The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-01-21
Stanley at burlington.

Stanley at Burlington.
The great explorer lrctured at only two
points in Vermont, St. Johnsbury and Bur
lington. People whose desire to see and
hear the man whose deeds have made him
the most conspicuous figure of the hour led
them to brave the winter cod, made their
way from diverse directions to Burlington
on Wednesday night. Apparently these
formed the larger and the more appreci-
alive part of the eXpectant asSemblage that
awaited the appearance of the famous man
upon the stage, closely Scrutinized form and
feature in search of the sources of the won
derful qualities he had displayed, and hung
entranced upon every word of his marvel
Gus story. The lecture was a synopsis Of
Mr.. Stanley'S career as a newspaper re-
porter and finally of his African explora-
tons and march to the relief of Enin Pasha.
Running over with graphic brevity the
course of his life till James Gordon Ben
nett'S imperial commissions brought him
round to Zanzibar to organize his search for
Livingstone, he told the story of that his
toric enterprise and its dramatic culmina-
ton. With somewhat more of detail he
recounted the events of his second expedi.
zion into Africa, commissioned to solve the
geographical problems the heroic Living
stones death had left unsettled. Entering
the Dark Continent" from its eastward
coast, he disappeared from the eye and ear
of civilization and three years later emerged
on the western shore at the mouth of the
Congo, " the Amazon of Africa" whose
course he had followed fr I'm its source in
the heart of the great African forest to the
sea, and had numbered and defined its
mighty tributaries. His hearers had followed
him in circumnavigating Victoria Nyanza in
a frail vessel, encOuntering greater perils and
greater variety of wonderful incident that
befell 60 ous Eneas " in his wandeFings
over the Mediterranean; they traced his
course thence to the " wonderful river" to
explore whose mysterious course Living
stone had turned his back on the proifered
comforts and honors OF civilization and had
died. they followed the discoverer whom no
dangers could daunt along the route OF the
unknown floods, with the gathering waters
gifts mighty affluents, till the survivors of his
little band had completed their explorations
10 the western ocean. 1t was splendid
. climax of great and successful achievement,
and the audience, in a burst of applause,
relieved its pent-up interest and admiration.
Mr.. Stanley next described his operations
on the lower Congo, in the service of the
Belgian king establishing stations along
the river, blazing pathway for civilization
and commerce along its banks into the
wilds of the continent and ending in the
establishment of the Congo Free State. The
interest of the lecture eliminated in the
story of the Emin relief expedition. Made
thrice familiar by narration in the public
prints and by Stanleys own incompatible
pen, heard from the lips of Stanley himself
and seen in the compacted form, reSolute face
and commanding eye of the explorer, il had
charm and power, revelation OF the ele-
ments of his wonderful success and en-
durance the printed page can never convey
OF imagination supply Mr.. Stanley is no
orator" as Brutus is -; there is no attempt
at dramatic effect; he is entirely modest;
there is no self-eXaltaton; in simple but
graphic language he told the story of Incl
dent and discovery before which romance
and fiction / pale their Intellectual fires"
His phrases are coined in the mint of mar
Velous experience and they shine and jingle
with the color and sound of no base alloy.
His is the eloquence of arduous achieve
lneat
The story of the wreck of the rear guard,
with every unbiased mind, must forever
relieve Stanley from the odium and re-
SponSihility that jealousy, or personal or
national pque, has sought to fix upon him.
The last resort of the explorers maligners
is to make him responsible for the choice Of
his subordinates, and so chargeable with
their failure to execute his orders, as well
the crimes of which they were guilty.
Had he, or could he have, chosen his sub
ordinates as Napoleon picked his generals,
or Grant his lieutenants, from those who
had served under his own ey', there might
be some ground on this score for censure of
Stanley. He could not so select his sub
ordinates. He chose them from the record
hey had made-or that had been given
them-in the service Of England and the
fault rests primarily with system that
makes faVoritiSm, and not merit or personal
worth the basis OF military promotion.
Barttelot's military record seemed to Justify
his selection for the command of the rear
guard His infamous failure is not so much
reproach upon Stanley's judgment as
upon the British military system. Stanley
can stand criticism in this respect if the
English can, and possibly this fact may in
part disclose the animus of the hostility of
the English public to the explorer. In all
his acts in Central Africa Mr. Stanley must
be judged by the circumstances then exist
ing, and the conditions there surrounding
him, not by the circumstances or conditions
of a civilized community where established
law regulates the acts OF men. In " Darkest
Africa" begirt by savages, environed by
deadly perils, great commission TO execute
responsible for the safety of his command
the French kings impudent epgram
The state | am the statel" became a
whole stem of government And there is
nothing in Stanley to show that he abused
the powers he must assume and exercise,
The shot that found Barttelots heart, the
spear or the poisoned arrow, would have
ended a despotic commanders career
There were rows of vacant seats in How
ard OpeTa-hOuse, on the occasion OF the ap
pearance there of the greatest OF living ex-
plorers, On the occasion of the appearance
OF " Adonis Dixey" on the following Satur
day evening the house was packed from
pit TO gallery. Burlington is eminently
aesthetic in her tastes Had troupe o.
bare-legged, semi-nude pagans from Contra
Africa appeared on the stage in place o
Stanley, very likely coasting would have
been suspended for night and standing
room would have been exhausted 20 W.
have no particular interest in Stanley W.
are siok OF the whole thing" SO remarked