The record-union., 1894-02-26
THE DISASTER IN AFRICA.

West Coast of Africa, and it is feared that
they have surrounded and exterminated
another body Of troops, $50 in number,
that went too far inland.
This is the fourth effective victory for
the slavers within two months. Last
year they twice defeated the British and
their allies of the Congo Free State. 1t
seems that while most hotly pursued last
year these hinty hearted sons of the des-
srt seized and carried into captivity 400
blacks, leaving dead on the way 600 9TH
ers, and having burned thirty villages
and butchered LOO old men and women
and babes and feeble blacks.
At the Berlin Conference, February q,
1885, an act was signed whereby all ma
tons exercising any influence in the ter
ritory of the basin of the Congo were
pledged to cooperation to suppress the
slave trade, to stop seizure in and transit
over such territory, and to use all means
in their power to put an end to the
traffic and punish offenders.
In 1889 England called conference of
the Powers to further consider means to
suppress the traffic, and asked Belgium
to take the initiative In convening the
congress. November, 1889. the confer
ence was held at Brussels, and all the
great nations except France were repre-
sented, including the United States.
1t was then agreed that the best means
to suppress the trade was to organize
civil administration, introduce the teach
ings Of justice and religion, encourage
the building of roads, railroads and
steamships, establish military posts and
scouting parties, restrict the importation
of firearms, punish slave hunting as
infants, the transportation of slaves and
mercantile dealings in them, and to ex-
tradite persons charged with any of these
crimes.
The nations agreed to give refuge to
escaped slaves at any port or on any boat
of theirs and to return them to their
homes. They agreed also to establish
military posts on the caravan routes. TO
intercept slave conveys and TO examine
caravans. So, too, they all agreed to
work by sea and by land to suppress the
trade in their own territory and along
g %bo T11 10 Rod
Sea and the Persian Gulf and to search
vessels to that end.
The United States, Russia, Portugal,
Turkey, the Netherlands and Austria
did not sign the Act, but subsequently
accepted and ratified the Act and it went
into effect April l, 1892, France at the last
moment coming in and signing. There
were very many other things agreed to
by that Act, all looking to the same end,
such as regulating the importation OF
liquor, gunpowder, establishment of mar
itime stations, etc.
In 1880 Cardinal Lavigerie's Anti-Slave
Trade Congress met in Paris. Its result
was Endorsement Of the action of the
Brussels Conference, and the establish
ment of national committees to aid the
good work.
81 In 1892, when the United States ratified
the Act, and authorized our Plenipoten-
tiaries to sign it, there was added men,
orandum on our part that our signature
should never be construed as abandoning
our declarations, that the United States
would keep aloof from any participation
in European concert of q political ma
ture regarding Africa.
This is, in brief, the history of the most
recent activity in the suppression of the
slave trade, and it indicates very early
concerted movement that will revolution
ize Africa in this respecr. The trade is
doomed, to a certainty, and the fierce
Arab traders fully realize the truth in
that regard. It accounts for their more
than usual activity just now-they are
making hay while the sun shines, rather
while the slow machinery of international
agreement is getting into working order.
In the meantime England is doing what
she and all others are bound to do by the
terms OF the Brussels conference, namely,
acting with vigor and immediate energy
in suppressing the slave trade in the ter
ritory in Africa over which she exercises
exclusive jurisdiction. and in preventing
the transit across such territory of slave
caravans, or the making of bargains and
sales of slaves anywhere in such territory.
Hence it is that we now have news of
this sad disaster to the arm Of Eng
land in the British West Coast African
colony of Gambia. But that Chief Fodi-
silah, the notorious slave trader, will pre-
vail in the end is out of the question. He
and his blood-thirsty, stony-hearted fel-
lows will as assuredly be driven out and
whipped as that the earth turns. The
British can. under the Brussels Act, fol-
low him over the entire continent, and call
on all the signatory powers to join in the
pursx That they will do so promptly
must be assumed.
THE Democracy in the House is getting
deeper into hot water daily on the quo
rum question and enforced voting. Hav-
ing in hot haste condemned Mr.. Reeds