"Asante to Basel"

The letter is a commentary on the court action and the Governor's letter asking that he be moved from Kibi. Ata claimed Asante had written letters for people who wanted to accuse him before the English courts. Asante, states that he has never done this. He once gave a letter of recommendation to a Kibi Christian to the court interpreter in Accra, Jonathan Palmer. This man had been falsely punished and fined 2 ounces of gold dust. In the end the man did not press any charges against the Okyenhene. The king had accused Asante of tempting people out of his service with money. Asante replies that this is not true, and that there are indeed some people in the King's service still who are also Christians. The truth of the complaint about the teachers and letter writing was that Asante had required the king to go about obtaining their services through him. He had in fact won them to write letters which did not contain the truth by promising rewards, especially at issue was Ata's announcements about the contents of new English laws when he returned from the coast - these had been angled to gain him illegal advantages over his subjects. Though three men were imprisoned for the assault on Mrs Date, two chiefs who were also involved were let off.

04.01.1878

04.01.1878

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