that hr owed saorcd duty. But he
asked of England, from whose hero Cor
don he hau received his government, To
bring about better understanding with
Uganda ana provide his people with free
and safe Gcces4 to the coast. If It be
true that the Arabs have possession of
Uganda, the first object would prove IA
difficult IA the last, and both would iu
volve war OF no inconsiderable pro
portions, which England ia nosise likely
To undertake. Eut it may be possible for
England through Stanley to open q way
to the outer world by the Aruwimi and
Congo. The search party of Thomas
Stevens, though its primary purpose may
be forestallrd 10y certain information of
Stanley, will have enough to do in it's
second and continuing mission, the in.
vestisation of the African slave trade
though perhaps quite enough Is known
about that now for all practical purposes.
qHE PANAMA CANAL
The truth is, the Panama Canal is an
undertaking too vas. for modern meth
ods; aud not merely too vast, but too
lavishly sublime. In one sense it is folly
to say that the works OF modern engi-
neerIng sink into insiKuihoauce beside
those of the ancieuts. A oRntilever span
is far more admirable testimonial of
human genius than Il Roman aqueduct, in
that it achieves the feat of subduing ma,
ture with far greater simplicity, at far
less cost, and thus to far greater practi-
cal profit. But the very character of
modern operations forb,ds sublimity of
conception where the sublime works to
human disadvantage. The builders of
karnak, of the Pyramids, of the docks,
canals and temples OF ancient AssyriS
could have eusla,ed whole peoples and ac
oomplish through their life long lahors
the completion of operations almost as
colossal rs the canals which the sstrono-
mer Fiamm8rion sees bisecting our fell
of the prehistoric prodigies were raised
in the vaiuest, If the most splendid pride,
and that such work as the Panama Ca
nal is destined 10 be of lasting benefit to
humanity. Bat humanity nowadays casts
its own accounts. 1t no longer wastes
blood and treasure wantonly for the mcre
vanity of succeeding. Or, If il does, tins
error is soou denounced and stayed. De
Lesscps, in conceiviug his ruinous
scheme, was indeed affected with the i'm
aginatiou of Pgolemy lie has wan
tony wasted both treasure and bl,od
He has thrown away life snd squanderet
money, And he has failed to gain th'
triumph either of modern engineer o.
prehistoric despot. Speaking OF the
canal, it is worth while to comment OF
the dispatches. From Panama we lesrr
that the contractors have begun to dis
charge their workmen and that the com
pany is re-employiug them. From Psri,
we are told that the company raises it
head rgain because the contractors ar,
agreeing to complete the work and sc
cept interest bearing shares in paymen,
That is to say, contractors who, from
lack of money, are dischsrging woIkmel
at the Colon basins are making them
selves res ponsible on the Bourse for tn
hundreds of millions still necessary an
accepting paper as security.