It was the Great Powers of Europe who made him ruler, and
they made him promise that he would abolish slavery, allow all nations
to trade freely there, and do all he could to civilize the natives.
But after some time ugly stories began to reach Europe about what was
being done by King Leopold's servants in that distant part of the
world. The Congo is a country full of rich products, and it was said
that the King was breaking his promises: that he was making heaps of
money by forcing the natives to work as slaves, that all their lands
were taken from them, that people were cruelly tortured, that whole
villages were destroyed, that the soldiers hired by King Leopold were
cannibals, and that he would not allow free trading.
There is no doubt whatever that the King was making a great deal of
money, and that many shameful and wicked things were done in the
Congo. The King never went there himself, but both he and his friends,
who were also making money, said that the English (for it was the
English who found most fault with him) were jealous, and that
everything was going well. Nevertheless bad news kept arriving from
the Congo, and many of the Belgians themselves became as angry as the
English, and said something must be done to stop what was going on.
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