William McCutchan Morrison, twenty years in central Africa

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DR. MORRISON

Wxiimm Mtdlixttl^m ManxBm
Stuf titg f pars in df ntral Afrira

By

REV. T. c. Vinson

1921

PUBLISHED BY

PRESBYTERIAN COMMITTEE OF PUBLICATION
Richmond Va— Texarkana, Ark., Tex,

.V^^

^W YORK

26134A

/ AND

-^iTro^JS

CORYRIGHT 192 I, BY

PRESBYTERIAN COMMITTEE OF PUBLICATION
Richmond, Va,

To

the Men's Ckih of the First Presbyterian Church

in Chattanooga^ Tennessee

whose liberality has made possible my work in Africa

and whose fellowship in the Gospel has ever

been an inspiration to me

this book is affectionately dedicated

3fnbpx

Acquittal of Drs. Morrison and Sheppard 104

Articles on Congo Reforms 52, 155, 156, 159

Bakuba Dialect 35, 161

Bakuba Tribe 27, 29, 33, 84, 180, 181

Baluba Dialect 35, 59

Baluba Tribe 33, 113, 116, 126, 127

Caravans 23-24, 133

Commission Appointed by Leopold 54

Conference of Congo Missionaries 141-148

Congo Free State 46-56,167,179

Congo Reform Associations 55-56

Congo Reforms 45-56, 75-87, 156-159

Congo Reforms, Report of British Consul 84-87

Congo Reforms, Speech of Dr. Morrison before Boston

Peace Conference 179-191

Congo River 20-21

Correspondent for Missions 159

Daily Program o^ Dr. and Mrs. Morrison 73

Death of Mrs. Morrison 119

Death of Dr. Morrison 149

Dialects, Native 59-60

Diarv of Dr. Morrson 14-15

Dictionary, Baluba 45, 63-64, 153-154

Duties of Missionaries 37

Education of Dr. Morrison 11-12

Fevers, African 25

Funerals, Native 31-33, 118, 123

Furloughs 45, 127-129

Genealogy of Dr. Morrison _ 9-10

Grammar, Native 45, 57-64, 153

"Herald, Kasa" 41, 78-80, 193-194

Ibanche 27-29, 33-34, 72

Ivory Industry 23

"Kasa Herald" 41, 78-80, 193-194

Lapsley,[S. N. 25,194

6 - Twenty Years in Africa

Lapsley, The 71-72

Lambuth, Bishop 133, 141, 172-173

Leopold, King 24, 46, 48-51, 54,72, 75,180-184

Leopold, Letter to 50-51

Leopoldville 24-25, 94

Luebo 26-27, 35-36, 58, 113, 187-190

Lukenga 33, 38-40

Lusambo 117

Mark Twain, "Leopold's Soliloquy" 159

Marriage of Dr. and Mrs. 'Morrison 69-70

Mission Policy 134-140

Morrison, Mrs 69-75,116-124

Nicknames, African 28-29

Palavers 126, 138-139

Prayers of Dr. Morrison 164-169

Railroad, Congo 21-23,71

Rubber Companies 23, 76-83

Sankuru River 36, 38, 40

Sheppard, Dr. W. H 27, 36, 76-84, 108

Slavery 33

Speeches on Congo Reform, Dr. Morri on —

In Boston 52

In London 47

Stannard Case_ 97

State Department ' 96-98, 197-201

Stead, W. T. , Article on Congo Reforms 48

Students, Native 41-43

Training of Natives 31, 41-43, 74, 165 (Footnote)

Translations- ___30, 57-68, 104-105, 113, 124, 127, 128, 153

Treaty of Berlin 34, 179, 181

Trial of Drs. Morrison and Sheppard 89, 105, 108-111

Tribunal, Belgian 45-46, 103-104

Vandervelde, Emil 49, 98-99, 102-105, 109

Voyages to Africa 14-17, 70-71, 127

Zappo-Zapps 45, 189

Pr^far^

This book has been prepared at the joint request of the
American Presbyterian Congo Mission (A. P. C. M.) and
of the Executive Committee of Foreign Missions of the
Presbyterian Church in the United States. Its purpose is
to make the world, and especially our own church, better
acquainted with the character and the work of Dr. Mor-
rison. No attempt has been made to eulogize the man, but
rather to give a simple account of what he did. We have
felt that an honest and unadorned statement of the truth
regarding him would be a higher encomium than any ideal
picture that could be drawn.

The writer has had access to Dr. Morrison's personal
papers and to the documents on file in the offices of the Mis-
sion at Luebo and of the Executive Committee in Nashville.
It was also his high privilege to be intimately associated
with Dr. Morrison's work for six years.

In the writing of this story it has been necessary to refer
to the mal-administration of the Belgian Congo under the
past and present regimes. In doing this the writer has not
attempted to make any attack on that nation, so recently
allied with our own country in the ^^^orld War. No judg-
ment is pronounced upon Belgium for the wrongs com-
mitted in its Congo administration. We have described
those conditions simply because they form the background
to the picture of Dr. Morrison which we have attempted
to draw. The part that he played in endeavoring to alle-
viate the sufferings of the oppressed formed the most
dramatic episode of his life and made him an international
figure. We could not do Dr. Morrison justice without pic-

8 Twenty Years in Africa

turing as vividly as possible the conditions under which he
labored.

The writer is indebted to his colleagues in the field for
their valuable assistance in the preparation of this book;
to Rev. R. D. Bedinger for the loan of a rather complete
file of the ''Missionary Survey"; to Rev. Joseph Savels for
the translation of certain French documents relative to the
trial of Dr. Morrison at Leopoldville ; and to Rev. C. L.
Crane for reviewing the manuscript and offering helpful
suggestions. He is further indebted to Dr. J. O. Reavis,
Rev. L. H. Wharton, Dr. R. E. Vinson, Dr. S. H. Chester
and Dr. T. A. Wharton for valuable assistance in revising
the manuscript. He is especially grateful to the Executive
Committee of Eoreign Missions for the publication of this
book and to their Educational Secretary who has kindly
agreed to superintend its printing in order that the writer
may return to his work in the field.

We thank the relatives of Dr. Morrison, especially his
cousin, Mrs. R. D. Campbell, who has given many interest-
ing facts regarding his early life, and his aunt, Mrs. Vir-
ginia Gunn, who has furnished the data concerning his
ancestry.

With so much material on hand it would have been easier
to write a larger volume ; but for obvious reasons it has been
deemed advisable to restrict it to its present limits.

T. C. V.

CHAPTER I

Ancestry — Birth — ''First Impression of Africa" — Life on the Farm
— Early Training — Preparing for the Law at the University —
Teaching School — The Great Decision — At the Theological Semi-
nary— Appointed to Africa — Departure and Dedicatory Prayer.

A GREAT man, as has been often said, begins with his
grandparents. And certainly Dr. Morrison was blessed
with a long line of godly ancestors. His paternal ancestor,
Samuel Morrison, moved early in the eighteenth century
from Scotland to Londonderry, Ireland, on account of his
reHgious beliefs. There were three sons in the family,
Robert, William and Samuel, all of whom emigrated to
America and settled in Philadelphia about the year 1750.
William and Samuel w^ere linen merchants and came over
in their own private sailing vessel. Robert, the great-
grandfather of the subject of this book, was a school
teacher and pursued his profession in Philadelphia for a
number of years. He was a veritable giant, about six feet
four inches high and broad in proportion.

He married Miss Susan Murek, who was reared in Ger-
many and educated at the University of Heidleburg. Her
ancestors also were teachers and there were five Presbyte-
rian preachers in her immediate family. Shortly after their
marriage they moved to Staunton, Va., and later to Lexing-
ton, Va., where they settled on a farm. This union was
blessed with five children.

The youngest son, Robert, was noted for his piety and
the high qualities of his character. He was an elder in the
Monmouth Presbyterian church, the "right arm of the
church" and a power for righteousness in the commu-
nity. He was the father of three sons, Luther, Rufifner and

10 Twenty Years in Africa

Culton. The eldest son, Luther, inherited the farm near
Lexington and was an elder in the Monmouth church.
He married Miss Mary Agnes McCutchan, of Bath County,
Va., a woman beyond praise. There were eight children of
this union, of whom William McCutchan was the oldest,
born on November lo, 1867.

His mother was especially noted for her piety and it is
said that her pastor often sought her advice in his pastoral
work. Three of William's first cousins on his mother's
side were missionaries to China. William was consecrated
to the gospel ministry from his birth and all of his early
training was directed with this end in view. Another factor
in his early training was a very godly aunt on his father's
side, Mrs. Susan Crawford, who lived in the family. She
took a special interest in him from his birth and taught him
as few children are taught.

There is one instance in his early life that Dr. Morrison
loved to tell. When he was a very small boy he was one
day watching an old colored man cutting wood on his fa-
ther's place. He began to amuse himself by throwing chips
at the old darkey's head, and was rebuked again and again
in no uncertain terms. The impatience of the old "uncle"
merely added to the enjoyment of the situation, and the
bombardment was continued with renewed zeal. But the
old fellow's patience was soon exhausted, with the result
that the small boy was turned over his knee and given a
good sound spanking. The humiliation of this treatment
hurt him a great deal more than the blows that had been
administered, and William ran immediately to tell his
mother. He thought that she would mete out just punish-
ment to the offender. But his mother had been sitting just
inside the window and had witnessed the entire perform-
ance with the result that William was given a stern repri-

William McCutchan Morrison ii

mand, together with the promise that a severer punishment
would be given him in case he should be so thoughtless
again. "And thus," Dr. Morrison would add with a merry
laugh, "Africa made quite a lasting impression on me the
first time we came into personal contact."

Here we may remark, as Dr. Morrison so often did, that
Lexington is noted for the good feeling that exists between
the white and colored people of the community, a feeling
promoted by the two great Southern leaders, Robert E. Lee
and Stonewall Jackson. It was in such an atmosphere as
this that Dr. Morrison grew up, and learned to deal with
colored people. This experience enabled him to adapt him-
self readily to the customs and characteristics of the natives
in the Congo.

William grew to manhood in the quiet retreat of his
father's plantation and received his training along those
practical lines that became invaluable to him in later life.
He learned to use his hands and was not at a loss when
called upon to build a house and do the scores of other
things demanded of the missionary to Africa. He was a
hard worker and outdoor exercise developed a strong body,
w^ith broad shoulders and splendid chest. Thus he laid the
foundation for that remarkable strength and endurance that
served him so well during twenty years of arduous and ex-
acting labors in a tropical climate.

He received his early training in the home and in the
common schools of the community. He was largely re-
sponsible for the organization of a "debating club" and
"singing class" in the little countr)^ school, where he learned
the art of public speaking and also how to "raise a tune."
These things may have seemed unimportant at the time,
and yet they were a part of his unconscious training for his
future work in life.

12 Twenty Years in Africa

When he was sixteen years of age he entered Washington
and Lee University. As his home was three miles in the
country he walked in to his classes and home again in the
afternoon. This kept him out of many of the activities of
university life, but he always came back on Saturday night
to attend the meetings of the Washington Literary Society
of which he was a member. During his second year in
college he won the orators' medal in an inter-society contest.

We are told by one of his fellow-students in the Univer-
sity that there was nothing especially outstanding in his
life to indicate his future greatness, except the fact that he
was a good student and was a regular and punctual attend-
ant on all his classes. However, the man was being formed.
*'He was always loyal to truth and conscience. Give him
his work to do and you need not worry about it further;
he would do his job. He was full of common sense; he
was always jovial and happy in his work and in his play."

His parents had consecrated him to the gospel ministry
and had directed all his early training with that end in view,
yet young Morrison had a will of his own. He had chosen
law as his profession and looked forward to this through-
out his university career. This doubtless was the reason
why he devoted himself to the training in public speaking
which the literary society ofifered. In fact, he did not even
unite with the church until his university days were nearly
complete. He was about nineteen years of age when his
father died, and his death seems to have been the turning
point in William's career. A\'hen his father was on his
death-bed someone asked him what he was going to do
about William since he had consecrated him to the gospel
ministry and he was not yet even converted. The father
replied with that unfaltering faith that had characterized
his life, "I consecrated William to God and have never

William McCutchan Morrison 13

taken him back and in God's own good time all will be
well."

It was then that William surrendered completely to God.
He had been fighting the call to the ministry throughout his
early life, for he had said, "for me to preach is for me to
be a missionary and I don't want to be a missionary." But
the prayers of godly parents had prevailed and William
finally consecrated his entire Hfe to God.

Immediately upon his graduation from the University,
at the early age of twenty years, young Morrison, for finan-
cial reasons, began the life of a school teacher. He followed
this profession for six years in Searcy, Ark., where he
endeared himself to all those who resided in this little city.
Those who knew him there still speak of him in the most
affectionate terms. This training in pedagogy was ai'other
part of his unconscious preparation for his work in the
mission field, and it was along this line that he did his most
effective and enduring work in Africa. At this time he
had not yet given i>p the hope that he might salve his con-
science and resist the call to the ministry and pursue his
chosen profession of the law. We do not know the cir-
cumstances that finally led to his decision to study for the
ministry. We do know, however, that there was no "burn-
ing bush" or audible voice or Damascus vision that came
into his experience, but only the assured conviction that he
was fighting against God.

Having made the surrender he entered the Presbyterian
Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., where he dis-
tinguished himself as a faithful and conscientious student.
During his seminary course he was facing the problem of
the investment of his life. Just prior to his graduation
he read an article in the "Missionary," written by one of
the missionaries at Luebo, Africa, calling the attention of

14 Twenty Years in Africa

the church to the needs and opportunities of thai great
held. This appeal went straight home to his lieart ; it came
to him directly as a call from God. When he announced
his decision to the congregation in Louisville, where he
was accustomed to worship, he learned that a teacher of
little girls in the Sunday School had read this same article
to her class and they had joined in prayer tliat he might
be led to answer this call.

Immediately after his graduation from the Seminary Mr.
Morrison applied to the Executive Committee of Foreign
Missions and was appointed a missionary to Africa. He
was licensed and ordained by the Presbytery of Arkansas,
under whose care he had pursued his training in the
Seminary.

The next few months were spent in deputation work,
visiting different churches and presenting the claims of the
mission field.

He left his home in Lexington on November 5, 1896, for
Philadelphia, visiting friends and relatives en route.

The secret of the success of Dr. Morrison as a missionary
leader is found in the opening words of his diary wherein
he dedicated himself in prayer to God. This remarkably
simple and earnest prayer is quoted in full as it will give
the reader an insight into his devotional life. If we bear
the several petitions constantly in mind, we shall see how
they were fulfilled and answered in his daily life.

"This day I leave home and mother, brothers and sisters,
and many hallowed memories of home and native land and
go far hence to the Gentiles in obedience to the command
of my Master. 'Go ye into all the world and preach the
Gospel to every creature.' This desire came to me, through
the peculiar dispensation of God's providence, about
eighteen months ago. I have every reason to believe that

William McCutchan Morrison 15

it was in answer to the prayers of some little children in
Louisville, Ky. As I enter upon this great and trying work
my prayer is — O God, I beseech thee to give me an abun-
dant outpouring of the Holy Spirit, making my own life an
open gospel, an epistle known and read of all men. I pray
for Thy richest blessing to rest upon the people to whom
I shall preach the unsearchable riches of Christ ; open their
darkened understandings, may Thy truth have free course
and may many be brought into the fold of Christ through
the gospel that I may be instrumental in preaching. O God,
pour out Thy Spirit upon Darkest Africa, and may the
long night be broken and may the brightness of the Sun
of Righteousness soon illuminate that benighted land.

"Bless the laborers in the field and richly reward their
service for Thee.

''Give me, O God, health of body, vigor of mind and
above all purity of heart. Help me to bear the burdens,
keep me ever humble, enable me to love all men, give unto
me wisdom and discretion — Thou hast promised that those
who ask Thee for wisdom Thou wilt give liberally — verify
this promise unto me.

"Keep me during the perils of the voyage, deliver me
from dangers seen and unseen, and may I arrive at my
destination sound in body and in every way fitted for the
preaching of the Gospel.

"O Lord, help me to overcome the sins of my life — the
besetting sins — may I be able to mortify the deeds of the
flesh and to grow more and more in all the Christian graces.
O, for a purer, holier, nobler, loftier, more Christlike life!

"Bless in an especial manner my mother — comfort her
heart, give her the consolations of the Gospel and may she
experience a rich out-pouring of Thy Spirit in her heart.
Give special blessings at this time to all my brothers and

i6 Twenty Years in Africa

sisters and may their lives be given fully to Thee. I thank
Thee that they have all confessed Thee as their Saviour.

**0 Lord, I pray for the church universal and I pray for
the world universal. Open Thy truth to all and enable me
to behold wondrous things out of Thy law— help me to
search the Scriptures and give me an understanding heart.
I ask these things not for my own sake but solely for
Christ's sake, whose atoning blood has washed away my
stain and renders it possible for me to approach unto the
throne of grace and ask these blessings. Amen."

CHAPTER II

Sails from Philadelphia — The Voyage to Liverpool — In London—
To Antwerp — The Voyage to Matadi — At the Canary Islands —
First Glimpse of the Dark Continent — At the Swedish Mission
at Matadi.

The first stage of the voyage to the Congo was begun on
November the 7th, when Morrison sailed from Philadelphia.
His companion m travel was Mr. J. C. Crowley, who had
just received his appointment and was going out as the
business manager of the African Mission. From November
the 9th on to the end of the voyage Mr. Morrison's diary
is dotted with such exclamations as these, "Sick! Awful
sick!" which form a familiar part of ever}^ untried seaman's
vocabulary.

He recovered sufficiently, however, during the voyage to
act as chairman of the committee on arrangements for the
concert given on board the ship for the benefit of the Sea-
men's Orphans' Home.

The last day of the voyage is described as the "most
beautiful of all with a sea as smooth as glass." They landed
at Liverpool on November the 14th and proceeded thence
by train to London where they w^ere met by Mr. Robert
Whyte, the agent for the Mission.

It must be remembered that Mr. Morrison vv^as going to
a country in which there were no stores of any kind and
he was to be absolutely cut of¥ from all the conveniences
of modern civilization. This is true to-day to a very great
extent and the missionary must still look after his own
personal supplies.

Mr. Morrison spent several days purchasing an outfit and
securing supplies sufficient to last him for two or three

i8 Twenty Years in Africa

years. When this task was completed the few days left
at his disposal were spent in visiting some of the places of
historic interest in wonderful old London.

On the evening prior to his departure for the Congo he
went to the East London Institute, a missionary training
school, to a farewell meeting in honor of Mr, Armstrong,
who was also leaving for Africa, and they became com-
panions in travel. They departed that night for Harwich,
crossing the English Channel on a "choppy sea" and reach-
ing Antwerp the next morning. They had secured passage
on the "Edward Bohlen," but had great difficulty in get-
ing on board on account of a throng of some ten thousand
people, who had assembled to see the boat off, and were
"rushing and crushing, pushing, chattering and gesticulat-
ing in the usual excitable French fashion." Mr. Morrison,
after this struggle, expressed the conviction that these peo-
ple could get up more excitement over the departure of a
single vessel, that was none too large for sea-going pur-
poses, than Americans or English could possibly muster
over the departure of an entire fleet.

"A rough sea, the stuffy and musty cabins and the abomi-
nable German cooking, with eight courses of meat swim-
ming in grease" together with a very severe storm, added
nothing to the pleasure of the voyage. Another vessel
sailing on the same day went down in this storm off the
coast of Cape Finisterre, but theirs was providentially
spared. Morrison took all these unpleasant experiences in
his usual good tempered fashion and we read in his diary,
"You will notice that there is a hiatus of several days in
my diary ; yes and there is a hiatus somewhere else, too."

They reached the Canary Islands, where they stopped
to coal, after a two weeks' voyage. The passengers were
given the opportunity of going on shore to refresh them-

William McCutchan Morrison 19

selves on the beautiful island and to secure a good whole-
some meal at an English hotel.

Again referring to his diary we read these words, ''When
I reached the ship, which lay at anchor in the harbor, I
looked back upon the view, which lay before me, and it
was one of the most enchanting sights I have ever seen;
a beautiful land-locked harbor, crescent shaped, teeming
with ships of every nation, small steam craft and canoes;
the shore skirted with white buildings with the main part
of the town far off to the left and arranged in tiers up the
mountain side ; then in the background a magnificent spec-
tacle of mountain upon mountain and peak upon peak
towering six thousand feet into the air. Surely I have
never before beheld such a strange, fascinating view. As
the sun was setting beyond the distant mountain ranges,
as the fleecy clouds stretched their blankets upon the peak
tops or dipped into the dark shadows of the valleys, and
showed their edges fringed with gold and silver and ame-
thyst— it was indeed a view long to be remembered.

"After reaching the ship, we were informed by an
Englishman, who lives in the town, that it was well that
we made no display of being Americans, for the Spaniards
are now in a veritable frenzy against the United States on
account of the Cuban trouble. I can only say that if Las
Palmas is a type of Spanish civilization, then the sooner
Cuba is freed from the thraldom of such a power the better
— though I doubt if they would be able to govern themselves
with much success."

After this most pleasant and refreshing day spent on the
island they weighed anchor and were off on the last stage
of the long voyage. On the night of December the i8th
three light houses were sighted on Cape Verde, the first
glimpse of the Dark Continent. The little group of Chris-

20

Twenty Years in Africa

tians on board met in Mr. Morrison's cabin and he con-
ducted a service of thanksgiving for God's protecting care
over them.

The remainder of the voyage on the southern seas was
quiet and uneventful They landed at Boma, the Capital
of the Congo Independent State, on December the 31st.
In those early days the ocean going vessels did not attempt
to ascend the Congo to Matadi, on account of the gigantic
"Devil's Caldron," which is formed where the entire volume
of this mighty river is forced into a very narrow passage
between two perpendicular cliffs. Passengers disembarked
at Boma and awaited a smaller vessel from Matadi, and
several days later they arrived at the "Gateway of Central
Africa."

There were no hotels at that time worthy of the name,
so Dr. Morrison and his companions were entertained at
the Swedish Mission for a few days while making the final
preparations for the long journey into the heart of Africa.

CHAPTER III

On the Congo Railroad — Scenery along the Way — Traveling by
Caravan — In the Midst of Sickness and Death at Leopoldville —
On the River Steamer for Luebo — Thanksgiving at the End of
the Voyage.

By a peculiar freak of nature the mighty Congo River
is blocked to traffic for two hundred and fifty miles above
Matadi. The river, in seeking an outlet to the sea, plunges
down steep declines and through narrow gorges forming a
series of cataracts beautiful to behold but creating an im-
passable barrier to navigation. To overcome this natural
barrier and to tap the resources of the interior, a narrow
guage railroad was projected from Matadi to the upper
stretches of the river. This railroad, when Mr. Morrison
arrived in the country, was still under construction, less
than one half of it being completed and under operation.

On the morning of January the 13th we find him buying
a ticket to Tumba, a distance of about one hundred miles,
for the "snug little sum of forty-five dollars," or eleven
dollars more than the passage from Philadelphia to Liver-
pool. This railroad was and still is, the only one in this
part of Africa and therefore they regulate their own rates
without fear of competition. The rates have been slightly
reduced since that time but they are still exorbitantly high
and continue to be a drain on the finances of the Mission.

The accommodations were practically nil, each passenger
having to furnish his own meals, drinking water and all
other necessities of life.

Mr. Morrison describes the scenery along the way as
follows :

22 Twenty Years in Africa

"The train is booked to leave at 6:30 a.m. but catching
the spirit of Congo Hfe it is an hour late in starting.
Finally the whistle of the little engine blows a shrill note,
I bid my Swedish friends good-bye and am off into the
heart of Africa. The train is composed of a small engine,
said to be American make, a 'luggage van' with a tarpaulin
cover, and a passenger coach with seats for nine. The road
is narrow gauge, exceedingly narrow, but well ballasted and
having iron ties on account of the destructive white ants.

"We have now passed the limits of the town and are in
the midst of some of the most rugged mountain scenery
I have ever beheld. For five miles, perhaps, we skirt the
Congo River, clinging to the sides of the overhanging cliffs.
A magnificent view, the boiling, foaming, rushing torrent
of the mighty Congo, penned in between two mountains and
restless for freedom. The opposite shore and tableland
are covered with green grass, with the blue mountains
rising hundreds of feet into the air, far in the dim distance.
Yonder in the distance towers a giant monolith, resembling
the pictures of the Matterhorn — certainly the grandest
mountain scenery I have ever beheld.

"It was no small engineering feat to put this road
through, some of the grades being at an angle of at least
twenty degrees.

"This in an interesting region from a geological stand-
point. This region was doubtless once a sea beach and
afterwards pushed up through internal contraction of the
earth. Nature has indeed a wonderland here ; the interior
earth has pushed up a mass of mountains, running water
has chiselled it into myriad forms, the rains and dew have
painted it a rich green, while the sunbeams have mosaiced
the whole with red tinted flowers.

William McCutchan Morrison 23

"As we near Tumba, great masses of weather-beaten
granite are seen scattered over the plains.

"Having no 'tender' to carry water we have to stop every
three-quarters of an hour during the whole distance for
watering. I have not seen a living thing during the whole
day save the men about the little railroad stations which
we passed. There are no depots, only a rude hut where the
native agent lives.

"Now we are at Tumba at 7:30 p.m., twelve hours mak-
ing one hundred miles. Here I am met by Phipps, a colored
missionary, who was occupying our small transport station.
I am taken to his quarters, consisting of a small house
8 by 10 feet made of tin or rather imported iron. After
supper we chat awhile and then go to bed. I occupy
Phipps' bed and he sleeps on the floor — certainly all social
and color distinctions are gone now."

Many days were spent at Tumba in securing a sufficient
number of men to make up a caravan, "the necessity and
despair of every African traveller." Finally they succeeded
in getting together eighteen men and Mr. Morrison had
his first introduction to travel in the primitive African
style in a hammock carried on the heads or shoulders of
native men. This trip was made along the regular route
established by the government of the Congo Independent
State. While on the journey he got his first glimpse of
the State's inhuman methods of dealing with the native
people. He passed many caravans composed of men and
even little boys, heavily laden and groaning under burdens
of rubber and ivory, on their way to enrich the coffers of
the cruel master of the Congo. Quite frequently human
skeletons were seen lying unburied by the road side, and
now and then foul odors attracted his attention, testifying
to the horrible fact that another human victim had been

24 Twenty Years in Africa

heartlessly sacrificed to the god of gold set up by Leopold,
king of Belgium, before whom the native must bow down
or die.

In marked contrast to this repulsive condition was the
little caravan with ^which Mr. Morrison was travelling.
Most of them were Christians, and he became very fond
of them. 'Tt was almost worth a trip to Africa to see these
half naked boys of the forest, but lately heathen, now sing-
ing praise to God and pleading with their brethren to accept
the Saviour they had found. I believe that some of the
men in the caravan had never heard of Christ. They lis-
tened as if it were a new story to them. I did so long to
speak to them, but my tongue was tied by a language that
I did not know. I tried, however, to make my poor, im-
perfect life speak for Christ — it was all I could do."

The overland journey was not accomplished without
hardships and vexations. They were travelling in the midst
of the rainy season and were frequently drenched. They
had to swim many heavily swollen streams infested with
crocodiles. Time was and still is no object to the African.
Quite frequently the men of the caravan would deposit
their burdens in the middle of the road and go off to some
village two or three miles in the distance to a native market.
The result was that it took twelve days to make the journey
to Leopoldville, a distance of about one hundred and fifty
miles, reaching there just too late to catch the steamer for
Luebo. This was a great trial and disappointment to Mr.
Morrison, as it meant many long weeks of weary waiting
for the next boat. He was anxous to press on as quickly
as possible and settle down to his work.

He describes his stay at Leopoldville in his first letter
written to the "Missionary" as follows : "Here, with Dr.
Sims, I have been in the midst of sickness and death, five

William McCutchan Morrison 25

white men having died in as many weeks. How sad to see
these poor men die here in a far-away land, with no loved
one to shed a tear at their departure ! In the state cemetery
there is a grave at the head of which stands a board bearing
simply the words, 'May Snyder, 1896.' But no eulogy or
epitaph is needed. Standing over the last resting place of
this sainted heroine, I thought of her self-sacrificing life,
of her consecration and devotion to duty, of her willingness
to stay at her post at Luebo till the last hope of relief had
gone, of her heroism that is worthy to place her name high
among the list of missionary martyrs; then I thought of
the boys and girls at Luebo whom she had, by her life of
purity and holiness, pointed to the Saviour, and I knew
more fully the meaning of the words, 'He that loseth his
life for my sake shall find it.' Our church is now more
closely than ever knit to Africa, for in her soil now lie
Lapsley, Mrs. Adamson and Mrs. Snyder. Precious seed !
May it bear an abundant harvest in this dark, dark land !
But we sorely need more harvesters. Who will come over
and help us? And who, 'while tarrying with the stuff,'
will send?"

Here Mr. Morrison suffered his first attack of African
fever, brought on by exposure during the overland journey.
Food of any kind was very scarce and delicacies suitable
for the sick were practically unknown. The fever contin-
ued at 105 degrees for many days and they despaired of
his life. But finally some one brought him a cup of fresh
cow's milk, and on drinking this he began to mend and
rapidly recovered his former health. Thus God put His
seal of approval upon the conviction that He had called
him to labor in this portion of His vineyard and assured
him of the fact that "Man is immortal till his work is done."

At last the long expected steamer arrived, and Mr. Mor-

26 Twenty Years in Africa

rison, together with Phipps, secured passage to Luebo.
Mr. Crowley was left behind at Tumba to assume the duties
of business manager of the Mission and look after the
transportation of the supplies. The journey of some nine
hundred miles on the waters of the Congo, Kasai and Lulua
Rivers, amid the varied beauty of the tropical scenery, was
accomplished in a few weeks' time. They arrived at their
destination on May the 7th, 1897, having been on the way
six months.

Mr. Morrison again writes : "Luebo, hallelujah ! All
well and all here. They report the work in a most flourish-
ing condition, with five hundred at church last Sunday.
Oh, for a full demonstration of the Spirit's power! I am
delighted with the surroundings, though I have only seen
the place by twilight. Praise the Lord for bringing me here
in peace and safety."

CHAPTER IV

ilabnrfl at 3banrl|?

(June, 1897— April, 1898)

Picture of Luebo at the Time of His Arrival — Established at
Ibanche — A New Name — Mastering the Language — Difficulties to
Be Faced in Bible Translation — Studying the Customs of the Peo-
ple— Burial of a Chief — Forced to Abandon Ibanche — Hostile
Attitude of the State toward Protestant Missions.

When Mr. Morrison reached Luebo, the Mission con-
sisted of one station, occupied by eight missionaries, three
of whom were white; one Sabbath School, with an enroll-
ment of fifty; one day school with an average attendance
of forty-six and one organized church of forty-eight com-
municant members. The equipment consisted of four or
five small missionary residences made of mud and sticks,
a small church shed which also served as a school building,
a general store in which the barter goods and other neces-
sary articles were kept and a few other minor buildings.
These were all built in the midst of the primeval forest,
as the station compound had not yet been cleared.

Prior to the arrival of Mr. Morrison in the field, the
Mission had secured the temporary right to open a new
station at Ibanche, some forty miles to the north of Luebo
and within the confines of the Bakuba kingdom. This
station was first occupied by Rev. W. H. Sheppard and
wife and Rev. Joshua Phipps. Early in 1897 the Sheppards
left for America on furlough, Phipps was returned to
Luebo and Mr. Morrison was assigned to Ibanche. He set
to work with a vim, clearing off the station and erecting
temporary quarters for himself. The Bakuba people about
the station were not over industrious, and Morrison had
to build his house of sticks and grass w^ith his own hands.

