The record-union., 1895-07-09


people. The Queens religion and that OF
most of the officials and mobiles is Con-
gregational. The upper classes and 40
per cent. of the better classes next to
them are Protestants, while the slaves
and the under classes are Catholics with
sprinkling of Protestants. Education
is compulsory. Schools and churches
are numerous. But there Is conscription,
slavery and enforced labor, and these
have resulted in the setting up of bands
of highwaymen, who have preyed upon
the French, and for such outrages the
French Government demands indemnity
and the right to exercise the jurisdiction
of her courts wherever Frenchman is
affected. The Hova Government denies
these courts and refuses to recognize their
DEGREES. Here is issue enough for the
present war surely, and the French, who
are hot for conquest, will make the most
of it.
The population of Madagascar is about
100000, and of these about 100000 are
Hovas, who are the dominant tribe of the
country and have an army of 1000 men
bearing Snider rifles, with cavalry armed
with lances. 1t is this million of people
who are mainly contesting the French
claim, one branch of which is that the
Hovas discriminate against the French
and in favor of Americans in the grant of
rights and monopolies In trade; as, for
instance, the grant to our ex-Consul,
Waller, of 225 square miles of land in the
south of the island and monopoly OF
the rubber trade. Last year the agent OF
the French Government notified the
Hova Prime Minister that France would
not recognize or respect any grants made
to her commercial rivals upon which she
had not previously indorsed her consent.
This warning was aimed especially at
Mr.. Waller's concessions. The French
then doubled their garrison at the col
ony, whereupon the Mslagasy tribes
became aggressive and a boundary
dispute arose with the chief Malagasy
Governor, whose rule is in the north and
adjacent to the French colony.
This led the French to make further
claims, and the Prime Minister was
again served with notice. this time to the
effect that France claimed the right to
veto any and every relation of the NADIA
gsscar Government with any European
or American authority; to send as many
troops to Madagascar as pleased the re-
public of France and to insure the safety
of Frenchmen and other foreigners; that
if the Queen would not prosecute public
works on the roads, harbors, railroads
and canals to develop the resources of the
country, then the French Government
would itself do the work and collect the
resulting revenues.
The Prime Minister for the Queen sent
sent back saucy reply rejecting all the
French propositions and reciting griev-
ances against the French. The French
Governor returned for an answer a de-
mand that the Queen lower her flag and
quit her capital. The Queen replied offer
ing certain grounds of settlement TO
which she would accsde, and these the
French rejected.
cans in Madagascar sympathize with tho
Hoyas. We have received at this office
in the past few months number of cir
cular letters stating the grievance of the
Hovas, and seeking to enlist American
sympathy for the Queens cause. In
these letters the French are roundly
scored, and the evidences are patent that
they emanate from Americans. A num-
Der of British officers have enlisted in the
Queens army, and have organized and
drilled her forces WELL
The Hovas have this advantage: They
are in the uplands, which are difficult OF
approach. The French must move
through malarious lowlands. where dis
ease is more deadly than the spears and
bullets of the enemy. The Hovas have
admirable lines of retreat and recovery
and broad extent of country rich in the
means of support for life in which to
shift their forces. But the French have
the ability to send ten soldiers for every
one serviceable warrior the Hovas can
muster fit to face a French infantryman.
France has ships in great plenty, has q
colony foothold, several well-built forts.
most of the seaports and can cut off the
revenues from foreign trade and literally
live upon the country. With such ad-
vantage France must win. But we hesi-
tate to say that she should. Yet in the
prophecy of civilizing influences it is
probably written that the semi-civilized
tribes of Madagascar must yield to the
advance of the whittier skinned and
lighter eyed people of the world.
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