Having traversed the entire length of the Congo as far as Vivi, and made several exploring detours from that point, together with discharging the duties of his mission, Stanley sailed for home, arriving at Plymouth, England, on July 29th, 1884. Four days later he presented his report to His Majesty, the King of the Belgians, who was then spending the summer at Ostend.
CHAPTER XXIV.
FOUNDING OF THE FREE CONGO STATE.
The International Association seeks Recognition from Foreign Powers — Treaty between England and Portugal — Earl Granville — Claims of Portugal — Concession of England — Protest of the United States — Opposition in England — King Leopold Obtains the Assistance of the German Chancellor and the Sympathies of the French Republic — Prince Bismarck Protests — Letter to Baron de Courcel, French Ambassador at Berlin — The Baron’s Reply — France and Germany in Accord — Call for a Conference of the Powers at Berlin — Conference Assembles — Prince Bismarck Opens the Conference with an Address Stating its Object — Mr. Stanley a Delegate — Asked to give his Views — Mr. Stanley’s Suggestions — Deliberations of the Conference — Results of the Conference — Protocol Signed by all the Plenipotentiaries — The United States the first to Publicly Recognize the Flag of the Free Congo State — Honors to Mr. Stanley in Germany.
The expedition of the Upper Congo and the Bureau of the Association had now performed their duties, but the Royal Founder of the State was compelled, in order to insure its prosperity and continuity, as the work advanced, to apply to the various Governments of Europe and America for recognition, and for security and peaceful safeguards of its frontiers, to make treaties with France and Portugal, which would delimit the boundaries, and arrange with all of them for the preservation of neutrality.
The Association was in possession of treaties made with over 450 independent African chiefs, whose rights would be conceded by all to have been indisputable, since they held their lands by undisturbed occupation, by long ages of succession, by real divine right. Of their own free will, without coercion, but for substantial considerations, reserving only a few easy conditions, they had transferred their rights of sovereignty and of ownership to the Association. The time had arrived when a sufficient number of these had been made to connect the several miniature sovereignties into one concrete whole to present itself before the world for general recognition of its right to govern, and hold these in the name of an independent State, lawfully constituted according to the spirit and tenor of international law.
In consequence of negotiations entered into between the British and Portuguese Governments, beginning November, 1882, and ending February 25th, 1884, a treaty was finally concluded, by which the whole of the southwest African coast between S. latitude 5° 12´ and S. latitude 5° 18´ was recognized by the British Government as Portuguese territory. This included the lower Congo, of course, by which the territory of the Association became excluded from the sea. The treaty was signed on the 26th of February, 1884, by Earl Granville on the part of Great Britain, and by Senhor Miguel Martins d’ Antãs on behalf of the Government of Portugal.
Earl Granville however declared, previous to the signature of the treaty, that the acceptance by other Powers of the Anglo-Portuguese treaty was indispensable before it came into operation, and that there was reason to believe that this acceptance would be refused, which would necessarily delay the ratification.
Heretofore the territory now proposed to be given up to Portugal, so far as Great Britain was concerned, had been regarded as neutral; and the treaty, thus concluded, marked a radical change in British policy—for a long series of British Ministers had, during over half a century, peremptorily declined to recognize the Portuguese claims.