A BRIEF HISTORY OF GOLD COAST

JOURNALIS},{

BY

MAGNUS J. SAMPSON. B.A. (Of the Anona Family)

-\utho r ot .. A Political Retrospect of the

Gold Coast .. lRbO-l.n30.'·

--.....-W1TH \. FORE\VORD BY

TllE RE\', DOM BER~,\RD CLE:\[E'\iTS. O,S.B. (~ormerty Rt"d:()r of 8"" AuE.ustJ.n~· s

H:~ological CoUeg~. K.untasil~

-\urhor of" Philip Cvmeth to ~drew:' .. \il~m bers of Chrtst: ~tc.

116204

\1'Dr/~N S~11·;~S6\ ~s­f\~c(V\. c~

TO THE )IE:lIORY

OF

GEORGE EKKH FERC"CSO);, FR.C.S.

()tY I.....d.TE llATER':-(AL u-XCLE)

JOEL, EKG.\~ '. \JiPSON

(Y..Y LATE PATERN,AL tJ~CLE)

TRlS WOR.K IS ;\!OST REVERE)"'TL Y .-L"-"'D

AFFECTlO:i.aTELY D"t:DICAfED.

FOREWORD.

Mr . :.\Jagnus Sampson has asked me to write a foreword to this Yer~' able and interesting Essay of his. 'Of Gold Coast Journalism: It is a great joy to me that, after these three years whlCh I have spent in England sinee 1931. m" West African friends are still my friends. and that he should ask meto do this for him. And I haye Yery gladly-though I fear some\\'bat dilatorily, owing to pressure of other work-done my best to correct the proofs of the Essay. and to see it satisfactorily through the press, HIS patience WJth my c1elays is only another eyidence of his friendship and kindness to me.

Tlw Press of a country not only reflf"cts the opinion of its people, but to a great extent also moulds the opimon of such as read it. not only by its leading articlE's, but perhaps even more by the yarious methods it may employ of presenting news items to its readers, stressing some. and either excludmg others altc.gether, or relegat­ing them to an obscure corner of some unobtrusive column. It is my opmion that. with the present rapid spread of education il1 the Gold Coast and Asbanti, Gold Coast Journalism stands to-day at the beginning of a new era of ,v-eat and eycr-increasing responsibi lity. ". ithm the next ten or fIfteen years it must necessari]Y attain a power of shaping the t-houghts of a peopJe to -an e,,"tent w\lIch has not been possible in the past. But it is not pOSS! ble to build, ei ther in journalism or in any other sphrre, \,;thout very careful stud, of what has been alre.ad\' bui It hy tho,e who haye -\\orked at the task bc!'0re' we ('.UlllC- to it, and it is therefore particularly suit.able that at this Juncture MY. !:>arnpson has collected for us in this most readable es,ay a good deal of detail. not readi" accessIbk, of the pioneers who in this lield of Gold Coast Journalism cleared the Bush and laid the foulldut ions ;n ~ ears gone b) .

To all. therefore, whether African or European, who hn\'c any stake in the future of \"est Africa I commend this httle bc)ok

BERNARD CLEME ITS, O.S.B. NashdoJ11 Abbey,

Burnham, Bucks. S.S.M,

3

A Brief History of Gold Journalism

PRE}' \TORI. ,,"OTE.

Coast

The ~ubstance of this hIstorrcal narrati ,'P "'l, llrst dellv~r~d at a ll'cture under the clistmgubh"" . f'" rman­ship of Dr. J. R. Forde, \I.B., Cn.B .. (';"1 'cr "Ir,Jica Ofhcer) supported b tltS amIable wlte, \{r,. For·'p, 00

.rn'y 9~h, 1:!8:l. tinder the at.spices 0' St. John i' Church (t. ·.ghsh Chllr~h "fission). '''inner~. Shortly" .• ' .'~wards I wrote It summary of the lecturL for the 1 !);i::! ";pecial Christen"" Xumber of the Gflld Coast Independult 'mder th" Lie,. Q[' \[asters of l~olrl Coast Journahsn ....