28 . Twenty Years in Africa

It was a small structure, 12x15 feet; ''pretty close quar-
ters," he writes, "but more than my Master had."

One of the first thhigs demanded of the missionary to
Africa is the adoption of a new name, since it is quite im-
possible for the natives to pronounce our English names.
In the giving of names the natives of central Africa are
not unlike the ancient Hebrews, in that a person may re-
ceive his title from some characteristic which he possesses.
The people are also great on namesakes, and quite frequent-
ly the missionary may be named for some prominent chief
or other distinguished personage in the realm. In this
respect the native logic is very peculiar, especially when
applied to the missionary. If he is named for some great
man in the realm he must show his appreciation of the
fact by presenting a gift to the man for whom he is named.
Also, when the missionary has gained enough distinction
among the people to have some newly born babe named for
him, he must manifest his appreciation of this honor by
presenting his namesake with a gift. Mr. Morrison was
fortunate enough to be named according to the first method,
but his financial obligations were increased by a multitude
of namesakes.

Shortly after his arrival at Ibanche he returned to Luebo
on business. During his absence war broke out between
two of the tribes to the north of Luebo. These tribes lived
on the main highway between Ibanche and Luebo and
communication between the two places was cut off. /his
condition of affairs resulted in considerable financial ioss
to the people in the region of Ibanche, for Luebo was a
great commercial center and traders from all sections were
gathered there at the market on Saturdays.

When the conflict had quieted down Mr. Morrison very
cautiously returned to Ibanche. While en route he called

William McCutchan Morrison 29

in the contending parties and succeeded in making peace
between them. When he reached Ibanche the good news
had spread far and wide, and people came in from all sec-
tions to congratulate him and to thank him for opening the
path to traffic. And as they were leaving they said to him,
"kuonyi nshila," or "Don't let the path get closed again" ;
thus Dr. Morrison received this expression as his native
name. Time proved him to be not only a true peace-maker,
but also one who opened up new paths for them.

The Mission, at this stage^of its history, had no definite
policy of working among tribes of a common language.
The burdens of the new missionary were manifestly in-
creased in an effort to acquire a smattering of two or three
dialects. No one had done any systematic work on any
particular language, and the only literature Morrison had
at his disposal was a small dictionary of a few hundred
words. Now the Mission was beginning to set its face
toward the great Bakuba Kingdom, with the hope of ulti-
mately concentrating all its efforts upon that tribe. In
accordance with this plan, Morrison began a systematic
study of that language. He faithfully applied his great
intellect and natural linguistic gifts to this task. He was
a methodical student and kept a careful record of all his
findings. The result was that within a very few months
after his arrival he was able to preach in the Bakuba lan-
guage and experienced great joy when the people began to
ask intelligent questions concerning his discourses. He
organized classes for those who expressed a desire to be-
come Christians. This daily contact with the people was
mutually beneficial, in that he was able to teach them the
truths of the gospel and at the same time study their lan-
guage and obtain some insight into their characters and
modes of thought.

30 Twenty Years in Africa

He was ever looking forward to Bible translation, know-
ing that the 'Sword of the Spirit'' is the only effective
weapon the missionary has at his disposal. In beginning
this task he found himself face to face with almost insur-
mountable difficulties. He refers to these in his diary : 'T
am almost oppressed with discouragement when I think of
Bible translation. Three great monsters arise before me
in the darkness : first of all, my work is with the very
bottom of humanity — perhaps as low as the lowest, with
an unbroken histor}^ of perhaps thousands of years of ig-
norance, superstition and spiritual darkness. Another diffi-
culty is the fact that all the customs, manners, pursuits and
minds of the people are so dififerent from the people de-
scribed in Bible history. The worst of it is that these
people can form no conception of these strange customs and
circumstances. But perhaps the greatest obstacle of all
and the most discouraging is the fact that after I have
spent many weary years in translation work, not one man
can read a word of what I have written. In the majority
of mission lands, the people can read and a great work can
be done at once in translating the Bible and in writing
religious tracts. But here in poor Africa that important
means of spreading the Truth can not be employed. In
fact, I have not seen a single character that seems to indi-
cate the most remote conception of a written language."

Dr. Morrison soon began to form his own ideas and ideals
as to the method best suited to the prosecution of the work
in Africa, and these methods gradually became the policy
of the Mission and continue in use until the present day.
He further writes in his diary: "In view of the difficulties
before mentioned, I am thoroughly convinced that our first
work should be in the school, then follow this up with cate-
chisms for general religious instruction of all people whom

William McCutchan Morrison 31

it is possible to reach; then paraphrase the Scriptures and
last, but not least, the Bible." He maintained that the
school should be conducted with a zeal and with a fixed
purpose to make something out of it. He also urged that
special attention should be paid to those who showed apt-
ness to learn. The best of these were to be selected and
given personal attention with a view of leading them to
religious work and ultimately into the ministry. He real-
ized that the most effective method for the propagation of
truth was that which our Lord employed — namely, a great
leader coming into intimate contact with a band of chosen
disciples.

Mr. Morrison took advantage of every opportunity to
study the customs and characteristics of the people to obtain
a deeper insight into their lives. Soon after reaching
Ibanche he attended a native funeral and observed what the
native conduct was in the presence of death. He relates
his impressions as follows : ''Early this morning I heard
the blowing of horns and other peculiar noises so went out
to see what it meant. I found the town all agog. Children
were dressed in their best, the ladies had adorned their
'Sunday-go-to-meetin's,' and the men, not to be behind the
procession, had diked themselves in their finest. Some of
the men were gotten up in the most outlandish and frightful
costumes, consisting of native cloth of various colors,
animal skins, feathers, charms, medicines, bells, knives,
spears, with cowrie shell and bead work on the ankles and
heads and with the face and other bare parts of the body
painted red, white and black. These men were rushing
about the streets, gesticulating wildly and wielding big cut-
lasses and looking the personification of satanic savagery.
I found upon inquiry that the people. were all going to a
nearby village to have a big dance in honor of a dead chief.
—2—

32 Twenty Years in Africa

Though it was now about noon and intensely hot, yet I
thought it my duty to be informed as far as possible con-
cerning the customs of the people, so I concluded to go over
and see the performance. Upon my arrival there I found
several sheds erected in the open square, with mats laid on
the ground for the accommodation of the spectators. In
one of these sheds sat the corpse on an elevated platform
and in an erect posture. The body was wrapped in fine
native cloth with bead and cowrie work in abundance. On
the platform lay the man's spear, bow and arrows, cutlass
and other trinkets. Under and about the central platform
the people, to the number of several hundred, were dancing
in that unbecoming style characteristic of the Bakuba.
They all seemed to be enjoying the sport immensely and,
I think, would be glad to have a man die every day of the
week for the sake of the dance.

"A number of men were sitting under the shed, near the
corpse and seemed to have charge of it. At their invitation
I sat among them, as the body had not yet begun to decom-
pose. I saw no evidence whatever of sorrow. I think the
sorrowing part takes place at night and is done by the
women.

"Nearly all the people who went from the village took
cloth, beads, etc., to put in the grave of the dead man. I
was told that he would not be buried for five days, so de-
cided not to remain. It is also reported that four Baluba
slaves are to be killed and buried beside him. The Bakuba
seem to realize that this is a hideous and revolting crime,
and I have not been able to get much information out of
them about it."

Some days later he went back to the village and found
that the funeral had not taken place, but "the body had
been put into a large neat coffin, which resembled in appear-

William McCutchan Morrison 33

ance a small hut. The frame work seemed to be of bamboo,
while the sides and top were made of fine mats cut into
proper shape. Under the sheds near the coffin I found
groups of people to whom I tried, in my broken way, to tell
the Gospel story and endeavored to impress upon them
the need of salvation. I used the case of the dead man to
explain the origin of death, which to these poor people
is the mystery of mysteries. I also tried to show them the
folly of burying cowries, beads, cloth, etc., with the corpse,
to say nothing of killing slaves; but from all appearances
they preferred to believe a lie. Verily, the devil has blinded
their eyes and stopped their ears.

"I was told that the burial would take place in the after-
noon so I returned home for dinner with the hope of going
back immediately, but a threatening rain prevented my doing
so. By the time the rain was over and I had walked back
to the village the obsequies were finished. I was unable to
get at the exact facts regarding the killing of the slaves.
The Bakuba all deny it, while the Baluba just as strenuously
affirm it. It is my impression, however, that no slaves are
killed by anyone save Lukenga, the King of the Bakuba,
who demands a monopoly of the business."

A strong bond of mutual friendship sprang up between
Mr. Morrison and the Bakuba people. It was therefore a
great trial and disappointment to him when, after a few
months' residence among them, he received peremptory
notice from the State that the station at Ibanche must be
vacated within fifteen days. Similar orders were received
at the same time at a new station that had just been opened
at Ndombe, to the southwest of Luebo. This is one of the
most discouraging and unjust conditions with which the
Protestant Missions in the Congo have always had to deal ;
and this, notwithstanding the fact that absolute religious

34 Twenty Years in Africa

freedom is guaranteed in the "Treaty of Berlin," on which
the Congo Independent State was founded. We regret to
say that this guarantee never has been fulfilled, so far as
this particular Mission is concerned. To-day, after thirty
years of labor for the uplift of the native people, we can
secure the site for a mission station only after the strongest
protests and a prolific correspondence, often covering a
period of several years. The first letter that Mr. Morrison
wrote to a State official was a protest against the abandon-
ment of these two stations, and almost the last official letter
he wrote, twenty years later, was against a similar condition
in regard to one of the stations in the Baluba country.

In the case of Ibanche, the Mission only held a temporary
right to occupy the land, and as the State was absolute in
its authority there was no recourse open for Mr. Morrison
but to obey the order.

In regard to this situation. Dr. Chester wrote in the
"Missionary" as follows : "This refusal of the State to grant
our American Mission what is being frequently granted
Belgian and French Catholic Missions is a clear and open
violation of the Constitution of the Free State and the
Treaty of Berlin. This unjust and unconstitutional action
on the part of the State authorities is felt in England as
well as in this country. It looks as if the State authorities
were determined to so cramp our prosperous little mission
that we should be forced to abandon it. The prayers of
God's people should constantly go up to Him, that He would
incline the hearts of King Leopold and his advisers to do
that which is right."

CHAPTER V

Earig iCabora at ^Jlmba

Return to Luebo with Shattered Hopes — The Holy Spirit Lead-
ing— New Opportunities — Searching for a New Station Site —
Discouraging News from America — First Literary Work in the
Native Language — Recalled to Luebo — Manifold Duties — Ideas
of Mission Policy — Visit to the King of the Bakuba People —
Founding of the Kasai Herald — Training Native Workers.

It was with much reluctance and a heavy heart that Mr.
Morrison returned to Luebo. This order from the State
was so directly opposed to his plans at the time that he was
almost overcome with disappointment and grief. It proved,
however, to be a parallel case with that of the Apostle Paul
when he was minded to go into Asia, but the Spirit suffered
him not. One door was being closed in his face in order
that another leading into a larger sphere of service might
be opened before him. On account of their extreme con-
servatism, the hearts of the Bakuba people were closed to
the gospel, and the Holy Spirit was directing the mission-
ary's attention to the more receptive people of the Baluba
tribes. Furthermore, the Bakuba dialect was spoken by
only a few hundred thousand people, while there are to-day
nearly two million who understand the Baluba tongue.

Mr. Morrison was not long in realizing that God was
planning for him a larger work than he had dreamed of,
and he entered with zeal and enthusiasm on his new work.

Shortly after his return to Luebo we read these words
in his diary : "The population at Luebo is constantly in-
creasing so that our field of labor is widening and our op-
portunities are multiplying. We believe that the outlook
for a great work here, under the constant blessing of God,
was never brighter. In fact, if the State will just let us

36 Twenty Years in Africa

and the people alone, we doubt if there is in the whole
Congo a more favorable place for immediate results.
Though there are many difficulties and perplexities and
discouragements along all lines, yet I try to remember that
it is the Lord's work and He will bless it in His own due
time."

The Mission, at its regular annual meeting, decided to
undertake to open a new station somewhere along the
Sankuru River, and Mr. Morrison was unanimously chosen
to select the site. He was to be accompanied by Sheppard,
when he returned from a trip to the lower Congo.

Accordingly, Mr. Morrison set out for Bena Makima, the
nearest point on the Sankuru, to await the steamer from
the lower river and any news he might receive from Shep-
pard. After several days of waiting word came to him
that a steamer was tied up for the night a few miles away
and would arrive the next morning. Sunrise found him
packed and ready to go on board without delay. Imagine,
then, his disappointment when he learned that the steamer
was returning from the upper Sankuru and was now on its
way to Stanley Pool. No news as to the movements of
other steamers was available, and he returned to his camp
with a heavy heart only to wait five long, weary weeks with-
out any sign of a steamer.

While waiting here alone and discouraged, he was almost
overwhelmed with grief when he received the wildly dis-
torted news that the United States had declared war on
Spain ; "our fleet had been caught napping and destroyed
and that Boston and New York had been bombarded and
were in flames." There is a tradition abroad that those who
drink of the waters of the Yukon can never tell the truth
again, but in those early days the missionaries had not yet
learned that this same tradition can be applied to those who

William McCutchan Morrison 37

drink of the waters of the Congo. It should, of course, be
understood that missionaries rarely ever imbibe deeply of
river w^ater !

This humiliating news and the disappointment over the
non-arrival of the steamer, coupled with nagging fevers and
the scarcity of food, caused Mr. Morrison to spend many
weary hours under the juniper tree. But the time was not
passed in useless worry, for he was not the man to be over-
come by difficulties. A small colony of Baluba people had
settled near a trading post at Bena Makima, and Morrison
held daily services for them and rejoiced to see some fruits
from his labors. He began the preparation of some school
books and a catechism for inquirers. The latter still forms
the basis of instruction in all our catechumen classes.

After many weeks of waiting the prospects seemed to be
no brighter for the arrival of a steamer. Upon advice from
Luebo our missionary returned thither the latter part of
August.

While at Bena Makima Mr. Morrison had fully deter-
mined to devote the greater part of his time to systematic
language study when he returned to Luebo. This determi-
nation was sadly hindered by the multitudinous duties
which are the common lot of missionaries to Africa. In
speaking of this desire, he writes : ''Unfortunately, in Africa
the missionary must be everything and do everything at
once — lexicographer, publisher, printer, bookkeeper, store-
keeper, trader, physician, mechanic, farmer, gardener, theo-
logian, teacher, singer and, if he is so unfortunate as not
to have a wife, he must be cook and housekeeper. And
all this more or less to the neglect of the duties of his high
office, which he came to fill — that of preacher."

He was convinced that every well regulated station should
have at least three men : one to take the language work and

38 ' Twenty Years in Africa

devote his time to the preparation of necessary books and
tracts, another to act as treasurer and to manage the busi-
ness affairs of the Mission, and another should be free to
give his time to the school and the evangelistic work.

In spite of his varied duties, as indicated above, Mr.
Morrison, owing to his unlimited capacity for hard work,
found time to apply his linguistic gifts to the study and
reduction to writing of the Baluba language and began the
preparation of a grammar and dictionary. His work in this
department is so remarkable that an entire chapter will be
devoted to it.

The Mission did not abandon its idea of establishing a
station somewhere on the Sankuru. After Sheppard's re-
turn, he and Morrison began to lay their plans for a tour
of the Bakuba country with the definite determination of
selecting a site.

Lukenga, king of the Bakuba people, had been subjected
to a great deal of unjust treatment at the hands of State
officials. The result was he had become incensed against
all foreign residents and had closed the doors of his entire
kingdom against their entrance. The Mission had tried
to secure permission to visit his capital, but in vain. The
old king finally found himself in hot water, because of his
anti-foreign attitude. The armed forces of the State began
to press in on him, and in his despair he sent to the Mission
for advice. This seemed to be just the opportunity the
Mission had been waiting for, and Morrison and Sheppard
decided to take advantage of it. The people around Luebo
and Ibanche were violently opposed to this purpose and
vigorously protested against their going. The messenger
from the king even advised against it privately. Morrison,
however, writes, "We started off in the face of these pro-
tests, determined to go straight to Lukenga's village."

William McCutchan Morrison 39

After they had started, two other messengers reached them,
bearing presents from the king, a token of the fact that they
would be well received. "Our hearts fairly leaped with joy
at this news; but we knew that he was calling us in his
extermity." They continued their journey, and neared the
village of which Mr. Morrison writes, "Knowing that the
next day would bring us into the presence of the king,
Sheppard and I turned aside for a season of prayer, asking
God to keep us in safety, to give us favor with the king and
to open wide the long-closed door."

Immediately upon their arrival in the village the king sent
them a goat, thus indicating his friendship in the common
African style.

*'The second day after arriving we were called to a con-
ference with the king. We were escorted into a cleared
space in the edge of the wood, near the chief's quarters,
taking our seats on mats. In a few minutes Lukenga, with
his bodyguard, appeared and took his seat on a large block
of wood beautifully carved, and we were in the presence
of royalty. Lukenga is perhaps over fifty years of age,
of large frame but not physically strong. His bearing was
haughty, stern, and unyielding, except now and then when
a genial smile would cause him to relax his severity of
countenance. He wore an expression of care and anxiety,
thus proving that even in Africa, 'uneasy lies the head that
wears a crown.' He wore a loin cloth of native manufac-
ture, and his face, arms and legs were covered with 'medi-
cine' to prevent us from doing him any harm.

"With Sheppard, who speaks the Bakuba dialect fluently,
acting as spokesman, w^e told him plainly that two years ago
we wished to come to see him, but he had refused; that
the State soldiers had come because he tried to keep all
foreigners out of his territory; that we were his friends and

40 Twenty Years in Africa

were advising him for his own good. We also requested
him to put the feather in his hair — the same as the corona-
tion— and send word to all his villages that the people could
dance and cease their mourning.

"He listened attentively, and when the interview was
ended we gave him a small present. We are the only for-
eigners who have ever seen his face ; in fact, many people
in his own village have never seen him.

"I confess to a little squeamishness in the presence of a
man whose word has been the cause of the death of hun-
dreds, perhaps thousands, of his subjects.

"The members of the royal family visit us only at night,
not wishing to be seen by the common herd. Last night,
one of the princesses asked me where my wife was. I had
to reply with shamefacedness that I had none; whereupon
she very naively answered, 'Well, I am looking for a hus-
band.' It was 'so sudden,' but I managed not to faint.

"To-morrow, with guides from Lukenga, we expect to
start for the Sankuru River, to be gone perhaps a week.

"Instead of spending one week on the Sankuru trip, we
spent nearly three, returning to Luebo after an absence of
about six weeks. We investigated all the country from
Mukikamu, on the Sankuru, down to Butala, on the same
river, finding one point which we deemed reasonably favor-
able for a Mission station. The Lord blessed us and our
entire caravan of forty people with good health during the
journey — Sheppard had two small fevers and I had one.
Lukenga is very anxious for us to go to his village, where
perhaps eight thousand people live. The door is now wide
open, and it has been in answer to prayer. We trust the
State will give us no trouble in this matter."

The work of the Mission was now growing so rapidly

William McCutchan Morrison

41

that the missionaries reahzed that everything possible
should be done to bring its needs and opportunities con-
stantly before the church at home. After long and prayer-
ful consideration, the Mission finally decided to launch out
on the publication of a paper to be circulated among our
Christian constituency at home. The first issue of this
paper, known as the "Kasai Herald," appeared early in the
year 1901. We mention this publication in connection with
the history of Dr. Morrison, because this little paper of a
dozen pages was destined to play a very important part in
the story of his life. He was chosen Editor shortly after
its foundation and served in that capacity, almost without
interruption, till the publication was discontinued some six-
teen years later.

S

EW^

^

DR. MORRISON AND NATIVE EVANGELISTS

Mr. Morrison realized that one of the most important
phases of missionary activity is in the training of young
men and women in Christian service. To accomplish this
end he organized Christian Endeavor bands to give them
some practical experience. He selected a number of attrac-

42

Twenty Years in Africa

tive and promising young men, gave them a special course
of instruction and then took them out every afternoon into
different sections of the village to conduct religious services.
From this band there have come many of the men v^ho are
now the leaders in all the activities of our native church.

One of his fellow missionaries, in writing of him and of
his work at this time, says, "These young men, with thou-
sands of others here, have learned that there is no one to
be found anywhere more truly interested than he in their
material and spiritual welfare."

We can give no better account of the scope of this work
and its accomplishment than that which has been given by
Mr. Morrison himself in an article written to the "Mission-
ary" on the subject of "Our Congo Christian People."

After giving a most graphic description of the moral and
spiritual darkness that hangs like a cloud over the heathen
world he tells of the wonderful transformation that has

BKFORE] THE COMING OF THE MISSIONARY

William McCutchan Morrison

43

THE POAVER OF THE GOSPEL,

been brought about by the preaching of the Gospel. "When
we remember that the acceptance of the Christ means com-
plete revolution of their whole social and religious fabric;
when we remember the death-grip with which they are
bound by the old habits, customs, superstitions, which have
been taught them from infancy up; and when we remember
that for many centuries they have had a pagan ancestry,
that they have had no Christian training in the home, and
that even now the Bible is just being placed in their hands
— remembering all these things, I consider it one of the
most marvelous and miraculous works of Divine grace to
see scores and scores of our Christian people who have
either broken away entirely from the fetters that bound
them or are making a valiant fight against terrible odds,
who are unmistakably showing by their daily walk and con-

44 Twenty Years in Africa

versatlon among their own people, the power of a new life,
who pray regularly in public and in private, who attend
punctually upon the services of the sanctuary and, last but
not least, wiio are daily by word and act preaching this
gospel to the unsaved about them."

CHAPTER VI

^\B IflxBt 3F«rl0U9l|— Qlnngo iSrformH

Protesting Against the Intolerable Conditions in the Congo — Before
the Tribunal— Commissioned to Protest before the King of Bel-
gium— Interviewing the King's Ministers — Advocating Congo Re-
forms in England ; In the Leading Magazines ; Before the Houses
of Parliament — Great English Leaders Rally to His Support —
Departure for America — Before the General Assembly — The
Challenge of King Leopold and His Agents — The Challenge Ac-
cepted— Arousing Public Sentiment in Behalf of the Congo Re-
forms— Before the Boston Peace Congress — Great Leaders in
America Rally Around Him — King Leopold Appoints an Investi-
gating Commission — What the Congo Reform Association Accom-
plished.

In 1903 Mr. Morrison, after six and one-half years of
labor on the field, departed for America on his first and
well-earned furlough. He took with him the manuscripts
of the Baluba grammar and dictionary, which he had been
authorized by the Mission to publish in book form. He
was accompanied by a native lad, named Kachunga, who
was to assist him in working out the complicated details of
the language.

Prior to his furlough Mr. Morrison had begun to wield
his pen in exposing to the outside world the atrocities per-
petrated by the agents of Leopold of Belgium upon the
natives of the so-called Congo Free State. Just two years
after his arrival on the field he was called before the Tri-
bunal at Luebo to answer for some very strong articles of
protest against one of the raids made by the notorious
cannibal tribe of the Zappo Zaps, who were in the employ
of the agents of the State. The officials doubtless hoped,
by this move, to terrify him into silence, but they had mis-
judged the calibre of the man with whom they were dealing.

46 Twenty Years in Africa

Instead of retracting his charges he emphasized them and
offered to prove them before an impartial court. The
Tribunal realized that they could not aft"ord to accept such
a challenge. They very wisely side-tracked the case and
nothing more was heard of it.

We have seen how it was practically impossible for our
Mission to obtain a tract of land on which to establish any
new stations. This condition was not peculiar to our Pres-
byterian Mission, but was true of practically all the Protes-
tant Missions operating in the Congo. The best they could
do was to secure a temporary lease of a few years with no
guarantee that it could be renewed at the expiration of that
time. The work of expansion was practically paralyzed.
It was not a businesslike policy to invest money in buildings
and equipment with the prospect of losing it all at the end
of a few years.

Mr. Morrison, as legal representative of the Mission,
was authorized to stop in Belgium on his way home and
make a formal protest to the king and his ministers against
this intolerable condition.

Just prior to his arrival in Europe the voice of the Pro-
testant missions throughout the Congo had made itself heard
in England and on the continent, and the storm clouds of
indignation were already gathering around the head of
King Leopold. The Congo Free State, created by fourteen
signatory powers in 1885, with King Leopold as its sov-
ereign head, had been organized "to seek the moral and
material regeneration of the Congo natives," and the Pow-
ers which constituted it bound themselves "to watch over
and care for the native tribes." Reports were now coming
in from all quarters to the effect that the native inhabitants
v'^re being subjected to the most inhuman treatment by
the officers acting directly under Leopold's order. Though

William McCutchan Morrison 47

vehemently denied, these charges continued to grow in
volume and explicitness.

It is not surprising that those who were interested in the
reformation of these unspeakable conditions should value
the testimony of Mr. Morrison, who had just arrived from
the Congo and who had already denounced these agents so
boldly through the press.

Accordingly, Mr. Morrison endeavored to secure an
audience with the king to lay the whole matter before him
in person. He failed to obtain this audience but inter-
viewed some of the king's ministers without getting any
definite written promises from them.

He then crossed over into England and through the
influence of Mr. Robert Whyte Sr., a man of prominence
in political affairs and one of the first to be aroused against
the inhumanity of the Congo regime, he was introduced to
the great leaders in religious and political circles.

The leading newspapers and magazines of the country
were thrown open to him, and he contributed many impor-
tant and convincing articles. These articles were always
commented on editorially, and public sentiment began to be
aroused against these disgraceful conditions,

Mr. Morrison also had the honor of speaking on the sub-
ject of Congo reforms before a very distinguished audience
gathered in Whitehall, London. A few days later he had
the very rare privilege of addressing the Houses of Parlia-
ment on the same subject. As a result of these speeches
a warm discussion took place in the House of Commons,
and upon motion of Sir Herbert Samuel, "King Leopold
stood impeached before the bar of Christendom for his high
crimes and misdemeanors against humanity and more es-
pecially for his violation, wholesale and retail, of the

48 Twenty Years in Africa

provisions of the international act drawn up at Berlin in
the years 1884-85."

The great political leaders throughout the realm, under
the able leadership of Sir Edward Grey, Secretary of State
for Foreign Affairs, championed the cause of freedom
which Mr. Morrison and other missionaries had advocated.
Such notables as Sir Gilbert Parker, Sir Charles Dilke,
Sir George White, Chairman of the Non-Conformist body
in the House of Commons, threw their influence on the
side of the missionaries.

Public sentiment soon became thoroughly aroused and
distinguished leaders in all walks of life began to speak
out boldly in their demands for the emancipation of the
enslaved thousands in the Congo Free State. In the realm
of journalism the late \\'. T. Stead, one of the foremost
editors in England, took the lead and denounced the "auto-
crat of the Congo" in the most scathing terms.

In an article on this subject in the American "Review
of Reviews" for July, 1903, Mr. Stead says : "It is the
rule in these character sketches always to describe the sub-
ject as he appears to himself at his best, and not as he
appears to his enemies at his worst; but it is impossible for
me, in this case, to do either. The resources of the English
language are inadequate to describe Emperor Leopold as
he appears to himself at his best moments. An artist who
could dip his brush in the radiance of the setting sun might,
possibly, portray the angelic figure of the haloed monarch
who conceals his wings beneath his epaulets and lingers
for awhile in the midst of an ungrateful world. On the
other hand, the blackest ink would fail to depict the same
man as he appears to his enemies at his worst. If we look
ever the efforts of the mediaeval artists when they ex-
hausted the resources of their imagination in picturing the

William McCutchan Morrison 49

enemy of mankind with horns and hoofs and tail complete,
we can gain some far-away, faint resemblance of the mon-
arch who was to have made the Congo Free State a para-
dise and who converted it into a hell !''

These sentiments were re-echoed in America by the late
"Mark Twain" in his stinging satire on the Congo situation
entitled, "Leopold's Soliloquy." Much of the material for
this remarkable book was obtained by correspondence and
by conversation with Dr. Morrison.

In the religious realm such noteworthy leaders as the
Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of Winchester, the
Bishop of Oxford, Rev. Thomas Law, the late Organizing
Secretary of the Free Church Council, the late Rev. Sil-
vester Home, and scores of others rallied around the
standard of human rights and religious freedom.

Even in Belgium itself, a small group of reformers with
Mr. V^andervelde at their head fought against fearful odds
in denouncing the diabolical practices of their own king.

Perhaps it would not be right to claim that Dr. Morrison
alone was responsible for the rousing of this great storm
of indignation in the breasts of these eminent leaders, but
a very large part of the honor is due him because he was
the first and the foremost of the Protestant missionaries to
bring the crimes of the Congo to the attention of the civil-
ized world.

Shortly after the departure of Mr. Morrison for America
King Leopold and his agents began to make much of the
fact that he did not mention the more speciSc charges
against the State in his interview with the ministers of the
king in April. They rather implied, from the tone of their
remarks, that he was either afraid to speak in regard to
these matters in their presence or else that he had been

50 Twenty Years in Africa

bribed to bear false witness against the king and his
government.

Mr. Morrison's reply to these insinuations is given in a
letter to King Leopold from Lexington, Va., under the date
of June 20, 1903 :

"I have the honor to write you concerning certain state-
ments which I have made about your administration of
affairs in the Congo Independent State. Some of your
agents in Belgium and in England have been making great
show of the fact that when I was in Brussels recently,
under the advice of the Governor-General, to consult with
you and the State officials regarding land concessions which
had been refused us, I did not make mention of the out-
rageous conduct of your government toward the natives.
My reason for not referring to this matter was because I
had reported several cases to you and your government,
and as a result of the so-called 'investigations' nothing has
ever been done — in fact, nothing can be done so long as
your present system of forced labor and military service
prevails. I considered the question as closed by your own
courts to which the cases had been referred. It would,
as you well see, have been simply eft'rontery for me to have
mentioned these matters in Brussels. I am sorry now, how-
ever, that I did not mention them, at least to enter my
verbal protest against such a system, since you are using
this to make it appear that I was not open and honest with
the State. It was only as a last resort, when I saw that
justice could not be gotten, that I made public the facts.

"In view of these things, and in view of the fact tha*
you seem so anxious to have these matters told to you per-
sonally, and in view of the fact that your agent, Sir H.
Gilzean Reid, seems to intimate that I was unwilling to
face you and other Congo officials with the charges which

William McCutchan Morrison 51

I have laid before Lord Landsdowne and which I expect
in a few days to lay before my government at Washington,
I hereby state that if the Congo government will pay all
my legitimate expenses on railroads, steamers, at hotels,
etc., from here to Brussels and return, I shall gladly go and
tell you face to face the charges which I have laid before
the governments mentioned above; but I want you to dis-
tinctly understand that I am not willing to submit the case
to your Congo State courts. I only demand an impartial
court composed of i^en not interested in any way in the
Congo State. I am not willing that the Congo government
shall be the judge of its own case.

"I await your answer with interest.

''I can assure Your Majesty that nothing has ever given
me greater pain than to be compelled to lose confidence in
the government's real desire to do justice according to the
spirit of the Treaties of Berlin and Brussels, and it is
after the most careful deliberation that I have reached the
conclusion that our only hope lies in arousing the public
opinion of the world against the iniquities which you know
that your system must produce in Africa. I have lived
under that unfortunate government for over six years. I
have suffered myself, and I have seen the natives and
traders suft'er ; and you treat those sufferings with disdain,
though all the while making protestations of philanthropy
and virtue. If you are really desirous of having me tell you
the same things which I have told in London and will tell
in Washington, I place myself at your disposition."

We can imagine Leopold's "soliloquy" upon the receipt
of such a letter, but we have no record that the challenge
was accepted.

Immediately upon the arrival of Mr. Morrison in Amer-
ica he entered the lists in an endeavor to arouse the public

52 Twenty Years in Africa

sentiment of our own country, as we were one of the first
of the world powers to recognize the flag of the Congo
Free State.

