New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-01
ANOTHER ASHANTEE WAR.

A. least one Of Great Brltain's numerous
u,timatums has met with prompt and DEFIANT
ra,ection. That is the treatment given TO IT by
tho savage who rcigns ut Coomassle as King or
Ashontee He has been indulging in human
sacrifices or at any rate permitting them. and
that is contrary to his treaty obligations. The
British Government ordered him to stop such
work and to insure his doing so, demanded
that he should receive permanent Bri'ish
Agent ot his capital and consider himself under
a British Protecorate. 1t sent him such woru
= month ago: that IS Captain Donald Stewart
started inland from the coast with the message
~ the end OF September 1t gave him until
Yesterday 20 make mp his mind whether 10 say
YES or no But he followed the example or the
Westerner TO whom a Vigilance Committee gave
fifteen minutes in which to get out Of town ana
who replied: gentlemen. II this mule don
balk. / don't want more'n tive. The young
King probably at his mothers dictation. an
swered no. in jiffy, and that answer reached
London last week The immediate sequel Will
be war.
II IS now some twenty-five years since Great
Britain had her latest war with Ashantee. The
commander Of her expedition was Sir Garnet
Wolseley, and he acquitted himself In such IA
manner as TO win great praise at home ana
great money grant from Parliament. That same
soldier. now Vlscount Woseley, Field Marshal,
is abou. 10 assume the Commandershipin-C Chief
OF Her Majestys forces, and his earliest serious
task will be TO dlrect-from the Horse Guards
a repetition OF his own campaign of 1873 a.
1t may be more serious work now than ii was
then There are two or three hundred thousand
fighting men In Ashaniee. Most OF them are
mere savages, with 1ide primitive weapons.
But there are thousands armed with modern
European rifles, and they have plenty Of am
munltion. They WILL moreover, fight with des-
peratson, for they know the future OF their king
dom Is at stake. The British force will not be
a large one. Probably not more than two, or at
most three. thousand men will be sent. and OF
those only the officers will be English The
rank and file will be negroes, from the Gold
Coast and from the West Indies They are used
TO the climate and the country. and under Brit
ish officers they fight supcrbly. Their reliance
will be largely upon machine guns. Half dozen
men with one If those Internal engines will be
able to dispose Of as many thousand natives in
short order. Thus does civilization get forward
upon a powder-cari.
British success Is OF course certain and with
IT Ashantee will cease TO exist as an independent
Power. 1t will henccforth be merged in the
great patches Of British red which illumne the
modern map Of Africa SO will vanish an En-
plre that for two centuries or more has been
the most powerful In all Western Africa south
Of the Sahara. Although since Bowditch visited
1t. II has been shorn OF many OF It's possessions,
Ashantce still includes considerable area and
has population OF nearly three millions Much
Of the land Is covered with noble and valuable
forests That which Is cleared Is singularly fer
tile and is carefully titled, for those savages are
excellent agriculturlsts. Indian corn. rice. mil.
let, sugar. tobacco, yams, pineapples, cocoa and