The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1889-02-14
UGANDA.
The wicksdast King In the World De-
posed from His Throne.

II the report which comes from Zan-
zibar is true, says the New York Sun,
Mwauga, the young despot of Uganda,
who in two years has earned a repu-
tation for cruelty and bloodshed not
excelled even by that of deposed King
Thebaw nf Burmah, has been violent
" removed from the scat of power his
ancestors have held for seventeen
generations and his brother now reigns
in his place. Whether this news bodies
good or evil to the four or five mis-
sionsries of England and France now
in Uganda can not yet be told.
This young man is only 2S years old,
has had much to do with shaping some
events in which the whole world has
been deepl INTERESTED. IL he had not,
for the first time since Speke discov-
cred the greatest of African lakes,
closed the route north from Victoria
Nyanza to Lake Albert against all
white men, Emin Pasha would never
have lacked ammunition and there
would have been no Stanley relief ex-
peditiOn. 1t was the narrowing story
of Mwanga's great slave raids, in
which he employed thousands of his
soldiers for the purpose of supplying
his Arab friends with all the poor
bondsmen they desired, that gave an
impetus to the anti-slavery agitation
which has produced the blackade OF
the East African coast and is the talk
of every capital in Europe
Mwanga has been described by the
white men at his court as frivolous,
weak, cowardly boy, easily led by his
favorites, extremely passionate, and
capable under the influence of fear or
anger. of almost unheard-of cruelty.
He signalized his accession to power
by the atrocious murder of Bishop
Huntington, and it was his hope to
destroy In week all the converts the
missionaries had made in six success
full years of labor. The herOism and
fortitude with which scores of the ma
tive Christians, many of them mere
children. met death at the stake is
hardly surpassed in the annals of mar
trydom. Not one of them rccanted.
even when told that their lives would
be spared if they abjured the Christians
faith. Can you read?" was the ques.
ton the king usually asked the con-
verts when the were brought before
him. YES" replied all who had been
taught in the native schools. ell
have no readers in Uganda" the king
would shout as he hurried them off to
be chained TO trees and burned. Iu q
single day seventy men thus met theil
fate and the head executioner told the
king he had never seen men die sc
bravely. The bloodthirsty king mere
ly laughed and remarked that God die
not seem able to rescue the Christians
from his power.
just as inexplicable as this butchery
of hundreds Of his subjects was King
Mwanga's sudden change Of policy thi
year. The news came from Ugands
in June last that Mwanga had received
Missionary Walker with honors neve
given before to any white visitor at hi
capital. The churches had been re
| opened, schools were prOspering, ant
several hundred native Christians ut
tended the services on Sundays. Th
kings change of front could not b.
explained save by the remark tn
kaLikiro or prime minister made I,
one of the missionaries. "Mwanga,
he said, s'does not know his own min,
and no one chn tell what he will do.
1t is to be hoped that we will hea
of no new reign of terror in Uganda
But many people will be deeply anx
ious until it is known how the whit
residents and their work have been ri
fected by the only revolution in Ugan
da that has occurred since Speke dis
covered that beautiful and populou
| country.