His efforts began to hear immediate fruit. The General
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States,
at its meeting in Lexington, Va., in May, 1903, "recognizing
the crisis that is confronting our work in the Congo,"
appointed a committee composed of Mr. Tucker, Judge
Livingston and Mr. Morrison to present to Mr. Hay, Sec-
retary of State, the condition of aiTairs in the Congo State.
This committee met in Washington in July, but failed to
see either the President or the Secretary of State, as both
were absent from the city. They, therefore, laid their re-
port before the State Department and made an appointment
for November the 3rd.

Realizing that public sentiment must be aroused before
our government could be induced to take a defmite stand on
the Congo question, Mr. Morrison continued to keep the
subject prominently before the public through our leading
magazines and newspapers. The editor of the "Independ-
ent," in commenting on some of these articles, says, "We
published an article entitled, 'The Misgovernment of the
Congo Free State,' and since then the situation there has
excited the pity and indignation of the civilized world."

Mr. Morrison also addressed large audiences throughout
the country and plead for the emancipation of the natives
in the most eloquent terms. Chief among these was the
Boston Peace Congress assembled in that city in October,
1904.* He appealed to them in such a convincing manner
that the following resolutions were passed :

"Whereas the International Association of the Congo in
1884 secured from the American Government that its flag
*See Appendix.

William McCutchan Morrison 53

should be recognized as that of a friendly state (which
recognition was subsequently indorsed by the Powers of
Europe at Berlin) on the ground that it was an organiza-
tion formed to protect the interests and welfare of the
natives, to promote legitimate commerce, and to preserve
the neutrality of the Congo Valley, over which it sought
to exercise authority;

"Whereas it is alleged that the government of the Congo
Free State has appropriated the land of the natives and the
products of commercial value yielded by the land, thus lead-
ing to the committal of grave wrongs upon the native races
and to the infringement of the rights secured for interna-
tional commerce by the acts of the Conference at Berlin;

"Whereas this is a question that may lead to grave inter-
national complications :

"This Congress, in the interests of peace, recommends
that the following questions should be referred, either to a
renewed conference of the Powers concerned in the forma-
tion of the Congo Free State or to a commission of inquiry
as provided in the Hague convention :

"i. Is the government of the Congo Free State still to be
regarded as trustee of the Powers which recognized the
flag of the International Association?

"2. If not, what is the position of the Congo Free State
in international law, and in what manner may the grave
questions concerning its alleged actions be satisfactorily and
competently determined?"

Through the untiring efforts of Mr. Morrison the interest
of many of our great political leaders was aroused and
Senators Morgan, Dolliver, Spooner and Lodge championed
the cause of our missionary in the United States Senate.
For their use a memorial was drawn up by forty mission-
aries, with Mr. Morrison as their head, setting forth the

54 Twenty Years in Africa

main issues of the case in the Congo. This memorial was
introduced into the Senate by Senator Morgan of Alabama,
the law partner of Judge Lapsley, the father of our pioneer
missionary. After many hearings, Mr. Root, as Secretary
of State, gave out as his opinion that *'the United States
ought to take no steps to bring about an international in-
quiry as the United States was not a signatory to the Treaty
of Berlin, by virtue of which Leopold gained sovereignty
over the Congo." We must confess with shame that our
government, through political expediency, or what not, did
not take that bold and definite stand against this form of
oppression that Daniel \\ ebster had taken against Austria
when Hungary was struggling for independence or that
John Hay had taken against the persecution of the Jews
in Roumania.

But the pressure of public sentiment in America had a
salutary effect in alleviating the distressing condition in the
Congo.

King Leopold was practically forced to appoint a com-
mission which, as a prominent British daily paper said,
"was calculated to provoke a smile." All three of the men
appointed were directly connected with the Congo State
Government. It was simply a case of the government inves-
tigating itself. The findings of this commission, appointed
under the whip of public opinion, are therefore all the more
remarkable and convincing, because the members that com-
posed it were free from prejudice against the State. y\nd
yet, in spite of their desire to give all possible credit to
their sovereign, the commissioners felt constrained to report
the existence of measures and practices of flagrant inhu-
manity. Among these measures and practices are the fol-
lowing: "The exaction of a labor tax so oppressive that the
natives on whom it falls have little, if any freedom.

William McCutchan Morrison 55

"The appropriation of the land to such an extent that
the natives are practically prisoners within their own ter-
ritory.

"The abuse of the natives by white representatives of
officially recognized companies.

"The binding of little children to years of labor at uncer-
tain wages by contracts they do not understand, and even
more serious maltreatment of children supposedly under the
immediate care of the government.

"Great injustice in the administration of the courts so
that the natives dread the name of Boma, the place where
the judicial system is centralized.

"The sending of punitive expeditions, not for the purpose
of establishing peace and order, but for the purpose of ter-
rifying natives into paying a tax, which, as administered,
even the commissioners regard as inhuman."

It is to be remembered that these are not charges brought
against the Congo Government by outsiders, but they are
findings of the Commission which was appointed by the
Chief Executive of this same Government to investigate
and report the facts. They are sufficiently clear to convince
anyone that Mr. Morrison was not exaggerating the existing
conditions and that he was justified in exposing them.

In view of these facts the government of the United
States certainly w^ould have been justified in lending moral
support toward the correction of these abuses, since we had
given our moral support to the establishment of the Congo
Free State.

It fell to the lot of the British Government to take the
initiative in approaching the signatory Powers of the Berlin
and Brussels Acts. The greatest work, however, of all was
done by the "Congo Reform Association," which was or-
ganized first in England in 1903 and a year later in the

56 Twenty Years in Africa

United States. This association was composed of the fore-
most leaders in all walks of life, including fifty peers of the
British realm, members of Parliament, high dignitaries in
the church, missionaries, philanthropists, professional and
literary men, who carried their indictment to the four cor-
ners of the earth. Every charge that this organization made
was proved beyond the peradventure of a doubt, and they
were never convicted of error of fact or exaggeration of
statement. They demonstrated the fact that public opinion
can, when the occasion arises, prove itself the most unselfish
and powerful force for good in international affairs. This
association continued to function for some ten years, or
nearly five years after the Congo had been annexed by
Belgium.

The secretary of that association, in summing up the work
they had to such an extent been instrumental in accomplish-
ing, pays the following eloquent tribute to those who had
labored amid discouragement in behalf of the oppressed in
darkest Africa and yet were undaunted. "It is true, and it
should be said to-day, that what all Europe should have
taken in hand, what it was the duty of all Europe to have
taken in hand, this Association, rising as a small cloud on
the horizon of a tyrant's will and gathering the force of a
tornado which swept him from his African throne, has, in
a large measure, been able itself to accomplish." And may
wx not also add that this humble missionary, by his faith in
prayer and by his untiring devotion to the oppressed na-
tives, was used of God in launching some of the most bril-
liant flashes of lightning and some of the most terrific
thunderbolts which created the terror of the tornado that
gathered around the head of the despotic autocrat of the
Congo ?

CHAPTER VII

3Forgttt9 a IK^y In An llnmritt^n ICanguag?

Difficulty of the Task — The Baluba Language Widely Spoken —
Great Aid to Missionary Work of a Uniform Language — In-
fluence of Luebo in Unifying the Language — How the Task Was
Accomplished — Publication of the Baluba Grammar and Diction-
ary— Preparation for Bible Translation — Insurmountable Obsta-
cles to Be Faced — Paraphrasing the Scriptures — Literal Transla-
tions.

One would naturally think that the burdens of the Congo
reforms were heavy enough to absorb the entire thought
and attention of an ordinary man, and yet in the midst of
these arduous duties Mr. Morrison found time to perfect
the material he had gathered from the Baluba-Lulua lan-
guage.

This work involved the mastering of the grammatical
principles upon which the language was built and its reduc-
tion to a written form. The accomplishment of this task
alone is sufihcient to give him a secure place among the
world's great linguistic scholars.

To master any foreign language, with the assistance of
grammars, exercise books, dictionaries and an intelligent
teacher is by no means an easy task, but to accomplish
this without any aids whatever is one that challenges the
keenest intellect. We have already quoted Mr. Morrison's
statement that when he began this work he could not find a
single character that indicated the existence of a written
language. He, therefore, began at the very foundation,
learning to speak the language solely by conversation
with the people and then searched out the principles upon
which the language was constructed. When studying a
foreign language under a competent teacher, it is possible
to ask the why and wherefore of the different constructions,
but when Mr. Morrison began this work the natives had no

58 Twenty Years in Africa

conception whatever of grammatical principles. They
could speak their own language correctly, but when asked,
"Why?" they could only reply, *'They say it that way."

Then, too, we must remember that Mr. Morrison could
not devote his entire time to the study of the language.
There were many other tasks to be performed and a mul-
titude of interruptions, known only perhaps to the mis-
sionary, vexed and tried his patience. He often said that
he could sympathize with a certain missionary to India,
who wrote home to a friend that he had gotten a good bull
dog and at last was able to do some consistent missionary
work. Of course Mr. Morrison would not have employed
a bull dog for such purposes as this, for he was too
sympathetic with the native people and never turned one
away day or night without listening to what he had to
say. Still, their visits were at times distracting and did
not hasten the accomplishment of the task that lay before
him. Notwithstanding all these interruptions, he had ac-
complished wonders in this work in less than three years
after his arrival on the field. In fact, as early as 1900 the
late Dr. Snyder, one of his fellow missionaries, in writing
of him, says: "At this writing Mr. Morrison is at Ibanche
looking into the work over which he has special care. We
are glad that he has this opportunity of a little recreation,
as he has for over a year been exceedingly busy and has
conscientiously done, and done exceedingly well, all the
extra work that fell on his shoulders through the return
home of some of the missionaries. But, in spite of this, he
has succeeded in reducing to writing the Baluba and Bena
Lulua dialects. To him and him alone is the credit due
for this needed and well accomplished work. Time will
show, and we trust time will give the credit to the grand
work Mr. Morrison has done."

William McCutchan Morrison 59

We have seen that it was through a series of providential
circumstances that the Mission was practically forced to
devote its attention to the Baluba people, who were settling
at its very doors and clamoring for the Gospel. It was
not till many years later, however, that Mr. Morrison
fully realized the extent of territory over which this lan-
guage was spoken and the number of people who under-
stood it. He mentions these facts in the preface to his
dictionary : "The Baluba and Lulua people, in language
and race belong to the great Bantu family which, though
having many subdivisions occupies roughly speaking, all
of Africa south of the fifth parallel of North latitude, the
Hottentots and Bushmen in the extreme south being the
only exception. These Bantu languages are radically dif-
ferent from the distinctly negro dialects of the peoples
bordering them on the north. While the different Bantu
dialects have much in common so far as some of the gen-
eral characteristics are concerned, yet there are many de-
grees of difference. Some are perhaps as widely apart
as English and Greek, while others are so near akin that
the differences amount to nothing more than localisms or
a brogue. This latter fact is true of the language spoken
by the Baluba and the Lulua people, who together occupy
a large area in Central Africa, extending, roughly speaking,
from the junction of the Lulua and Kasai Rivers in a gen-
eral southeasterly direction into Garenganze, where the
language is called Chiluba. They thus occupy the high and
comparatively healthy tablelands on the divide between
the headwaters of the Kasai and Congo Rivers on one side
and the Zambezi on the other.

"Moreover, the people are remarkably docile, peaceable,
industrious and eager for civilization and are, in many re-
spects, far superior to other African tribes. It has thus

6o Twenty Years in Africa

come about that the Baluba, especially, are eagerly sought
after as slaves, with the result that many thousands of them
have been carried into captivity thus disseminating their
language among many foreign tribes.

"These facts, together with the area covered by these two
peoples, have made their language the lingua franca, or
trade language, of the greater part of the upper Kasai and
Congo basin, thus enabling those speaking it to go almost
anywhere in this vast region and be understood. It is
gratifying to note that the Baluba-Lulua language is very
near akin to the Lunda and Tonga, which are spoken over
a large area to the south. It would be useless to attempt
to estimate the number of people speaking with more or
less divergency the language, whose laws this book attempts
to put into tangible shape. All this is particularly fortunate,
in view of the fact that so many of the languages in Africa
are confined to very narrow geographical limits."

Thus Luebo, through the numerous immigrants from dif-
ferent tribes who settle there, has become a very cosmo-
politan place. Its reflex influence goes out to the different
tribes and villages which are represented. It has become a
sort of melting pot for the amalgamation of these closely
related dialects, unifying them by means of a written lan-
guage. And in this respect our Mission has been signally
blessed of God, in that we have been permitted to labor
among different tribes who are bound together by a com-
mon language. It is stated on good authority that eventual-
ly even the Bakuba people themselves may be reached
through the medium of this common language, as practic-
ally all the younger people of this present generation under-
stand it.

Mr. Morrison tells us in his own words the manner in
Vvhich he accomplished this great linguistic feat. "The key

William McCutchan Morrison 6i

words to any language are the questions, 'Wliat is this?'
and 'What did you say?' Once these are gotten, the way
opens up and the language begins to unlock. And these
phrases are best gotten by taking a seat in a group of peo-
ple and pulling out a pocket knife or some other article
with which the people are not familiar. Now, listen with
all ears, for some one in the crowd is almost certain to
utter the mystic words, 'What is that?' When it has been
gotten, the names of all familiar objects can be obtained
at once. By intent never-tiring listening the more common
verbs will begin to come, then adjectives and other parts
of speech, together with phrases and sentences, the meaning
of which is known but the grammatical construction of
which is still a mystery. It is unnecessary here to go into
all the intricacies of language study — the getting of words
and sentences and idioms and the working out of the laws
of inflection, concord, etc. To complete all this — if indeed
it can ever be said to be completed — is the labor of many
weary days and months and years. And yet this has been
for me a work fraught with much pleasure. Some of the
happiest and most exhilarating moments of my life have
been over the discovery of some new words for which T
had been searching perhaps for years, or over the solution
of some grammatical construction which had baffled me for
so long. Often have I jumped up, leaving my astonished
language teacher behind, and have run across the station
crying out, 'Eureka,' in order to announce to my colleagues
the discovery of such a word as 'Saviour,' or 'Redeemer,'
or 'Comforter.' It was more valuable than a diamond
dug out of the rubbish — this word that would be a gem
through which could flash new light and beauty into be-
nighted souls.

"And may I say just here, that many otherwise intelligent

62 Twenty Years in Africa

people in the homeland have the idea, either that we mis-
sionaries gave them their language or taught them ours, or
that the native languages of the tribes of central Africa
are only incoherent gibberish, more like the chatterings of
monkeys than the intelligent talking of human beings. All
of these ideas are untrue, for we not only did not give them
a language, but we found their language highly developed,
having well defined laws of grammar, rules of syntax, and
words with which to express all the ideas they have. Not
only so, but the Baluba language, with which I am best
acquainted and which is only one of the many distinct
tongues in Africa, is much more regular in its construction
and laws than is the English language. To such an extent
is this true that, though down all the ages they have had
no written language, yet it is preserved in wonderful purity,
and even small children never make mistakes in grammar.
In fact, I have often gotten nice grammatical constructions
from children, because they do not speak so rapidly as the
grown ups.

**And this leads me to say that, most fortunately, we
arrived on the scene before the natives began attempting
to use writing of their own manufacture. How much
would our Chinese or Japanese missionaries — to say nothing
of those in other parts of the world — give, if they could
only do away with the unspeakably stupid written languages
with which they have to contend. The result is that in
the writing of the Baluba language, we use our own alpha-
bet with all words spelled phonetically, each letter having
only one sound. This certainly gives us a tremendous ad-
vantage over the hopeless confusion in our English spelling.

"Now that we have our grammar and dictionary and
exercise book, and owing to the regularity of the spoken
language and the ease of reading the written language, we

William McCutchan Morrison 63

have had the case of missionaries who preached to over
one thousand people in our Luebo tabernacle within eight
months after their arrival on the field."

As we have stated, the great fundamental principles of
the language had been worked out prior to Mr. Morrison's
return, but all this material had to be revised and typed
before it could be placed in the hands of the printer.

When Mr. Holman Bently, of the Baptist Missionary
Society of England was preparing his grammar and dic-
tionary of the Lower Congo dialect, he was given a two
years' leave of absence from the field with two or three
assistants and stenographers before his work was ready
for publication. But when Mr. Morrison was engaged in
a similar task he had only one native youth to assist him
and every word of the 417 page grammar and dictionary
was written with his own hands. During the months that
he was permitted to labor more or less uninterruptedly on
this task, he worked from 7 o'clock in the morning till 5
in the afternoon, and, after a brief season spent in recrea-
tion, he was back at work again after supper to work till
midnight.

As to the thoroughness and accuracy with which he ac-
complished the task we need only say that after twelve
years of the cumulative experience of Mr. Morrison and
his fellow missionaries, not one flaw or error has been
found in this marvelous book. It is true, of course, that
new words have been added to the vocabulary, but as far
as the grammar itself is concerned it is absolutely perfect
in every detail. In fact, no less eminent authority than
Sir Harry W. Johnston, in a letter addressed to Mr. Mor-
rison, acknowledging the receipt of a complimentary copy
of the grammar, says, *'I need hardly say that in my opinion

64 Twenty Years in Africa

it is one of a very high order and worthy to rank with the
best classical studies of the Bantu language family."

Upon the publication of the grammar and dictionary the
degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred on Mr. Mor-
rison by his alma mater, Washington and Lee University.

The compilation of the grammar and dictionary was a
great and important work; and yet, in the estimation of
Dr. Morrison, it was but the preparation for the greater
work he had in mind — namely, the translation of the Bible
into that language.

We can get no better conception of the intricacies of this
task than that which Dr. Morrison himself detailed in an
article written on this subject for the "Missionary Review
of the World'' and published in that magazine in 1912.
"Owing to the paucity of workers and otlier causes, but
little systematic work had been done in the Baluba dialect
upon my arrival in the field in 1896. After some months
I was placed in cliarge of the language and translation
work, though feeling my great incompetency for such a
responsible task. The other missionaries who preceded me
to the field had gotten together a goodly number of words,
but the grammatical laws of concord, syntax, etc., had not
been worked out. After spending many months at this
task, all the while getting new words and idioms, I felt that
the time had come, as we now had a few in our schools who
could read a little, to try some Bible translation. Of course
the first thing was to be the New Testament, beginning with
Matthew. I got out my Greek Testament, with all the
other helps I could lay hands on, even down to the Twen-
tieth Century New Testament. My language boy was all
expectancy, and I had taken occasion to inform others of
the fact that in a few weeks or months at most the New
Testament would be in their hands.

William McCutchan Morrison 65

"But I had not gone over half a Hne until I ran amuck
of the word 'generation/ and a little further down came the
long list of proper names, and still further down came
the words 'birth,' 'espoused/ 'public example/ 'virgin/
etc., with many other grammatical constructions which
I did not know how to translate, if I conformed strictly
to the idiom and construction of the original.

"Then I began to do some serious thinking. First of all,
I was forced to the conclusion that my knowledge of the
language was not extensive enough to warrant me in under-
taking an exact translation of the Scriptures at that time.
Not only so, but as I thought over the matter, I became
more and more convinced that our people, then all of them
only babes in Christ, would not be able to get much out of
an exact translation, however perfect it might be; that the
whole Bible in their hands at that time would only puzzle
and confound rather than help them. The thought then
came that perhaps simple paraphrases of some of the famil-
iar passages we had been teaching to them verbally would
not only be helpful but far more profitable to them at that
stage of their advancement, and this I proceeded to do,
bringing out a small edition of some of the more important
parables of our Lord paraphrased. Thus this became our
first effort looking to Bible translation.

"This paraphrasing work has proved of immense value,
and I believe it will take a permanent place in our school
and Bible study work. Perhaps it is for this reason that
it is Caedmon's 'Paraphrases of the Scriptures,' and not the
more ordered and exact translation, which have been pre-
served for us as almost the earliest literature in the Saxon
tongue. These paraphrases were simpler, they were put
into everyday language, and they laid hold on the life of
the people in their spiritual infancy.

66 Twenty Years in Africa

"Upon my return to the field in 1906, after consultation
with my colleagues, it was determined that I should begin
a book which should be called 'Lessons from the Bible.'
We had never seen such a book gotten up in this way, but
we felt that it was what we wanted for our now more
advanced reading classes, and especially for use in our
growing evangelistic and Sunday School work. The idea
was to translate as accurately and as exactly as could
be done certain selected passages, chronologically arranged,
corresponding roughly to those used in the International
Sunday School Lesson series. These passages were to be
printed in bold type. Then between these was to be in
smaller type and in paraphrase form any other matter of
interest, especially such things as were mentioned in both
Testaments.

"This book has proved of incalculable value. It has
given a goodly number of the most select passages in the
Scriptures, translated as accurately as we can do it now,
besides containing in the paraphrases a great amount of
matter which is most helpful in connecting the passages
translated and in clarifying references which would other-
wise be obscure.

"I know of one Mission on the Congo which has trans-
lated the New Testament, and yet has done nothing from
the Old Testament. One wonders how, in such circum-
stances, a single page in the New Testament could be under-
stood by a native reader without having a missionary at
his side.

"But now the time has come when the complete Bible
must be translated, for nothing else can take its place. But
this will of necessity be a work of several years, perhaps
of many years.

"It may be of interest to note some of the many problems
we have to deal with in Bible translation, especially into the

William McCutchan Morrison 67

language of central Africa, where the people are so back-
ward in every way that their language must of necessity
be a very defective vehicle for the conveyance of the great
truths of the Bible. For instance, we have great difficulty
in finding adequate words for the expression of such ideas
as 'love/ 'duty/ 'purity/ 'holiness/ 'faith/ 'hope/ and many
others I could mention. One's soul cries out in agony for
these great words that mean so much to us.

"But it is not surprising that there should not be found
certain strictly Biblical and religious terms. For this
reason, we have sometimes introduced and nativized certain
words. Sometimes these are taken from the Hebrew and
Greek and sometimes from the French, since the latter is
the official language of the government of the Congo. And
this corresponds exactly to what was done for the English
language at the time of the introduction of Christianity in
the Sixth century. Such words as 'creed,' 'candle,' 'priest,'
'church,' etc., came in at that time. But it is a principle
with us not to introduce foreign words except as a neces-
sity. We prefer to let the native words grow up from a
common into a Biblical use just as the words 'Holy Ghost/
'atone,' etc., have done in English. Consequently for 'to
thank' we use a word meaning to do obeisance to a superior
for a favor done ; for 'to pardon' we use a word meaning to
hide by covering up ; and for 'to repent' we use the phrase
meaning 'to turn over the liver,' which is the seat of affec-
tion for the native.

"Another difficulty in translating is to steer between a
too free paraphrastic form and a too slavish adherence to
the original languages. If there is to be a fault in this mat-
ter, I have leaned to the paraphrastic for the sake of greater
simplicity. I almost wish I had done it more in some in-
stances, for, after all, every translation must of necessity

68 Twenty Years in Africa

be something of a commentary interpreting the translator's
idea of the meaning of the original. It is our desire to be
sure that the natives get the truth rather than a mere jum-
ble of meaningless phrases.

"But lest my readers should get the idea that the native
language is incapable of being a medium for the conveyance
of spiritual truth, I hasten to say that it is very rich in
many w^ays. It has many strong w^ords and apt expressions
which are wanting in English. In fact, we missionaries,
in speaking English together, so often interject these native
words and apt expressions that we would not be understood
by one who could not speak the language."

Such was the plan of Bible translation that Dr. Morrison
outlined, and we believe it has abundantly justified itself in
what has been accomplished in the training of our native
Christian constituency. It is the unanimous opinion of the
missionaries in the field to-day that the "Lessons from the
Bible" shall continue in use in our regular day schools.
This gives the people the story of the Bible in a condensed
form and prepares them for a study of the Bible as a whole.
God's revelation of himself to man was a progressive one,
and as man's knowledge increased he was thus prepared
to receive additional truth. And in dealing with a primitive
people it was Dr. Morrison's idea to proceed along similar
lines. He followed the law of growth in the material
world, "first the grain, then the blade, then the full corn in
the ear."

Having completed the work of paraphrasing the Bible,
Dr. Morrison had begun the literal translation of the New
Testament. By reason of the multitudinous duties thrust
upon him, he had only completed the translation of the
four Gospels and Acts when he was called to a higher
service.

CHAPTER VIII

Muvtm^t mh Saturn to ll|? 3\tlh

The Young People's Missionary Conference at Asheville — Selecting
a Mate — Character of Mrs. Morrison — The Marriage and De-
parture for Liverpool — Touring in England and Scotland — The
Journey to Luebo — The Home at Luebo — Training the Native
Boys.

Dr. Morrison's labors, while at home, were by no means
confined to making public addresses, grappling with the
problems of an unwritten language and compiling dic-
tionaries.

In the summer of 1905 he was sent to the Young People's
Missionary Conference at Asheville, N. C, to deliver one
of the principal addresses. To that Conference also came
a Miss Bertha Stebbins, who was sent as a delegate from
the Presbyterian Church of Natchez, Miss. Here they
met for the first time. She was on the front porch of the
hotel when he arrived and among the first of the new
friends to whom he was presented. There seems to have
been a mutual attraction between them from the very be-
ginning of their acquaintance.

A beautiful tribute to the life of Mrs. Morrison has al-
ready been written by her pastor, the late Rev. J. J. Chisolm,
D.D., under the title of "Mutoto, or the Perfume of the
Alabaster Box." We recommend to our readers this little
book which most admirably tells the story of her self-
sacrificing life.

We need only state that Dr. Morrison showed his wisdom
and soundness of judgment in the selection of his mate,
as her all too brief service in Africa so clearly indicates.
She gave her heart to God at an early age and became an
'.ctive Christian worker and a leader among the young peo-
k of her community. When she reached maturity her

•^n religious conviction manifesting itself, she left the

70 Twenty Years in Africa

church of her parents and united with the Presbyterian
church. This was the first step in a series of providential
deahngs whereby she was led into that service to which
God was calling her.

She had devoted ten years of her life to teaching school
and had achieved the most signal success. This success
was due largely to the fact that she regarded each pupil as
a person and not merely as a unit in the class. "She made
an impression on her colleagues and pupils, the results of
which can not be measured until the final day; she put not
only her intellect into her work, but also the fulness of a
loving heart, a sound judgment and a consecrated life."

During the four years that she spent in Natchez she was
closely associated with Dr. Chisolm in his church work,
teaching in the .Sunday School and having charge of the
Westminister League. "It was in connection with her
work in these two organizations that her interest in the
enterprise of world-wide missions found a glad expression
and a steady development."

Dr. Morrison and Miss Stebbins were united in marriage
in the Methodist church at Gueydan, La., on June 14, 1906,
Dr. M. E. Melvin, of Port Gibson, Miss., a cousin of the
bride, officiating at the ceremony.

They spent the first month of their long wedding tour,
visiting friends and relatives in Mississippi, Arkansas,
Tennessee and Virginia, sailing for Liverpool on July 11,
on the "S. S. Majestic."

Shortly after their arrival in London they received word
that it would be impossible to launch the new "Lapsley"
until late in September, and that it would take at least a
month after the launching to get the boat in shape for a
voyage. They had practically completed the buying of sup-
plies when this news was received, so the next few weeks

William McCutchan Morrison yi

were spent in visiting place of historic interest in England
and Scotland.

Dr. and Mrs. Morrison, with Dr. Coppedge, Mr. Roches-
ter and Miss Taylor, the last three new missionaries, sailed
for the Congo on September 20 on the "S. S. Bruxelles-
ville." This was a new steamer and quite palatial in com-
parison with the former Congo boats. The long and
uneventful voyage was completed some twenty-two days
later when they landed at Matadi. Here, as usual, several
days were spent in making the final preparations for an-
other long journey into the interior. At Matadi they
visited the grave of Lapsley and laid a tribute of flowers
on the spot sacred to all Congo missionaries.

At this time the little Congo railroad, to which reference
has already been made, was completed and was being oper-
ated in its present magnificence. As customary with all
European railroads, the regular first, second and third
class coaches were in operation. The first two classes have
separate seats for each passenger, while the third class
coach is equipped with little narrow, hard-bottom and
straight-backed seats, running cross-wise and facing each
other. The seats are so close together that the passengers
opposite each other have to sit with their knees interlocked.
If one desires to shift his position, all must shift in unison.
The designer of this car must have drawn his inspiration
from the days of the Inquisition, and he succeeded admira-
bly in the perfection of his art.

Into this third class car went Dr. Morrison and his bride,
together with the other members of the party. The jour-
ney to Leopoldville was accomplished in two days.

Upon their arrival at Leopoldville they found that the
engineers had miscalculated the speed with which they
hoped to complete the ''Lapsley," with the result that they
had before them another long wait of six weeks before they

72

Twenty Years in Africa

were off on the last stage of their voyage. The maiden
trip of the "Lapsley" was accompHshed without accident or
mishap until they were almost in sight of Luebo, when they
grounded on a sandbar. The boat was stuck so fast that
it required two days of hard work to float her again. After
an hour's run they landed at the Luebo beach, just two
days before Christmas. Thousands of natives from all
sections of the country were assembled on the beach to
welcome the bride of ''Kuonyi Nshila" and to get a glimpse
of the new steamer. The passengers were soon on shore
and were carried in hammocks to the top of the long hill
on which the station is located amid the wildest joy the
natives could express. The next day was spent in public
exercises of welcome to the missionaries and in greeting
numerous friends.

THE I.APSLEY

Immediately after their arrival the Morrisons went to
Ibanche to attend the regular Annual Meeting of the Mis-
sion. After a most pleasant visit there they returned to
their work at Luebo. Mrs. Morrison set to work unpacking

William McCutchan Morrison 73

their goods and furnishing their little home. This was a
small cottage, made of mud and sticks, with three rooms m
a row, each about seventeen by fourteen feet. The house
was neatly whitewashed inside and out. The ceiling was
made of split bamboo closely woven together, and the dirt
floors were covered with native matting.

The furniture, according to Mrs. Morrison's description,
was as follows : "Our cupboards are made of dry goods
boxes curtained with cretonne, green ground and cherry
blossoms and red fruit. Our bedroom is as dainty as can
be. The bed is white enamelled, trimmed with brass. The
washstand is made of a large box, curtained with pink
rose and green vine cretonne. The bureau is a chest of
drawers, made here, with a nice mirror on top."

As for their daily duties, she writes : *'We rise at 5 145
A.M., and I attend to some household duties, then our morn-
ing prayers and breakfast at 6:30. Following this come
Baluba worship, when all the children and people in the
yard come and sit on the floor while we sing a Baluba hymn.
My husband reads or asks Bible questions and then a prayer
from one of the children, all closing with the Lord's
Prayer. Then I hasten to dress sores — there are so many
here — until school time, when I teach a class. By the time
school is over it is 11 o'clock and the morning nearly gone.
All during the day people are crowding in for this or that,
until sometimes one longs for a little quiet rest. But we are
glad for the people to come to us instead of taking the
opposite course."

Dr. Morrison threw himself into his work whole-hearted-
ly, being assisted and supported in every way by his noble
wife. She soon learned the language and became a most
enthusiastic worker.

It has always been the policy of the Mission to lay hold

74 Twenty Years in Africa

on as many young people as possible in order to train them
in Christian service. It is not difficult to maintain this
policy, especially with the boys. These boys are given light
chores about the house in order to pay for their board and
clothing, but the chief end in view is not their domestic
service but the training of their character.

It was here that Mrs. Morrison probably did her greatest
and most lasting work. The same spirit that she mani-
fested toward her pupils in America was transferred to
those in Africa. Many of those young boys that were "in
her fence" and received their religious training in her
home are now holding positions of honor in the native
church. Through their influence scores are being born into
the Kingdom of Heaven, and they will all rise up in the last
great day to call her blessed.

