The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-03-30

any sign of anger or Of perturbation.
Extending his arm to the Captain he said:
'tSit down." o..
"The servants of France do not sit,"
replied the captain, "when they speak in
he name of their country"
Samory made a gesture Of Indifference.
EGO on; will hear you," he said.
The interpreter then read the treaty
in loud voice. When he had finished
Captain Peroz dictated to him the fol-
lowing remark:
"Almany Emir samory, you have
heard the wishes of the President OF
France. Here is the copy of the treaty.
Mediate upon it. shall now return to
my camp. I will await your response
until the eighth day from this time. If
at that time you do not express regrets
for the insults you have offered to France
in my person, and if you do not express
wish to reopen negotiations upon the
basis Of this treaty, shall quit your en-
pire, and woe be to the men of your
country who pass the fords of the Niger
behind u.s."
The guards and counselors of Samory
seized their guns and needed only a look
from their master to massacre the little
party. A gesture from their ruler re-
duced them to order.
"Now CO." he said to the French"
and I will order all the gates to be opened
for you"
The next day the counselors of Samory
came to the Captain to express their re.
grets for the unpleasant incidents that
had occurred, and to offer to reopen the
interrupted negotiations. The Captain
replied that it was impossible, for he had
just sent report to his superior officer
of the unpleasant occurrences, and
would be compelled to await his re-
sponse before reopening negotiations.
Eight days later a letter was received
from Colonel Gallieni fixing upon March
25th as the day for signing the treaty.
-By that act Samory was to abandon all
his provinces upon the left bank of the
Niger and place his entire country under
the protection of the French Govern
ment. The great difficulty had been the
reluctance of Samory to surrender his
provinces upon the west of the Niger.
His white enemies, however, have been
too much for him, and he was compelled
to submit to the inevitable. Thus the
treaty was GRAINED down his throat, and
it was under these circumstance that
Samory became a vassal of France; and
that Government has since called the
1900, 900 people whom Samory ruled
with rod of iron its subjects.
samory, however, has chafed under
the yoke, and about year ago he re-
sumed bus aggressions. His rebellious
attitude has become more and more pro-
nounced, and it was evident months ago
that it would be necessary utterly to
break his power. Last year Colonel
Archinard made vigorous campaign
against Ahmadu, the ruler of Segu, who,
next to Samory, had been the greatest
enemy of France. His strongholds were
captured, and the once powerful chief is
now q fugitive on the border Of the
Sahara. Having rendered Ahmadu harm
less, the French turned their attention
again to Samory. +....
It is likely that we have heard the last
of Samory as great factor IN the affairs
of West Africa. The once humble slave
was long the absolute ruler of large
territory. He gained his ascendancy in
part through the zeal with which he
promulgated the tenets of Islam. He
pretended to be an apostle, specially
commissioned by Mohammed to extend
his faith. Those who know Samory say
he is not religious, and that there was no
sincerity in his expressed desire to con-
vert all the people of his country to Mo.
hammedanism. He found, however, that
religion was a serviceable tool with
which to advance his interests, and he
could be as pious as any one if 1t served
his purpose to assume that role.