William W. Claridge (The History of the Gold Coast and Ashanti, 1915), quotes James Swanzy (p. 187) who, testifying before a committee of the [British] House of Commons in 1816, said;
"It is a singular thing that these people, the Ashantees, who had never seen a white man, nor the sea, were the most civil and well-bred people that I have seen in Africa. It is astonishing to see men, with such few opportunities, so well behaved".
"It is a singular thing that these people, the Ashantees, who had never seen a white man, nor the sea, were the most civil and well-bred people that I have seen in Africa. It is astonishing to see men, with such few opportunities, so well behaved".
Joseph Dupuis, of the Ill-fated Treaty (Anglo Asante Treaty of 1819), goes Into some detail of his own and other peoples' experiences (pp. 187-8 of Clarldge):
The Ashantees, of all ranks, are thus loyal and
zealous.... and the king (Asantehene Osei Bonsu) takes pleasure in recounting his forbearance, and describing the aggravation that roused the vengeance of his ancestors and himself,
against those federal powers which, in an early age,
were independent little kingdoms, and now submit to the
yoke of government as provinces of the empire.
zealous.... and the king (Asantehene Osei Bonsu) takes pleasure in recounting his forbearance, and describing the aggravation that roused the vengeance of his ancestors and himself,
against those federal powers which, in an early age,
were independent little kingdoms, and now submit to the
yoke of government as provinces of the empire.
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The King . . . took particular pains to Ingraft an Impression
upon my mind that it was a maxim associated with the [Asante Religion] religion he professed never to appeal to the sword while
a path lay open for negotiation. He maintained that he
would defy even his enemies to prove that his assertion
deviated from the truth, either as regarded himself or
his ancestors. Be this as it may, the Moslems themselves
corroborated the assertion, although they accuse the
government of unbounded ambition....
upon my mind that it was a maxim associated with the [Asante Religion] religion he professed never to appeal to the sword while
a path lay open for negotiation. He maintained that he
would defy even his enemies to prove that his assertion
deviated from the truth, either as regarded himself or
his ancestors. Be this as it may, the Moslems themselves
corroborated the assertion, although they accuse the
government of unbounded ambition....
It is worthy of remark, that many of the whites upon the Gold Coast so far acquiesced in the sentiments as to admit that Ashantee has never been engaged in war with the maritime States from sheer caprice and rapacity. I may also be permitted to
quote Mr. Motion's words to me, 'that he never knew the
king to make a palaver without cause, or violate his word.'
quote Mr. Motion's words to me, 'that he never knew the
king to make a palaver without cause, or violate his word.'
Another English officer under the old civil administration said:
"The Ashantees are evidently better acquainted with the rules of decency and morality than any people we know of in this country."
From K.A.B. Jones-Quartey: THE "ROYAL GQLD COAST GAZETTE" AND THE ASHANTI.
(The Gazette was founded by Sir Charles MacCarthy and published under him during the whole of his ill-fated governorship, from March 1822 until his death in the 4th Ashante War in January 1824.)
Sankofa Asante
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