CHAPTER IX

EnrnlB iCrabtng Mp to ti\t ©rial at ffimpalbmlU

The Oppression of the Native People— The State and Chartered
Companies — Dr. Sheppard's Article in the Kasai Herald — The Di-
rector of the Kasai Rubber Company Challenges the Statements —
Dr. Morrison's Reply — The British Consul Visits the Kasai Dis-
trict to Investigate — His Report to His Government — the Decline
in the Kasai Company's Stock.

There is one scene in the book of Revelation that caused
the Apostle John to "wonder with great admiration," and
that was when the beast received the death stroke and yet
lived. And Dr. Morrison was destined to have a similar
experience in regard to the reforms in the Congo.

Notwithstanding all that the Congo Reform Association
in England and America had accomplished, and in spite
of all the fair promises that Belgium had made when the
Congo State was released from Leopold's personal control
and made a colony, Dr. Morrison soon found that these
reforms had not been very extensive in Africa, nor were
those promises being fulfilled to its native inhabitants. The
oppressors of the natives now adopted a new form of tac-
tics. These tactics are graphically described in a letter that
Dr. Morrison addressed to Dr. Chester a few months before
the Congo State became a Belgian colony :

"Regarding Congo State affairs and the present situation
here, I need only say that we are not now suffering from
the old forms of outrage so much — hand-cutting, slave-
raiding, murdering, etc. — but I am sorry to say that I be-
lieve the sum total of suffering is much more than it was
formerly. Now the people are thoroughly cowed; they
know from bitter experience that there is no escaping from
the State. They, therefore, submit in stoical silence. I

76 Twenty Years in Africa

am almost surprised at discovering, by accident, the various
ways in which they are wronged. Demands are made for
men, and the villages send for them at once. The Rubber
Company demands rubber of the villages, and if it is not
forthcoming in what they conceive to be large enough quan-
tities, then the village is turned over to the State and double
tribute has to be paid. This subtle form of oppression is
not seen and observed much, but it is just as wrong as the
old form of outrage. I believe that henceforth we shall
not see so much the grosser forms of outrage, as the op-
pression is taking a more refined form. It is now perfectly
possible for a man who does not know what to look for and
how to look for it, especially if he does not know the
language, to travel from one end of the Congo to the other
and really see nothing of the grosser forms of outrages
which have been so widely published to the world. Then
he is apt to go away and leave the impression that all is
well here and the charges of oppression are unfounded. At
the same time, I am confident that the agitation in Europe
and America has done immense good here. What would
have been the situation if this agitation had not been made!

**We only know that it would be immensely worse to-day.
But we must never rest till the whole system has been
rooted up, for there is every possibility that things will
grow worse, for Leopold is still in control — he is absolute.
And what else is to be expected? Moreover, we hope most
sincerely that an eye will be kept on the matter, if the
State is to be taken over by Belgium, to see to it that our
religious rights are preserved, for you know that Belgium
is one of the most bigoted Roman Catholic countries in
Europe."

The wholesale policy of stripping the country of its prod-
ucts, without attempting to develop it, was prosecuted with

William McCutchan Morrison "jy

renewed vigor. This policy was worked through so-called
"concessionaire companies," which received a charter from
the State, but were supposed to operate independently of
the government. This was a clever piece of camouflage,
as the State generally held the controlling interest.

Dr. Morrison described the inter-locking of these com-
panies with the State in a letter addressed to the Congo
Reform Association : "The statement that is persistently
put forth by the State, as an excuse for these companies,
is that they are 'controlled,' that the native is not allowed
to cut the rubber vines, that the companies are compelled
to plant rubber vines, etc. As an actual fact, within the
sound of where I am writing these words, I can hear the
people beating the bark of the rubber vines, which have
been stripped, killing the vine of course. Not only are the
people not forbidden to do this, but they are encouraged to
get rubber in any way. It can thus be seen that the only
desire of the so-called companies is to gather the cream
of the country as soon as possible, w^ithout concern for the
future. I say so-called companies, because, as is well
known, they are controlled absolutely by the State, which
holds never less than one-half the stock (so far as my
knowledge goes). This means that the State and the com-
panies work hand in glove, arid it would surprise the unini-
tiated to see with what masterly skill the whole thing has
been worked out. I only give one example. In some places
in this region the State demands its tribute in copper
crosses, weighing about a pound each. It is prohibited to
import these ; the native copper is necessarily limited for the
crosses have to be made and brought from far away in the
tCatanga district. After the native has paid his crosses to
the State they are turned over to the company. In a little
while the native is ordered to bring in more crosses. Bat

78 Twenty Years in Africa

he can only get them from the company, and that means
that he must bring in rubber in order to get them — heaven
and earth are turned upside down in order to get rubber."

In another letter written to a personal friend at a later
date, he further describes these conditions : "The same old
regime is still in force, the same men at Brussels and out
here are in power — what else can be expected? If I could
see a change in government, with such men as Vandervelde
coming into power, there would be some hope again. But
after the dark months of waiting have passed and after
witnessing the almost universal opposition to the English
and American Protestant missionaries, who have dared to
face the bitterest persecution to let the world know of these
things which are going on here, and after finding out that
King Leopold seems to be voicing the sentiment of the
great majority of the Belgian people in his recent statement
that revenue must be gotten from the Congo for the enrich-
ment of Belgium — I say, after finding out all these things,
we now have very grave doubts as to whether we can ever
expect anything but a rule of ruin from that source."

King Leopold was not the man to accept public condem-
nation and denunciation without taking revenge when a
favorable opportunity presented itself, and Dr. Morrison
was soon destined to become the victim of this unprincipled
ruler and his agents.

This opportunity was afforded in the January, 1908,
number of the "Kasai Herald," when Dr. Morrison, as
editor, published an article written by Dr. Sheppard after
his return from furlough, in which he gave a brief descrip-
tion of the changed conditions he found in the Bakuba
country. This little article is quoted here in order that the
reader may see just how desperate these agents were in
their efforts to make a "case" against the missionaries.

William McCutchan Morrison 79

Dr. Sheppard says : "These great stalwart men and women,
who have from time immemorial been free, cultivating
large farms of Indian corn, peas, tobacco, potatoes, trapping
elephants for their ivory and leopards for their skins, who
have always had their own king and a government not to
be despised, having officers of the law established in every
village of the kingdom — these magnificent people, perhaps
about 400,000 in number, have entered a new chapter in
the history of their tribe. Only a few years ago, travellers
through this country found them living in large homes, hav-
ing from one to four rooms in each house, loving and living
happily with their wives and children, one of the most
prosperous and intelligent of all the African tribes, though
living in one of the most remote spots on the planet. One
seeing the happy, busy, prosperous lives which they lived
could not help feeling that surely the lines had fallen unto
this people in pleasant places.

"But within the last three years how changed they are !
Their farms are growing up in weeds and jungle, their
king is practically a slave, their houses are now mostly only
half-built single rooms and are much neglected. The streets
of their towns are not clean and well swept, as they once
were. Even their children cry for bread. Why this
change? You have it in a few words. There are armed
sentries of chartered trading companies who force the men
and women to spend most of their days and nights in the
forests making rubber, and the price they receive is so
meager that they can not live upon it."

The "Kasai Herald" was circulated, free of charge,
throughout the Congo, and a copy had been sent to the
director of the Kasai Rubber Company at Dima. The said
director must have had a guilty conscience, for he took
exception to this article and addressed the following letter

8o Twenty Years in Africa

to Dr. Morrison, claiming that the interest of the Company
was damaged and demanding an apology :

"The Kasai Company is trading with the Bakuba people;
and, though she does not use armed sentries at all and is
not a chartered company, yet it can be understood that she
is the one referred to in Dr. Sheppard's article. Now, it
is possible that the author's intention was not to attack the
Company of the Kasai, which has always had the best and
most friendly relations with the A. P. C. M. and whose
manner of treating the natives and trading with them in
full liberty has more than once been approved by the
A. P. C. M. missionaries. You know we have no armed
sentries, but only traders going about with goods of every-
kind and unarmed through the villages for the purchasing
of rubber. We use only one single trading principle — that
of supply and demand. And the natives are not forced to
make rubber for us or to do any other work; we do not
have the right or the power to force them to work, and we
are not in charge of collecting taxes.

"We suppose that Dr. Sheppard must have been drawn
into this error by some wrong information; and desiring
that the readers of the 'Kasai Herald' may not have a false
impression of the Kasai Company, whose principles have
always been to act in the best way possible with the natives,
I make an appeal to your well-known sense of justice and
kindness, asking you to publish these lines in your news-
paper."

Dr. Morrison was not to be trapped by these smooth
words and made the following reply :

*T have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your let-
ter, in which you take exception to the article of Dr. Shep-
pard in a recent issue of the 'Kasai Herald.* Since receiv-
ing your letter I have written to Dr. Sheppardj who lives

William McCutchan Morrison 8i

in the Bakuba country and has known them and their coun-
try intimately for over fifte'en years. Dr. Sheppard asserts
that he is prepared to prove the assertions he makes before
an impartial tribunal which is not itself personally inter-
ested in the collection of rubber and has not been appointed
by any one so interested. Not only Dr. Sheppard, but other
members of our Mission, can testify that they are satisfied
that varying degrees of pressure are brought to bear not
only upon the Bakuba people, but other tribes in this region,
by your Company. It is reasonable to suppose that those
of us living in this region know more about what is actually
going on here than you or others who do not live here. I
may say that complaints are constantly coming to us from
the natives to the effect that the agents of your Company
threaten them with punishment from the State if they do
not bring in the amount of rubber imposed. It is undoubt-
edly true that impositions are made on the villages, and
through fear of the State the natives make the rubber, for
which they are paid only a pittance. I find that in most
cases the natives regard the rubber they bring to your
agents not so much as trade, but as a tax.

"You know that yours is a monopolistic company and has
absolute power to set the price of rubber in this region.
While it may not be a chartered company, as you remind
us, yet it is practically so, for you well know that the State
would not give any independent company eyen the right
to trade in this region.

^'Certainly the personal relations between the members of
our Mission and your Company have been pleasant, and it
is our desire that they continue so, but you will not expect
us to allow this to blind our eyes to the wrongs which we
see going on about us.

*'It would seem that, if you had been desirous of really

82 Twenty Years in Africa

knowing the truth about the situation in this region, you
would have instituted an impartial investigation, without
presuming, as the tone of your letter implies, that Dr. Shep-
pard only ignorantly or maliciously maligned your Com-
pany. If you were pained and astonished that Dr. Sheppard
should write such things, I must say that I am equally
astonished and pained that you should so hastily conclude
that a man of Dr. Sheppard's long residence in the Congo
and his well-known integrity should write a serious article
of this kind without knowing what he was doing. It might
have at least raised a question in your mind and caused you
to institute an impartial investigation, in which both your
Company and Dr. Sheppard would participate.

*T sincerely regret to be compelled to write you so plainly
about this matter, but your letter seemed to imply that we
were ignorantly, or perhaps purposely, saying what was
not true.

''Before closing I will state that for some time we have
been very uneasy about the situation in the Bakuba country.
The chief, Lukenga, who, as you know, was only a short
time age in revolt and destroyed one or two of your Com-
pany posts and one of our Mission stations, now has several
scores of soldiers dressed like State soldiers and armed
with cap guns, and these soldiers are used by him, under
the authority of your Company, in terrifying the people into
making rubber. Just recently I have made complaint to
several State officials about this dangerous situation, but
none of them seemed to know anything about it. Lest you
should not believe me I send you a photograph of some of
these men, taken some months ago.

"Finally, I will say that we do not blame, personally, the
individual agents and officials of your Company, except in
so far as they may purposely misrepresent the facts; but

William McCutchan Morrison 83

we do and must condemn this whole monopoHstic system
by which the country is being ruthlessly stripped of its nat-
ural products, with the natives getting but little return —
your Company, in the meanwhile, paying to its stockholders
enormous dividends, if the available figures are correct.

*'In regard to your request that your letter denying the
charges of Dr. Sheppard be published in the next issue of
the 'Kasai Herald,' I must say that it is impossible to com-
ply with this request until you prove before an impartial
tribunal that the statements as made by Dr. Sheppard are
untrue; then your letter will be published most gladly, for
we would not willingly do an injustice to the Kasai Com-
pany.

"Hoping that you may see your way clear to conserve the
interests not only of your Company, but also of the natives
and their country, I am, yours very sincerely."

Quite a voluminous correspondence passed between Dr.
Morrison and the director of the Company, the latter grow-
ing all the more haughty and insolent in his ''indignant"
denials of the facts presented, while the former grew all the
more bold and fearless in the presentation of evidence gath-
ered from his own personal observation.

The challenge, laid down by Dr. Morrison, that an im-
partial commission be appointed to investigate the situation
on the spot, was, of course, not accepted by the Company.
They knew quite well what the results of such an investiga-
tion would reveal, and they could best deny the truth when
the outside world was unenlightened.

There seemed to be no one in the Congo or even in
Belgium itself who was interested enough in the welfare
of the natives to investigate these conditions, yet the appeal
of Dr. Morrison was not in vain.

The fact that the British Government felt itself under

84 Twenty Years in Africa

moral obligation to send its own consul to investigate these
wrongs is sufficient commentary on the sincerity of Bel-
gium's pledge to promote the reforms to which she had
committed herself.

In the month of I^'ebruary, 1908, the British Government
ordered their representative in the Congo, Consul Wilfred
G. Thesinger, to make an extended tour through the country
to investigate the many complaints that were coming in
from all quarters. In the course of his journey he visited
the Kasai District, the held of operation of the Kasai Rub-
ber Company. As Sheppard was the only foreigner in that
section who knew the Bakuba language, the Consul re-
quested him to accompany him on his trip. Dr. Sheppard
readily accepted the invitation as a matter of common cour-
tesy and out of personal accommodation to the Consul him-
self. The Consul visited many native villages and after a
thorough personal investigation, he dispatched a carefully
worded report to His Majesty, the King of England.

Perhaps we might quote a few lines from this report for
the sake of those who may be disposed to criticise Dr. Mor-
rison for unwarranted interference in State affairs. It will
at least clear him of any charges of exaggeration in his
statement of the facts.

Here are some of the facts presented in this report which
was sent from Boma, September 9, 1908:

"With regard to the Kasai Company, I find that in their
dealings with the native population they habitually disre-
gard the regulations for th€ prevention of wilful waste of
the rubber resources of the country and cast aside every
restriction imposed upon them for the purpose of safe-
guarding native rights. This systematic violation of the
Congo Free State laws can not be carried on without the
knowledge of the directors of the Company, and it would

William McCutchan Morrison 85

be impossible but for the wilful blindness, if not actual
connivance, of the State officials themselves.

**I am in a position to vouch for the truth of the follow-
ing facts:

"i. That in all the country through which I passed, where
this Company has established posts, their agents have is-
sued orders that the vines are to be cut, and not tapped
as in the past, the quantity of rubber procurable from the
latter method not being sufficiently large to satisfy the greed
of the Company. There are stringent laws against this
cutting of rubber vines, and the State forest inspectors are
supposed to report to the authorities all cases which come
under their notice.

"The wholesale destruction of the vines now going on
unchecked can be imagined when I say that the thirty-one
villages which I visited in the Bakuba district send in
monthly 173,000 balls of rubber weighing on an average
from 22. to 28 pounds per 1,000, and that experiments show
that it takes from 20 to 40 feet of vine to make 10 balls.
From reliable evidence I hear that the same system is pur-
sued in other districts which I was unable to visit.

"2. That, although the Kasai Company claim that their
rubber is made by voluntary labor, that it is in no way a
tax, and that the agents have neither the right nor the
power to force the natives to bring it in, each village is
taxed so many balls a month, and any shortage is punished
by imprisonment, fines, or 'chicotte/* while the amount
fixed is so high that the natives, especially the Bakuba, have
no time to cultivate their fields, repair their houses, hunt or
fish.

"3. That, although the Company deny the employment of
armed sentries, they have in every village or group of vil-

*A whip made from hippopotamus hide.

86 Twenty Years in Africa

lages one or more 'kapitas/ or native agents, who are, with
few exceptions, all armed with cap guns. The State law
prohibits the carrying of cap guns by the kapitas of the
Companies, who have to deal with the natives in commercial
matters. It may be mentioned that the natives have to sup-
ply gratis to these kapitas food, palm wine, a house, and a
woman.

"4. That, while no trader or commercial agent has any
right to punish any native by imprisonment or flogging, the
Kasai Company agents not only punish the natives in these
and other ways for any shortage in the month's supply of
rubber, but allow their native kapitas to usurp the same
powers in the fullest measure in the villages under their
charge. I heard of three cases in which the kapitas im-
prisoned women in order to bring pressure upon the men.

**5. That, while the Company deny that they make any
military raids to enforce the collection of rubber, they do
force Lukenga, king of the Bakuba, to carry out these raids
for them with his native soldiers, who, to the number of
some three hundred or more are all armed with cap guns.
These soldiers can be met with all over the Bakuba terri-
tory scouring the country for the purpose of enforcing the
rubber tax and collecting fines for the benefit of the Kasai
Company.

"With regard to the position of the government in refer-
ence to these abuses, they must either confess their utter
incompetency to enforce their own laws, so far as these
Companies are concerned, or confess their complicity in
these practices.

"Much credit is taken by the State and Company for the
abolition of the tax in copper crosses, but this tax has been
supplanted by still more unjustifiable methods of extortion,
and I have no hesitation in affirming that the Kasai Com-

William McCutchan Morrison 87

pany, even if judged by Congo Free State law, has justly
forfeited every right to the privileges granted them by the
government in ]3ecember, 1901, and that no method of
reform or change of administration will be of any real
benefit to the people of this district unless it includes the
entire abolition of this Company, which has so long been
held up as a model of what a concessionary company
should be."

This very able and statesmanlike report was submitted to
both Houses of Parliament in January, 1909, by special
command of the King.

As a result of the publication of this report and the agita-
tion that followed it, public indignation was aroused and
the stock of the Kasai Rubber Company suffered a severe
slump. The directors of the Company were at a loss to
know what to do. Their denials of the facts presented in
the Consul's report availed them nothing, so something
must be done to reestablish themselves before the world
and rehabilitate their declining stock. What could they do?
Certainly, it was beyond their power to deal with the official
representative of the British Government and yet something
must be done to replenish their treasury. After a brief
consultation they evidently decided upon the following
course : they would bring suit against those missionaries
who were responsible for the agitation. Having determined
upon this course they lost no time in putting it into execu-
tion, the results of which are delineated in the following
chapter.

CHAPTER X

®lj? ®rtal at ffil? npoiamlk

Dr. Morrison a Marked Man — Sued for Libel by the Kasai Company
— The Summons of Drs. Morrison and Sheppard — Dr. Morrison
Notifies the Office of the Trial — Unscrupulous Methods in the
Trial — The Time and Place Set for the Trial — Dr. Morrison Ap-
peals to the American Consul — The Consul Seeks Counsel for the
Defendants — The Trial Postponed — Dr. Chester Appeals to the
Government at Washington — Influential Friends Protest in Be-
half of Dr. Morrison — Mr. Vandervelde Secured to Act for the
Defendants — The Trial — Speech of the Prosecuting Attorney —
Mr. Vandervelde's Able Defense — The Acquittal — Judgment
against the Company.

We now come to one of the most dramatic episodes in
the history of modern missions, the trial of Drs. Morrison
and Sheppard for alleged libelous charges against the Kasai
Rubber Company.

From the time that Dr. Morrison came into prominence
in the fight for Congo reforms he was a marked man in
the eyes of the officials of the Congo State. A mere perusal
of the article written by Dr. Sheppard in the "Kasai Her-
ald" will convince anyone that there was very little evidence
in it on which to base a libel suit; how much less ground
then for implicating Dr. Morrison as editor of that paper.

Dr. Morrison was not the man to dodge responsibility
on a mere technicality, and in the true spirit of unselfishness,
he assumed the main responsibility from the very beginning.

He had already become a man of international reputation
and was the central figure in the trial. We have already
stated that Dr. Morrison, as legal representative and
spokesman for the Mission, had conducted the correspond-
ence with the director of the Kasai Company and, from the
tone of the letters he received from that gentleman, was

90 Twenty Years in Africa

not greatly surprised when he was notified that he was to
be prosecuted.

The following summons was dated February 23, 1909 :

"At the request of the Company Kasai, whose headquar-
ters are at Dima, proceedings are instituted by its director
in Africa, Mr. Louis Napoleon Chaltin, acting in virtue of
the power of attorney authenticated September nth, 1908,
and deposited at the record office at Leopoldville on Decem-
ber 4th, 1908; and if the need arises proceedings will be
instituted by Mr. Victorien Lacourt in his capacity of gen-
eral director of the Kasai Company.

"Whereas the person summoned under number one has
on the date of Jaimary ist, 1908, printed in the 'Kasai
Herald,' a paper published at Luebo and edited by the per-
son summoned under number two, circulated not only in
the Congo but in foreign countries, especially in America,
the said article containing lying affirmations and very dam-
aging to the plaintiff, casting blame on her, tarnishing the
honorability of her dealings and injuring her interests.

"Whereas, after having compared the so-called prosper-
ity of the Bakuba people, several years ago with their pres-
ent fictitious misery, the first summoned dared to put in
print this question, 'Why this transformation?' and then
answered it in a few words as follows, 'There are armed
sentries posted by chartered companies, which compel the
men and women to spend the best parts of the day and even
the night in the making of rubber, and the price paid in
exchange is so small that the people can not live upon it.'

"Whereas, in using the words 'chartered companies,'
Dr. Sheppard certainly aims at the Company Kasai, since
being on the spot he knows that there is no other company
gathering rubber in that section, and it is impossible for
him to aim at another company since it has been made

William McCutchan Morrison 91

known everywhere by certain articles that have been writ-
ten reproaching the State for having given the Kasai Com-
pany the monoply of the rubber trade in the Kasai District.

''Whereas the person summoned under number two is
the co-author, in his capacity of responsible editor of the
'Kasai Herald/ of the damaging facts stated by Dr. Shep-
pard, as above indicated.

"Whereas the summoned knew that the allegations made
against the plaintiff are false and having been reminded of
their error they have retracted nothing.

"Wherefore I, the undersigned, Emile Edgar Kocher,
bailiff with the Court of Justice of the First Instance sit-
ting at Leopoldville, resident at Luebo, hereby summon :
I. W. H. Sheppard, of the American Presbyterian Congo
Mission, resident at Ibanche, as speaking through Dr. Mor-
rison, legal representative of the said Mission.

"2. W. M. Morrison, a missionary of the American Pres-
byterian Congo Mission, responsible editor of the 'Kasai
Herald,' resident at Luebo, as speaking for himself, to ap-
pear before the Court of the First Instance, sitting at
Leopoldville on May 25, 1909, at 9 a.m.

"For the reasons given above they are hereby condemned
to pay cojointly to the plaintiff the sum of 80,000 francs
($16,000) as indemnity for the damage done and to pub-
lish the judgment in the next issue of the 'Kasai Herald,'
and to bear the costs of the action. And that they may not
ignore this summons as given above, I have left with each
of them a copy of the present writ.

"The Bailiff, E. E. Kocher."

Upon the receipt of this summons Dr. Morrison ad-
dressed the following letter to Dr. Chester: "Well, the
long-threatened suit of the monopolistic company here

92 Twenty Years in Africa

against Sheppard and myself has at last materialized. The
summons came to us a few days ago. The grounds of the
suit are the publication in the 'Kasai Herald' of certain
statements, 'utterly false, which have brought great damage
to the Company.' I judge, however, from the way the
summons is worded that there will not be very much effort
to disprove our statements with reference to abusing the
natives, which is really the point at issue, but the whole
trial is to center around a quibble about the word 'char-
tered,' which occurs in the article. The Company contends
that it is not a chartered company. Of course what the
difference between a 'chartered company' and a 'conces-
sionary company' is may not be very plain to the average
man, but these people are grabbing at straws in their efforts
to defend themselves and the system which they have put
into operation, which system they mean to perpetuate
under the new regime here unless the powers intervene."

We can judge from Dr. Morrison's interpretation of the
case that the Company was aiming in the trial not so much
the recouping of their finances, but rather the moral effect
that a judgment against the missionaries would have on
the outside world. If they could silence the missionaries
they could soon reestablish their reputation before the
world.

We have called attention to the fact that the report of
Consul Thesinger was presented to the Houses of Parlia-
ment in the month of January, 1909, and that the slump in
the Company's stock took place immediately thereafter.
It is interesting, therefore, to note that the summons
of Drs. Morrison and Sheppard was dated on February
23, more than a year after the publication of the "lying
affirmations" in the "Kasai Herald." But, strange to say,
the "damage to the plaintiff" for some reason did not occur

94 Twenty Years in Africa

until after the publication of the Consul's report. There-
fore, we are doubtless warranted in placing the interpreta-
tion on the case, as indicated in the last chapter; the Com-
pany could not bring suit againt the Consul, so in their
despair they turned on the missionaries.

Their desire to secure "justice" is revealed by the
unscrupulous methods with which they hoped to prosecute
the case. Let us notice that the trial was to take place at
Leopoldville, which is over one thousand miles from where
the atrocities were being committed. This made it exceed-
ingly difficult to secure native witnesses, as the Bakuba
people are very timid and rarely ever make a journey of
any great distance from their homes.

Then, too, the trial was set for May 25th, after the be-
ginning of the dry season. This would not involve so much
in America, with our system of railroads where travel does
not entail any difficulties, but this is not the case in Africa.
The only means the missionaries had of reaching the scene
of the trial was by means of a river steamer. The dry
season commences about May i, at which time the smaller
streams, such as the Lulua, fall very rapidly, making navi-
gation most difficult. In those days no vessel of any de-
scription attempted to reach Luebo after the beginning of
the dry season, communication with the outside world being
cut off. The "Lapsley" has a very deep draught and never
attempts to get in or out of Luebo between May ist and
October ist.

Notwithstanding these difficulties, they were warned by
the Court that in the event they should, for any reason,
fail to appear at the appointed hour, the trial would pro-
ceed without them and the judgment would be rendered.

As soon as Dr. Morrison learned these facts he imme-
diately appealed to the American Consul at Boma, the Hon.

William McCutchan Morrison 95

Wm. \V. Handley, who lost no time in taking up the matter
with the legal authorities, trying to induce them to postpone
the trial to a later date. He pointed out the great diffi-
culties that would attend the journey of the missionaries
at the time set for the trial and asked for the postponement
as a matter of courtesy. At first he was unsuccessful and
was informed by the judge, in a very pompous manner,
that this was a matter for Dr. Morrison to solve for him-
self.

Upon the receipt of this advice Mr. Handley immediate-
ly dispatched a letter to Dr. Morrison informing him of
failure to secure a postponement of the trial and urging
him to put forth every effort to reach Leopoldville at the
appointed time. In the meantime he set to work to secure
counsel for the defendants, as he foresaw that the trial
would hinge on technicalities. The Kasai Company had
already secured the best lawyer they could find in Belgium
and had also retained the services of the only desirable
French lawyer at Brazzaville, just across the Congo River
from Leopoldville. The Consul had tried to secure the
services of this lawyer as well as that of several others
but had been unsuccessful. He, therefore, appealed to the
Governor-General of the Colony at Boma, asking him to
furnish a lawyer attached to the Court of Justice to act
for the defendants. To this request he received the follow-
ing reply: 'Tt is the rule that the magistrates attached to
the office of the Director of Justice can not be designated
to assist private individuals before civil tribunals.

''Another point is to be taken into consideration. You
know that the Reverend Drs. Morrison and Sheppard have
not spared the administration on the occasion of their
attack on the Kasai Company. A letter, which Dr. Mor-
rison wrote me last October, containing violent criticisms
—4—

96 Twenty Years in Africa

of the Government, is the proof. Now, there is ground to
consider the hypothesis, apropos of the suit at Leopold-
ville, in which the reverend gentlemen of the American
Mission would believe themselves bound to renew their
criticisms. It is evident that the missionaries could not
ask their lawyer, a colonial official, to associate himself
with them in their attacks against the administration ; and,
on the other hand, it is necessary for the lawyer to have
entire liberty of action."

The Consul had, therefore, sought counsel at every avail-
able source without result.

As Dr. Morrison had foreseen, they were unable to
reach Leopoldville on the appointed date, so our Consul
appeared in Court in their behalf, stating that they had
been unavoidably detained; and, as no counsel had been
secured for them, he requested that the trial be postponed.
A representative of the Kasai Company concurred in this
lequest, as their own counsel had not yet arrived from
Belgium, suggesting that the trial should be postponed in
order to allow the defendants time to secure a lawyer from
Europe. The judge, therefore, granted this joint request
and fixed the date of the trial for July 30th, which even
then allowed them very little time to secure a lawyer in
Europe and get him out to the Congo. It would take over
three weeks to get a letter to Europe and the same length
of time for the lawyer to make the voyage.

While these events were transpiring in the Congo the
news of the trial was just reaching the authorities at
Washington. Upon the receipt of the summons Dr. Mor-
rison immediately communicated with Dr. Chester, in
Nashville, who took up the matter with the Secretary of
State, Philander C. Knox, at Washington. From the facts
that had been presented to him, Dr. Chester drew up a very

William McCutchan Morrison 97

able report of the whole case, which he presented to the
Secretary for his consideration.* This report was fol-
lowed by many strong and convincing letteij ;^nd constant
pressure was brought to bear on the State Department.
Dr. Chester voluntarily laid aside his many pressmg duties
in the office at Nashville and made a number of trips to
Washington to interview the authorities in person. He was
untiring in his efforts and did not rest until the State De-
partment agreed to take a very decided stand in demanding
a just and fair trial for the American citizens. The State
Department was largely influenced in the position they took
by the famous Stannard case. Mr. Stannard, an English
missionary, had been arraigned before a Congo Court for
alleged libelous statements and appeared in Leopoldville
with a number of native witnesses to substantiate his
charges. These witnesses were seized by the State authori-
ties and imprisoned and so terrorized that they were afraid
to testify against the State. Mr. Stannard was, accord-
ingly, condemned to pay a very heavy fine, and the State
officials published their moral vindication to the world.
Then the British Government took a hand in the case, with
the result that the decision was reversed in short order;
but this decision received very little, if any, publicity.

Our Government, therefore, stated most emphatically,
in the very beginning, that no such treatment of native
witnesses in this case would be tolerated.

The multitude of influential friends that Dr. Morrison
had made while on furlough, now came to his rescue, and
delegation after delegation visited Washington on his
behalf.

The Northern Presbyterian Church in the General As-
sembly, meeting at Denver, Colo., sent the following reso-

*See Appendix B.

98 Twenty Years in Africa

lution to the State Department : "Resolved, that since two
honored and beloved missionaries of the Presbyterian
Church U. S., stationed in the Kasai District of the Congo,
are about to be brought to trial before the Belgian Court of
the Congo Free State, on a charge of libeling a Belgian rub-
ber company; and since the Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church U. S., now in session, hdS appealed to President
Taft and the State Department in their behalf and it is re-
ported that our Government will be represented at the trial,
this Assembly hereby joins the request to our Government
to protect Drs. Morrison and Sheppard by seeing that they
have a fair trial and a just verdict."

The record of the events which we are now narrating
would be incomplete without reference to our agent in
London, Mr. Robert Whyte. We have indicated something
of the part he p'ayed in the Congo reforms, but he played
a still more important part in the trial of Dr. Morrison.
From the very beginning of our mission he has proved
himself a staunch friend, and this interest was now greatly
augmented by his personal admiration for Dr. Morrison
and his deep sympathy for the cause he advocated. As
soon as he learned of the trial he interviewed men high in
official circles in England and insisted that they take a
definite stand in urging that justice should prevail. But
the greatest service he rendered was in the securing of a
lawyer to act for the defendants.

