King Leopold's SoliloquyDear, dear, when the soft-hearts get hold of thing like that missionary's contribution they completely lose their tranquility they speak profanely and reproach Heaven for allowing such a find to live. Meaning me . They think it irregular. They go shuddering around, brooding over the reduction of that Congo population from 25,000,000 to 15,000,000 in the twenty years of my administration; then they burst out and call me the King with Ten Million Murders on his Soul. They call me a 'record'. - From King Leopold's Soliloquy |
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absolute monarchy Actual Thing Aguinaldo American missionaries anti-imperialist Archipelago asked bad play barbarism BARINGA Belgians Berlin Conference Blessings of Civilization Brussels brutality butcher-knife Casement Chamberlain chapter-headings child Christendom Christian colonies Commission Congo atrocities Congo Free Congo Reform Association consul crimes crucifix Cuba Czar Europe Filipino flag friendless Germany give hands Harris head honorable human race killed King Leopold KING LEOPOLD'S SOLILOQUY king’s labor land Leopold II Leopoldville Manila Mark Twain massacre Master miles of territory Morel Mumble murder mutilations nation natives officials pamphlet patriots Person Sitting Philippines population Powers President raids Reads region remark ripe rubber shot Sitting in Darkness skeletons skulls slanders slavery slaves soldiers South Africa Spanish spineless supplies tell thousand told twenty million United value the respect VIJAY PRASHAD villages women Yankees
Popular passages
Page 23 - Congo, administering, as it does, the interests of the Free States there established, and will order the officers of the United States, both on land and sea, to recognize the flag of the International African Association as the flag of a friendly Government.
Page 83 - It is yet another Civilized Power, with its banner of the Prince of Peace in one hand and its loot-basket and its butcher-knife in the other. Is there no salvation for us but to adopt Civilization and lift ourselves down to its level?" And by and by comes America, and our Master of the Game plays it badly — plays it as Mr. Chamberlain was playing it in South Africa. It was a mistake to do that; also, it was one which was quite unlocked for in a Master who was playing it so well in Cuba. In Cuba,...
Page 8 - Manchuria, South Africa, and the Philippines, with her soul full of meanness, her pocket full of boodle, and her mouth full of pious hypocrisies. Give her soap and a towel, but hide the looking-glass.
Page 86 - Twice 2 are 14, and 2 from 9 leaves 35." Figures are effective; figures will convince the elect. Now, my plan is a still bolder one than Mr. Chamberlain's, though apparently a copy of it. Let us be franker than Mr. Chamberlain; let us audaciously present the whole of the facts, shirking none, then explain them according to Mr. Chamberlain's formula. This daring truthfulness will astonish and dazzle the Person Sitting in Darkness, and he will take the Explanation down before his mental vision has...
Page 64 - Majesty's wise care, being the first among the Powers to recognize the flag of the International Association of the Congo as that of a friendly State ; and now that the progress of events has brought with it the general recognition of the jurisdiction of the association and opened the way for...
Page 90 - ... person will believe it.] In buying those ghosts for twenty millions, we also contracted to take care of the friars and their accumulations. I think we also agreed to propagate leprosy and smallpox, but as to this there is doubt. But it is not important, persons afflicted with the friars do not mind other diseases. "With our Treaty ratified, Manila subdued, and our Ghosts secured, we had no further use for Aguinaldo and the owners of the Archipelago. We forced a war and we have been hunting America's...
Page 92 - ... must bring him to, and coax him and coddle him, and assure him that the ways of Providence are best, and that it would not become us to find fault with them; and then, to show him that we are only imitators, not originators, we must read the following passage from the letter of an American...
Page 29 - Each time the corporal goes out to get rubber cartridges are given to him. He must bring back all not used ; 'and for every one used he must bring back a right hand.' MP told me that sometimes they shot a cartridge at an animal in hunting ; they then cut off a hand from a living man. As to the extent to which this is carried on, he informed me that in six months they, the State, on the Momboyo River, had used 6,000 cartridges, which means that 6,000 people are killed or mutilated.
Page 76 - ... Trust, wisely and cautiously administered, is a Daisy. There is more money in it, more territory, more sovereignty and other kinds of emolument, than there is in any other game that is played. But Christendom has • been playing it badly of late years and must certainly suffer by it, in my opinion. She has been so eager to get every stake that appeared on the green cloth...
Page 75 - Extending the Blessings of Civilization to our Brother who Sits in Darkness has been a good trade and has paid well, on the whole; and there is money in it yet, if carefully worked— but not enough, in my judgment, to make any considerable risk advisable.