The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-11-09
THE WAR IN MASHONALAND.

n IHE war nv udoHCNdbAND'
Q Eugland is exciting unfavorable
B comment by American journals for its
y invasion of the territory claimed by
King Lo Bengula the ignorant and
savage monarch of Metabeland, one
of the, richest provinces of South
Africa. A bout three years ago a IA
nous English hunter discovered the
wealth of Newfoundland which for
many years had been raided and laid
waste by Lo Bengula, one of the most
crafty, and cruel of South Africa's
petty. kings, and as only few thou
sand natives were left the men were
butchered and the women of Masho
naland carried off into slavery by this
full cousin of the gorilla. The Brit.
ish South African company thought it
was good opportunity to enrich itself
by paying the natives subsidy and
offering them protection from this
formidable neighbor, and animated
doubtless solely by an opportunity for
gain, this company established posts
and began TO trade with the
natives and move in emigrants.
Lo Bengula, who it seems was party
beneficiary to this arrangement, soon
regretted his part of the bargain and
with his warlike followers resumed
his depredatiOns. In the meantime
the vested rights of the company and
the safety of the emigrants made it
necessary to appeal to England for
protection. Forts had been built and !
population, or what we would call in
Texas "nesters," had settled around
them and as the country is very rich
and productive of all kinds of grain in
addition to valuable gold mines, it be-
came necessary to increase the garri-
sons and to employ column of rein
IL July last LO Bengnla
with his Metabele warriors made q
savage and bloody raid into the dis
puted territory. Bengula is by far the
most powerful native warrior in South
Africa and England suddenly finds
itself in another African war. 1t may
be true, and doubtless is, that the Brit
ish South African company obtained
possession of thai country with no
other direct object than tc enrich its
stock holders, but that is no reason
why England should not protect the
English settlers and even afford pro-
lection to this company in the enjoy"
ment of its trading privileges. This
savage has no other title to the
country but through his power given
him by his savage nature and his
followers, to the right of
conquest from weaker and less
warike people who are natives of the
soil, and any civilized nation whose
interest warrants it has the perfect
right to dispute his title.
Truly in this matter England is the |
champion of civilization aud has
right and is in duty bound to sweep
this barbarous king out of the way of
its progress and dedicate the land to
the acts of peace aud civ Ilization.
Even if his title was gOoC and he
stood in the way OF the progress of
superior race carrying with them the
blessings of civilization and religion,
it would be the duty of England to
drive him back into his native
haunts. We may say what we
please, as in this country,
about the rights of "poor Lo;" the
rights of civilization and of the su-
perioI race practicng its retinements
are paramount 1t is destiny and the
inferior, for the good of mankind must
yield to its inevitable decree. God
did not make q productive land cap
able by cultivation of supporting the
crowded masses of civilization to be
dominated by the savage and lie in
fallow any longer than the head of
the column in the march of progress
reaches 1t and stretches out its hands
to possess it and use it to the highest
extent of its capacities to support the
nati,ns of the earth. England may
be grasping, but if it had not been
how limited would be the boundaries
of civilization. AS it is, her institu.
tions bless the whole earth, for
we are told the sun never sets upon
her possessions.