We have seen that the only course open to the mission-
aries was to secure counsel from Europe. Mr. Whyte im-
mediately set to work to secure the very best lawyer that
Belgium could produce. He was familiar with the part
that the Honorable Emil Vandervelde had played in advo-
cating the cause of Congo reforms in the Belgian Parlia-

William McCutchan Morrison 99

ment. Therefore, Mr. Whyte approached him with the
proposition of defending the missionaries.

Mr. Vandervelde welcomed this opportunity of investi-
gating personally the conditions in the Congo and gladly
laid aside his official duties to make the long journey to
Leopoldville in order to see that justice was meted out.

When he was preparing to sail for the Congo someone
reproached him for leaving his official duties and going so
far to defend ''strangers," to which he replied in words
worthy to be remembered, "No man is a stranger in a court
of justice."

The news that such an eminent jurist was to take part
in the trial came as a great relief to our missionaries, for
they were now assured that their case was in the hands of a
man well qualified in ever)' way to defend them. The
prosecutors received the new- of his coming with fear and
trembling and would gladly have given up the case if they
had had the courage.

There were other delays by both parties in the case,
which led to its postponement until September 30th, 1909.
On this date Drs. Morrison and Sheppard were summoned
before the Court of the First Instance at Leopoldville, and
the trial began. It appears from the records that an error
occurred in the summons, which changed the whole aspect
of the trial. The Clerk of the Court had been directed
by the directors of the Kasai Company to serve two dis-
tinct summons : one on Dr. Morrison for charges brought
against them in his correspondence with the director at
Dima, in which damages to the amount of 50,000 francs
($10,000) were sought; the other on Dr. Sheppard for his
article published in the "Kasai Herald," claiming 30,000
francs ($6,000). damages. But for some unknown reason
the two summons were combined, charging Dr. Morrison,

A!^4^

loo Twenty Years in Africa

as responsible editor of the *'Kasai Herald/' and Sheppard,
as the author of the article, fixing the amount of damages
asked by the Company at 80,000 francs. No mention was
made of the charges of Dr. Morrison in the correspondence
with the director. On account of this error the attorney
for the prosecution stated that the action against Dr. Mor-
rison would be withdrawn for the present, except, of course,
his responsibility as editor, and the Company would reserve
the right to sue him at a later date. This may or may not
have been an intentional error, but at any rate it undoubt-
edly worked out to the advantage of the Company.

The trial then evolved itself into a case against the author
and the editor of the offending article, the amount of dam-
ages sought being 30,000 francs.

These preliminaries having been disposed of, the prose-
cuting attorney, Mr. Vandermeeren, took up the various
charges and spoke at great length. He declared that the
term "chartered company," as used in the article, could
only refer to the Kasai Company ; that the article was
defamatory and damaging; that it had been written to
create a wrong impression and had already resulted in
considerable damage to the Company and that the defend-
ants should be compelled to pay the loss the Company had
sustained. He further declared that it was a part of the
political campaign against the Belgian Government and the
Roman Catholic missionaries in the Congo. He denied the
fact that the Company ever employed "armed sentries" and
affirmed that "no pressure was ever brought to bear on the
natives in the production of rubber."

He then qualified this astounding statement by saying
that "it was against the orders of the Company, but per-
haps a few of their buyers might possess guns." He was
compelled to admit this fact because Mr. Vandervelde had

William McCutchan Morrison ioi

previously informed him that he had at Leopoldville twenty
witnesses from eleven different villages to prove the state-
ment and that some of these very men were, until recently,
armed sentries in the employment of the Company.

Mr. Vandermeeren then tried to prove that conditions in
the Kasai District had not changed for the worse since
the entrance of the Kasai Company. In order to prove this,
he cited letters which the Company had received from dif-
ferent members of the Mission in which the methods of
the Company's agents were praised. He failed to state,
however, that these letters were four or five years old and
that it was during this time that the change for the worse
had taken place. He even dared to cast reflections on the
name of Mrs. Morrison by reading notes that she had writ-
ten to different agents of the Company, inviting them to
dine or thanking them for courtesies she had received from
them.

He read from the Company's instructions in regard to
the prices that were to be paid for rubber. Here Mr.
Vandervelde challenged him to produce any evidence to
prove that those instructions had been carried out, which,
of course, he could not do.

He launched out into a wholesale criticism of Consul
Thesinger's report, claiming that he had visited the country
at the request of the missionaries; that Sheppard had only
taken him through the worst part of the country and that
his visit was too brief to ascertain the true conditions. He
further alleged that this was but a part of the British cam-
paign against the Congo and questioned the veracity of all
the statements contained in the report.

He asked why the other missionaries in the Congo, es-
pecially the Roman Catholics, had not seen any of the
abuses complained of by the Protestant missionaries. Here

102 Twenty Years in Africa

Mr. Vandervelde again interrupted him by stating that it
was to the honor of the Protestant missionaries that they
had cried out against these abuses and to the injury of the
Roman Cathohcs who had remained silent.

Mr. Vandervelde then opened the case for the defense.
He stated that he had been severely criticised for undertak-
ing the defense of foreigners in the Congo against a Belgian
Company, but he replied that he had come in the interest
of the Belgians themselves as well as the Protestant mis-
sionaries, to fight for Belgium against the abuses that
meant the ruin of the Congo. He further stated that he
had come not only to defend the missionaries, but to plead
for the native people who w-ere being deprived of all their
natural rights.

He stated that he regretted very much that he could not
take up the case of Dr. Morrison in his correspondence
with the director, as it would have offered an excellent
opportunity to bring to light the abusive system of the
Kasai Company.

He then confirmed in conclusive arguments, supported
by many documents and witnesses, the statements made by
Dr. Sheppard in the article and the charges brought by
Dr. Morrison. He justified Dr. Morrison's opinion of
Congo justice and stated that if he were not a lawyer he,
too, w^ould have been doubtful of receiving fair treatment,
in view of the fact that fifty per cent of the stock in the
Company was owned by the Belgian Government and its
principal officers were appointed by the Government, as
was the judge before whom the case w^as being tried.

He produced a copy of the Company's instructions to its
agents, stating that the price was to be regulated by com-
petition. He proved that, since there was no competition
in the Kasai District, that prices as low^ as 25 centimes

William McCutchan Morrison 103

per kilo (or less than two cents per pound) was the maxi-
mum to be allowed. He proved that the Company was a
monopoly and that the price had been reduced as soon as
they began operations. He also produced a circular letter
from the director to the agents, pointing out to them the
habitual laziness of the natives and informing them that
force must be used to induce them to work.

He took up the question of armed sentries used in the
collection of rubber by force and asked for permission to
present the native witnesses, who were present to substan-
tiate the charge. He further reminded the Court that fifty
legal actions were at that time pending against the agents
of the Company for ill-treatment of the natives.

He took up the Consul's report and showed that it was
this report, and not Dr. Sheppard's article, that had caused
the decline in the Company's stock. He further stated that
the prosecution must accept the report as true or else judge
the Consul as a man who was imposing on his country.

He sternly rebuked the prosecuting attorney for his dis-
courteous reference to Mrs. Morrison and told him that no
gentleman would have used innocent correspondence in
such a manner.

He declared, in conclusion, that the two main points for
the judge to decide were whether there was malicious intent
in writing the article, and the right to prove the statements
contained in it.

He openly challenged the prosecution to allow him to
present the native witnesses and prove these statements.
The prosecution refused to give its consent. "In that case,"
replied Mr. Vandervelde, "you are morally condemned,
whatever the decision of the court may be."

Both sides having presented their arguments, the case
was referred to the Tribunal for their decision. (There is

104 Twenty Years in Africa

no trial by jury in Belgian jurisprudence, but only before
a Tribunal who review the evidence in secret and render
their decision.)

In the face of the evidence presented, it was apparent to
any fair-minded man that only one just decision could be
given. The Tribunal announced its verdict, which was a
masterpiece of clearness and common sense, to the effect
that the "case against Dr. Morrison is ruled out of court
and that the Kasai Company is not justified in her pro-
ceedings against Dr. Sheppard and the charges against him
are dismissed. And furthermore, the Kasai Company is
condemned to pay the expenses and costs of proceedings
to the amount of forty-two francs."

The Kasai Company, in its usual blustering manner, had
threatened to appeal the case should the court render a
verdict unfavorable to them and that they would immedi-
ately continue the proceedings against Dr. Morrison.

Mr. Vandervelde then very generously offered his serv-
ices in the event of an appeal and especially in case of
further action against Dr. Morrison.

But after the trial was concluded the directors of the
Company were thoroughly chagrined and convinced that
they had no just grounds on which to base an appeal in the
case against Dr. Sheppard. They were likewise persuaded
that any further publicity as to their methods, which would
most certainly be brought out in a case against Dr. Mor-
rison, would reflect nothing to their credit and that silence
was the best policy for them.

Then, too, the government at Washington had taken a far
more active interest in the case than the directors of the
Company had anticipated, and they had no desire to strain
matters any further.

Not only so, but the coming of so eminent a man as Mr.

William McCutchan Morrison 105

Vandervelde had attracted the attention of all Europe and
for the time being all eyes had been centered on the court
room at Leopoldville. The Company was forced to the con-
clusion that they had attempted too much and were glad
to back out as gracefully as possible.

CHAPTER XI

?ErI|0^B from t\)t ©rial

The Triumph of Right over Might— Rejoicing at the Mission— Dr.
Morrison's Letter of Appreciation — The Executive Committee
Thanks Mr. Vandervelde — Results of the Trial.

The announcement of the court, in acquitting our mis-
sionaries, was received throughout the civihzed world with
general satisfaction. It was the triumph of the weak over
the strong and of liberty over oppression. Their vindica-
tion under such adverse circumstances, when all the odds
seemed to be against them, calls to mind the words of
the poet :

'Truth forever on the scaffold,
Wrong forever on the throne :
Yet that scaffold sways the future,
And 'behind the dim unknown
Standeth God within the shadow
Keeping watch above His own."

It demonstrated the fact that the battle is not always to
the strong, nor the race always to the swift. It was the
Kasai Company that was on trial before the Judge of the
whole earth, and He was the One who pronounced the
verdict. The Kasai Company would have been condemned
before the eyes of all just men, whatever decision the Court
might have rendered.

The news of the acquittal of the missionaries was re-
ceived at Luebo and Ibanche with the greatest enthusiasm.
A holiday was declared and special services of thanksgiving
to God were held in the local churches. These natives
knew enough about Congo justice at that time to recognize
the fact that only God himself could so turn the hearts of

io8 Twenty Years in Africa

men as to make them subservient to His will. It was a
great practical demonstration to the native Christians, so
recently called out of darkness into His marvelous light,
that God hears and answers the prayers of His people.
Every day that Drs. Morrison and Sheppard were absent
at the trial, they had been remembered before the throne
of grace at the sunrise prayer meetings, as well as in the
private devotions of the people. Days of fasting had also
been observed ; their deliverance had largely been brought
about by prayer.

When Drs. Morrison and Sheppard returned to the Mis-
sion a few weeks after the trial, perhaps the largest crowd
ever assembled at Luebo was on the beach that day to wel-
come them. They received this generous, whole-hearted
greeting w^ith the greatest satisfaction and yet in a deep
spirit of humility.

Dr. Morrison, in writing to the church papers about the
trial, pays the following eloquent tribute to Mr. Vander-
velde : "We were most fortunate in having as our advocate
the Hon. Emil Vandervelde, the distinguished Belgian
statesman, who, during all these years, has so nobly fought,
even in Belgium, for the cause of this oppressed land. His
speech in our defense was a masterpiece of eloquence, in-
vincible logic, burning sarcasm and stinging rebuke of the
whole iniquitous system of forced labor, and a pathetic
appeal that justice be done in this case, not only for the
sake of the missionaries who dared to speak in defense of
this oppressed land, but especially in behalf of the native
people for whose help he had primarily come. All honor
is due Mr. Vandervelde, who, at such a great sacrifice, has
come out for us and the native people at this time. We
hope that some definite action will be taken by all interested
in this cause to show him our appreciation for all he has

William McCutchan Morrison 109

done. It is true that he refused to accept any fee; he
wishes it to be understood that he has come out purely for
the natives and for the sake of right.

"We wish also to thank our fellow missionaries of other
Protestant Societies in England and America and Sweden,
who are laboring in the Congo, for all their interest and
sympathy at this time. At the recent Conference of the
Missionaries of all Societies working here, a special session
of prayer was held for us and for the oppressed natives in
this land. They attended the court in a body and in every
way possible have held up our hands.

*'We wish to thank our government at Washington for
so closely following the case to see that we got justice.
The American Consul-General and his Vice-Consul were
here and also the English Consul, all of whom have taken
a vital, personal interest in the case."

The Executive Committee of Foreign Missions, through
Dr. Chester addressed the following letter to Mr. Vander-
velde upon the receipt of the verdict: *'We have just re-
ceived letters telling us of the splendid defense of our
accused missionaries which you made before the court at
Leopoldville, and also of your telling appeal for the more
just and humane treatment of the natives in the Congo
State at the hands of the concessionary companies and of
the State authorities, by whom these companies are up-
held.

"I also take pleasure in stating to you that our Depart-
ment of State at Washington has forwarded to us the re-
port of the American Consul General, Mr. Handley, of the
proceedings of the trial, in which he speaks in the very
highest terms of your management of the case.

"The Executive Committee of Foreign Missions, of
which I am secretary, directs me to convey to you this

no Twenty Years in Africa

expression of the high appreciation of your services in our
behalf in connection with this matter. We gratefully rec-
ognize the fact that the financial remuneration whirh we
have made you was merely nominal and could not have
even approximately reimbursed you for the labor and loss
of time which were involved in your visit to the Congo.
We, therefore, accept what you have done as a work and
labor of love on your part, for which your reward will be
that which comes to all men, in the course of Providence,
who render unselfish service to their fellow men."

The trial of Drs. Morrison and Sheppard seemed indeed
harsh and bitter, and, no doubt, many of God's people at
that time wondered why He permitted His servants to be
so unjustly treated by godless men. But now we can Icok
back and see that God, as He often does, permitted these
men to overstep their bounds in order that He might over-
rule their wicked actions and thus make the wrath of man
to praise Him. The Pharoah of the oppression was raised
up in Eg)^pt in order that God's power might be declared
among the nations of the earth. It was the persecution that
arose after the death of Stephen that scattered the disciples
throughout the then known world and enabled the church
to fulfill, in a very large measure, the Lord's last command
when He said, "Go ye into all the world and preach the
gospel to every creature." The Apostle Paul was bound in
prison, but the Word of God was not bound, the name of
Christ being made known throughout the whole Praetorian
Guard, and many of the younger disciples became more
abundantly bold to speak the Word of God without fear.
Luther was imprisoned because he dared to defy the ec-
clesiastical authorities of his day, but from that prison came
forth the Word of God in the language of the common
people and the tide of Reformation swept over the world.

William McCutchan Morrison hi

Out of this trial at Leopoldville there have come reforms,
which, though far from complete, have outreached the san-
guine hopes of the most optimistic and farsighted seer
among all the servants of God in the Congo at that time.
It was a great moral victory and did more to convince the
civilized world of the true condition in the Congo than all
the newspaper articles that had ever been written.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle paid tribute to Dr. Morrison
when he said, in substance, that Dr. Morrison, on trial at
Leopoldville, stood as a nobler and more perfect represen-
tation of liberty than the statue by Bartholdi in the harbor
of New York City.

CHAPTER XII

30urnf a to i\)t laluba — Bratli of Mxb. fMornaott

Great Success of the Mission — Necessity for Expansion — Dr. and
Mrs. Morrison on Evangelistic Tour — Her Work Along the Waj'
— In the Heart of the Baluba Country — Return to Luebo — Last
Illness of Mrs. Morrison — Her Death and Its Effect on the
Native People — Dr. Morrison's Courageous Spirit under Trial —
The Challenge of Mrs. Morrison's Death to the Home Church.

Immediately upon the return of Dr. Morrison from
Leopoldville, after an absence of many months, he and
Mrs. Morrison went to Ibanche for a short stay in order
that he might complete the paraphrasing of certain portions
of the Bible. When this was finished they returned to
Luebo and he placed the manuscript in the hands of the
native printers.

We have already indicated that the prospects for the
expansion of the mission work seemed to lie in the direction
of the Baluba country. The unparalleled success of the
Mission during the last few years was due to the fact that
many people were coming to Luebo, often from a very great
distance, seeking the gospel. Delegation after delegation
were coming in, practically every day, from regions of
which the missionaries had never heard, asking for teachers
and evangelists. Practically every Christian became a mes-
senger of the Cross, and wherever he went he told the won-
derful gospel story which he had learned from the mis-
sionaries at Luebo.

Dr. Morrison had long since realized that this vast,
untouched region beyond could not be properly reached
from Luebo, with our slow methods of travel. Distance
limited the missionary's efforts and entailed unnecessary

114 ' Twenty Years in Africa

hardship. The only wise poUcy to adopt was to establish
a mission station nearer the center of this great population.

The progress of the Mission has always been hindered
by two very important factors: the refusal of the State to
grant additional land on which to establish stations, and
the failure of the church at home to provide the necessary
recruits with whom to man the field. But Dr. Morrison
was convinced that these two obstacles could and must be
overcome, for, if the Mission could not grow, it must soon
die.

The members of the Mission realized that Dr. Morrison
needed a change to relieve him from the great strain to
which he had been subjected during the last year. It was
unanimously decided to send him on a journey to the heart
of the Baluba country to select sites for at least two new
stations. Mrs. Morrison knew that such a long journey as
this, mostly on foot, would be attended with many hard-
ships and some risks, especially for a woman, but she in-
sisted on accompanying her husband. She never considered
herself when she thought of service to others.

They left Luebo early in August, 19 lo, on their way to
Luluaburg, making the journey by easy stages. Dr. Mor-
rison never believed in hurrying through a village and took
ample time to examine those who were applying for church
membership, to encourage the new converts in their Chris-
tian lives and to advise with the local chiefs for the making
of laws that would improve the moral atmosphere of the
communities.

Mrs. Morrison was the first white woman to travel over
much of this country, and naturally she was the center of
attraction. Her chief charm to the natives was her long
suit of hair; they had never seen anything like it before.
She was constantly called upon to place it on exhibition

William McCutchan Morrison 115

and explain just what it was. She was surrounded from
early morning till late at night by a great throng of curi-
osity-filled people, who scarcely allowed her a moment's
rest. She was too anxious to gain their friendship to think

xMRS. MORRISON

of herself and never turned anyone away without trying
to please them.

She devoted a good part of her time to dressing sores
and ministering to the ills of the people. But her time w^as
by no means consumed in amusing the people and in min-
istering to their physical needs. She was a true evangelistic
missionary and never let an opportunity pass without speak-
ing to them about their spiritual welfare. She spent many
hours in every village talking to the women and advising

ii6 Twenty Years IN Africa

them about the problems of their christian lives. The
beauty and sincerity of her sweet christian character made
an indelible impression on those benighted women. They
had never met anyone who took such a personal interest in-
their welfare and their darkened hearts were profoundly
touched. The "perfume of her life" yet lingers along the
way she passed, and when we pass along that same way
to-day the women still speak of ''Mama Mutoto" in the
most affectionate terms.

The manner in which the people received the gospel was
an inspiration to her. In writing to a friend she says : 'T
would like to be a converted heathen myself. To know
that some one loved them enough to die for them is so
strange and new to them. When they do believe, their faith
is so simple, childlike and joyous. They are not worried
with any 'new theology' either. To say 'It is God's Word'
is aiough. That ends all doubt."

Luluaburg is most strategically located for a mission site.
It lies on the main highway about midway between Luebo
and Lusambo, and on one of the principal highways leading
into the Baluba country to the south and east. The Mis-
sion, recognizing this fact, had applied for a concession
but were refused on the ground that the Roman Catholics
were already settled there. The Mission was not to be
outwitted by such flimsy excuses. Dr. Morrison went a
little further to the northeast and selected a place as second
choice. After several years of negotiation a site in this
region was finally granted and named Mutoto in honor
of Mrs. Morrison.

They continued their journey to the Baluba country,
passing through great villages with teeming populations.
Everywhere along the route they were received with the
greatest enthusiasm and were overwhelmed with requests

William McCutchan Morrison 117

for evangelists and teachers. After a few weeks spent in
this region and having seen something of the unparalleled
opportunity that lay before him, Dr. Morrison was con-
vinced that the Mission should have at least three new sta-
tions there if we were to meet the responsibility assumed
by the General Assembly in 1907.

They turned back from the great village of Mutomba
Kachi, at that time the most powerful and influential of all
the Baluba chiefs, and continued their journey in the direc-
tion of Lusambo. The strategic importance of Lusambo,
with its thousands of people, appealed to Dr. Morrison in
a peculiar manner, and he determined to apply for a con-
cession there in spite of the fact that it was a Roman
Catholic stronghold. This petition was not granted, how-
ever, until several years after the Roman Catholics had
established themselves at Luebo, within sight of our own
station.

Their long journey, covering between five and six hun-
dred miles, was completed after an absence of nearly three
months.

During the last two weeks of the journey Mrs. Morrison
was far from well, having suffered several attacks of fever.
She went to bed as soon as she reached home, although at
first there was nothing to indicate that her condition was
serious. Finally she grew worse. Dr. Coppedge, who at-
tended her in this her last illness, describes her symptoms
as follows: "An attack of bilious intermittent fever, lasting
about three weeks, during which time her life was despaired
of, seemed about to terminate favorably. Large doses of
quinine had been given hypodermically for ten days and the
fever had almost disappeared, while other distressing symp-
toms had abated. On November the 21st, 19 10, she was
able, for the first time, to sit up in a half reclining position

ii8 Twenty Years in Africa

and had taken some nourishment. She had lain down again
in fine spirits, when one of the ladies attending her left the
room to get some milk for her. In less than a moment she
returned and found her patient without a sign of life. The
most vigorous attempts to revive her produced no results,
and we were soon forced to realize that our dear frierd
had departed this life."

Her death, occurring as it did just at the moment when
she seemed to be on the road to recovery, came like a thun-
derbolt to the little company of missionaries at Luebo and
Ibanche. But it came as a greater shock to the native peo-
ple. Death is to tiiem the greatest of all mysteries. More-
over, they could not understand why so lovely a character
should be taken from them. Many of the unbelieving
natives, who had heard the missionaries speak of "eternal
life," now ignorantly scoffed. If this gospel, which he
proclaimed, could not save the missionary from the dread
foe of death, what hope did it hold out to them !

It is the native custom to mourn for their dead with
great lamentations and wailings, but Dr. Morrison would
permit no such demonstration as this. A vivid picture of
what this "muadi" or wailing is like may be obtained by
a visit to the negroes in distress on any of the plantations
of the old South. The primitive savage still speaks through
them ; in their souls runs the same wild wierd wail, the
same haunting mourning of the native of the jungle. Take
grief away from this familiar scene (for there is little
love, as we understand it, among the natives) and add to
it the unspeakable heathen rites and customs, and you have
the most heart-breaking sight of missionary expedience.
Having witnessed such a scene as this, we can understand
more clearly what the apostle means when he speaks of
those "who through fear of death were all their lifetime

William McCutciian Morrison 119

subject to bondage." Death to them is an ogre, a super-
human evil spirit who has overcome the human. They
must seek to drive him away by every device of noise and
incantation.

It was here that the true greatness of Dr. Morrison and
his strong faith in the promises of God manifested itself.
Instead of thinking of his own grief and remaining in soH-
tude to mourn, we find him moving in and out among the
stricken native people, explaining to them the mystery of
death.

Mr. Motte Martin, in writing of him at this time, says :
''The moment after the gentle spirit of his wife had so
suddenly departed, he went out to comfort the weeping
native boys, whom she had gathered to train, telling them
not to weep, because Mama Mutoto was perfectly happy
now as the Father had taken her to His home above. It
was beautiful to see him passing through the assembled
thousands (who had rapidly gathered at the news of her
death) with perfect calm and serenity, comforting all in
his path. And as I led him into a secluded room in my
home, he was already weaving the tangled ends of events
into the providence and plan of the Father and saying, 'Thy
will, not mine, be done.' And, indeed, he has led us all
to see that God, by her death, has instructed the natives
in a way and to a degree that, humanly speaking. He could
not, perhaps, have done through her in years of living
service."

Thus Dr. Morrison, by his heroic example, became a sign
to these people just as the prophet Ezekiel did to the house
of Israel when God took away from him the desire of his
eyes with a stroke and forbade him to weep or mourn. The
prophet spoke to the people in the morning and at even his
wife died; and he did in the morning as he was commanded.

I20 Twenty Years in Africa

He was compelled to teach them a great lesson by his own
sad experience.

Dr. Morrison attended the early morning prayer meeting
the day after the death of his wife and bore himself with
the greatest spirit of courage and fortitude.

We read in the history of Israel, when the people were in
dire need, occasioned by a great famine, that two women
came to the king with a very distressing case to settle.
When the king had heard the almost heartless indictment
from the lips of a mother he rent his clothes in anguish,
and as he walked upon the wall the people beheld that he
had "sackcloth within upon his flesh." The king him-
self was already bowed down with grief at the desperate
condition of his people, his heart was filled with inexpres-
sible anguish, and yet by virtue of his position he must
wear his sackcloth underneath his royal garments. As a
king and leader among the people he could not give way to
his feelings, he must maintain his courage and outward
calm at all costs in order to keep up the courage of his
people. Although he was a king, yet he was a sufferer;
a leader of the people, and one who shared their burdens.

Dr. Morrison, by virtue of his high position among these
people, in this, the greatest of all sorrows, wore his sack-
cloth within; he maintained his outward calm and never
gave way to his grief in the presence of the people.

At this time he translated the words of that beautiful
hymn :

"Asleep in Jesus ! blessed sleep,
From which none ever wakes to weep.
A calm and undisturbed repose
Unbroken by the last of foes."

The funeral was conducted from the church on Novem-

William McCutchan Morrison 121

ber 22nd by Rev. Motte Martin. A great throng was assem-
bled underneath the church shed, and his message was filled
with hope and comfort to all who were present.

The Covenanter boys and the girls from the Pantops
Home brought flowers, and a place was given to one of the
native evangelists who spoke in behalf of the Kasai people,
closing his remarks with a touching appreciation of God's
gifts to them in the person of Mama Mutoto, saying as he
closed, "She died for us."

Her class of girls then sang the last hymn she had taught
them, "Lead Kindly Light."

Her earthly remains were laid to rest in the Mission
compound at Luebo, where she had given four years of
faithful and devoted service in behalf of the people she had
learned to love so well.

Her death, indeed, came as a challenge to the church at
home to send out the long needed recruits. Dr. Coppedge,
in writing to the church papers at this time, says : "Mrs.
Morrison had been repeatedly urged by many members of
the Mission, including myself, to take her furlough; but
in view of the failure of reenforcements to arrive, she
thought it her duty to remain, fully cognizant of the risk
she was running. Medical opinion in the Congo is unani-
mously in favor of a change of climate at least every three
years for all persons of Caucasian blood. The failure of
the people at home to understand the necessity for this
change may yet be responsible for other deaths. Perhaps,
this death is necessary to arouse the church to a sense of
its duty to the thousands who are begging for the gospel,
as well as to a sense of the obligation of every church to
take proper care of its missionaries."

In the kingdom of God time is not necessarily a measure
of service. The Redeemer of the world spent only three

122 Twenty Years in Africa

years in the active ministry, but eternity itself can not
measure the fulness of that service. Mrs. Morrison was
permitted to give only four years of her life to Africa, but
who can measure the far-reaching results of her labors?
Dr. James O. Reavis says of her, "I would rather live those
four years in Africa that she lived and go Home with the
world's love and praise under my feet and heaven's bene-
diction on my brow, than to live fifty years as I am spend-
ing them."

Her pastor, Dr. Chisolm, who knew her well and loved
her as a father, says : "In the last analysis there are only
three essential elements in a true christian character : a
clear conception of the most worthy mission in life, a de-
liberate choice of the same, and a definite consecration of
life to that chosen cause. But the temperature of the heart
towards Christ is the most important factor in each of these
elements, because it determines the clearness of the vision,
the fixedness of the choice, and the depth of the devotion.

"And this little woman of God, Mutoto, possessed as
her greatest treasure what the apostle calls 'a burning
heart.' This was the secret of that life of boundless energy
and indomitable will which she poured out at Luebo in the
same loving, lavish fashion as Mary emptied her alabaster
box of ointment at Bethany. She had seen the Christ with
the eyes of that burning heart. She knew Him whom she
had believed, and without reserve she yielded herself to His
control, so that the fulness of His power flowed through
her life unhindered."

CHAPTER XIII

lBftHttt0% Olattarg Sslanlis— g'^riinb iFurlougli l^omt

Dr. Morrison's Sorrow Intensified by Native Customs — Continues
His Work as Usual — Short Trip to Canary Islands — Arrival of
Reenforcements — Revisits the Baluba Country — Departure for
America — Publication of Bible Paraphrases — Death of His
Mother — Farewell Service in His Home Church — Returns to
Luebo.

After the death of Mrs. Morrison the diflferent mission-
aries at Luebo threw their homes open to Dr. Morrison and
urged him to come and live with them. But out of consid-
eration for a native custom, he declined their cordial invi-
tations and continued to live in his own home.

When anyone dies in Africa it is the custom for the fam-
ily to abandon the home through fear of evil spirits. Dr.
Morrison was ever careful of native customs, and he real-
ized that if he were to leave his home at this time the na-
tives would interpret the move in the Hght of their own
traditions. And in order that he might further be an
example to them he remained in his home at the sacrifice
of his own personal feelings. This act on his part perhaps
can not be fully appreciated by those who do not have a
proper conception of the isolation and loneliness of the
missionary in time of sorrow. The burden of the sorrow-
ing heart is made lighter when the sufferer is surrounded
by a muhitude of friends who can understand and sympa-
thize. But among the natives of Africa there is very little
affection between husband and w^ife, and therefore there
can be no adequate conception of the sorrow of the mis-
sionary in such a loss. How gladly then would Dr. Mor-
rison have sought the constant companionship of the few
understanding friends with whom he was associated, but

124 Twenty Years in Africa

he sacrificed these desires in order that he might be an
example to the unbeheving natives.

Upon the death of Mrs. Morrison the Mission again
urged Dr. Morrison to take his furlough, which was long
overdue, notwithstanding the fact that no reenforcements
had arrived. He refused to consider himself in the face of
the unprecedented needs of the field and remained at his
post. Finally, however, he yielded to their urgent requests
and agreed to take a few months rest at the Canary Islands.
He left the Mission early in 191 1, but soon found that he
was more isolated there than at Luebo. He found no
suitable companions among those who were absorbed only
in the pursuit of weath, and without his regular work to
occupy his mind he was more lonely than he had been
before. After a very few weeks he again sailed for the
Congo and was soon back at his regular work.

During the next few months he devoted the greater part
of his time to translation work. We have intimated that
his first work along this line was the translation of the
International Sunday School Lessons, covering a period
of three years, and the paraphrasing of the sections be-
tween these lessons. This gave the natives a general run-
ning story of the historical part of the Bible. This book
created a demand for more of the Scriptures, especially
for use in the school work and in the training of young
men for the gospel ministry. At the unanimous request
of his colleagues, Dr. Morrison undertook the paraphrasing
of the New Testament Epistles. This was important
enough to demand his entire time and attention, but the
constant pressure of the work, due to lack of missionaries,
prevented him from giving his undivided time to any one
task. These outside interruptions were so numerous and

126 Twenty Years in Africa

frequent that he was unable to complete the task before the
time agreed upon for his furlough.

