telegram which stated that Tend Salis-Some little time ago we published a
bury had informed Parliament that his cabinet had amended the proposals of Germany with regard to the African slave trade. Subsequently another telegram informed us that' many of the Great Powers had established a cordon of gunboats from Suakin to Mozampique, and this we suppose is the amended policy of which the Premier spoke. By the German mail we get a glimpse of what Prince Bismarck's original proposals would be. At the end of October the North German Gazette, the official organ of the Chancellor, reproduced from another Berlin newspaper the reports of the German Consul-General at Zanzibar. These documents were originally prefaced by the remark that the Arab slave dealers were the real foes of Germany in East Africa. Prince Bismarck was known to be in a perplexing dilemma on account of what had occurred to the East African Company, and it was shrewdly suspected that he had been casting about for some means of extricating himself from his difficulty. It was perceived at once that he had selected the slave question as the fulcrum of his future policy in Africa, The Gazette pointed out that for some time public opinion in Germany had been concerning itself with the African slave trade, as had been shown by large meetings which had discussed the subject in various parts of the country, "notably at Cologne, convened by eminent men of all social classes and of various political parties, with the reminder that there is a common enemy who not only threatens the results of English, Belgian and German work, but also the civilizing mission of Europe as a whole." The matter, it is pointed out, is one not for Germany only but also for all the Christian nations of Europe who have interests in East Africa and who "are guided by the great civilizing aims which are_ primarily determinant for the opening up of Africa. England had hitherto, at great sacrifice, led the way in this, but with the growth of the Mahomedan slave trading movement, which extends over immense regions, the resources of a single nation no longer suffice to cope with the danger. uly by ce-operation can the civilised nations concerned succeed in putting a stop to a state of, things which is a disgrace to our century; and we may confidently hope that the German as well as the English people will prove equal to the task which is here imposed upon them, alike by the sacred principles of religion and of humanity."
On the evening of the day on which this dexterous appeal to the humanity of Europe appeared, the same paper published a communique touching the noble example set by the Pope in contributing 300,000/. to Cardinal Lavigerie for organizing a crusade against the Arab slave traders of Africa. "It was hoped that this magnanimous act would excite the desire of imitation in other benevolent hearts, seeing that the solution of the African slave trade is a duty of this century." The correspondent of the Times says:—The point to be noted is that Prince Bismarck is apparently a aiming at the restoration of German n East Africa by a means which implies the enlistment of the humanitarian principles of other Powers in the service of his own special political objects; and Cardinal Lavigerie, with his anti-slavery crusade, seems to have been now, after full deliberation, selected as the connecting link between the two elements," the good understanding with England, as established by the London treaty of 1886, being The appeal to the sac principles of religion and indeed the whole extract from the Gazette drew cynical remarks from the London press, the cloaking of the Chancellor's commercial and political policy being rather transparent. A crusade by land of all the Christian Powers which could be induced to embark in it, seemed to be the scheme of Prince Bismarck and was considered too serious to be hastily entered upon. Moresver, it was remembered that so long as the affairs of the German East African Company seemed to be flourishing there was some disposition in Germany to regard with jealousy the activity of England in the same quarter. This was natural enough, but it no doubt caused the Chancellor's policy to be received with a slight suspicion. It may be that the abandonment of the German expedition for the relief of Emin Bey was decided on in Berlin more as a sop to England than because of the reason assigned—Prince Bismarck's fear that it might lead to collisions with the natives. The Berlin Correspondents of the Standard and Daily News say that England invited Germany to onsider with her the means to be used for the suppression of the East African slave trade. 80, Prince Bismarck saw his opportunity and proposed a policy, the boldness of which, with the noble ends to which it was designed, would cause people to forget the mischances which had befallen the German East African Company. The result promises well for the natives in that rt of the world. But we should not over sanguine about the suppression of the slave trade which has become an institution thereabouts and one which is regarded with respect by bond and free. For, in and about vicar a slave saves money till he buys his own freedom and after that to buy a slave.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.