But this book let has b'''',n suggt'sted b,' a hint give: .\ . ~orrespondenr frOIT' 'Igeria-evidcntl;.·" Gold Coast .·,frican n,sideot in t, " place--io a letter contributed to th .. r;"ld ('008/ Indept' 11 rfcn I SOr'1e time 'lfter th" l,,~tilr" r,ad been n"tlc~d in that pa.per .n ".dopting th, suggestion. I h::,,·,; fnytltten the narr:,t.lw' with ,dd'tleo;, and " is issued .1$ an historical vade mecum for the ,tilden' of journalistic and pojitlctl history of the G,)' Coast.

I1m ind,htcd ~,) th, R~Y·. Father BernI[ lements, o ~.B r'Jrmerl \ Rector. st. .\ll~\lstine · s ' )~I(".I CoHege K, 1:1si:" tnlc 10\T of r\e·.\.fncan ," ll"rJy

the Gold (l)!." _\l'l"·ar. ",he '.r tLeo midst of ,)V 'wl l'n_ n..; hbo·" I 's kmd.I\· : ~n tIltt t· read the booklE't , "

to write '1 for ",ord, aId ,liso te' see It throu:,.:h the prE:.>' . I am also oi,l, ~>tl C''> Iny cousin the Rev. Father t..-eorge E F. l.aing ,'." ·In·Chargt' )f St Tohn's Chur<:h. ,y rnneba I for nliuable sugge-;t,,)n~

Further, I would not forget h) mention with grati­tn,le the il'YO III .• hle ussi";"mce given me by my Father, '(1' . P . E. ~c ",S( n. Barrister-at·Llw. and my oidlnE-lIc Pnncc lL J. Ghartey .u; well as my uncII' .. \iT Willie FTCel)('dy A::quah fo~ "Reious form; of ent:onra!!ement.

~L, ,,.'. t"" J. S."(P"o". Winneha,

July, 193~.

A Brief History of Gold Coast Journalism .

. 'Eternal v igIlance l S the price of liberty."

. -Cnd hi the braye m.an· shope Alld Dot tl1l" eoward" IS excuse .

-Plutarch.

"Let all thr end thou aim"st at bC" th" COWltrv'S, Th~ God s and Truths. . . .

CHAPTER I .

L,\TRODUCTORY.

11 " a p(ece of good fortune to u, as a people that the late red"uhtahle Caseh' Ha\iord of blessed memory has "'(sel" rCl'orll:'d in his .', GOLD COAST ::\ATIYE bSl:ITCnOl'S ....

the rh,' anJ progTt'SS of JournalIsm m this country from tIl€' cia\ s of Charles Bannermal' In the "seyentles" <;') to the ("SI:' of tbe last (·entun. For this commendable piecc' 01 PlO't<'CTlllg and patnotlc work. he richly deserves the thank, o' ~," coulltr\'nH'u.

\ s all IIlstrument for h~htIng admllllstratrye e,-il, and c1te('kin~ r'.'prl'j,.~n"bh eolonial methods of dealing with Afnn1n U(I,drs ~en~ra! Iy. as well as a means of shaping gc'''<:rnmental policy and moulding public opimon, the ~erYll't'S Tendered or bemg rendered ]:>,. the press desen'e nothIng but prc,ise.

But 1 cannot bell' thinklllg it an unpardonable omi,­~it)Il of dut, on OUT part as a people -,inee thl actn-ities oJ the pre!)' ft)Tm one 01 the hulwarks of th" ,'o111ltry-that journahst Ie enterprr<c from the tIme Casel~ Hayford left

it in hIS brief but excellent account-a multum in parvo -has been allowed to remain an "unwritten history" all these years. It is, therefore, scarcely necessary to em­phasise the importance of this work, the object of which is to review briefly the period or ground already covered by Casely Hayford, and to endeavour to fill Ut-' the gap of the past three decades of journalistic development of this country for the" scientific" or comprehensive treatment of the subject by the future historian.