Early in 1912 six new missionaries arrived at Luebo, and
with them came the news from the great Convention in
Chattanooga, Tenn., that a dozen or more recruits would
soon follow. When this first installment of missionaries
arrived Dr. Morrison was confined to his bed with fever,
and yet he was settling "palavers"* and directing a large
part of the evangelistic work.

At the beginning of the dry season Dr. Morrison was
instructed by the Mission to take his furlough, the second
one and also his last. Thus he served for twenty years
with only two regular furloughs.

The news of the coming of additional recruits seemed
to indicate that the time for the expansion of the Mission
was about to arrive. For many years the Mission had had
its face turned toward the great Baluba country with a
burning desire to enter in and take possession, but the
force had not been adequate to the task. The message
from the great Convention, together with the definite prom-
ise of the Executive Committee to Mr. Martin to bring the
mission force up to seventy-five missionaries, filled them
with renewed hope and vigor.

It was decided that Dr. Morrison should take another
trip to the Baluba country "to spy out the land" and to make
definite selections of new stations. Of course, the new
missionaries were not to occupy these stations as soon as
they arrived in the field. The Mission had learned, from
past experience, that it would probably take several years
to secure the right to occupy the land. It was further
determined that Mr. Bedinger, who had just arrived in
the field, should accompany him on his journey. Mr.
^Disputes among the natives.

William McCutchan Morrison 127

Bedinger states that this was one of the most dehghtful
experiences of his hfe and the true greatness of the man
made an indeUble impression upon him. They walked all
the way, because Dr. Morrison was a very heavy man and
would not allow the natives to carry him in a hammock.
There was always much confusion in the early morning,
when they were making their preparations for the day's
journey, so that their morning devotions were nearly al-
ways interrupted. But as soon as they got beyond the
noise and din of the village Dr. Morrison would take his
companion by the arm and lead him into some quiet, se-
cluded spot by the roadside for a season of prayer. Mr.
Bedinger says he never heard such soul-stirring prayers
as Dr. Morrison offered as he poured out his heart before
God. Dr. Morrison never undertook any task, great or
small, without prayer.

They followed practically the same route that Dr. and
Mrs. Morrison had taken two years before. They went
from Luebo directly to Luluaburg, thence south into the
Baluba country. They selected a site which seemed to be
suitable for mission purposes. We may remark in this
connection, that after eight years the Mission, at the pres-
ent writing, is still negotiating with the government for a
concession in this section. Several places have already
been refused, and the temporary site at Bibangu is under
dispute at this time. After spending several weeks in this
section they journeyed on to Lusambo and chose another
site.

At Lusambo Dr. Morrison secured passage to Leopold-
ville on his journey homeward, and Mr. Bedinger returned
to Luebo alone.

Dr. Morrison took with him a young man named Mata-
bisha to assist him in the completion of the Bible transla-

128 Twenty Years in Africa

tions he had undertaken the year before. They reached
London in September, where they met the new party of
outgoing missionaries. Several most deHghtful and profit-
able days were spent there with him, and they received
most valuable information from him as to the purchase of
supplies. Matabisha spent several weeks with him in Lon-
don, until the Bible work was completed and then returned
to Luebo with a later party of missionaries. Dr. Morrison
sailed for America and placed the mjanuscripts in the
hands of the American Tract Society for publication.

His time at home was spent much more quietly than on
his first furlough. He visited many churches throughout
the Assembly, and his thrilling message never failed to
awaken his hearers to a deeper sense of their responsibility
toward the benighted tribes of the Congo.

While at home his heart was burdened with the great
sorrow that came to him in the death of his aged mother.
She had lived a long and useful life; she had finished her
course and was prepared to receive the crown of righteous-
ness that was laid up for her. Her name will stand high
in the list of that innumerable host of godly and pious
mothers who have given great sons to the service of man-
kind. She was "twice his mother," for she gave him his
physical life and through her prayers and godly example
he was born again into the kingdom of heaven.

Shortly after the death of his mother Dr. Morrison re-
turned to his work in Luebo. A farewell service was held
for him in the Monmouth Church, of which he was a mem-
ber. I was told by one present on that occasion that his
parting message to the congregation was one of the most
touching he had ever heard. In his closing remarks he
asked them to remember him in their prayers, stating that
he was now doubly in need of them, as he had been deprived

William McCutchan Morrison 129

of his two most devoted companions — his wife and his
mother. The entire congregation was moved to tears at
his pathetic appeal; he alone remained calm and self-
possessed. Little did they dream that this was his vale-
dictory address to them and that they would see his face
no more.

CHAPTER XIV

Characterization of Dr. Morrison as a Missionary Leader — His In-
fluence in Establishing Other Missions — The Protestants of Bel-
gium— The Mennonite Mission — The Methodist Mission — Found-
ing of the Methodist Mission — Dr. Morrison Sails with the Pio-
neer Party — Mission Policy — Relations of Missionaries to State
Officials — Relations with Roman Catholics — Relations with the
Native People — Relations to the Home Church — Relations with
Fellow Missionaries — Care of the Spiritual Life — Native Palavers
— Approach to the People with the Gospel — Testimony of Bishop
Lambuth — The Conference of Protestant Missions — Dr. Morri-
son's Influence in the Conference.

Dr. du Plissis, one of the great missionary leaders of
the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa, who has
journeyed twice across the continent of Africa, has paid
the following tribute to Dr. Morrison: 'Tn my journeyings
back and forth across the continent of Africa I have en-
joyed the high privilege of meeting and conversing with
hundreds of missionaries belonging to many different so-
cieties and many different nationalities. Of all these there
was none for whose person I conceived so great an esteem
and whose character and influence I could so unreservedly
admire as Dr. Morrison. It may be that our common
Presbyterianism first drew us together; but I was not long
in discovering that he was no narrow sectarian and that
the little pool of his own denomination was soon submerged
beneath the flowing tide of his broad humanity and warm-
hearted Christianity. He belonged not to a church, but
to the church; he was a missionary not of the American
Presbyterian Congo Mission, but of Christ; he called no
man lord, but all men brothers."

These are the qualities of heart and mind, acquired

132 Twenty Years in Africa

through many years of experience, that characterized Dr.
Morrison as a great missionarj^ statesman.

It is said that WilUam Carey kept a map of the world
before him, while busy at his daily tasks, and that the con-
templation of the world's need led him into missionary
service. In the vision of this plain humble cobbler, mod-
ern missionary enterprise had its birth.

Dr. Morrison likewise was interested in the evangeliza-
tion of the whole world, but he concentrated his attention
especially upon the Dark Continent. He kept the map of
Africa constantly before his eyes. He mapped out the
field for which our own church had assumed the responsi-
bility and endeavored to select the places of strategic im-
portance for the location of mission stations. He studied
the tribes immediately contiguous to our territor}' and en-
deavored to induce other denominations to take up the task
of evangelization. It was his earnest desire that the dif-
ferent denominations should work among tribes speaking
different dialects. This was not a selfish desire on his part
to advance his particular denomination to the injury and
exclusion of others, but for the different denominations to
overlap in their efforts, when there were vast regions yet
unoccupied, seemed to him a selfish waste of energy and
contrary to the mind and will of Christ. \Miy build upon
another man's foundation when there were multitudes near-
by who had never heard the name of Christ?

Because of his burning desire to advance the kingdom
of Christ in Africa, Dr. Morrison opened correspondence
with the Evangelical Churches in Belgium, with a view
to establishing a mission in the Congo. Perhaps it was
largely due to his influence that the Rev. Henri Anet, head
of the Evangelical Churches in Belgium, made a voyage
to the Congo in 191 1 to select a field suitable for missionary

William McCutchan Morrison 133

activity. In the course of his journey he visited Luebo,
and a strong bond of friendship sprang up between him
and Dr. Morrison. He selected a site in the unoccupied
region near Tshofa, to the east of our territory, and se-
cured a concession. Active work has not yet begun, how-
ever, on account of the great World War.

Later on, a deputation sent out by the Mennonite Breth-
ren visited Luebo to consult with Dr. Morrison, and he
advised them to locate near the Kasai River and work
toward the west among the Bachoka and other kindred
tribes that were yet untouched by the gospel. This mis-
sion is known as the Congo Inland Mission, which, at
present, is confining its efforts almost entirely to the
Baluba speaking tribes. Our Mission is cooperating heart-
ily and supplies practically all of its literature.

In 19 10 Bishop W. R. Lambuth was sent out by the
Southern Methodist Church to visit central Africa and to
select a field of missionary operation for his church. He
came to Luebo to consult with Dr. Morrison. He was
directed to the great untouched tribe of the Batetela, to
the northeast of Lusambo and aided in his journey thither.
Our Mission furnished him with a caravan, among them
being a boy who could speak English as well as a dozen
or more African dialects. We also sent with him several
members of the Batetela tribe who had already settled at
Luebo. After a long hard journey they reached the village
of Wembo Niama, chief of the Batetela tribe, and received
an enthusiastic welcome from him. One of the members
of the caravan had been a boyhood friend of the chief,
and, while they had not met for many years, they immedi-
ately recognized each other. It was largely through the
influence of this man, who was then an elder in our church
at Luebo, that the chief received them so cordially. The

134 Twenty Years in Africa

chief declared his entire kingdom open to them and invited
them to estabhsh a station in his own capital. Having
obtained the chief's consent, Bishop Lambuth lost no time
in applying for a concession and returned home to seek
recruits to begin the work.

This task was accomplished early in 19 13, and the party
was ready to sail just as Dr. Morrison was returning from
his second furlough. He gladly joined the party and jour-
neyed to Luebo with them.

While on this journey Dr. Morrison met with the new
missionaries daily and gave them lectures on missionary
work taken from his own personal experience. Bishop
Lambuth states that the practical knowledge the new mis-
sionaries received from these lectures was worth more to
them than two years of actual experience in the field. At
Bishop Lambuth's urgent request. Dr. Morrison began
to put these lectures into book form, with the view of
publication under the title of "Mission Policy," but his
death prevented the accomplishment of this task. Many
of the notes that he used, however, are at hand and
a very brief review of this material will give the reader
some conception of the ideas and ideals that inspired Dr.
Morrison as a true missionary statesman. While the ad-
vice given is primarily for missionaries, yet it will give the
reader an insight into the missionary's life and what is
expected and required of him.

As Dr. Morrison has so freely expressed indignation
against the whole system of government as administered
in the Congo, we might naturally think that he also had
unbounded contempt for all the officials of that govern-
ment. But such is not the case. He always conducted
himself in the most courteous manner in the presence of
those in authority and never lost his self-control. Indeed,

William McCutchan Morrison 135

a very prominent official once stated that Dr. Morrison
was one of the most remarkable men he had ever met, be-
cause he could rebuke a man in the most withering terms
and then make himself a most pleasant and entertaining
companion. He could do this because he pitied the official
more than he blamed him, and regarded him more as a
victim of the "system" in vogue rather than as one person-
ally responsible for his course of action. He regarded the
social relation of the missionary with the Government staff
as of prime importance.

This subject comes first on the list in his advice to the
new missionaries. He says : "The general principle to be
observed is that we are foreigners who wish to conform to
the customs of the ruling people of the Congo. The Bel-
gians appear to us to be effusive in their manner, while
we probably appear to them to be abrupt and uncouth.
Therefore, sociability and the amenities should be observed.

"When passing through or near a station, government
post or trading establishment, always observe the custom of
going in and paying your respects to the officials in charge.
It is the Belgian custom for the new comer to make the
first call.

"We should recognize at the beginning that both Pro-
testant and Roman Catholic missionaries are in the same
work of establishing the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ
among the Congo people. We desire to be open minded
and charitable toward all who come in the name of Jesus
Christ. The difficulties that arise between our adherents
and those of the Roman Catholics can usually be more
amicably settled by a personal visit to the priest in charge
than by reference to a State official. Extend to the Roman
Catholic missionaries the same courtesy as to other for-
eigners. In case of difffculties it is better to receive than

136 Twenty Years in Africa

to give insults. Do not let personal animosity enter into
the controversy at all. There are enough great essential
principles of doctrine and Christian living to teach without
wasting time and creating disturbances by emphasizing
denominational differences.

"The policy should be to have unity and cooperation
between Protestant Missions in all possible undertakings,
such as steamboat transportation, training schools for the
native helpers, printing presses, etc. The reasons for this
are evident in the securing of greater strength and economy.
This will be a saving of time, money and men for running
the machinery of the missions. Furthermore, in the eyes
of the government and of the Roman Catholics and of the
natives it can be seen that although the Protestants may
use different methods they are united in spirit and purpose.
The native people are saved endless confusion by coopera-
tion among missionaries. There should also be an agree-
ment among the different Protestant missions as to the
division of the fields of labor.

"We should remember first and last that the natives
should be treated as kindly and courteously as white people.
We should always keep in mind that we are their servants
and not their masters. Under their black skins they have
feelings and sensibilities similar to ours, which ought to
be respected. If we laugh at their customs, appearance
or fetishes, we destroy their confidence in us and repel
them. Greet them with a pleasant word and do not fear to
shake hands with them, even if they do appear somewhat
untidy.

"On the other hand, you will need to maintain your dig-
nity and repress undue familiarity or insolence. Be kind
and firm but never harsh. In settling disputes between
them be absolutely just. If you make a mistake it is best

William McCutchan Morrison 137

to confess it in their presence. Conform to the dignified
customs of chiefs and dignitaries where no morals are in-
volved. Be ready to receive the natives without becoming
impatient when you are busy. It is said that George Gren-
fell was in Africa more than twenty years and never
preached a sermon. His life spoke louder than any sermon
he could have preached.

"Be sure to write regularly to the church or person sup-
porting you. It is their due. Very much of the success
of the missionary enterprise depends upon the regular re-
ports from the missionaries on the field. Be prompt and
faithful in keeping your work before the church at home.
In your correspondence never pose as a martyr. The diffi-
culties appear greater to the people at home, and these
very troubles may have disappeared and be forgotten by
you before the letter reaches home.

''The necessity of living close together on the mission
stations is liable to bring difficulties. We must bear toward
each other all possible patience, forbearance and Christian
endurance. Do the work assigned to you as best you can,
and, at the same time, consult and have proper regard for
the opinion of the majority of the mission. Friction can
usually be avoided by having open discussions in a frank
and kindly spirit. Never be on the lookout for slights.
On the station you will want to be cordial, social and
brotherly, like a family. Try to get on the inside and look
out; don't stand on the outside and 'knock.' Don't be too
sensitive ; have a saving sense of humor and try to make
fun even of the most unpleasant things. Have some occa-
sion to see each other daily, such as an afternoon tea,
games for social enjoyment or a gathering for prayer.

"Be cheerful. Faith in God and reliance upon Him is a

138 Twenty Years in Africa

physical benefit. Never tell a person that he is looking
unwell in the Congo.

"Be anxious about nothing. Early in the morning place
yourself in God's hands.

''Do not think about being sick. When you have a fever
do not regard it too seriously; thousands have recovered
from fever. Do not try to 'hustle Africa.' The tendency
is to be restless and nervous. Constant straining and work-
ing up to the top notch will get on your nerves. When you
work be in earnest, but you have to take more rest in the
Congo than at home. Make it the rule of your life to
take an hour's rest at midday and some sleep. Keep this
hour sacred. Get plenty of sleep at night, for it is your
stock in trade for the next day.

"There must be some diversion in connection with your
daily tasks. Occasionally have a party and wear your best
clothes, for this will keep up the social spirit and also be
restful to you.

"It will cost effort to keep up your spiritual life on the
mission. You are constantly giving out to others, and you
must be vigilant to keep your spiritual life from declining.
There will have to be agonizing, prayerful thought during
one hour kept sacred each day. Do not take the rest hour
at midday which ought to be kept just as sacred for phys-
ical rest. Get the hour as early in the morning as possible,
for this will give you poise, repose in God and strength for
the work of the day. Deliberately plan for the early morn-
ing devotion. It is a good plan to read some devotional
books on prayer. The missionaries on the station should
meet together for prayer during the week and for preach-
ing in English on Sunday night.

" 'Palaver' means any kind of quarrel, dispute or conten-
tion. This is^a very important and delicate subject and

William McCutchan Morrison 139

requires the utmost patience, tact and wisdom. Palavers
offer us the opportunity of showing our interest in the
natives and of demonstrating the Bible principles of right
and justice. But all this has to be done cautiously. Do
not usurp the authority of the chief or let him get the
impression that you are trying to do so. This requires
diplomacy. You are to teach the chief as far as possible.
It is necessary to be cautious of the jealousy of the State
in your assuming the settling of palavers among the people.
Some of the officials resent the coming of the natives to
missionaries for the settling of palavers. But some of your
church members will come to you as their pastor and
helper, and it is hard to turn them away, for they will feel
that you have no interest in them. While there are certain
cases that can be settled only by the State, yet there can be
no law against the native going to an outsider to have his
case arbitrated.

"The approach to the people with the gospel is a very
important question. There are perhaps some people, vil-
lages and tribes to whom we ought not to go until the Holy
Spirit has made them ready to hear the gospel. Some peo-
ple seem to be unapproachable, and therefore we should
follow the line of greatest cleavage, where the Holy Spirit
has prepared the people. This was the method of our
Saviour who did not wish to waste time on those who re-
fused to hear to the exclusion of those who were eager to
hear.

"In preaching to the people have respect for their feel-
ings and do not laugh at their fetishes or their worship.
Bring out God's benevolence, calling their attention to the
One who makes the grain to grow. If they say that they
can see their god but can not see ours, ask them to explain
the wind and call their attention to the power that is hid-

140 Twenty Years in Africa

den. Tell them their god is created, but ours is a Creator.
This God is a person who has left laws for men to obey.
When you break these laws you must be punished just as
a chief treats his subjects when they disobey his laws. In
preaching try to be as vivid as possible and appeal to the
imagination. Use native proverbs and parables whenever
possible, for they are singularly rich in material with which
to illustrate religious truth. '\\'ithout a parable spake He
not unto them.'

"Give daily instruction to those who wish to know more
about the plan of salvation and desire to become Christians.
At first teach them the simple attributes of God, the work
of the Holy Spirit, the fall and redemption through Christ,
repentance, faith, the future life and prayer. Train them
in worship, Sabbath observance, charity, generosity and
giving the gospel to others. The raw natives should be
trained many months before being received into the church.
Do not take them in before they understand or keep them
away too long from the training and help of the church.
Remember the church is a training school in which Chris-
tian character is developed.

"It is better, as a general rule, for the missionary not to
ask a native to join the church, because the native thinks
he is under obligation to do what the white man says.
Urge upon the native Christians themselves the duty of
personal work."

These are a few of the fundamental principles that must
be adhered to in the propagation of the gospel in Africa,
and these are the principles that Dr. Morrison followed
so successfully in his dealings with the native people. His
success as a missionary^ leader did not hinge on the great
things he did, but rather on his mastery of the fundamental

William McCutchan Morrison 141

details of his daily tasks. It can be said of him, in the
words of Wordsworth,

"The best part of a good man's life,
His little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love."

One of the most striking testimonies to the ability of
Dr. Morrison as a missionary statesman has been borne by
Bishop Lambuth. After a dozen or more native Christians
had gone from Luebo to Wembo Niama to be organized
into the first Methodist church in that part of Africa, and
after Dr. Lambuth, as bishop of Africa, had established
the new mission and was returning to his duties in Ameri-
ca, he appointed Dr. Morrison to act as counsellor to the
newly established mission. The spirit of unity and coop-
eration that exists between these tw^o missions is due large-
ly to the intimate friendship that sprang up between these
two great missionary leaders.

The greatest testimony to his genius as a missionary
leader is to be found in the fact that he was twice elected
President of the Conference of Protestant Missions in the
Congo. This organization, composed of practically all the
Protestant Missions working in the Congo, had its origin
during the dark days of the old Congo Independent State
regime. Repeated reference has been made to the fact that
under this regime it was practically impossible for Protest-
ant Missions to carry on any aggressive work. The crafty
officials would play one against the other. If one society
complained of unjust treatment the officials would imme-
diately cite the example of the Mission that was enjoying
their favor at the time and, therefore, had nothing to com-
plain about. They then made it appear that this was the
general condition and that the accusations of the complain-
ing society w^ere unfounded. In order to combat this
double-dealing policy of the State the Protestant Missions

142 Twenty Years in Africa

realized that unity and cooperation were the price of their
existence. At the present time the Conference is composed
of some fourteen societies. They meet once every four
years for the purpose of hearing reports on the work of the
different missions and for the laying of plans that will
promote the kingdom of Christ. The sessions of the Con-
ference of necessity last only a few days and then the
workers return to their widely scattered fields. That the
Conference may accomplish the purpose for which it was
founded it was necessary to devise some means by which
their plans could be carried out during the long interim

THE 191S CONFERENCE

between the meetings. To accomplish this task a Continu-
ation Committee, with the President of the Conference at
its head, was created to carry out the plans that had been
formulated. They, therefore, must choose the most aggres-
sive, broad-gauged and tactful man at their disposal.

It was the great privilege of our own Mission to enter-
tain this Conference in February, 1918. Dr. Morrison had
already been elected President, but, having been unable to
attend the former Conference, he had not been inducted
into office. He, therefore, did not assume the duties of this
office until the opening night of the Conference at Luebo.

In a few brief, well chosen words he welcomed the vis-

William McCutchan Morrison 143

iters to Luebo and thanked them for the high honor con-
ferred upon him in calHng him to be their President.

He took as his text for the opening sermon John xiv:i,
"Let not your heart be troubled," and spoke on the subject
of "Christ's calm for all His people." "Let not your heart
be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Afraid of what?" he
said. "H God be for us who can be against us?" His
hearers knew that this man had a courage born of God and
that he was not afraid to undertake any task in the service
of God.

Dr. Morrison presided over the sessions of the Confer-
ence in the most impartial and tactful manner. The fact
that he kept representatives of nine different denominations
at perfect peace and accord during all their deliberations
so that no friction of any consequence arose between them
is sufficient proof of his ability as a moderator. Only on
one occasion did the discussion begin to strike fire. Dr.
Morrison very calmly stopped the proceedings for a word
of prayer and asked the two contending brethren to lead
in that prayer. It was a master stroke, for a smile began
to break over their faces and when the prayer was ended
the discussion ceased. He completely won the hearts of
all those present at the Conference, which fact was evi-
denced when he was unanimously chosen to be their Presi-
dent during the next four years. Thus he came to be
recognized as the leader of all the Protestant forces work-
ing in the Congo and as a man worthy to be entrusted with
the responsibility of directing their united efforts in the
common cause of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

In the closing hour of the Conference, when the various
delegates were felicitating themselves on the vision that
had been brought to them of the great work of a great mis-
sion, one of them said : "Mr. Chairman, it is a revelation to

144 Twenty Years in Africa

us, this great work of yours here at Luebo, and we wonder
why you have not told the world more about it."

Dr. Morrison replied to this as follows : "Dear brethren,
it fills us with a sense of pride and yet of humility that you
should have gained such an impression and that you should
go away with this feeling toward us and this great work.
But I wish also to say that we feel that it is a great re-
sponsibility laid on us. How we tremble for these babes
in Christ who have been brought into the church, and how
we trust that you will utter a prayer that we shall be used
of God to train them in the nurture and admonition of the
Lord!

''If the work is a success it is not due to any superiority
of the missionaries or to our methods, but aside from the
Divine element which has played the most important part
in helping us to reach them, you must remember that the
Southern man knows the negro best and probably loves
him more deeply than you realize. May I here give testi-
mony to my own personal relations with them? They were
my boyhood playmates. In the home they were not only
servants but members of our household. As a babe I knew
my old black 'mammy' almost as I knew my mother. vShe
nursed me in my days of illness and health, and when my
mother was absent and I cried from hunger she even nour-
ished me at her own breast."

CHAPTER XV

He Visits the Stations of Our Mission and of the Methodist Mission
— Wonderful Growth of the Work during His Lifetime — His Last
Illness — His Death and Burial at Luebo.

The closing days of the life of Dr. Morrison were among
the busiest in all his missionary experience. During the
latter months of the year 19 17 he made a journey to the
Methodist Mission at Wembo Niama and Lubefu. He
took this trip at the urgent request of Bishop Lambuth,
who had appointed him "bishop" and spiritual advisor of
this diocese. He had the pleasure of sending to the Bishop
a most encouraging report of the work accomplished by
this young Mission.

En route to Wembo Niama Dr. Morrison made a detour,
visiting each one of our own stations which had been estab-
lished since he had taken the trip with Mr. Bedinger sev-
eral years before.

The physical stamina of the man is evidenced by the fact
that the greater part of this journey of over one thousand
miles was made on foot. The missionaries looked for-
ward eagerly to his coming, always sure of his large-
hearted sympathy and helpful counsel. He saw the won-
derful success with which the work had been blessed
since his previous survey, and the unparalleled opportunity
for advance awaiting the Mission. He also studied the
problems that confronted the missionaries in tlieir particu-
lar spheres of influence. Having thus familiarized himself
with the actual conditions at each station, it seemed as
though he was better prepared than ever before to fill his

146

Twenty Years in Africa

high position of administrator and advisor of the two Mis-
sions. However, this was not the case. He, hke Moses,
was standing on the mountain top of privilege, but he
would not pass over. He was setting his house in order.

And let us take a retrospective glance over the way along
which God had led him. There were times when Dr.
Morrison had been called upon to pass through the valley

THE NATIVE CHURCH

of the shadow of death and learned to know Christ in the
fellowship of His suffering. He had been called upon to
endure persecution and heart-breaking trials and disap-
pointments in his missionary labors. He knew what it was
to "climb the steep ascent of heaven through peril, toil and
pain," but at eventide there was light.

When Dr. Morrison reached Luebo in 1897 the Mission
consisted of one station occupied by eight missionaries,
only three of whom were white. At the time of his death,

William McCutchan Morrison 147

in 1918, there were six stations and more than twoscore
missionaries to uphold his hands.

When he reached Luebo the native converts numbered
less than fifty. When he laid down his work they num-
bered over seventeen thousand. When he reached Luebo
the out stations could be counted on the fingers of one hand.
In 1918 they numbered over four hundred and fifty.

At the time of his arrival there were no outstanding-
Christian leaders among the natives. There was not a pas-
tor, an elder, nor even a deacon to share any of the burden
or responsibility of the work. He lived to see hundreds of
well-trained evangelists in charge of all these out stations.
He took part in the ordination of a score or more elders
and deacons and delivered the charge to the first three men
that were ordained to the gospel ministry. He saw hun-
dreds of women, who had been but the toys and chattels
of men, find their liberty in Christ Jesus and become active
Christian workers. He went to the heart of Africa an
unknown man, but at his death the name of William M.
Morrison was known in three continents. He had stood
before the world as the champion of a nation that had been
subjected to a bondage more cruel than that of Egypt. But
greater yet than this, he stood at the head of the united
Protestant forces who were laboring for the redemption
of Africa. His election as President of the Conference
of Protestant Missions came as a fitting climax lo his mis-
sionary life.

He had looked forward to the coming of the Conference
v;ith peculiar pleasure. During his twenty years' residence
at Luebo only two men from other missions had ever visited
our Mission. He was overjoyed at the prospect of wel-
coming so mxany at one time. He took great pleasure in
planning for their entertainment.

148 Twenty Years in Africa

He was unusually busy during the days and nights of
the Conference. Many of those present were anxious to
discuss mission problems w^th him outside of conference
hours. He got only a few hours sleep during the ten days
the Conference was in session. He was on the beach on
the morning of Alarch the 4th to bid the visitors farewell.
He led in the parting prayer commending them to God and
the fellowship of His grace.

Immediately upon our return from the beach, the ann\ial
meeting of the Mission was convened and this meant an
extra tax on Dr. Morrison's strength. Before the Confer-
ence adjourned he seemed to be unwell, but as it was not
his habit to complain we supposed he was merely over-
worked and would be himself as soon as he could get
more sleep. He was staying at my home at the time, and
we noticed that he ate very little and at times his facial
expression indicated that he was suffering intense pain.

He attended the morning session of the Mission meeting.
At noon he summoned Dr. Stixrud and told him of his
condition. After a thorough examination it was discovered
that he had tropical dysentery in a very violent form and
was ordered to bed immediately. The best known modern
remedies were administered at once, for the doctor reahzed
the seriousness of his exhausted condition. Dr. Stixrud,
assisted by Dr. King and our two trained nurses, Mrs.
Stixrud and Miss Elda May Fair, gave their untiring, skill-
ful and devoted service. The other missionarii^s helped to
the best of their ability, but after the first few days his
condition was too serious to be entrusted to untrained
hands.

Constant prayer went up to God from the missionaries
and the natives for his recovery, if it should be in accord-
ance with His will. On Wednesday of the following week

William McCutchan Morrison 149

the crisis was reached. All work in the Mission was
stopped and the entire day was devoted to prayer and
fasting.

But Dr. Morrison had literally worn himself out by
twenty years of unremitting toil and had no reserv^e
strength with which to battle against such a disease. At
I o'clock on the morning of March 14th, 1918, the silver cord
was loosed, the golden bowl was broken and his spirit re-
turned to God who gave it. He was unconscious when the
end came, recognizing no one and leaving no parting mes-
sage. There was no struggle; he fell quietly to sleep,
having just reached the summit of the great divide between
middle life and old age.

I arose the next morning, filled with forebodings of the
wailing and mourning that might be expected from his
countless native friends. I shall never forget the scene
that met my eyes when I returned to his room at the early
morning hour just before the sunrise prayer meeting. The
native elders and the pastor were seated about the earthly
remains of their spiritual father. There was not a sigh, nor
a sob, nor a tear; not a sign of rebellion arose from their
stricken hearts. Just then the mission bell sounded the
hour for prayer and we led them to the church, the church
where Kounyi Nshila had so often stood, and we prayed
with them that we might be made submissive to the Divine
will.

The news of his death made a profound impression on
the native population at Tuebo, the greater part of whom
were assembled on the Mission compound with the rising
of the sun. They were quiet and reverent in the presence
of his death. Remembering the native custom of mourning
for the dead, as previously described, nothing, to my mind,
could speak so powerfully of the deep impress of the teach-

150 Twenty Years in Africa

ings of this man on the hearts of these erstwhile savages.
Their silence and submission was a tribute of their respect
for him. Back to their minds came the lessons that Kuonyi
Nshila had taught them as to the meaning of death in the
passing of Mama Mutoto. The prayer with which he dedi-
cated himself to the work in Africa had been answered, his
life had become an "open gospel known and read of all
men."

At noon his body was placed in the church shed and lay
in state during the afternoon. Thousands of natives passed
by in reverent silence to take a parting look at their friend
and helper.

The funeral services were conducted that afternoon at
5 :30 by the Rev. A. C. McKinnon, assisted by the writer
and the native pastor, Kabeya Lukenga, who spoke in be-
half of the Kasai people. The service was for the native
people and was conducted in their language. A vast throng
of some five thousand people was gathered in and about
the church and the best of order was maintained through-
out the entire service. The local State officials attended in
a body, together with all the traders and a representative
of the Roman Catholic Mission.

At the grave Judge Gorlia, the highest State official resi-
dent at Luebo, read a paper eulogizing Dr. Morrison and
expressing the State's appreciation of the great work he
had done in the uplifting of the native people.

His body was laid to rest in the little cemetery in the
Mission compound beside his beloved wife. And when we
thought of how unceasingly he had labored and how abun-
dantly God had blessed his work, it seemed to us that we
could hear the words the angel spoke to the .A.i)ostle John :
"Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth :

William McCutchan Morrison 151

Yea, saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labors;
and their works do follow them."

"Servant of God, well done !
Rest from thy loved employ:
The battle fought, the vict'ry won,
Enter thy Master's joy.

"The voice at midnight came;
He started up to hear:
A mortal arrow pierced his frame ;
He fell, but felt no fear.

"The pains of death are past ;
Labor and sorrow cease ;
And life's long warfare closed at last,
His soul is found in peace.

