The Minneapolis journal., 1903-11-07

Brussels Corresponds
Brussels, Sept. 23.-Leopold, King of
Belgium and of the Congo, Is no roi
feignant; his is one of the strongest
and most powerful personalities In all
Europe. Called, as it seemed, by fate
to play petty part, he has made for
ruler Of a small European state, he
might well have passed his life in end
less trivialities; in holding tiresome re-
views and still more tiresome recep-
tions: in the pronouncement of te-
dious speeches,as soporiflc as they We're
wise. Nominally a fgurehead, he could
have secured untroubled ease by re-
manning one, and universal praise by
drifting on every popularity current.
Such arts as win kings popularity
are easy; a royal smile makes foemen
partizans; a cross or a ribbon, be-
slowed by king, brings gushing graft
tude to him. King Leopold in the
palace of Brussels, seated on a gilded.
throne beneath the painted ceilings
glowing with the armorial bearings
of his proud ancestors Of the royal
houses Of England, France, and Ger
many, would make a kingly spectacle,
satisfying to the splendor-loving Bel
gians. To sit thus and to smile, to
encourage manufacture and the arts
with fair words, to aid charity with
easy gifts to sign his edicts and ap-
prove his ministers, was all, from the
time of his accession to the present
moment, that the King Of the Belgians
need have done to fill his part, were
he willing to pose as king and be a
man of straw. He was not willing.
OF the royal caste Of Europe, he has
all his races pride, and all it's rever-
anoa for EinCSfir hJ1f II g nhorqcfar- ri
istic Of him that he owns neither gold
EN- crown or upholstered throne. For
him kingship lies in the acts, not the
trappings of royalty. His power in
| Belgium, the power he has gathered
to the throne, have told of before.
In his eyes Belgian interests and the
kings duties are one. Neither for
him, nor for the country, as he con-
ceives it, are the narrow territories
Of Belgium sufficient. Belgium can
not extend in triple guarded Europe,
but the Belgians must have room az
their population grows. When Leopold
II. came to the throne they were find-
! ing that room in France, but Bel
/ gium did not expand into France. The
Belgians who crossed the frontier were
merged into the greater country. Bel
gians might say, and indeed they have
said, that Belgium's colony was
/ France, because some hundreds OF
thousands Of Belgians settled In tina,
country and spent some hundreds Of
thousands of Belgian money there
but the opposite was the truth. Bel
giurn as a result Of the drain Of it:
enterprising and adventurous spirit:
into France, and the reaction of theil
views, was in fast increasing danger
of becoming a colony of France. This
did not please King Leopold. He cas-
around for means of checking an evi
which, perhaps, was evident to non'
beside himself, and, as he sought ther'
came Livingstone with his tales of cen
trail Africa, it's darkness, it's horror
and it's possibilities. Here was wha
King Leopold looked for; while every
one else remained blind, the perception
of these possibilities flashed into hi
far-seeing eyes.
How He Came to Know OF the Congo
King Leopold's interest in centra
Africa was born and his work for 1t
amelioration commenced long betor
: the sitting of the Berlin convention
long even before Stanley's explorations
The meeting of the geographical con
gress at Brussels in 1876 was con
:. yened by the king. It was he VIII
! at this congress prevailed on the peo
pies, if not the governments, of Eu
rope to bind themselves to extirpat
slavery in Africa. It was to him along
enot as King of Belgium, but as
philanthropic prince, acting personal
ly and relying solely on his own stu
pendous energy, that the gigantic Wor
: was left. He began the 'civilizatio
of central Africa, and, to quote mos
I expressive French simile, he was lei
for a long time with his elephant !
his arms. Even Belgium stood aloo
observing" as a Belgian writer pc
:. litely phrased 1t, "a rather expectar
: attitude. with respectful admirat1on.
= In other words, his own and ever
: other country of Europe, seeing n
> monetary gains to come from this Al
: rican enterprise, left King Leopol
: alone to pursue his philanthrOpic fat
: remaining watchful, however, an
ready to jump in and share the prof
: should the unexpected happen an
:. profits come.
I After time things changed; Star
8 1ey's discoveries were made; the Ere
!. State Of the Congo was founded, i
u flag being recognized as that OF
friendly state by the United States {
e America in April, 1884, and by Ge
:. many in the following November; an
: in the end of that year and the opel
l. gress of Berlin were held. Kir
Leopold's sovereign rights over II
e Congo as already established wei
I. then fully recognized. AS sovereign
the Congo the king bound himself
q various promises in agreeing to tt
acts Of the Berlin convention. VIII
Is these promises were is well know
They were, first and above all, to abo
>, ish slave hunting; to abolish slavel
and cannibalism; to introduce civil1z
y ton, and to allow equal trading righ
e to all. The great work he has done
keeping these promises is but litt
" known.
The Charges Against Him.
The blacklist charges have be,
ct brought against the administration
vi the Congo. These charges have be-
published far and wide. Some OF tt
t; tales they are based on come fro
D men whose honesty Of purpose Is b
g. yond question, but they have be-
is swelled and spread In every instan
!. by financiers and politicians who
m monetary interests are opposed
e those of the Free State. They first b
< gan to be heard of when the disco
cry OF rubber in the Congo made tn
III previously neglected district Of Afri
r. desirable from 8, Inoney-seeker's poi
W of view; they grew as the value of Il
ne Congos exports of ivory and rubb
Tx grew, and they have now come to the
full volume and their greatest fore
r. They cannot be made greater tn;
os now; therefore, IL King Leopold's
rican monarchy is to be overthrow
r now is the time to prepare mems min
r for such an overthrow. Every passil
u month King Leopold's Congo admin
rt tration is consolidated and improve
T. more groundiess. It is doubtless b
III %hfe 70 rf that tho a4itafi