New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-06
THE CRISIS ~ UGANDA.

Reports OF the British Governments plans for
the future Of Uganda are by no means cleart
II. indeed, the plans themselves be clear. which
is doubtful IL has been successfully announced
that policy OF complete "souttling' Is 20 be
pursued that the East frica Company is 10 retire
and turn The territory over TO the Crown: and
that the company is TO hold on till the end of
this year and then retire in favor Of some sort
Of ROYAL Commissioner; in all of which stories
ono thing stands uncontradicted, that the East
Africa Company will presently abandon the king
dom on Victoria Lake. which IL has lately been
mismanagng with uncommon skill, The COM
pany will retire gradually, and spend some
$50, 900 OF money from the British Treasury In SO
doing. Then what will happen no one knows;
which means that utter uncertainty involves the
really important part of the problem.
For there are great interests OF humanity In
Uganda, that were there long before the company,
and that assuredly will not come away with the
company Conspcuously above nearly all other
African territories 1t Is missionary feld. Fifteen
wears ago the agents of the Church Missionary
Society went thither the first civilized men TO
reside in that country. With no government
support, either financial military, they held
their ground and became powerful influence
m. good Many of the chiefs and their people
embraced Christianity Nearly the whole Of the
New Testament was translated into the language
OF Uganda The labors and suforings of Bishop
Hannington Alexander Mackay, and their COM
rades. attracted the sympathetic attention Of the
entir Christian world Moreover, through the
egorts OF these men tho slave trade, which had
greatly houytshed there, was checked, and the
minds of the chiefs and people were so hvoraoly
orocted toward British civilization that the East
Africa Company, when it came thither TO take, as
yaa supposed permanent possession, received "a
cordial welcome.
Now, il had also come to pass that some trench
missionaries had also settled IN Uganda, a lew
wears later than the British, and had made many
converts And there had been some friction De-
tween the two elements, partly because OF thelr
di0crent crecds, partly because OF their different
nationalitics. But it had not, down to the time
~ the companys advent, assumed n critical or
oven . serious phase The company, however,
bcipg a politico commercial concern, quickly made
great trouble Its chief agent, Captain Lugard-
. british army officer on lcave--acted with more
,ooI than discretion Massacres took place. in
Which the French missionaries most suffered and
= General state of anarchy, with particular hatred
toward British rule was brought upon the coun-
,ry such is the condition at the present time.
Ana rov, having thus mcddled only to misdo, the
comnonv is to scuttlc out, leaving tho mission
orca IN their fate-a fate made woful beyond
descrintion by the companys marplot deeds
II sucb a Job is consummated, the name OF
Kampala will be bracllctcd with that Of Khartoum.
II i indeed scarcely conceivable that the British
Government will altogether abandon Uganda
Thus wasting the many lives and many millions
NJ money expended by the missionaries, cutting
osundor tho sole connection between the British
possessions in Eastern and in Southern Africa
and niicting upon British prestige in all tho
continent an irremediablc injury. II it should
do So. however, the French are moving swiftly
I'M the Mobangi, aud a Conso-Bclgian army is
already cncamped at Wadelai.