The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-30

of the human body" 1t was what the
natives called a Yaka or numbatt.
This ugly charm was considered GER
tain preventive against i'll fortune. Inc
fetch is material thing and its use
is so universal as to dominate much Of
negro native life and to form large
part of his religion, which we call feti-
chism. Fetch is an English word, an
abbreviation from the Portuguese
'feitico" meaning "made" or "artiti-
cial." This | got from short article
| i'll N. Y. Saturday Review The sac
rifices of human life as propitiatory
offerings are many. 1t is estimated
| that Africa has a population OF some
100000, 900, of which it is estimated
the negroes amount to one-half. Popu
laton has steadily diminished. l again
quote from the Review:
'The slave trade certainly may be
counted as one of the causes of de-
population, but that nefariouS business
has fallen off of late. The author
says that the loss of human life in the
| so-called Free States is enormous to-
| day.
But aside from all these and other
civil and political causes, the fetch re
| ligion of Africa has been a large part
of its destruction. 1t has been the
Moloch whose hunger for victims was
never satisfied, as illustrated in the
annual sacrifice of hundreds of thou
sands by the priests of the kings Of
DahOmey and Ashanti and the burial
victims at the funerals of great Kings,
as in Uganda and all over the conti-
nent. If the destruction of such hui
| man victims is not SO great to-day as
| it was twenty years ago, missions and
forceful prohibition by civilized Gov
ernments the spirit and disposition is
not eradicated; it is only suppressed" "
That is a bright, hopeful picture
for 1905, of negro progress in Africa.
Thousands are killed as superstitious
sacrifices, and there is no real elimina-
ton, Mr.. Nassau states, or the belief
in their superstitious rites. 1t is stated
that the African has the idea of a
natural death. He thinks that he
ought to live on forever. If a man dies
natural death, it is supposed that his
demise is due to witchcraft. Then one
or more persons are accused of the
crime and are made to suffer death. It
can be understood how the circle of
deaths is always increasing.
The former slaves in the South were
much advanced beyond their ancestors
or present kindred in Africa.
Unless one keeps up with the flood
of books he can not keep apace with
the real names of writer's. | told but
the other day what was the real name
of the splendidly endowed French
scoffer Voltaire-Francois Marie
Arouet-and now I find out for the
first time the true name of George
Brandes, at present one of the prom
inent literary critics in Europe. A
writer in the New York Saturday Re-
view says his true name is Morris
Cohen, a Jew by birth or descent. He
himself writes it Maurice Cohen. AS
an interpreter of the best English
poetry it is held that he is as unsound
as the illuStrious French critic Taine.
He is a man of learning and a critic
of acuteness if not of wisdom, and he
has attracted much attention during
the last few years as a very produc-
tive and interesting writer in criticism,
am not acquainted with this Mr..
Cohen's works. BY the way, do you
know that Rothschild is a made name,
and means Red Shield ?" The father
of the many rich men since the new
name was adopted was named Cohen.
and lived in a small German city in
the time of the great Napoleon. and
had Red Shield over the door of his
place of business. He had accumulated
a snug little fortune of some millions,
had an excellent character for strict
honor and trustworthiness. Before he
died he gathered his sons about him,
told them to take the name of the
Red -Rothschild-not to divide
the fortune he left, but to have
common fund, for them to settle in
several different cities and become
bankers One. settled in London, an
ether in Paris, another at Alexandria,
Egypt, and one or two elsewhere. The
one in London made millions by the
wars with Napoleon. Recently two
of the Baronst have died. All are very
rich in dollars. Several years ago l
gave a sketch of the family in an
article.