St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-10-26
Slavery in Africa.

gre at step in advance, by abolishing sla-
very throughout her dominions. A little
over half that number of years ago, the
United states, under very different circum
stances, it is true, followed in her wake,
The closing years of the century witness
call upon these two nations, as well as
others which are actuated by philanthropic
motives, to exert their influence, and, if
need be, their physical strength, to put an
end to the traffic in human flesh still car
ried on in Africa-a traffic far more inhu
man, far more degrading, than it ever was
as practised in England or America. Will
they rise to the occasion?
That such horrible traffic can exist at
the present day appears almost incredible,
and we might we'll question its reality,
were it not that we have the testimony of
reliable witnesses. Prof. henry Drum
mond, who recently visited the dark con-
tin emit, has given US some account OF the
terrible character of the slave trade, and
has quoted a number of other well-knoWn
travellers, including Stanley, in support
of his statements. From these we learn
that the mortality during the slave march
from the interior to the coast amounts 10
fully fifty per cent and the stories tolo OF
the horrible cruelties inflicted upon Inc
poor creatures almost exceed belle1' 90
terrible is the destruction OF HE, caused
bv the atrocities of the slave-drlVers, that
it is said truly that If a traveller losI the
way from equatorial Africa to any OF Inc
towns on the coast, where slaves are sofa,
he could easily find it by the skeletons OF
the negroes with which the roaos are
straved Settlements have been COM
obildra torn from
their parents, or parents taken from their
children, the latter being knocked in the
head or left to die, and deeds Of cruelty
nernetrated of SO revolving character as
70 call loudly for effective remedy. The
nnmher carried off or butchered on the
wsv during the last quarter century
reaches into the millions, and i'm single
month not long ago, according to Cardinal
I,sgioerie. no less than 45, 900 were added
to The number of those who appeal to US to
deliver then from a condition worse than
death itself. Stanley tells of five expedi-
tions to one district, in which only 5000
sls YES were obtained at the expense OF 3d.
600 lives! Including the value of the
ivory secured, he places the net profit at
from one to two per cent, miserable re-
turn indeed for an investment involving
such waste.
One of the worst features of this nefa-
rious traffic is that it is on the increase.
III q English consul at Zanzibar writes to
the Marquis of Salisbury, that it is grow
ing under the protection of the French flag.
Tie Germans, who are rapidly obtaining
tha supremacy on the east coast Of Africa,
if they do not actually encourage it, GER
tainly connive at it, The ATchdeacon of
Magila, in a recent article, has ed on his
own personal observations, resulting from
a prolonged residence in the country, tells
rs how, up to five years ago, East Africa
WIS gradually becoming civilized and
Cl,rjstianized under the administration of
thu Sultan of Zanzibar, directed and irfl-
epced by the English authorities. But evil
times have come. Germany, which up to
five wears ago did not possess single in
terest in East Africa, has by system of
arrogant assumption on the part of her
representatives there, obtained control of
large part of the coast as well as of the in
terror. The British missions ale being
broken up, the Industrious and peaceful
occupations of the people interrupted,
property destroyed, and gel eral feeling
of disturbance and unrest engendered All
this is encouraging to the slave trade,
which thrives on anarchy and confusion
The lethargy shown by England in the
matter is unaceountable Why she should
stand listlessly by and see herself crowded
ont is remarkable in the light of her tradi-
items, for she has always been ready to de
fend her rig hts, as well as to show herself
the friend of the oppressed.
What remedy, then, is to be applied to
the horrible slave traffic carried on by the
Arabs? Drummond advocates police rather
tt an military administration. The Arch
deacon of Magila tells us it will be neces-
ssry to teach the natives higher morality
bv Christian education, for the system of
slavery is part of their very nature, and
while thew suffer such atrocities at the
hands of the Arabs, they in turn are slave
holders, in will if not in deed. He sees a
further remedy in introducing the appli-
auces of civilization to such an extent as to
make men too valuable to sell. Of course,
to make any remedy effective, an END
must be put legally to the status OF
slavery.
Phiianthropists in England are moving
in the matter. Meetings are being held
and the question discussed. The govern
ment, the church, the noble men and wo-
men of the country are interested. The
cause OIL luuaulty, buo oouSo VI Ch1 io".e1n
ity demands that the traffic must and shall
be put down. And shall America not join
hands in the work? The time was when
the United Stated kept cruiser on the
African coast to keep down the traffic, and
although she has recently refused to inter
fere with the export of arms, ammunition,
and, worst of all, liquors, to that continent,
she will surely be found ready to help te
put an end to a system which her own ex-
parience has aught her is productive only
of evil. Shall the closing years of the
century not witness united effort on the
part of the two great Christian nations Of
Europe and America to abolish on the
dark continent traffic which the earlie1
years of the century saw them SO willing
to remove from their own borders? Thu
African, though degraded, is, after all,
man and brother, and though we may
Cain like, ask if we are his keeper, w
cannot escape the responsibility which
always lies upon the strong to suceor ant
help those who are weak and oppressed
j. j. Bell, in the Interior.
| Early Autumn Fashions.
There is an era in everything; from
boots to bonnets there is marked chang
| from the indacision and incongruity of tn