"Draft Proposal by Ramseyer to the Africa General Conference (i.e. Conference of Gold Coast Missionaries) with Commentary"

The proposal is that they should suggest to the Basel Committee an immediate attempt at a mission settlement in Kumasi. In his commentary he recites grounds for attempting this, adding that the Buck/Huppenbauer expedition indicates that the Asantes would probably agree to a request to let the Basel Mission take up work in the town. True no decided answer was given to Buck and Huppenbauer when they asked this question, but this is in itself a hopeful sign especially when seen in conjunction with the fact that they were themselves allowed to preach as and where they wanted. That Picot's request for permission was refused is not surprising - it was not intelligent of him to ask for permission to come and baptise people. To the Asantes, who do not understand what missionary work is about, to ask as he did for permission to baptise is to ask to come and make English eubjecte of young Asantes. Certainly the Kumasi people have not asked for a missionary station - but that is after all not to be expected, and the Asante-Akin people who have asked for one are motivated by political considerations. One argument which he advances in a little more detail than before concerns the importance of a presence in Kumasi for the protection of the Abetifi station. The Kwahus he says have asked recently for British protection, and they are under no illusions as to what an Asante attack would mean for them if they were beaten and without British protection. They cannot wait long before coming to a decision and some will go to join the Asantes, and some south into the Protectorate. If Abetifi comes under Asante control again it will make a lot of difference to its fate if the mission already has friendly relations with the Asantehene through the establishment of a mission in Kumasi.

22.03.1881

22.03.1881

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