The three estates of the realm, as is well known, arc the three orders into which all natural·born subjects are legally di\'ided, to wit, the Clergy, the nobility and the commonalty. They are represented in Parliament by the Lords Spiritual, the Lords Temporal and the Commons. But in England journalism is also now an estate of the realm-the fourth estate--which is said to have been more powerful than any of the estates, and even more powerful than all of them put together if it could e'·er be brought to act as a united whole. This is a truism hardly needing illustration, since in the civilised world there is perhaps nothing which the statesman or politician fears so much as the press. This is obvious because it is the press which educates public opinion and which also, by Its agitations, is capable of dismissing Governments from power and Parliamentarians from their seats in Parliament. It was nothing surprising, therefore, when that renowned English statesman,}[r. Winston Churchill, cried out, "God preserve us from our patriotic press." And as the press has been sometimes a curb to states­men and Governments th roughout the civilised world, so let us hope, in the near future, our press wi II be to the Central Government and leaders of thought, when we shall have passed out of our present stage into a more advanced one with an effective voice in the management of our affairs.

It has been said that the journalist is older than the journal. This fact could be shown from instances taken from classical Athens and Rome. That is how Xenophon and lsocrates of the famous Athenian days are said to have been the first journalists or pamphleteers that ever lived. Furthermore, Julius Caesar and Cicero, of the brilliant Roman period, were also known to be journalists.

S-

The same truth may be illustrated from the experience.., of mediae'-al England_ Before the inYention of printing in the fifteenth centun-, the fore-runner of the modern newspaper man was a n ews collector and distributor whose name was Fenn _ The noble man made it his duty to go about from p-lace to place and from day to day collecting new~ and ob erving happenings which he put into writing for sa Ie as a ',-eekly newspaper _ This self­imposed task of Fenn was the humble beginning of English journalism _ Similarly in thi~ country did the journali,t exi~t before the journal as we shall:presently see _ Truly history is cosmopolitan_

9

CH,-I.PTER II.'

J01:H:'-:.\LIS}I IX THE X~"ETEEXTH CEXTURY.

v The hlstory of English Journalism in its early stages, nnds close analoC1v with the histonc of the Gold Coast Journalism in th~lt as Fenn started' English Journalism as a news collector and dlstributor, so also to Charles Bannerman, of Accra, is due the honour of sowing the seed of journalism In this country in the "Seventies" as a newsletter-writer by editing the West African Herald in his own handwriting on foolscap paper. This was before the introduction of 1 he printing press into this country. But it was the celebrated James Brew, of Cape Coast, who watered the seed sown by Charles Bannerman-a man of the highest integrity and political honour-and saw its germination in the establishment of the first newspaper press in the Gold Coast, which indicated the transition from newsletter-writing to newspaper edltion. This happened in 1885 when he (James Brew) started a paper called Western Echo at Cape Coast. With his facile pen and with a burning and characteristic enthusiasm, he displayed a rare journalistic acumen. and ranging with the vigilance of an eagle and the digIllty of a ver itable :\.chilles in the famous columns of the TVestern Echo o"er the whole ,rest African politics, he compelled the respect of both Governments and peoples. He de'-eloped into the most brilliant journalist that the Gold Coast has e"er known; and no newspaper man ever stamped, in characters more distinct and d lll'ab Ie , hiS personality upon his journal than was done by James Brew upon the Western Echo. He edited the paper wlth the comb ination of such dexterity of method and such rigidity of principle that for a number of years It was a source of inspiration to the rising youth. The late Honourable Casely Hayford, :\I.B.E., and the late Timothy Laing, were his assistants on the Western Echo. Those who did not know of what stuff James Brew was made, but knew the journalistic ability of

10

these two !1entlellwn ('OU lei, perhaps, form >lll ol'lnioll of the abili ty (If' hell' l!laster~' His "Tlting's \l'cre " }ll'T) ,,,t nal feast to tite literary aspirant, Th,," 0" 1" l',i1ullm of the ll"e,ltTil Eellf) , "hJ('h w,,, drt',,,kd by tJili(,lub high and 10"', IS 'pokcn or to thl' tla\ with ~r('at I'rid, b:-' older people It I'as tliis paper "lll('1! tirst "pl'lll'd tLc l\'~' of the pl"'ple of thb ('oulltrY as t') thl: hE'lll'1its dt'rt\'"l>k frum a o('l'utatlllll to LIt:.!iand t·, 1,,:- \)('10]'(' thl' Brit Isil p"iJltc tilt.' COllntr\' ~ ...-ii"'alnlitH:'s III tht"l" d;t\',", hI Un!lll!.! SI_wh