"Soldier of Christ! Well done!
Praise be thy new employ;
And while eternal ages run,
Rest in thy Saviour's joy."

CHAPTER XVI

Autlinr attb }Pr?art|f r

His Work as Official Correspondent and Legal Representative of the
Mission — Private Correspondence with Distinguished Individuals
— His Missionary Addresses — As a Preacher in the Native Lan-
guage— As a Pastor.

It is our purpose in this chapter to deal with the scope
of Dr. Morrison's work in the field as the Official Cor-
respondent for the Mission and as a preacher of the Gospel.

Strictly speaking, we can not call him an author, in the
sense that he devoted his life to the writing of books; yet,
at the same time, he was a prolific writer. He recognized
the necessity of keeping the church at home informed as
to the conditions on the field, and for this reason he was
a regular contributor to the "Missionary Survey" and other
church papers. In order to further this idea he was largely
instrumental in the founding of the "Kasai Herald," of
which he was the editor during the greater part of its
existence.

During the period of the agitation of the Congo reforms,
Dr. Morrison was a frequent contributor to the leading
newspapers and magazines of England and America. We
have already noted the influence that these effective articles
had in arousing the public sentiment of the two great Eng-
lish-speaking countries.

We have likewise indicated his great literary work in the
publication of the Baluba Grammar and Dictionary, the
Bible paraphrases and translations as well as other forms
of Christian and school literature. This was the kind of
work he delighted to do. It was nearer to his heart than
anything else. And yet, in all his twenty years of service,
he was probably never permitted to devote as much as one

154 Twenty Years in Africa

uninterrupted day to his great work. The greater part of
his time was given over to the official correspondence of the
Mission.

We have made numerous references to the fact that he
served as Legal Representative of the Mission during his
entire service on the field. It is the requirement of Belgian
law in the Congo that every missionary society or business
organization must have an official representative to attend
to all matters arising between them and the State Govern-
ment. If only two men are associated in business one of
them must be the appointed spokesman and the other one
will not be recognized in official circles. The same thing is
true in the Mission ; the Legal Representative is the go-
between in all matters relating to the State. No other
member of the Mission is recognized..

In our Mission the Legal Representative is elected at
the regular meeting of the Mission and the results of the
election must be reported to the Governor-General at
Boma, who makes an official record and notifies the one
already chosen of his election. The duties of this office
are multifarious and to fill it with credit requires great tact
and an unlimited amount of patience. The Legal Repre-
sentative must receive all visitors that come to the Mission
and return all official calls. He must conduct all the cor-
respondence with the local officers at Luebo, the Governor-
General at Boma, the Minister of the Colony and the King
in Brussels, as well as the American Consul at Boma, when
we are fortunate enough to have one.

Owing to the difficulties that arise when the Mission
endeavors to secure a tract of land on which to establish
a station, it would be impossible to estimate the number of
letters that Dr. Morrison wrote on this subject alone. As
a general rule, it has taken from three to five years to

William McCutciian Morrison 155

secure each one of the stations we are now occupying, and
each required a prolonged correspondence with the lowest
State official on up to the King, and, quite frequently, ended
in an appeal to our government at Washington. To say
that the duties of this office were at times exasperating
would be expressing it rather mildly. All sorts of flimsy
excuses are offered by the State officials as reasons why the
Mission can not obtain land. For instance, wc were given
the temporary right to occupy one station and began v/ork.
After the houses and a church shed had been built and
the work was making some visible progress, one of these
officials suddenly discovered that some of the palm trees
on the concession had been planted by the grandfather of
one of the natives, and, notwithstanding the place had been
abandoned for many years, the missionaries were given
two weeks in which to vacate. This is merely an example
of the kind of problems that Dr. Morrison had to face
during the twenty years he served in the capacity of Legal
Representative. Truly, patience had ample opportunity to
have her perfect work with him under such trying condi-
tions as these.

We are now familiar with the part that Dr. Morrison
played in protesting against the injustice and oppression
of the State Government, which phase of his work alone
required an unlimited amount of time and a voluminous
correspondence. Perhaps some one will raise the question
as to why Dr. Morrison and other missionaries should at-
tempt to interfere in matters belonging purely to the State
Government. Why did he not devote himself exclusively
to the preaching of the Gospel and let the State look after
its own affairs? This is a fair question and one which Dr.
Morrison himself answered in a paper written for the Mis-
sion Conference which met in Leopoldville in 1907, under

156 Twenty Years in Africa

the title, "Under W'hat Circumstances Are We Justified in
Making Public the Accounts of Atrocities and Other Forms
of Injustice Done the Natives?"

We will cite a few of the reasons which he gave for the
stand he took with reference to State matters:

"The unfortunate political situation which has grown up
here in the Congo State as a result of the doctrine of abso-
lutism, which the Sovereign has arrogated to himself and
which has brought about one of the most iniquitous anom-
alies in the shape of the government which modern times
have witnessed, has placed the Protestant missionaries in
an embarrassing position. All of us — and none more
strenuously than the writer of this paper — hold to the gen-
eral principle of non-interference with political affairs in
the carrying on of mission work. This principle can be
observed to the letter in most countries in which we, as
foreigners, do mission work, whether the people are ruled
by a native or a foreign government, but here in Congo
the situation is unique. The government itself is a curious
anomaly, and there is difference of opinion even as to its
international status.

'Tn view of the fact that the government is absolute,
with the natives having no voice in its afi'airs ; in view of
the fact that the treaties made at the founding of the State
guarantee to them certain rights; in view of the fact that
there is no one to whom they can successfully appeal for
the redress of their wrongs; and in view of the fact that
the government and the concessionary companies are here
purely for selfish purposes — in view of all these facts, the
Protestant missionary is left the sole sympathizer of the
people, the only one, who, from a sense of love and inter-
est, can be expected to speak and act in their behalf. I
purposely say Protestant missionaries, for certainly the

William McCutchan Morrison 157

well-known sympathy of the Romanists with the govern-
ment and, in some sections, with the concessionary com-
panies renders them unfit, except in sporadic cases, either
to sympathize with the native or to protest against his
wrongs.

"This being the case, what are we to do abo\it it? Under
what circumstances and in what way are we to make our
appeal and show our protest against the unjust govern-
mental-system which we see throttling the millions of
natives in the Congo State, stripping their country of its
natural products^ and making the people practically slaves
in their own country?

"We shall speak first of the circumstances justifying a
pubHc appeal and protest. This, of course, is a very broad
question and one about which there is room for difference
of opinion in some cases; but it seems that here, as in most
other questions, a conservative middle course is the one to
follow. On the one hand, we need not be constantly re-
porting minor offences against justice, nor, on the other
hand, are ^we, in view of our position as sole sympathizers
of the people, to let grave and systematic injustices against
the inalienable right of the people to life, liberty and prop-
erty go unnoticed. While, on the one hand, we admit the
abstract right of the government to tax the natives, even
without giving them anything in the way of schools or
other utilities in return for the taxes; yet, as opportunity
presents itself, we must not pass by unnoticed cases of
exorbitant taxation and of unjust methods in the collection
of the tax. And here I am using the word tax in a general
sense to describe the whole system of labor, forced military
service, forced making of rubber and other products,
together with the regular payment of food supplies, etc.
Some of the greatest legal minds affirm that every man has

158 Twenty Years in Africa

an inalienable right to his life, his liberty and his property.
This is a right which is above all government and man-
made decrees, and it is in defence of these primary rights
of the natives that we must raise our voices.

"I am convinced that owing to the futility of resistance
and the dread with which the very name of Bula Matadi
(the State) inspires the native, even under our own eyes,
to suffer wrongs stoically which we know not of, they
have come to see that we can only appeal in their behalf —
we can exercise no force. And this leads me to say that,
as a rule, we are more liable to err in keeping silent than
in protesting, for we may be sure that for every case which
comes to our attention there are thousands we know noth-
ing of. This being the case, I believe we should not wait
for the occurrence of the grosser and more shocking forms
of outrage, such as murder, imprisonment with all its at-
tendent horrors, mutilations, etc. ; but we should follow
up relentlessly the slower and more refined forms of injus-
tice by which the life and spirit are crushed out inch by
inch. I believe that as the native becomes more and more
convinced of the futility of resistance, the grosser forms of
outrage will perhaps become less frequent, but the magni-
tude of suffering and wrong borne in silence will greatly
increase."

He declared to the Conference that every possible means
of redress should be exhausted before the matter was pub-
lished to the outside world. Then when it became neces-
sary to strike they would be prepared to strike hard.

In conclusion, he added these words by way of an appeal :
"We can look with some degree of complacency upon
Armenian atrocities and the Boxer outrages in China, be-
cause the governments of Turkey and China came into
existence without the consent of the modern Powers and

William McCutchan Morrison 159

because they have made no pubHc and official protestations
in treaties or otherwise of justice and humanity toward
their subjects, but the position in the Congo State is entire-
ly different. Here the most sacred and formal treaties
were made; the Powers, with the millions of people they
represent, have been openly and defiantly deceived. Are
we not under the same obligation to bring these facts to the
knowledge of the world as we would be to disclose the do-
ings of a common thief or thug? If a brighter day ever
comes to our beloved Congo, it must come through God
blessing our efforts."

Not only did Dr. Morrison serve as Legal Representative
of the Mission and conduct the correspondence with the
government, but for many years he was Chairman of the
Ad Interim Committee and Official Correspondent for the
Mission. This involved the correspondence between the
different stations and also between the Mission and the
Executive Committee at Nashville. This naturally con-
sumed a large part of his time. In fact, it was not an
uncommon thing for him to spend the entire night wait-
ing important letters to the Committee, in order to get them
off on the steamer the following day. He would be about
his usual duties the next day, just as if he had had a good
night's rest.

In addition to these official duties. Dr. Morrison carried
on a very extensive correspondence with a great number of
distinguished private individuals who were interested in
the Congo situation. Among them we may mention Samuel
Clemens ("Mark Twain"), author of ''Leopold's Solilo-
quy," Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Harry W. Johnston,
Hon. Emir Vandervelde, the late W. T. Stead, the late
J. Pierpont Morgan and scores of others equally as eminent.

As he never had a private secretary, he had to write all

i6o Twenty Years in Africa

these letters with his own hand. The reader can judge
for himself the tremendous amount of work he was capable
of doing. With all these things on his hands it is nothing
short of marvelous that he found any time to devote to
Bible translation and other work requiring concentration
of thought and undivided attention.

In connection with his literary work, we may very pro-
perly consider Dr. Morrison as a preacher and a public
speaker. He did not have a great many opportunities to
preach in English. Services are conducted in the Mission
stations in English on Wednesday and Sunday nights, the
missionaries preaching in turn, and this was practically the
only opportunity afforded him of preaching in his mother
tongue.

In spite of the little practice he had, he was an eloquent
speaker and always used the choicest diction. In his mis-
sionary addresses at home he never failed to make a pro-
found impression. The most striking and impressive fea-
ture of these addresses was his deep sincerity and the hon-
esty and earnestness of his faith. He put his whole intel-
lect into the preparation, his whole heart into the presenta-
tion and his whole life into the illustration of these
discourses; and such preaching as this can not fail to reach
the hearts of men. The expression of his countenance and
his clear, rich and resonant voice convinced his liearers that
every word came from the heart. Their hearts were stirred
by his burning words, and they returned to their homes
with a new zeal for God's kingdom. Words spoken out of
such deep earnestness and from the consecration of such
a life do not perish; they live on in the minds and hearts
of men.

The greater part of Dr. Morrison's preaching was done
in the Baluba language, and perhaps he shone at his best

William McCutchan Morrison i6i

when speaking to the native people. He conducted the
sunrise prayer meetings at Luebo and sent the people to
their daily tasks with some fresh thought from the Word
of God. For a great part of the time he preached five times
every week and always nourished the spiritual life of the
people. He was a born teacher, and every- sermon he
preached was full of practical instruction for his hearers.
He possessed the rare faculty of being able to explain the
profoundest truths in the simplest language. From his
constant association with the native people he had gathered
a vast store of information concerning their habits and
customs, and he could draw the most striking illustrations
from things with which they were familiar. The native
is a past master in the art of gesticulation, and it is almost
possible to tell what one is saying just by studying his facial
expressions. Dr. Morrison possessed the dramatic art to a
marked degree, and he mastered these native gestures and
used them most effectively. One rarely sees more wonder-
ful eyes than he possessed. They could sparkle with wit,
burn with indignation, or be as soft and sympathetic as a
woman's. This naturally added a charm and vividness to
his preaching that appealed to the natives in a peculiar
manner.

I shall never forget his sermon on the text, *Tt is easier
for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a
rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." After giving
them the usual explanation of the needle's eye and after
describing in a very vivid manner the camel with a great
burden on his back, he proceeded to illustrate with bodily
contortions the inability of the camel to negotiate the small
opening in the city wall. The size of his figure added much
to the forcefulness of the scene and a broad smile covered
the face of every native present, but a lasting impression

l62

Twenty Years in Africa

was made upon them as he drove the truth of tiie parable
home to their individual lives.

Dr. Morrison was not only a great preacher, but he was
a pastor and a shepherd in every sense of the term. His
varied activities did not permit him, tO' his infinite regret,
to devote a great deal of his time to pastoral work, yet
somehow he managed to find time to visit the native Chris-
tians in their homes. He endeavored to set aside the clos-
ing hour of each day to visit them in their homes. He
was a personal worker, full of burning zeal for the salva-
tion of the lost. While he could not mingle with them as
much as he liked, and frequently weeks would pass before
he had an opportunity to get out among the people, yet
when anyone was in sorrow or affliction he was never too
busy to go to that home to speak words of comfort. One
night during the Conference at Luebo a severe storm came
up; the lightning struck a house, killing two of the inmates.
It was just at the hour when the evening session was to
convene, and Dr. Morrison, as President, must be on hand
to preside. But as soon as he learned of this double
tragedy, he slipped out of the house and made his way out
in the darkness and rain to this miserable little hut to com-
fort the stricken relatives. The native people ever held the
first place in his great loving and compassionate heart.

CHAPTER XVII

N>'cessity for Living Close to God in Mission Work — His Life ot
Constant Prayer — Outline of His Morning Devotions — Influence
of Prayer in His Work.

Someone has well said, "Take care of the springs of
your sacred Hfe and you need have no fear of your public
life." The Apostle Paul voices the same truth in his ad-
vice to young Timothy, "Take heed unto thyself and unto
the doctrine, continue in them ; for in so doing thou shalt
both save thyself and them that hear thee." The great
apostle places life above doctrine and character above
dogma. He was a missionary himself and spoke from his
own experience when he said, "Ye are living epistles known
and read of all men." He means that the Christian life,
and especially the life lived by its ministers, is an open book
which is constantly subject to the perusal and criticism of
the men of the world. If a man's life can not stand the
closest and the minutest examination, if flaws and defects
are found in it, he may be sure that the doctrine he
preaches will not be any more attractive than the life he
Hves. This is especially true in Africa among the simple
sons of nature. Thousands of them do not yet know a let-
ter of the alphabet and can not read a word of their own
language, but they can all read the open book of human
character. The fundamental doctrines of Christianity are
so sublime and its truths so utterly foreign to anything that
the heathen world has ever known before, that we can not
expect the mere proclamation of these incomprehensible
truths to effect a speedy transformation in their lives. So,
then, the missionary must endeavor to live among them a

164 Twenty Years in Africa

life that will attract their attention and make them see that
the principles that govern and dominate Christian conduct
are the principles they need to transform their own lives.
He must make them see that there is a secref behind the
life he lives, and that that secret is due to som.ething out-
side of himself.

This is undoubtedly the kind of life that Dr. Morrison
lived among the people with whom he came into daily con-
tact. He guarded the springs of his spiritual life with a
sacred devotion.

It was his custom to rise every morning at 4:30, spending
a few moments in physical exercise, and then to devote the
hour from 5 to 6 in studying God's word and in prayer
and meditation. It did not matter how late he worked at
night, he always kept this hour sacred. Many times, under
the great pressure of work, he did not close his eyes at
night, but he never neglected the morning watch. A very
distinguished minister told me that he had occasion to
spend the night with Dr. Morrison while at home on one
of his furloughs. They were in a small town in midwinter
and it was bitterly cold. He woke up very early the next
morning, before daylight, and to his surprise he found that
Dr. Morrison was not in bed with him. As soon as his
eyes became somewhat accustomed to the darkness, he saw
Morrison kneeling by a chair, wrapped in a blanket, pour-
ing out his heart in prayer to God. That scene made a
profound impression on this man and he resolved that he
would devote more of his time to private worship.

Bishop Lambuth, who traveled thousands of miles with
Dr. Morrison, after spending weeks in the most intimate
association with him, gives us the secret of his great life
as he saw it. He says: "The springs of that life were hid-
den in the depths of a conscious realization of the presence

William McCutchan Morrison 165

of God. An inner light shone unmistakably as new forces
were released during those hours given to intercession.
There is a picture before me of a candle burning an hour
before day every morning in an humble home at Luebo.
Was it the lingering glow of its light, or the glory and illu-
minating power of God's Word, that gave Morrison's face,
at times, its strange attractiveness, and his life the strength
for the exacting duties before him Five times, at least,
in one day I have found him at prayer. The morning
watch, the sunrise prayer meeting in the great church shed,
the early devotions with the sons of chiefs within his fence,*
the prayer with the workers whom he taught in the after-
noon, and then at the gathering of missionaries that eve-
ning. He did not realize it, but he was keeping the soul of
religion alive in the Mission and in the native church."

In these early morning devotions Dr. Morrison made his
own private prayer calendar, which is reproduced herewith
in full, as it speaks for itself more eloquently than could
any words of mine.

Thought Preparation for Prayer,

1. The greatest work we do is when we pray.

2. Speak a silent word to God, Who is ever at your side, at the
approach of every problem, task, or temptation; in fact, learn to
practice the fact of God's eternal presence.

3. Before Bible reading ask God, in Christ's name, through the
Holy Spirit, to give me just the word that will fit me for living and
serving for the day.

4. Repeat daily, 'Tear not ; for I am with thee ; be not dismayed :
for I am thy God : I will strengthen thee ; yes, I will help thee ; yea,

*Children sent from Congo villages to the mission stations to
be educated, live in native houses "within the fence" around the
home of the missionary under whose personal care they are. The
training and welfare of these children is ever, to the missionary, a
matter of affectionate solicitude. — Editors.

i66 Twenty Years in Africa

I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Isa.
41 : 10.

Some Conditions of Prevailing Prayer.

1. In Christ's name. Jno. 14:13.

2. Under the Holy Spirit's guidance. Jude 20.

3. In faith. Matt. 21 : 22.

4. Without harboring sin. Ps. 66: 18. 1 Pet. Z'.l.

5. Be specific. Phil. 4 : 6.

6. Pray, then work. Ex. 14: 15. Jno. 15: 16.

7. For God's glory, not mine. Jas. 4 : 3. Prayer of faith always
answered.

8. Prayerful attitude. 1 Thess. 5:17.

9. With charity and forgiveness. Matt. 6:14, 15.

10. Abiding in Christ and His Words in me. Jno. 15:7.

11. When to persevere and when not. Luke 11:8, 9. 2 Cor.
12 : 7-9.

12. United prayer. Matt, 18:19.

13. We can bring everything to God in prayer. Phil. 4:6.

A. Praise and adoration — a vision of God.

1. That I may know Him and hear Him speak.

2. That I may listen and obe3^

B. Confession and forgiveness.

1. General.

2. Particular.

C. Thanksgiving.

1. General. Eph. 5:20.

2. Particular. (Especially for petitions answered.)

D. Bible Thoughts for the day.

1. Deeper insight.

2. More joy in Bible reading and in prayer.

E. Indwelling of and surrender to the Holy Spirit.

F. Petitions. (For special petitions, «ee separate list.)

Personal.

1. Peace: Peace of Jesus Christ. Jno. 14. Rolling the burdens
on God. Calmness under all conditions. Peace of faith ; not of
indiflference.

2. Power : To overcome sin. To grow in grace. To be, do,
think, and speak the absolute right — the mind and will of Christ.

William McCutchan Morrison 167

To subdue my will to God's. To accomplish my work — overcome
laziness. To be a comfort and blessing to others. To make prog-
ress with propaganda.

3. Holiness : That all the graces of the Spirit may abound in me —
love, joy, patience, purity, truth, hope, faith, gentleness, kindness,
thoughtfulness, forbearance, humility, self-control, speaking always
in love and yet with boldness when necessary, not speaking evil or
misjudging, not too much levity, faithfulness (industry) in not
wasting time.

4. Wisdom : What to pray for. What to say, do, and think
to-day. In my peculiar position. In planning and managing. For
new and improved ideas. For quick, yet unerring decision; not
wasting time here. Following God, not going before Him.

5. Holy yearning for souls : Shepherding, comforting, teaching,
warning believers, with special thoughtfulness for those in trouble.
Seeking the unsaved.

6. Watching and praying for Christ's coming.

7. Progress and help in translation and other literary work.

8. Physical strength.

For Others.

1. The Church of Christ: Here on our Mission. In the Congo,
especially the Methodists. Our Southern Presbyterian Church. The
Church HniversaJ.

2. Heathen and unsaved everywhere (mention by name any spe-
cial field needing prayer).

3. Prayer calendars. Here on our Mission. From Nashville.

4. The Executive Committee and Secretaries.

5. The First Church in Little Rock, Ark.

6. Personal friends. Relatives. Friends (see special list).

7. Our agents along the way.

8. The State, the Roman CathoHcs, traders.

9. Our home country. The President and his Cabinet. Congress.
Wisdom in the Great War and in dealing with Mexico and Japan,
etc.

10. Our African Missions.

In addition to this he kept these special lists, referred to
above, but they were too private and sacred for publication.

i68 Twenty Years in Africa

One of these lists alone contained over twenty-five hundred
special petitions. He brought ever}^ problem of the Mis-
sion, the faults and failures of his friends and his hopes
and aspirations for the native church, daily before the
throne of grace.

It is no wonder, then, that the life of this man was so
far-reaching in its influence; he was willing to pay the
price of holiness. If we marvel at that wonderful courage
that enabled him to stand out almost alone and protest
against the oppression of the native people, we find that its
source is his absolute faith in the promises of God, ''Fear
not, for I am with thee."

Perhaps we should not invade the sacred domain of his
prayers by commenting on them, and we make a brief ref-
erence to them only in the deepest sense of reverence. He
never offered a prayer in any mere perfunctory manner.
Prayer was a sacred privilege to him ; he was utterly uncon-
scious of his audience and offered his petitions as one
standing in the very presence of God. His prayers always
made a profound impression on us and made us feel that
we were drawn nearer to God. His faith in God was so
strong and yet so simple that he approached Him with the
confidence of a child coming into the presence of an earth-
ly father.

We can not conclude this chapter without again calling
attention to the great part that prayer played in the life
of Dr. Morrison. A few years ago President Wilson
touched a button in his office and a great upheaval took
place in the Panama Canal, the last barrier between two
mighty oceans was removed and their waters mingled
together. So prayer accomplished things in the life of
Dr. Morrison far beyond the reach of human eyes. Think
of the influences that were released when those little girls

William McCutchan Morrison 169

in Louisville prayed that he might answer the call from
Darkest Africa. Think of the honor our Lord places upon
prayer and the proof that He will hear and answer it w4ien
He says, ''Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that
He would send forth laborers into His harvest."

CHAPTER XVIII

(Eiinrtxttn nnh Inimmt

Estimate of His Character and Influence — Testimonies by Personal
Friends — Conclusion.

The greatest contribution that Dr. Morrison made to
the modern missionary enterprise was his personality. Mere
words are inadequate to portray the grandeur of his char-
acter. The streams of influence that issued from his life
can not yet be fathomed, because they will flow on forever.
The record of his life, as portrayed in this imperfect story,
is the index to his character.

When Columbus and his little band of faithful followers
had braved the perils of the great deep and were drawing
nearer to the shores of an unknown land, they came one
day into the mouth of the Orinoco River. One of the men
in that little group, upon observing the fact that they were
sailing in fresh water, ventured the remark that they must
be drawing near to an island. The great navigator, ob-
serving the volume of the pov^erful current, replied with
scorn, "The waters of that mighty stream drain a conti-
nent!" It does not take the trained eye of a Columbus to
observe the fact that the mighty current of Dr. Morrison's
life and the unfathomable depths of his influence issued
from a great personality lost in Christ.

There was a magnetism about him that drew^ men in
every walk of life to him. Those who knew him best, from
the great religious leaders on down to the humblest native,
bear universal and unstinted praise to the greatness of the
man.

Let us hear the testimony of some of these men as to the
impression the personality of Dr. Morrison made upon
them.

172 Twenty Years in Africa

Dr. J. du Plissis, whom we have already quoted, in re-
ferring to Dr. Morrison's character, remarks : "He seemed
to me to be one of those rare spirits, who have in their
moral composition the stuff that goes to the formation of
abiding friendships. He possessed sympathy, that choicest
of all virtues, that marks the Christian and the gentleman,
and that is the imperishable cement of all friendships
worthy of the name. The light of friendship beaconed in
his eye, partly revealing, partly concealing, the depths be-
neath— the calm, unhastening, unresting character, the
kindly yet strenuous disposition, the resolute will. In your
intercourse with him you were conscious of having to do
with a strong man, whose best qualities did not lie upon
the surface, but who commanded hidden resources of cour-
age, strength and endurance. And though this is a matter
on which others are much more competent to speak than 1
am, it would seem as though he must have been a man of
much prayer and habitual intercourse with heaven, for his
life was very evidently nourished from those hidden springs
which lie among remote and lonely hills."

Bishop Lambuth, than whom there is none more compe-
tent to speak, says of him : "The chief characteristics of
this great leader of the Congo Mission of the Southern
Presbyterian Church, were those of magnificent courage,
tender-heartedness, rare tact in dealing with savage tribes,
genuine love for the native, sound judgment, tireless ener-
gy, a prayer life of power and deathless devotion and
loyalty to Christ. Does this seem overdrawn? It Is the
result of personal observation after traveling thousands of
miles with him and spending weeks in most intimate asso-
ciation at Luebo.

"It was said of Columbus, by one of his own country-
men, The instinct of an unknown continent burned within

William McCutchan Morrison 173

him.' The pioneer spirit was largely developed in Mor-
rison, but it did not fall to his lot to explore the vast areas
about him. It was rather the less known region of the
African's own tropical life and thought which concerned
him most. Like David Livingstone, he believed in his
capacity for higher things. He measured the native by
the best that was in him, not by the worst. For the redemp-
tion of Africa he was willing to die. The love of the
unsaved, but redeemable race, fired his soul."

Rev. L. Foster Wood, of the American Baptist Foreign
Missionary Society, says : "Dr. Morrison brought back to
cur minds the words of Jesus, 'The zeal of thy house hath
eaten me up.' He was a man who had a consuming interest
in God's work. Nothing that concerned the people of this
country (Africa) escaped his notice or failed to draw out
his interest. At the Conference at Luebo I marvelled to
notice that when the rest of us were tired he was still
engrossed by the interest of the business in hand. The
concern of God's kingdom and of God's little children had
so become a part of himself that he seemed at home, no
matter where the discussion might lead.

"He gave himself. His work had a strong flavor of
humanness and manhood about it. Here was a man seeing
through the accident of color and trying to help the Afri-
cans as fellowmen and helping thousands of them as fellow
Christians. There was no professionalism about him. Not
a teacher, not a preacher, not a missionary; but a man
teaching, a man preaching, a man with a mission from God ;
that, I think, is the impression Dr. Morrison made and left.
You had the feeling that he was a manly man before it
occurred to you that he was teaching or preaching or dis-
cussing some phase of missionary work. Because of this
quality, it came about that he was able to reach beneath the

174 Twenty Years in Africa

surface and feel for and bring out the best that was in men
and to find in them something that was worth trusting. In
this way he was a teacher and preacher and a missionary
in the highest sense.

**When he went it seemed as if he had left a great work
still to do, as if he were just on the threshold of a wider
usefulness. As President of the General Conference it
appeared inevitable that the quickening impulse of his vigor
w as to be more widely felt in Congo missions than ever be-
fore. He was planning to visit the various parts of the
whole Congo field, and many of us had the highest hopes
and expectations as to the results of these proposed visits
to the stations of other societies and the regions occupied
by other missions. Such a man might well have done much
to make and strengthen a united front for all our mission
work in this part of Africa. This is what we greatly need,
and he saw the need of the hour. Who so well as he would
have been able to make this high ideal a reality? He was
bound to be largely helpful and sitmulating because he was
so deeply interested and so broadly sympathetic. All this
work must now be taken up by others.

"But as for the worker to whom we would have been
so glad to entrust it, we rejoice in the great good that he
accomplished while he was yet with us, and we ponder the
meaning of such a career,

'Until we doubt not that for one so true,
There must be other nobler work to do.'"

Mr. Robert Whyte, who knew him intimately for over
twenty years, says : "Associated with him, as it was my
privilege to be, in his brave struggle against the tyranny
of King Leopold, I had a great admiration of his ability,
his dauntless courage, and his indomitable perseverance.

William McCutchan Morrison 175

His Christian character shone through all he said and did
and raised it to a very high level. His name will remain
as that of a hero as long as the story of the Congo is told."

The members of the Methodist Mission at Wembo
Niama expressed their esteem and affection for him in the
following resolutions that were passed at the time of his
death :

"Whereas, in the Providence of Almighty God, Dr. W.
M. Morrison, our beloved brother and co-laborer in His
work, on March 14, 1918, departed this life for the life
above; and

"Whereas, Dr. Morrison, by his prayers and labors and
his love for Christ in the extension of His kingdom, was
largely instrumental in bringing about the founding of this
Mission; and

"Whereas, we, the members of this Mission, recognizing
the love he bore for this work as well as the individuals
themselves and deeply conscious of the great service he
has rendered them, desire to express in some slight manner
the afifection in which he was held, and, at the same time,
to testify to the high order of devotion which he unsparing-
ly rendered both in the interests of his own and of this
Mission as well as the general cause of missions in the
Congo; therefore be it

"Resolved: That, bowing as we humbly do to the wisdom
and will of our Heavenly Father, who in His own good
time calls His servants home, we give this expression of
the sorrow we feel so keenly over the death of our friend
and brother; and, realizing the great loss to th A. P. C.
M. and the sorrow which has come into the lives of the
members of that Mission, we offer them our heartfelt love
and sympathy."

Rev. Alfred Stonelake, of the English Baptist Mission-

176 Twenty Years in Africa

ary Society, one of the moving spirits in the Conference,
says : "How grateful we are that it was our privilege to
see Dr. Morrison in your midst. We had met him at times
here at Stanley Pool and felt that he was a strong man
and a born leader. We knew of his fights for righteousness
and rejoiced that you had one so capable and willing to
spend and be spent, and even suffer reproach for the sake
of the Name. But we had to come to Luebo to see the
real Dr. Morrison, so loved and so lovely in his dealings
with one and all. Your absolute love for and devotion to
him was one of the sweetest memories we carried away
from the Conference. And as he stood before us, a peer
among men, we were inspired by his gracious words and
uplifted by his lofty ideals and led on to helpful decisions
by the clear vision and enthusiasm with which he was
endowed. Dr. Morrison has set us all an example which
we shall feel his death is a loud call to copy.''

Rev. A. F. Hensy, of the Disciples of Christ Congo Mis-
sion, the retiring President of the Conference, says: 'Trom
my communication with Dr. Morrison some very deep
impressions abide with me. Among these, two stand out
especially in my memory as I write this tribute to our de-
parted leader.

"The first of these was the calm assurance of his soul
that in the plan of the Father, things were going to come
out right. And he, in the closing days of his life, sorely
needed that assurance. He knew the Church of Rome and
sensed its soul as few of our leaders have, but of it he
scorned to be afraid. He was frankly anxious regarding
certain conditions in the Kasai region, but it was the anxie-
ty of the moment and not any questioning regarding the
long future of God's kingdom.

