New-York tribune., 1905-03-22

By Henry Msess01 Sayork Ber1 with 125 inuEtra
lions and maps. svo. pp XVI, eSs- VI = go"
mans sens
robr Esten Cooke related that he once called
r-haokeray's attention to the illustration ely
,e,nnestra-'' in Vanity Fair" IN which poor
-, ola Jos aedley, nightrobed and night
rorned seated in his armchair, raises clasped
o,d ,r7nloring hands to Dobbin. while behind
s.,,vtssn stands Becky Sharp. glaring and ghast-
lv. srasping a dagger. He asked plumply: Did
1,eolv KIN him, MIR. ThacAeray?' The authoF
af .svanity Fair smoked meditatVely 1or
minute. and then, slow smile mingling with
secretive expression upon his face' ans"ereu'
.sT don't know We have read Mr. Wack
,ao,r with its sometimes lurid rhetoric and its
invaluable compendium Of facts. and many other
hooks, pamphlets, tracts, letters. addresses ana
what not upon both sides OF the Congo question:
ana the 70. result-so far as their Information
serves uS-ss that If any one asks US IL that
MIA A f-,san state is a monument Of benefcent
civilization or abomination OF oesolhuop We
,Dust answer with Thackeray, I'VE doslt know"
r. ,s IN ,ts relation to the pending controversy
over the Belgian administration in the Congo
,,ot +bis hool, "a most timely. It is valuable
for sts presumably accurate story OF the origin
of the Congo State and for It's compendium OF
,-eatses and other documents-the most COM
Meta srch compendium that is readily accessible
10 The general public But it was written large
". as .ts author frankly avows. as contriou-
tton 30 the controversy, and, indeed as an eiioi'
"a vtnd,cata the Belgian administration IN the
orosecutiou Of his work Mr.. Wack enjoyed the
bornstalttv Of the King of the Belgians end hao
4-ea access to the archives OF the Belgian-Con-
rolese government. We may, therefore, resaIe
the book as q complete and authoritative pres
entation of the Belgian side Of the case 1t is
strong and impressive. but we cannot say that
II IS fully convincing.
II IS not necessary TO argue that the congo
state was founded with benevolent purposes
We have no doubt of that. though we have no
doubt. either, that there was at the same time
hrevd realization of the potential profits OF It's
rubber forests We are not cynical as TO re-
gard every colonial enterprise entirely ner-
cenary nor so ingenious to suppose that any
IS quite free from thought OF material aoVah-
tage. There IS no disrespect or injustice IN as-
sursling that when the King Of the Belgians said,
LET rs abolish slavery in the Congo!' he also
said-to hinself-"and the free labor Of the en-
franchised blacks viii yield US great gainsf'
We have always regarded those as taking par
tiaI or extreme views who saw in the creation
Of that State either unalloyed philanthropy or
unrelieved greed. and we find nothing in Mr..
Wacks book TO change that opinion Indeed,
dissent from *
So, too. # is probably false view of the pres
ent case which sees the Congo either all rose
color or all blaekness. King Leopold is in souae
respects an enignatic character. But 1t is In
conceivable that he either authorizes or approves
any OF the monstrous cruelties which have been
charged against the Congo administration. That
would be forbidden both by his humane Gisposi-
ton and by his shrewd appreciation Of the need
OF avoiding scandal or cause OF offence In what
is IN some essential respects an international
undertaking. Neither can we believe that the
members Of his government the chief officials
OF the Congo administration are in q conspiracy
for oppression and massacre. On the other
hand st is difficult TO believe that every Belgian
functionary IN the Congo IS at all tirnes q pa
tient, tender hearted philanthrop4st. IL is a
melancholy fact that prolonged authority over
subject people often induces arbitrariness, II not
actual harshness and cruelty. 1t is TO be feared
that individual cases OF harzhness and oppres-
sion 60 occur IN the Congo, enough to give strong
color 10 many OF the charges that have been
made. We know how the Beers treated the
Kafirs. how the Germans have treated the Hot
tentots-wheace their present war-how British
soldiers and officers treated Hindoos. and how
Americans have treated negroes and Indians.
Are we TO suppose that these Belgian soldiers
and rubber gatherers are an exception to the
otherwise universal ruler
We repeat, however, with Thackeray, that we
DO not know. We are simply Judging from the
partial knowledge which We, with all the world,
have Of conditions IN the Congo. and from those
general principles which afford pretty sound
basis Of Judgment. Therefore, all real informa-
ton bearing upon the case is to be welcomed,
as We welcome AIr. wack's book Unfortunate
Txy &c &c all info To
more rhetoric Of certain kind than we might
wish. IT IS no vindication Of the Belgian system
IN the Congo to sneer at the humanitarians OF
Exeter Hall and their white cravats, or TO rail
at ~Cant and Commerce." Ties, thick Els leaves
;n YslIou1brosa," and ''eld libels stale with use
On the face Of IT there is just as likely TO be q
conspiracy for oppression among come Belgian
functionar1es .n the Congo-wiieh Mr.. waek
stoutly denies-as thers IS to be an anti-Congo
Q. snftBe,gzan conspiracy Of slander in England
and America. which be as stoutly and more lu-
-idIy eE.rmE Nor is II comnendable 10 sneer
CT all hostile witnesses and dsnounce than, and
20 give inctsc-iminate praise ana credit TO al
who ere on your side
It IS not by rhsterfc or by pecrinatnations that
fhe Belgian rule OF the Congo is TO be either vim
cation end disclosure OF facts. Mr.. waoh sneers
et LORD Lansaowne's dispatch TO the great pow
eTs upon tbs subject Yet that dispatch was
really call for light upon an obscure subject
fhe most appropriate call that could be made
Even f every charge that has been made
against the Congo administration were dslib-
erately snd zraiic.ously faise-which is unthink-
ahie-stiIl. Until that fslsity had bsen demon
strated. the magnitude end gravity OF the
charges would strongly call for an investga.
tion. We not urrn.n6ful OF the prinoipis ot
l&w which throws the onus Of proof upon rhs
aceuser- It is not for the Congo State to prove