a dcplltati~)ll .J<lnH."s Brew wrotf ill tl~l I/:adlflr! artH If (f the paper for Jla.\ ~lst. lj"'~tL tllt: .. fulh'\\"}llg IlldL'nltic'('nt

pa,,,age ;-~ ',\mont: tht, (Lh-.nrbin!! topi(,s of Lilt, nay I ... tilt" qUt· ... t Ion

nf the dl''''pat\:h of a dt'!,nl;llll)n tl) LIl!:bnd. \cory Y;n!lH: ill­det'd mu..;t tJl:' tht.' Ctf)tltJ{l:- po-,;sl·..,,(.'d L,y -Ill\' ('Ill' ,)f the prt .... {'nt stat~ /Jf affairs \\ h~l a ... k" wl!:tt ('an a dt put It lOll ,Ll nl,_'n Ulan a memorial'~ Fir,;1 al1 n fqn'llIo""t a (iPrutat j(\n })(I .... ""l" ... S 'pt';,killg a::.. \\clJ:l'" Wl'lt Ill!,! powcr:-.: a llH"nJonaI(1)ntaHJ .... ~)J\ly thut which i~ in:-.ertt'd tlll'rt-jn' It L'anllot atISW{T qW· .... ti.Hl... It l',-mnot rt-·!n"\'l·,J'IUhb It cannot !!Iq:~ l'''pLlllati,_,n on n-rtain P()lllt~. iI ("annul n':b.)I1 It c.lIl.lo,t :lrg-ul' bL'Y(lilli wh;t.t it (·ontain.... It l~an f!1\(' tht, rpC'lpknt..; blll a ft:'(,bit.' iell'a of tht- T'artll· .... who framed It it n\a\' IUl'H' tHTIl urau!!hll~d fpr t!H'f'l 1-)1.' all ;,iH:r: h.lnd, \ (h'pututi.,ln 'will :,!iYl tht (',11<11,1,_11 Ollie.' ..,nllw 1~1t'a

uf the pl·OPh' 11 goyern,,; it wjlll'llabk till' a\lthl)riti{'stllt'fl~to fOTm an opinion ofth~'lW;)pll' \\bll by l'iailll tl.1:t ... haft:' ill th~ admmistratlVn of tilt If (l\\n nfT.llr .... ; It \11/1 gl\t' the f,!(,\t'rl,ing bl\ll\' fh.:ubr pr.".! 111' til(' n'l.p,\biiitit" .... and Un' l':P"l'it:o- 1)1 tht, rH!opll' "}1\lfll tlwy gll\'crn and wiw 110\\ lay daim tll\,jT" fl!7ht to g\'\\,t'fn t hl~m:-'l" h't,~. ur. at It-a ... t tl; ha \"(' t IInr rl'pr\'...., I t~l t iVl' in the Llll'a\ Ll'!.!y .. ldturl'; (t "lit Dl' lwttn :.lbk til ""1'l'lH(' 1h., ......... I"t­anu' \11' pn\\l-rf\lJ rrlt:'"nd:-. than llftl"" ,d mllwlrwl .. , \\hll'h t'"ln b.~ ""Iwht:'d "jth till' :!r<.'a1l~:-.t facility. :lIlU It "ill <1\\a"f'J, inh'r('st ill onr ('nl11'I'rn~, '1" t:'s.- :lIT "111110. llf tht, "bjc("\ .... \\ ~I· dl a [ll(:-!Il· onal l'.allllut 'l('l'lltnplt:-h. and art" of :-.n!Jll'lt'nt \\t'J~,t C)f them­~t' hl'S to n'llut'f t lH.' dt. .... p,11t,lllnr- of th. tk1',lt:1t hili ~ II irnpl'ratiYe ,mu a hilldlflg duty U[h,111 till' t'(fun1ry _ '

