Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-28
rng,sn,, and Portugal.

Evidently British patience with Portu-
gal 10 nearly exhausted, and It would
not be surprising should Great Britain
decide in the near future to give
tho Portuguese dressing-down not
only IN Southeast Africa. but in and
around Lisbon as VOL. Pretty much since
the DAYS of King JOIN the Great OF Portu-
gal (iss5-liSs) England has been the
friend Of the little kingdom. AT that
period and until the early part of the
sixteenth century. when under JOHN H.
the decline Of Portugal began, the Portu-
guese were the most enlightened people
liz the world. The epoch included the
reigns Of EDWARD, ATFoHZo ", JOHN H.
and EMASuEL the fortunate, and was
marked by the achievements Of such men
as Dox HENRY, the navigator Prince, BAR
TnoLoxEU DIAs, VAsoo Oh CANA, PEDRO DE
EvrRo, GosoALo ANSgs, MARTIN LOPEZ,
ALFONSO DE ALBUQUERQUE, AKERIcus
VRsPUcI, FRAscIsco SAMOA, MAopELLi, ana
others Portugal was then the repository
Of the geographical knowledge of the ma
tions. Through the intrepidity of her sail
ors and explorers the Cape of Good
Hope had been doubled, Far Cathay
reached, Nova Zembls touched, the New
World and numerous islands discovered.
and the Straits Of Magdella trayersed. She
was master of India and dominated the
entire East African coast. Yet 1t was
largely due TO the sturdy support that
England gave her when trouble arose and
enemies assailed her at home that Portugal
was enabled TO pursue her course OF dis
covery and foreign conquest. The faith
fulness with which successive English
sovereigns kept the eternal treaty was Por-
tugal's mainstay.
The decay of Portugal was as steady and
rapid as had been her progress. and when
at the close of the sixteenth century the
other European nations we're experiencing
revival of enlightenment and desire for
knowledge, she had drifted away from all
tho more exalted aims that had character
lied her. The demon of avarice obsessed
her and the thirst for gold con-
suned her. The fame of her literature
hickered and went out, and not only did
she fell TO fulfil the promise Of her past
to make the Dark Continent an open vol
ume, but her whole policy was directed
towards preventing any other people from
accomplishing that work. BY establishing
O Gordon of Matchmaking stations around
the southern part Of Africa, she preyed
upon both natives and Europeans and
proved as great curse!to that country as
L. 4. l. 10 1afr inn hry
right of early discovery immense zones Of
African territory, she would neither ex-
plore and develop them herself nor con-
sent that others should do so.
During the moro recent reawakening Of
interest in African research and develop
ment, the Portuguese on the east coast Of
Africa have been very active in paying
their mother country's debt of gratitude
to England by antagonizing English de-
signs in Africa. In several instances they
have proceeded TO such lengths as to
create wonder that Great Britain has not
given them q good shaking. Indeed, in
the Delagoa bay affair it seemed that only
pity prevented summary measures being
resorted to. Now, however, matters have
reached point where it may prove that
neither English pity nor forbearance will
intervene. Portuguese interference with
British operations in Mashonaland and
Manacaland promises to be the straw that
will break JOHN Bulls back despite the
apologetic action of the Lisbon cabinet
Friday.
This country lies between the Zambezi
and the Limpopo rivers, and an examina-
ton of late map of Southern and South
eastern Africa and study Of Englands
territorial expansion in those sections and
her possessions in the great lake region
will show that Portugals dog-in-the-
manager policy will hardly be tolerated
much longer. The extension of the Cape
Colony system of railroads northward, the
tenacity with which England holds on TO
Walfish bay on the west coast, and her
strong positions on the southeast coast
make manifest her intention of absorbing
and settling up the whole of the LImpopo
basin, including the country around Lake
N'gami. The progress of German coloni-
cation in Africa indicates that this must
be done before the Germans gain such a
strong foothold as to make it difficult for
England to unite her South African and
great lake possessions.
Further temporizng with Portugal, whose
course presents the principal barrier to the
attainment OF these ends, is, therefore,
hardly TO DO expected, The civilized world
desires the opening up of Africa, aud if
securing the sympathy of other nations
enters into the calculations of England in
this task she could not act at
a more proptious time. Decisive steps
with Portugal now would probably fore
stall the danger of serious complications
with Germany in the future and would re-
ceive the moral support of all the ad-
vancing nations. England, in bringing
Portugal to Ler senses and teaching her
that her sneaking and cringing diplomacy
will no longer avail to keep her from
punishment, might start the little king
dom on the upward road and put her in
position to regain the respect of the
European powers.