New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-10
KING LEOPOLD OF BELGIUM.

King Leopold Of Belgium, with whose char
actcr | became more closely acquainted during
tie private audiences which lie accorded 10 me
IN connection with the negotiations TINT finally
culmin1tca in the Congo Conference AZ Hcrin, is
Ill much lcs, attractive person than his cousin AT
Narlbororeh House He possesses none of that
generosity Of clra Ter that forms distinguish
ing trait Of :hc Prince of Vale, and gives one
thoroughly the impression OF cynical, cool
boodcd man o! the world, who is endowed with
more brain taan heart, and IN whose smile there
always turks tac suspicion OF a snccr. Notwlth-
stpnGir- his lofty staturc-hc stands SlN foot
thrrc-hls wcll-prOportloned and elegant figure
lis finely chiscllcd features ana long gray beard,
he is dfnitcd rather than majestic, and does not
strike one ~ BEING a particularly Grand Seigncur
There Is too manifest an anxiety Tor the main
chance, ana lac has always given me the idea that
there must be- somehow or Other llch@ic strain
ma la, ancestry. No monarch IN the present cen
ury has daDh"I more openly III StOch exchange
>prculailons and if the records of the Panama
canal Company are laid bare in a court OF
Swan cvrnt.IiItv that has recently conc
within the bounds Of possllity-it will be found
that the King Of the B"iGlauS has followed tre
cNniupr OF VI dc IcSacps in selling To UEs'lS poet
IN purchasers h.s i,00O,0O0 francs worth Of
founder, shares IN the concern. AT moment when
hc mast have known that II VAS doomed 10 failure.
Even in the moments when he tries to be most
agreeable, King Leopold gives one the impression
ol being nsintcIc, and Tie conviction that he
will regard YOU as a fool il you believe MIN. 1t
is great mistake TO give crcicncc 20 the popular
belief aha, lac is q spcudthrt; Tor almost all his
disbursements are made Ia thc hope of receiving
ar!r returns and If the latter are not realized, II
is merely that his speculation has been unlortn-
nate.
one Httlc trihing incident may suffice To
illustrate the mean side Of his character. He
was receiving gentleman who had rendered him
several services of considerable official and per-
eonal Importance. Leopold had decided t. rcc0g-
rilc thcs, by the presentation Of handsome
Jewel studded snuilboX. During the course OF his
conversation with the man | watched the King
lake the snulhoA from his pocket and hold II IN
hi. hand preparatory 10 presenting II. The per-
son for whom IT, was intended, however seemed
so dclightcd. So gratiicd and overwhelmed by the
1acious words Of recognition ana praise which
frl from the thin lips Of Leopold, that the latter
ANNA Is came to the conclusion That the gift
-; tbc diamond studded snutlboX would he en-
tiraiy supcriluous. lie accordingly did not pre-
srut if. but actually retained il, enclosed in the
third and fourth disits of his right hand, while
f., cxtcndcd the first and second of his fingers
"a farewell often wonder to myself If the
rrtlcman In question ever discovered how much
IN. had missed by being too profuse in his cN-
urcssions ot enthusiastic loyalty.
Dom Pedro, the eN- Emperor OF Brazil, has always
struck me as having been the worst groomed
monarch in Christendom. For the space Of ten