Rensselaer Republican, Volume 13, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 April 1881 — RIVAL POWERS IN AFRICA. [ARTICLE]

RIVAL POWERS IN AFRICA.

If the Attention of the great powers of Europe was not so much taken' up by the controversy over the settlement of the boundary line between Turkey and Greece, it is highly probable that the subject of greatest interest at the present time in foreign diplomatic circles w’ould be the future of Tunis. Although this is a collateral branch of the great eastern question, for Tunis is nominally under the control of the Sultan, yet, on account of its isolated position and the little influence its fate would have in adjusting those problems which must be met and settled when the empire of the Turk is broken down, by tne common consent of Europe its affairs have been treated as a seperate issue. For some reason best known to themselves, the French, when they acquire Algeria, decided that it was not advisable to annex Tunis to their new conony. But though they did not take bossession by force of arms, they made what might be called a commercial conquest. French merchants settled there and French trading companies have carried on an extensive business throughout the country. Insensibly, French influence made itself felt at the Court of the Bey, while the French themselves have hardly taken the trouble to disguise their belief that eventually tie Tunisian territory would fall into their hands.

But witbin the last few years the situation has been materially changed. The Italian pt ople have begun to realize their political importance, and, feeling that a young and vigorous nation should seek to extend itself, they have cast their eyes abroad for new fields to conquer. Naturally, they have fallen upon Tunis, as this province lies almost within sight of the Island of Sicily. Under the encouragement of their government, the Italians have entered into commercial relations with their African neighbors, and the Italian newspapers have repeatedly asserted the desirability of their government establishing a protectorate over Tunis. As might be supposed, these movements have not been at all pleasing to the French, and a few months ago, when the French consul at Tunis attempted to prevent an Italian company from possessing itself of its rights, under the charter of a railroad running between the capital of Tunis and the sea-board, which it had purchased at an extraordinary price, there was reason to believe that the matter might lead to serious international difficulties. But by some means a compromise was arranged, though the incident showed that the French were exceedingly Jealous of the interference of other foreigners in the affairs of Tunis. Lately there, has been another outbreak of this some spirit. On this occasion a dispute had arisen between aFrencb trading company and a Mr. Levy, who is what is known as a Gibraltar Jew, and hence a British subject, the controverry growing out of the purchase of a large tract or land formerly the property of Kheredine Pasha, ex-grand vizier to the sultan. The French claim this by right of eontract, and Mr. Levy by the local laws of pre-emption, and though the quarrel is somewhat involved, the French have plainly shown their intention to set aside native laws and usages when they interfere with their interests. These two events have bad the of convincing quite a number of Frenchmen that their government should take some definite action in legard to Tunis. The Figaro is not always to be relied upon for political intelligence, but when it asserts that M. Barthelemy St. Hilaire has decided to announce a.French protectorate over Tunis, it may be token for granted that it is expressing the wishes of a large number of its readers. Another evidence of aggressive tendency is found in the formation of a syndicate in Paris which has bought up more than half of’ the Tunisian bonded debt, and, on the strength of this, is now negotiating with the Bey to undertake the management of the finances of the country. These movements all point in one direction, and imply clearly enough that, unless her political condition is guaranteed to her by the great powers, Tunis is likely to pass soon under the direct control of France. This is but one step in a great colonization scheme winch now possesses the French mind. Only a few days ago, in the course of a speech iri the senate, M., DeFreycinet said that he should not be sorry to see France become possessed of a new Indian empire in the interior of Africa, and the sentiment thus expressen met with favor on all sides. A subvention has already been voted to a French company, which is engaged in the work of building a railroad from St. Louis, on the Atlantic coast, up the valley of the Senegal river, across the water-shed which divides it from the Niger river, and down the valley of that stream through Central Soudan. The government is surveying another railroad route across the desert of Sahara, to connect Algeria with Soudan. The manifest object of these enterprises is tn bring the trade of the interior of Africa Into the hands of the French, and if, in securing this, political possession wa» likewise gained, no one in France would tnink of raising an objection. But in order to carry out this plan the rivalry of other European powers has to be guarded against. The Italians have also had their imagination stirred by the reports of a wonderfully fertile country souty of the desert of Sahara, and if they were to gain it political or trade ascendency at Tunis they would no doubt seek to open up a pathway toward the equator. It is the desire of the French government to prevent this future rivalry by taking away the means for Ito active development, and it will be Interesting to notice in what manner this plan is carried out.—AT. Y. Times.

Remarkable Faculties es a Union Sol-dier-Not Born to Die by the Haa<l of the Enemy-Fiiially Kilted by ning. One of the most remarkable private soldiers on either side of the late war was a young man named Toin Kelley, a private in the Second Michigan infantry. His peculiarities began with his build. He had arms amH hand longer than any man who could be found. He had no more backbone than a snake, and could almost tie himself into a knot. He could tell the date on a silver dollar held up twenty feet away, and he could hear every word- of a conversation in a common tone of voice across a street. H could run a half mile as fast as any horse could gallop, and there was a standing offer of ten dollars to any man who could throw him down. On a- bet of a box of sardines he once passed six sentinels within an hour. On another occasion he entered the colony’s tent and brought away that officer’s boots. - ,

When Tom’s remarkable qualifications were discovered, he was detailed as a scout and spy, and was changed from one department to another. In the capacity of spy he entered Richmond three times. He entered Vicksburg and preached a sermon to the soldiers a week before the surrender. He was in New Orleans five days before that city was taken. He was a man who firmly believed that he could not be killed by an enemy, and he governed his movements accordingly. While under the orders of General Hooker, Kelly proved on several occasions that he could see further with the naked eye than any officer eould with the field-glass. If he could get a place of concealment within fifty feet of a picket, he could catch the countersign. He visited Lookout Mountain, intending to spike as many of the confederate guns as possible.. His disguise was that of a farmer who had been driven from home by the Union forces. The enemy somehow got suspicious of him, and he was placed in the guard-house for the night. There was a sentinel at the door and others uear by standing guard over guns aud stores, but it was all the same to Kelly. With an old tin plate for use as a shovel and scoop, he burrowed out at the back end of the building, and walked up to two Eieces of artillery’ and spiked them oth before any alarm was raised. When the sentinel began firing at him he ran out of camp, but before he was clear of it he lyia been fired on fifty times.

Kelley was once captured when asleep by Missouri guerrillas. When he opened his eyes he was surrounded by five or six men on foot and others in the saddle. It was under a tree’in an open field, and he had been tracked by a dog. As he rose up at their command, lie resorted to nis wonderful skill as a gymnast. By dodging and twisting arid jumping, be got out of the crowd, pulled’ a man off his saddle and would have escaped had uot the dog fastened to his leg. He was then put under guard in a log house with only one room. Two sentinels sat at the door with revolvers in their hands, and kept watch of his every movement. After an hour or two Kelley approached as if to offer them tobacco, and< jumped clear over their heads like a deer. He had half a mile of open field to cross, and he crossed it under the fire of a score of musket and revolvers without being hit. During his three years and a half in the service Kelley captured fifty-two confederates and turned them over as prisoners. He himself was captured and escaped five times. As a spy he entered more than thirty confederate camps and forts. He was fired upou at least one thousand times, aud yet never was wounded. He said that he would never die by the hand of an enemy, and His prophecy came true. In the last year of the war, while bringing a captured confederate scout into camp, both were killed within forty rods of the Union lines by a bolt of lightning.