Eugene Casalis to Frederick Chesson, 27 January 1880

Societe des Missions Evangeliques

Chez les Peuples non Chretiens

Etablie a Paris

Paris, le 27 Jany 1880

Dear Mr Chesson,

I thank you for your kind acknowledgement of my letter. May your interview with Sir Hicks Beach, if granted, be blessed from on High for the cause which you advocate. It will be impossible to our Society to be represented. Besides, it would not be advisable. The colonial papers show that our missionaries are accused of encouraging the natives to armed resistance because they do not approve the measures proposed by Mr Sprigg, and we shall ourselves be certainly held out as political intrigues. My letter, if you think proper to read it to the minister, is sufficient to show on which … in the name of justice and of peace. Going further than that would be of no avail and inprudent on our part. If the disarmament takes place the presence of the missionaries will be more than ever necessary to give the Basuto good fatherly advice and soothe their feelings. Le us give their adversaries no pretence to try to expel them out of the country or render their ministry impossible. They are capable of it. For the same reasons, I wish you will not publish my leeter in your periodical. Content yourself with using the same arguments making them your own, but do not let my name appear. We live in evil days.

Yours affectionately

E. Casalis

Good men may tremble when such fellows as Dunn are appointed … and rulers and even knighted, if what I read in a Cape paper is true.