"The other impression was the gentleness of his soul.

William McCutchan Morrison 177

He was the defender of the faith of whom the Congo
Church has a right to be proud, and of the poor and down-
trodden, a mighty friend, but he went into battle in confi-
dence with weapons not of this world. As one w^atched
him with his children in the gospel and realized the tender
love between him and them, it is easy to see how much he
relied on the efficacy of gentleness.

"Because of these qualities, among many others, I felt
that he was to be more and more a real champion of our
common Protestantism. In him were blended in unusual
measure the strength of faith and the gentleness of love."

Perhaps the most touching tribute paid to liim by the
native people was the silent tribute of an old woman on the
day of his burial. After the great throng had departed for
their homes and as the evening shadows were deepening
into night, this poor woman, whom he had doubtless be-
friended many times, lingered behind and creeping gently to
the grave on her hands and knees laid a few withered
flowers on his last resting place. The act of this humble
woman expressed the reverence and esteem in which the
native people held their departed friend, who had a "white
skin, but a native heart."

Dr. Chester, in behalf of the Executive Committee of
Foreign Missions, pays the following tribute to Dr. Mor-
rison : "We believe there would be universal agreement in
the statement that Dr. Morrison was the greatest of mod-
ern missionaries in Africa, ranking with Livingstone and
Moiifatt and McKay of Uganda in ability and consecration
and in the scope and influence of his work."

And what shall we say of him in behalf of the members
of the Mission? We thank God upon every remembrance
of him. For over twenty years he was the central figure
in the Mission and his was the guiding hand. He was a

178 Twenty Years in Africa

father to us all, one to whom we could look for comfort
and advice. Because of our affection for him and our con-
fidence in him, we could safely entrust to him the balance
of power in determining the policies of the Mission. The
great work that God has wrought in that Mission to-day
has been largely accomplished through his unusual talents
consecrated to the cause of Christ. We can not think of
him as dead, but as one gone on furlough and that he
awaits us in the Heavenly home when the time of our last
furlough comes. For we know that he lives — lives in the
hearts of thousands who cherish his memory; lives in the
lives transformed by the Divine touch through his labors,
lives in the Living Word which he translated for more than
two millions of people; for him to live was Christ, the
power of an endless life.

APPENDIX A

Address of Dr. W. M. Morrison before the Boston Peaec Congress
October, 1904

My reason for appearing before you to-day to address
you on this subject is the fact that for seven years I have
been a resident of the Congo State in one of the interior
districts and have enjoyed exceptional advantages for ob-
serving the operation of the Government in its poHcy to-
wards and treatment of the native people. In the name of
an oppressed people who cannot speak for themselves, I
have the honor to plead their cause before you.

It is scarcely necessary for me to narrate to you, even in
a brief way, the early history of the founding of the Congo
State by His Majesty, Leopold II, King of the Belgians,
and the so-called International Association, of which His
Majesty was the head; nor is it necessary to recount the
devious ways by which King Leopold finally secured, first
from the United States and later from other Powers, a
certain undefined recognition of the new Utopian State
which he proposed to found and operate in Africa, the
grounds for such recognition being based on the assertion
of His Majesty that the foundation stone of the new State,
its raison d'etre, was to be the "moral and material regen-
eration of the native peoples" in the great Congo Basin.
At the Conference in 1884, in which all the great civilized
nations were represented, an international status, more or
less undefined, was given to this new African State, and
the General Acts of the Conference of Berlin and the sub-
sequent General Act of Brussels contain certain very defi-

i8o Twenty Years in Africa

nite treaty stipulations, by which the rights of natives and
foreigners alike were to be guarded and protected.

The Congo Free State, with King Leopold as absolute
sovereign, has been in operation for twenty years, and this
has given time to demonstrate whether or not the liberal
promises made by His Majesty in 1884 have l)een fulfilled.
This has also given time enough for the Powers to know
whether or not the stipulations of the Treaties of Berlin
and Brussels have been carried out. This is a question
which is very proper and wise to discuss before this Inter-
national Peace Congress — proper because tlie Congo State,
on account of its ill-defined international status and its
persistent violation of its promises and the treaties with
the various Powers, is fast becoming once more an inter-
national problem, which will require great tact to settle
amicably; and proper because the ever increasing ill-treat-
ment of the native people produces uprisings which bring
in their train cruelties and barbarities unheard of even in
civilized warfare.

It is with deep sadness that I, along with many others
who have lived in the Congo State and are acquainted with
its workings and have the interest of the natives and for-
eigners at heart, must now say that every important prom-
ise made and every important treaty stipulation is being
openly and defiantly violated by King Leopold and his so-
called "Congo Free State Government."

In the few minutes allotted to me it will be impossible to
go into the details of my personal observations, but I think
enough can be given to demonstrate to any unbiased mind
that the situation in the Congo State demands impartial,
international investigation, and, more than all, internatianal
interference.

For the sake of handling the subject we may say that

William McCutchan Morrison i8i

the Conferences of Berlin and Brussels made, in the inter-
ests of the native peoples, the following treaty stipulations
with the Congo State: (i) Freedom of trade; (2) En-
couragement of missionary and philanthropic enterprises
intended for the Christianization and civilization of the
native people; (3) The suppression of slavery and slave
raiding and the guaranteeing to the natives liberty and pro-
tection in their rights as original owners of the land.

Let us discuss these stipulations in the order mentioned.

I. According to the General Act of Berlin, we find that
Freedom of Trade was guaranteed. Not only were citizens
of all nations granted the right to reside in the Congo State
and carry on commerce with the native peoples, but it
meant that the native peoples had the right to offer their
wares, the products of their land, in the free markets of
the world. It especially mentioned the fact that there
should never be any monopoly of the land or its products.
This is clearly the statement and the meaning of the treaty.
The question now is, "Has the Congo State Government,
or rather King Leopold, for he is the Government, fulfilled
and carried into execution that stipulation of the treaty?"
1 answer most emphatically, ''No."

The gradual and often underground processes by which
freedom of trade has been throttled is one of the darkest
and most shameless pages in the Congo State's history.
One of the first acts of King Leopold, after his sovereignty
over the country had been secured by the Treaty of Berlin,
was to issue a decree appropriating to the so-called State
all the lands not actually occupied by the houses and fields
of the natives. Even this latter reservation meant little of
real value to the natives for they were given no title to their
fields and hence could be dispossessed at any time. Thus

1 82 Twenty Years in Africa

we see that at one stroke of the pen the people were de-
prived of their ancestral lands.

But that is not all. In the earlier years of the State, a
goodly number of traders, representing different nationali-
ties— English, French, Belgian, Dutch, Portuguese — went
into the country and secured from the Government small
concessions, or land grants, on which to build their houses
and shops and thus to trade with the natives, exchanging
manufactured goods for the raw ivory and india rubber.
This meant that the natives received something like the
true value for their products. But this freedom of trade,
though import and export duties were charged and enor-
mous sums had to be paid for trading licenses, labor, etc.,
did not bring in sufficient revenue to satisfy King Leopold,
whose original philanthropy now began to be metamor-
phosed into avaricious commercialism. A new idea was
conceived. Large areas, sometimes embracing hundreds
of square miles, were given over to large land companies
for exclusive exploitation, the Government tO' have one-half
the proceeds of the said companies. As a concrete illustra-
tion of what this means, I can cite the situation at my own
place, Luebo, on the Kasai River. Up to three years ago
there were five separate and independent trading companies
at that point. Since that time the Government has organ-
ized in this region one of its monopolistic concessions and
all these old companies have been forced into the combina-
tion. The result is that at Luebo there is now only one
trading house; the other four, being deserted, have gone
to ruin. Before this monopolistic company was formed
the price paid to the natives for rubber was about three
francs per kilogram. After the company was formed the
price dropped to fifty centimes — in other v/ords, from
about thirty cents to five cents per pound. To add insult

William McCutchan Morrison 183

to injury, the native is forbidden to go into the forest and
make rubber and sell it to any one other than the monopo-
listic company. If he does he is considered a thief for
stealing what belongs to the company. Not only are the
natives now deprived of the privilege of selling their wares
in an open market to the highest bidder, but by the Gov-
ernment's refusing to outside traders the right to buy land
and trade within the prescribed territory of the monopolis-
tic companies, an outrage has been committed on the citi-
zens of the very nations which brought the Congo State
into existence. I know a man who came to Luebo hoping
to buy a small piece of land from the Government and
engage in trade. This was absolutely refused and he finally
went away, after great loss to himself and the company
which he represented.

But this is not all. In some of the companies thus
formed the natives were a little slow about bringing in the
ivory and rubber at the prices fixed. Then another expe-
dient had to be resorted to. And just here begins that long
and bloody story of Congo cruelty and oppression of which
I shall speak later.

I have thus shown that now there is no longer any free-
dom of trade in the Congo State; that the country has been
appropriated by the Government ; that, with the exception
of a small district in the extreme west, the remainder of
the great interior districts, with the natives and the prod-
ucts, has either been farmed out to monopolistic companies
of exploitation or is retained by King Leopold as his
Private Domain, and this Private Domain is being exploited
more mercilessly, if possible, than the territories of the
companies.

2. But let us notice in the next place what has become
of the stipulations of the Berlin Treaty regarding the en-

184 Twenty Years in Africa

couragement by the State of missionary and other philan-
thropic enterprises, having for their purpose the Christiani-
zation and civiUzation and education of the native people.

In the early years of the Congo Government, just as we
saw in the matter of freedom of trade, all went well in
Protestant missionary work, which was being carried on
by societies from England, the United States and Sweden.
The missionaries were permitted to buy land and establish
stations without hindrance. \\'ithin the past five or six
years, however, since the organization of the monopolistic
trading companies above referred to, the Government has
declined any longer to sell even the smallest plots of land
for mission purposes. This fact, combined with the state-
ment that the law prohibits a foreigner from residing for
more than fifteen days in a place without owning the land,
has practically brought any expansive mission work to a
standstill. I, myself, and other members of the mission,
have been ordered away from places where we had asked
the privilege of purchasing land. It is true that short-term
leases have been offered in some cases ; but it can be easily
seen that it is impossible to undertake any permanent mis-
sion work, establish schools, build houses, etc., with the
possibility of being turned out at the expiration of the lease
and all work gone to naught. The mission of which I am
a member has, within the past six years, asked for the privi-
lege of purchasing land and establishing stations at four
different places, but we have always been refused. Other
missions report similar difficulties. The Congo State ven-
tures a defense of itself on this charge by stating that there
are several scores of Protestant missionaries in the country,
together with a number of Protestant mission stations. It,
however, forgets to mention that these stations were all
secured prior to the last five or six years. Another favorite

William McCutchan Morrison 185

method of interference with mission work is by annoying
and harassing the people in the vicinity of t'le missions,
thus causing them in some cases to flee into the forests and
elsewhere for safety. I have seen a mission station which
had near it at one time a large village of several thousand
people. The village was entirely deserted. The same sit-
uation of affairs is being continually reported from various
sections of the Congo State. Recent letters from the mis-
sionaries on our station at Luebo bring the news that for
many months the people have been compelled to work in
the building of a new State Post — and every State Post
thus built means another link in the chain of slavery. On
account of this long continued forced service for the Gov-
ernment, the people have not had opportunity to cultivate
their fields. The result is that a famine is threatened; and
yet, famine or no famine, the poor natives must furnish
food for the great crowd of soldiers, camp followers, and,
last but not least, the white Government officials.

Sometimes our schools and church services at Luebo
have been broken up for weeks at a time, owing to the
people having fled to the forests by thousands in order to
escape capture or other outrage at the hands of the Gov-
ernment soldiers.

It can thus be seen that a great wrong is being done, not
only to the citizens of these countries who are willing to
make a great sacrifice in order to disseminate the blessings
of Christianity in that dark land, but a greater wrong is
done to the native people whom the Government seems
to desire to keep in deeper ignorance and darkness because
it puts every obstacle in the way of missionaries. The
Government itself sends out no teachers, it establishes no
schools and, to cap the climax of its shameless policy, it
even throws barriers in the way of the missionaries.

i86 Twenty Years in Africa

3. Having seen how the native has been shorn of his
ancestral forests and deprived of the privilege of freedom
of trade, and having seen how the Government, by its
interference with mission work, is thus endeavoring to
shut out from the people the light of education, Christiani-
zation and civilization, we shall now proceed to notice
whether the Government has kept that part of its promise
regarding the suppression of slavery and slave raiding;
whether or not it has secured to the native his liberty and
is protecting him in his rights guaranteed by the treaties.
I make bold to say that I believe the condition of the
native people, as a whole, is far worse than it was before
King Leopold and his gang of "moral and material" regen-
erators began their operations in Africa. Words fail me
to attempt to describe this dark, bloody and treacherous
page of Congo State history. The system of forced labor
and military service is the most heartless and iniquitous in
the history of modern colonization enterprises. If possible,
it even surpasses in cruelty and relentless heartlessness
that of the Spaniards in their conquest of Mexico and Peru.

I can only briefly outline this history of forced labor and
military sei-vice as I have seen it in operation there. Short-
ly after the founding of the Congo State india rubber was
found to exist in many parts of the country; but, as the
collecting of it was necessarily a slow and laborious pro-
cess, some means had to be devised by which to force the
native people to make rubber and bring it to the Govern-
ment posts. The Government, instead of leaving the deal-
ing in rubber to independent traders, now entered itself
into the rubber business and henceforth became nothing
but a great commercial, slave-driving monopoly.

King Leopold, at the Conference of Brussels, secured
the desired means of forcing the natives to make rubber.

William McCutchan Morrison 187

This means was a native army to be recruited and armed
for the ostensible purpose of suppressing the Arabs, but,
as it turned out, for the purpose of binding into deeper
slavery his unfortunate African subjects. This native
army, now numbering upwards of 30,000 men, composed
of captives made among the fiercest tribes, often cannibals,
armed with repeating rifles and officered by Europeans —
this native army, I say, is the terror of the whole Congo
State and is also the means which the Royal Sovereign
uses to compel his helpless and defenceless subjects to
make and bring the rubber to the Government posts. The
great majority of these soldiers have been captured and
forced into military service, or they have been furnished
by villages which have been levied upon. They are then
trained, armed with rifles, and transported to a region re-
mote from that in which they were born. There, being out
of sympathy with the people with whom they have been
placed, there is little danger of mutiny. They are heartless
in their treatment of the unfortunate people with whom
they come into contact.

At Luebo the great majority of the soldiers whom I saw
were from the Bangala tribe, far away to the north; at
Boma, the capital of the State, I have seen and talked with
soldiers belonging to the Baluba tribe. These men were
thus more than a thousand miles distant from their native
homes. This pitting of tribe against tribe, producing jeal-
ousy and not infrequently bloodshed, is one of the most
shameful features of the Congo State regime. Time and
again at Luebo, when it was rumored that a Government
official or the soldiers were coming, I have seen the people,
filled with terror, flee into the forests for safety. I have
seen villages, in which officers and soldiers had quartered
for the night, pillaged and desecrated in the most shameless

i88 Twenty Years in Africa

manner, and that, too, right under the eyes of the Govern-
ment officials. I have seen the soldiers actually attacking
and plundering villages only a few hundred yards from my
house. These same soldiers, in attempting to capture a
woman who was fleeing for her life, invaded the private
home of two of our missionaries.

It was only after a bitter protest on my part that the
Government official was prevented from forcibly removing
from Luebo thousands of people and compelling them to
live at the State Post at Luluaburg.

Only a few months before starting on my furlough for
America a squad of soldiers came to Luebo, accompanied
by a white officer. They claimed to have come to recruit
soldiers. "Recruiting" is a Congo euphemism for slave
raiding. Though I had extracted from the officer the prom-
ise that he would take no one away by force, yet, without
a moment's warning, he began seizing the men. Many fled
into the forests, where they were pursued. Seme eighteen
or twenty men were thus captured, and I saw them going
away under guard, with ropes round their necks, in the
true Arab slave raiding style. A year ago I boarded the
railway at Leopold ville to come down to Matadi. On the
same train were several open cars or trucks loaded v/ith
Government slaves who had been captured in the district
east of Luebo. They were being taken they knew not
where. They told me that they had come to the State post
in their vicinity to bring their tribute of ivory and rubber.
Upon arriving at the post, they had been surrounded by the
soldiers, captured, put on a Government steamer, and when
I saw them on the railway they were fully a thousand miles
from their homes. They begged me for food, saying they
were nearly starved.

At Luluaburg the Government some years ago imported

William McCutchan Morrison 189

and stationed several thousand Zappo Zapps, a powerful
cannibal tribe, with w^hich the State had formed an alliance.
These Zappo Zapps, though allies of the State and though
under the immediate surveillance of the Government ofn-
cials, have been for many years the recognized slave raiders
and slave dealers of the whole region. Many times I have
seen the Zappo Zapps passing by my door offering for sale
men, w'omen and children whom they had captured in the
districts beyond Luluaburg. In fact, I can buy a slave any
day in Luluaburg at from eight to twelve dollars apiece,
sometimes even cheaper than that.

A large gang of these ZappO' Zapps, under one of their
most prominent chiefs, was sent on a raiding expedition
near to one of our stations, Ibanche. For weeks we had
heard of the most terrible outrages going on. At last we
sent one of our esteemed missionaries. Rev. W. H. Shep-
pard, to investigate. As he came into the vicinity of the
disturbances he found the villages burnt and deserted.
Upon arriving at the camp of the Zappo Zapps, he found
a large stockade. Inside of this stockade, only a few days
before, had occurred a horrible butchery of innocent men,
women and children, who had been invited there apparently
on a friendly visit. Because they could not pay the enor-
mous tribute of ivory and rubber and slaves which was
demanded they were shot down in the stockade. Dr. Shep-
pard saw and counted eighty-one hands which had been
severed at the wrists and were slowly drying over a f.re.
The leader of the expedition informed Dr. Sheppard that
he had been instructed by the Government officials at Lulua-
burg to bring back the hands in order to show that his work
had been well done. Dr. Sheppard also saw forty bodies
piled in a heap on the outside of the stockade.

But what is the use of going farther into th's revok'ng

190 Twenty Years in Africa

narrative of bloodshed, mutilation, oppression and slavery?
The self-styled Sovereign of the Congo State has proved
recreant to the sacred trusts committed into his hands by
the Powers in 1884. His promised philanthropic Govern-
ment has been metamorphosed into a State whose real
motto is, ''Rubber, rubber at any cost."

In other civilized countries engaged in governing subor-
dinate races there is a strong public protest at home against
any malicious ill-treatment of the natives — a healthy public
sentiment simply demands a reasonably just government.

One of the saddest features of this Congo situation is
the fact of seeming moral bankruptcy of the Belgian nation.
I know full well that Belgium has no official connection
with the Congo; yet, with the exception of a few public
voices raised in protest, the great body of the Belgian na-
tion seems not only indifferent, but actually defends the
policy of King Leopold in Africa. The question now is:
shall the jealousy and the lethargy of the Powers which
originally recognized the Congo State permit another Ar-
menia in Africa?

The Congo Government points to its prosperity, to its
millions of dollars worth of exports, to its railways and
steamboats, to its plantations and beautiful military posts
and monopolistic companies which are paying fabulous
dividends. I point to the lash and the chains and the re-
peating rifles and the 30,000 cannibal soldiers which have
made all this so-called prosperity possible — a prosperity
which is felt in Brussels, but not on the Congo. Instead
of the taxes going back for the benefit of the native people,
they either stop in the coffers of King Leopold and the
stockholders of the monopolistic companies, or they are

William McCutchan Morrison 191

sent back to the Congo to build more railroads and more
steamboats and more State posts and to buy more rifles.

King Leopold has arrogated to himself absolute power;
there is no Congress or Parliament to hold any check. His
avarice and relentless greed can run unbridled ; the poor
natives are defenseless and helpless, and they are holding
up the chains of their slavery, their mangled bodies and
their impoverished fatherland to the civilized world, plead-
ing for relief from the Government which has been placed
over them as a cruel taskmaster.

Surely this International Peace Congress will not turn a
deaf ear to the cry of the needy and the oppressed in
Africa.

APPENDIX B

®I|^ (SivLBt of Sr. HHnrrtann mi Sr. #l|p|jpari

[Article in the "Kasai Herald" of January, 1908, a magazine pub-
lished by the missionaries at Luebo, on which the indictment of Dr.
Morrison and Dr. Sheppard was founded.]

FROM THE BAKUBA COUNTRY.

W. H. SHEPPARD

These great stalwart men and women, who have from
time immemorial been free, cultivating large crops of In-
dian corn, tobacco, potatoes, trapping elephants for their
ivory tusks and leopards for their skins, who have always
had their own king and a government not to be despised,
officers of the law established in every town of the king-
dom— these magnificent people, perhaps about 400,000 in
number, have entered a new chapter in the history of their
tribe. Only a few years since, travelers througii this coun-
try found them living in large homes, having from one to
four rooms in each house, loving and living happily w^ith
their waives and children, one of the most prosperous and
intelligent of all the African tribes, though living in one
of the most remote spots on the planet. One seeing the
happy, busy, prosperous lives which they lived could not
help feeling that surely the lines had fallen unto this people
in pleasant places.

But within these last three years how changed they are !
Their farms are growing up in weeds and jungle, their king
is practically a slave, their houses now are mostly only
half-built single rooms and are much neglected. The
streets of their towns are not clean and well-swept as they
once were. Even their children cry for bread.

Why this change? You have it in a few words. There

194 Twenty Years in Africa

are armed sentries of chartered'^ trading companies, who
force the men and women to spend most of their days and
nights in the forests making rubber, and the price they re-
ceive is so meager that they cannot Hve upon it. In the
majority of the villages these people have not time to listen
to the gospel story, or give an answer concerning their
soul's salvation. Looking upon the changed scene now, one
can only join with them in their groans as they must say:
"Our burdens are greater than we can bear."

Just near the mission station, however, it is still reason-
ably prosperous. The parents send their children to school
and tO' church. Many of them are in training to become
teachers and preachers to their own people. The industrial
part of the work is doing beautifully. Church services are
held daily in all the near villages. Sabbath schools are
taught by competent evangelists. The Lord is showering
blessings upon them, and they appreciate it and prove it
by their works.

In 1890 our church sent a lighted torch into Central
Africa, entrusting it into the hands of the immortal Samuel
N. Lapsley. The light has not been extinguished and shall
never be. It has sent forth its rays of light and life into
hundreds of homes, and the great highway from Central
Africa to Glory has been lighted up by it, and thousands
have been led to walk therein. May a blessing rest upon
all who have in any way aided in sending the light into this
dark land.

*NoTE. — Rev. W. M. Morrison, D.D. (co-defendant with Dr. Shep-
pard). writes that in the indictment much is made of the use of the
word "chartered" instead of the word "concessionary," in describing
the Company Kasai. The amount of damages named in the suit is
80,000 francs, $16,000. The alternative penalty is five years' impris-
onment.

William McCutchan Morrison 195

LETTER FROM REV. W. M. MORRISON, D.D., TO DR
CHESTER, SECRETARY OF THE EXECUTIVE COM-
MITTEE, NASHVILLE, TENN.

LuEBO, Congo Free State, Africa,

February 24, 1909.

My Dear Dr. Chester: Well, the long-threatened suit of
the monopolistic trading company here against Sheppard
and myself has at last materialized. The summons came
to us a day or so ago. The grounds of the suit are "the
publication in the 'Kasai Herald/ of January, 1908, certain
statements utterly false, which have brought great damage
to the company." I judge, however, from the way the
summons is worded that there will not be vQry much effort
made to disprove our statements with reference to the abus-
ing of the natives, which is the point really at issue; but
the whole trial is to center around a quibble about the word
'chartered,' which occurs in the article. The company con-
tends that it is not a chartered company. Of course, what
the difference between a chartered company and a "con-
cessionary" company is may not be very plain to the average
man, but these people are grabbing at straws in their effort
to defend themselves and the system which they have put
into operation, which system they mean to perpetuate under
the new regime here unless the Powers interfere.

I inclose you letters which I have written to our Consul
at Boma. In these letters you will note that I believe this
trial is intended as a test case. In view of the fact that
it is not so much the company, as the Government itself
and its whole policy which is involved, I believe we cannot
expect an impartial trial of this case. You knozv that the
Government, which is really Leopold and the little coterie
about him, owns fifty per cent of the stock in this company.

196 Twenty Years in Africa

Leopold appoints the judges and all of the important offi-
cials of the Government. Therefore, can it be expected,
especially considering the general character of the man,
that there is any idea of giving us justice?

You may remember that in the famous Stannard case
(an English missionary), the Government at first decided
against him, and he was condemned to pay or go to prison.
But wlien the injustice of the whole proceeding aroused
such public indignation in England, the Government re-
versed its own decision. This was only done, however,
after wide publicity had been given to the fact that Stan-
nard had been pro\'ed guilty. It vjUI also he remembered
that Stannard's ztntnesses zvere put in prison and were so
intimidated that they testified contrary to what they knew
to be the facts. We have no assurance but that our native
witnesses will be treated in the same way. The Bakuba are
very timid, and I believe we shall have great difficulty in
getting any of them to go all the way to Leopoldville, nine
hundred miles away.

And just here you will note this feature of the transac-
tion. To begin with, we are dragged, with our witnesses,
all the zoay to Leopoldville, nine hundred miles away, when
the trials so far as zve knozv, could have been held at Lu-
sambo just as well. But nothing else need be expected
from such a Government.

We were all hoping that with the new regime there
would come some manifestation of a change in spirit, but,
so far as I see, none whatever. You mentioned in one of
your recent letters to me that you thought the new Govern-
ment ought to remove all the old officials and start anew.
Not only has this not been done, but there is every sign
that the old ways are to be perpetuated in full force.

I am by this mail writing to our Consul at Boma. I in-

William McCutchan Morrison 197

close you the letter. Also one written to the English
Consul.

We are looking for our steamer any day back from the
Pool. Then we shall see about what arrangements we can
make about getting down to the Pool. The chances are
that our steamer will have to spend the dry season at Bena
Makima, for I doubt if she can come up here to Luebo as
late as we shall have to return, for you note that the trial
is set for the 25th of May. Trusting that the Lord may
soon put down the oppressor and show his hand in behalf
of the poor and needy in this unfortunate land, I am,
Yours most cordially,

W. M. Morrison.

LETTER FROM DR. CHESTER TO HON. PHILANDER C.
KNOX, SECRETARY OF STATE, WASHINGTON, D. C.

Sir: In behalf of the Executive Committee of Foreign
Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the United States,
I desire to lay before you the facts and documents relating
to a charge of criminal libel which has been brought against
two of our missionaries in the Congo Independent State,
Africa, Rev. William M. Morrison, D.D., and Rev. W. H.
Sheppard, D.D., by certain officers of the Company Kasai,
one of the concessionary rubber companies operating in the
Kasai District in the same territory covered by the work of
our Mission.

We are informed that the charge brought against these
missionaries is founded on an article published in the
"Kasai Herald," a magazine published by our missionaries
at Luebo, dated January, 1908. A copy of this article is
herewith submitted.

We are constrained to ask the intervention of our De-

198 Twenty Years in Africa

partment of State for the protection of these missionaries
in their rights as American citizens, for the following
reasons :

1. In the year 1905 a missionary of the English Baptist
Church, the Rev. Edgar Stannard, was accused and tried
before a Court of the Congo Independent State on a similar
charge. A pamphlet issued by the Congo Reform Asso-
ciation, entitled "The Stannard Case," giving an account
of the proceedings had in that trial is herewith submitted,
together with a brief summary of the contents of the said
pamphlet given on a separate sheet and included in the list
of documents herewith submitted.

We are informed that since the trial of Mr. Stannard,
a new law relating to the subject of "defamation" has been
promulgated, making the penalty following conviction of
the same offiense of which Mr. Stannard was convicted "a
maximum of five years' imprisonment and a fine of one
thousand francs, or one only of these penalties."

Considering the severity of this penalty, we feel it incum-
bent upon us to invoke the aid of our Department of State
in preventing any such miscarriage of justice under the
forms of law as we believe the records show to have oc-
curred in the case of Mr. Stannard.

2. That we have just reason to fear a failure on the
part of the authorities of the Congo Independent State to
give our missionaries a fair trial according to American
ideas in this case seems to us evident from the manner in
which the case has been conducted thus far. The alleged
offense was committed nearly a year and a half ago. The
acquittal of the missionaries will depend upon their being
able to prove before the court the truth of the statements
made in their publication. The witnesses by which these
statements must be substantiated are members of the Baku-

William McCutchan Morrison 199

ba tribe, which tribe is and has been terrorized by the
agents of the Company Kasai, and they will, for that
reason, be difficult to persuade to appear before the court
under any circumstances. A most remarkable circum-
stance is that the place designated for the trial is Leopold-
ville, which is about nine hundred miles distant from Luebo,
where the missionaries reside, and about a thousand miles
distant from the place where the Bakuba witnesses must
be found. Furthermore, the date of the hearing has been
fixed for May 25th, by which time the low water in the
Kasai River will, in all probability, make it impossible for
the steamer owned by our Mission to navigate the river
higher up than Bena Makima, a distance of two hundred
miles from Luebo. It will be necessary for our mission-
aries and the witnesses they must bring before the court for
their defense to travel this two hundred miles of the jour-
ney by caravan. It will also be not less than five months
before they will be able to return to Luebo by steamer.
During these five months it will be necessary for them to
remain at Leopoldville with their witnesses at a very heavy
expense. Would such proceedings be tolerated in the trial
of an American citizen at home? If not, must we submit
to them in the trial of our citizens in the Congo Independ-
ent State?

We feel assured that the mere statement of the above
facts will be sufficient to show that we are justified in call-
ing upon our Department of State to intervene in this case.

We desire to call special attention to the article taken
from the "Kasai Herald," on which the charge of libel is
founded, and respectfully ask that a comparison be made
of the charges brought in that article against the Company
Kasai and its agents with the reports sent to the Depart-
ment by Consuls Smith, Slocum, Memminger and Handley,

200 Twenty Years in Africa

on the conditions which they found prevaiUng in the same
territory.

We desire, in closing, to express our profound gratifica-
tion at the stand already taken by our Government, in de-
clining to recognize the transfer of the sovereignty of the
Congo Independent State from King Leopold to Belgium,
except upon the basis of satisfactory guarantees of the
abolition of forced labor and the restoration to the natives
of their rights in land and in the produce of the soil, of
which rights they have been deprived by the legislation and
procedure of the Congo State. This, together with our
whole previous experience in such cases, leads us to feel
the utmost confidence that nothing will be left undone that
can properly be done by our Department of State to protect
our missionaries from the present threatened injustice and
to safeguard their treaty rights.

In behalf of the Executive Committee of Foreign Mis-
sions. Very respectfully yours,

S. H. Che:ster, Secretary,

. In a personal interview following the presentation of the
above statement, it developed that, by an act of Providence,
the State Department received the report of Consul-Gen-
eral Handley, confirming all the allegations in Dr. Shep-
pard's article, on which the indictment was based, on the
same day that the statements of Dr. Morrison as to the
unreasonable requirements of the Congo Government
reached \\^ashington. As the result of this interview of
Dr. Chester's with the State Department, the American
Legation at Brussels was instructed to demand of the Bel-
gian Government a change in both the date and the place
of the trial, so that the accused missionaries might procure

William McCutchan Morrison 201

the attendance of the witnesses needed for their defense
without unnecessary inconvenience and hardsliip. In re-
sponse to this demand the date was changed to September
24th, 1909. As stated in the text, Hon, Emii Vandervelde,
of Belgium, went to Leopoldville as attorney for the mis-
sionaries; and, as a result of his masterly defense, they
were acquitted.

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