Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-17
A GIFT TO PORTUGAL.
Victoria Made It at the Behest OF
Europe's Crowned Heads.
THEY FEARED THE REPUBLICANS,
Central African Missionaries Angered by
Loss of the Land.
INCIDENT OF THE RECENT MEETING
rBY CABLE TO THE pIsPATcHl


LONDON, May 16.-The annual meeting
of the Central African Mission was he Id
here yesterday, and proved more interesting
than there was reason to expect. A printed
report, distributed among the audience,
denounced the Sultan of zanzibar's anti
slavery edict, promulgated last August, as
gigantic imposture. The facts doubtless
justify the strength of this language, but
the funny feature of yesterdays gathering
was that among the great people on the
platform was Colonel Sir Charles Euan-
smith, now British Minister to Morocco,
but formerly British Consul at Zanzibar and
the real author of the much abused edict
Presumably he had not seen the report, and
when the paragraph denouncing his pet
measure was read his face was most inter-
esting study.
He strove manfully to be calm until his
turn came to speak, and then he eased his
feelings to the great discomfort of the good
bishops, missionaries and ladies present.
He suggested that the missionaries would
do we'll to keep within their legitimate
bounds and to steer clear of those delicate
questions which very often led to political
complications, and declared that the refer
ences in the report to the anti-slavery edict
were grossly unfair"
A Storm Averted by a Native.
Fortunately for peacs and good will
a diversion was caused by q stalwart
20-year-old Central African, grandson
of Kimaari, fighting chief of Umba
recently baptized Peter Limbo, who told
the story of his conversion with some elo-
quence and much gesticulation and brought
the meeting to frame of mind in which
they could conscientiously sing the
doxology.
The report of this missionary society de-
nounces the Portuguese as possessed of
and acting on the principle of making
things as unpleasant for everyone all round
as they cana description which, if savor-
ing of uneharitableness, seems to be justified
by the facts as related at the numerous
missionary meetings held in London this
month. A feeling akin to dismay has
therefore been aroused by the announce
ment that Lord Salisbury in the newly
signed convention has handed over to Portu-
gal quite unnecessarily $4,000 additional
square miles of
Very Promising Missionary Territory
north of the River zambesi, while further
concessions will, it is believed, seriously
hamper and perhaps entirely block COM
munications between the various important
missionary centers. Merchants and mis-
sionaries Join their voices in lamenting
Lord Salisbury's strange eomplaisance, and
Tory and Liberal newspapers alike, express
dsscontent with the new convention. But
if the information furnished to The Dis
PATCH be reliable, which there is no sound
reason to doubt, his lordship has been sub
jected to imperial and royal pressure in this
matter. Concessions have been made TO
Portuguese pride in order to save the dy-
nasty.
The Republican party in Portugal is
much stronger than the last abortive rising
at Oporto would seem to indicate, and had
the country been again humiliated by Eng
land in this African squabble, the Repub-
icans would probably have received enough
popular backing to enable them to over
throw the monarchy. But King Charles,
by birth and marriage, is connected with
nearly every royal house in Europe,
and his disposition would stir the heart and
nerve the hand of every Socialist and Re-
publican on this continent. Emperors and
kings therefore interceded with Queen Vic
toria on behalf of Portugal with the result
that England has manifested magnanimity
toward a weak but exasperating opponent,
absolutely without precedent in her history.