JOHN BURNS ON STANLEY.

Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 103, 3 May 1890, Page 1 (Supplement)

JOHN BURNS ON STANLEY.

It will be recollected that in January a cablegram informed us that John Burns, termed Stanley a ' buccaneer.' Wo have at hand "the London Star's report of the London County Council meeting at which ho said this, and wo extract therefrom the following : — Then came the seusation. Burns rose, and at the height of his great voice uttered a loud protest against the idea. In the first place the Council had no pjwer to spend money for such a purpose, and even if it had Mr. Williams was vastly mistaken if he thought the people of London were so very fond of the record of a man who had spent his time in devastating and ravaging whole districts in an unknown country. No doubt Stanley deserved the thanks on certain commercial sections whose interests ho had pressed forward. His treatment of the natives amounted to brutality. • I have, ' said the speaker, ' been amongst these natives myself for a twelvemonth, and never even had to strike one of them.' But this man, who made no scruple of forsaking his sick followers in the wilds when he found them an incumbrance, who had shot and court-martialled all around, was to be feted, and that too on the motion of a minister of Christ! To such men as Livingstone, Speke, and Camoron honour was due; but it was a long jump down from thorn to Stanley, who was no pioneer of civilisation, but only the advance guard of a shoddy commercialism panting for fresh markets, anxious for profits, willing to exploit the the natives and to shoot them down in accomplishing that exploitation if needed. This ' buccaneer ' of the Congo was unworthy of their honour. All this time the Council, which at first seemed amazed, was roaring out dissent round Bums, who, never heeding that, went on stentoriously in tones louder than all dissent, stopping neither for protestations, points of order, nor the general wail of 'Pray don't let him go on, Mr. Chairman,' that rose all round. Thon Mr. Lawson rose and hoped that the public would not think becauso they rejected Mr. Williams' motion, that they therefore, agreed with this last speaker. Mr. Stanley's works spoke for him — (Hear, hear) — with emphasis — from John). He wished to move that the Council expressed regret for the utterance of Burns' views. But here it seemed that Burns was not alone, for their rose a considerable cry of ' No, no ' and Mr. Lawson hurriedly dropped his regretful proposal. After which Mr. Williams hastened to withdraw his suggestion, to which the Council gladly assented as getting rid of an unfortunate incident.