NEWS OF THE WEEK.
_NEWS that Antananarivo fell on September 27th, and
that the Court had fled, was received in Paris on Tuesday from English sources, and created great excitement. It was followed on Thursday by an official telegram from Andriba vitt, Majunga, announcing that the Malagasy capital was entered on September 30th, after a brilliant action ; that peace was concluded on the same day ; and that General Metzinger had been appointed military governor of Antana- narivo. The accounts vary, but we fancy it will be found that the brilliant action was bloodless; that peace was made with a provisional Government ; and that the secret of the Hova defeat has been widespread treachery. The French, however, are in possession, and will, according to the Paris correspondent of the Times, govern as in Tunis,— that is, will govern by decrees issued in the name of a puppet- Prince. That is the worst form of government, allowing as it does of endless corruption and oppression ; and we have argued elsewhere that if England has any claim in the matter, she should at once offer to recognise Madagascar as a colony of France. The success has saved the French Govern- ment, and the mismanagement of the expedition will be at once forgotten. No one remembered for a week the thousands of conscripts invalided for life in the marshes of Tunis.
Previous page
