Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-11-27
TO KILL ASHANTlS.
PRETExTs UPON WHICH ENGLAND
WILL NOW MARCH, To KUMAssI.
Facts About the Young King Who
Dcfies the Power of England-The
Letter which His Majesty Didn't
Answer.


will not SIT much longer on the gold stool.
which Is the Ashanti substitute Tor
throne. Three months from now. II ne
is alive, he will know great deal more
than he does to-day
Some hghly-colored stories are oeihs
printed about this young man, his harem
! OF 5000 women, and other accessories
which. some writer's think. should distin-
guish the court Of an African potentate.
The truth is that he Is only p years DID,
and he began to be polygamous not over
/ four years ago. His seraglio is OF modest
dimensions. and as yet he is the father
of only four children. When his family
mourn his untimey downfall there can
be no such volume OF waillng as marked
the ruin Of some other African kings who
have dehed European guns to their sor-
row.
This young man rules over about 100000
! light-coored and nne-lOoking people. good
fighters and better workers than most
barbarous nations. Their fertle soil yields
them good haryests, and they are quite
skilled In house-buleing, metal-workins'
and even sik-weaying. But they no
longer form the powerful political ana
military organization that Up to genera
! ton ago made Ashanti inyncible against
all native enemies
The present King Is still under petticoat
government. His mother IS chief among
his advisers. Weak and fickle himself
his council lors have shown no greater
wisdom. Many of the minor kings and
tribes under him have fallen away ana
accepted the proffered protection OF Great
! Britain. He has been trying TO compel
/ these peop.e TO submit 10 him, and this
/ is one OF the causes Of the present war
| He has given no heed to England's de-
mand that he let these former subjects
Of Ashanti alone. The British say that
/ he has practically been deserted by most
/ OF the eleven States that formed the old
kingdom OF Ashanti, and that he keeps
/ the country in a turmoil by persistent
annoyance OF his ne.ghbors. who are try
/ ing to drop his acquaintance and Guilt
vate political relations with the British OF
/ the God-Coast co ony.
There are other grave charges against
/ him. The Governor OF the Gold Coast
/ says that King Prempeh continues the
/ practice Of human sacrifices In which
/ his predecessors, hlns AoH aLl O,u-.s.
/ so freely INDUCED When Mr. Stanley
visited the place OF execution at the
/ capital. kumassi, i'm 1873, he called II
/ great Gogotha. He saw some forty de-
! capitated bodies, the latest victims. and
countless skulls were piled In heaps or
scattered over acres OF ground. The main
street Of Kumassi leads to this death
/ grove, and the scenes it has witnessed
! for many generations past are among
/ the most appalling in human history.
/ While the Frenchman, Bonat, was pris-
oner at the capital he saw about 800
slaves beheaded at one time. Seldom
less than 1000 persons are decapitated
upon the death of king. 1t Is said
these victims of savage cruelty often
/ meet their death with stoicism, and even
I with cheerfUlness. My head belongs TO
the King, not to me-" many a poor wretch
has said as he marched bravely along
to his death. In the treaty Of peace Of
1874 the King promised TO CHECK the
practice of human sacrifice. with view
to putting an end to 1t altogether" lie
begged for the privilege OF killing at
least few people every year for other
wise. he said. the Ashanti nation would
believe he mad lost his power and would
no longer own him as King.
AT LONG RANGE.
There Is another reason for England's
revival Of interest in Ashanti. Three
months ago the Mohammedan chief. Sa-
mory who has been worrying the French
on the upper Niger for years marched
several hundred miles to the south. At
last accounts he was still on his con-
quering way with the ultimate inten-
| ton, it is said, of anneXing the King Of
Ashanti and all his possessions. The
English Ike SamOry best at long range,
and they want 10 get TO Kumassi before
! he does and deprive him OF the glory
the capture OF the capital would give him.
Ia fact. Ashanti. with Its gold dust,
its rich soil, It's bright people, and It's
/ proximity 20 the coast. Is something
worth having in this day, when even
/ African deserts are not despsed. The
/ long and short or the matter Is that the
/ Gold Coast authorities, backed by the
imperial government. have decided that
(. Is high time 10 get rid OF King Prem
peh. break up the Ashanti nationality,
! and open the country to British trade.
They have already projected a railroad
10 tap Ashantrs most profitable districts.
/ In these schemes they have been ably
abetted by the King himself. who has
| given plenty Of plausible preteAts for
military interference.
SO, last year, the Governor OF the Gold
/ Coast sent letter 10 the King. telling
him that he must keep the peace, stop
raidlng for slaves, put an end TO human
sacrifices. accept a British protectorate,
allow British resident TO live at ku-
massi, and let the English settle all flu
| ture troubles between him and his
! neighbors The letter told him what "A
| lovely thing this would be for himself and
his country. and promised him and his
important chiefs liberal subsidies II they
would submit 10 these terms. To this
day the King has not paid the slightest
| attention TO this communication: but a
while after he received IL. without noti-
flying the British OF his intentions. he
sent an embassy to London, consisting OF
his three couslns-the Princes Proc. Al
| bert and John-tO tell his side OF the story
TO the officials In Downing street. There
/ they are to-day. Whenever they have
/ knocked at Downing street nobody has
been at home Not a British official has
consented 10 see them. They have talked
at much length to the newspapers. have
acquired a great liking for British ale.
and having plenty of money TO spend,
they have had good time. But the
mission OF the ilI-advised deputation has
been failure
Ashanti will not consent 10 sacrifice
our King" they say. I'VE will welcome
British trading enterprise at Kumassi.
We are willing that an English agent
| should live at the capital. but not with
powers; and he must have no military
escort The sort OF men the English
| have on the Gold Coast are not particu-
I lar whose property they lay hands on.
| II We were to admit these armed men 10
the capital they would get into trouble
with some OF our people. somebody would
be hurt, and then our King might be
deposed We must guard against that"
The princes are very indignant az the
charge that human sacrifices are still
practiced AT the capital They say there
has been absolutely nothing OF the sort
during the present reign. They make
the remarkable assertion that In seven
years there has been only one execution