"" Cnrllpann!! "111;111 dllll~:-" \nth tht' .!!.reat .. .J~=tlll(,~ Br(.,,­m,,:- he' ,aid 1(1 hUh I'IaYl'd H !JJ;;e I,art ll\ (,old (o",t JO\l1'n:dt,m th,,\ I),m'll Ih,toc \!Jd In tllt' "",>iut,,,n of Enl!hsh Jnurna lI"lll l'h;-lrk"" 13<.llllHTlnan • ..1:111\('" Brew. Ed1l11lnd Hannertllan un lnt:nwtc tncHd (.If .LiIlV·'" Brew a.nd a \ l'ry ubII.:' contnhutur t,) tIll ("\.)llllnn .... n!' th(: lr, If~Tn

E,.h" Hc)l.l'rl Hallsl'n, anotltl'l ~\,ll)!l,pl"h('d \\T,.Ic-r " hIS day and TIIl\ot 11\' La tnt! Tn;IY bl' t\(.: .... l'rIlwd :J~ t Itt' fatt1prs oftJw Gold Coa~'t J()Urt)i\h,";' 'Th('~- ('ert" ,"l.' dcscrn. a

II

foremost place among the newspaper pioneers of this country. It may perhaps ser ve a useful purpose to quote one or two more examples to show the journalistic skill and literary style of James Brew. The following· passage which is culled from the leading article of the TVestern E"ho of April 10th, 1886, speaks for itself:-

'"\Ve ::'Ire passing through a critical period of the country's history. In after years it will be pointed to as the time at which commenced its more rapid decline or its ad\'ance in the scale of clvil isation. Trade has declined and i:s declining day after day: the mal-administration of affairs by Governor Griitith and hLIi olficials is causing discontentment and dissatis ­factlOn all round , and to bring into st ill bolder reHef the sui ­cidal policy of our administration other inHueuces are at work sapping the very founda.tions of law and order ."

Then again in the " Leader" of the same paper of December 16-23. 1886 , the following passage appears:-

~ 'The revenue of the colony is be Lag eaten up by the system of gov·ernment which obtains here. It goes wi thout saying that the governmental staff is far in excess of the needs and requiren1ents of the service and that the system of si~ months' leave after a yeaes service makes a big ho te in the expenditure. There is no earthlv reason for the C'.ontinuance of the Govern­ment on such prin~ciples. The protectorate has not increased in extent although the revenue has advanced by leaps and bounds , but that is no j.ustifica tion for unnecessary- outlay. Although we ha\-e it told us that when riches increase the dis­bursements follow in their wake, yet this is not in accordance with the strict principles of political economy as praotised eIsewbere than on the vVest Coast of Africa where it is held even when the resources of a Colony are linl.ited increased ex­penditure is justifiable."

The problems with which these quotations deal are identical to some of the present day ones. The economic blizzard with its attendant declining revenue and the squandermaniac policy of the Government-despite the critical financial situation of the countrv with no histori ­cal parallel-are all acute problems ot" the day. n-hat James Brew had to say on this subject was true in his own time. but it goes without saying that it is still the quintes-~ sence of political and economic wisdom. The signifi­cance of the saying. " There is nothing new under the sun" is here emphasised. Truly history repeats itself.

The "Boys" column, the " Ladies" column and "What society says" colUlUll of the Western Echo were

12

all interesting and educatin features of the paper, I n 1888, J ames Brew left home for Europe as a legal ad"iser to th<.> late )lr, Jacob Se\' in connection with a case of his against :llr, " 'alter Grlllith, and JiYed ther<.> until his death in L ondon in 19]5 ,

During his absence in England hIs nephew, the late H onollrBb le Caseh' H adorn, who had been an assi,tant editor of the n 'r8ir1'/7 Echo, re-orgllnised the paper and re-christened it the Gold Coast Echo, It had but a short career of two Ycars. but llcyerth<.>less did lIs<.>ful sen'ice to thi" c(luJltr~', Among other things that t he paper did. it j, sailk was tn Dlh:ocatc a scheme of lllunicipal !!O\'crn­ment for Cape (oast on nOllY(' line"

ContcJllPoran~ous with the II 'estrrn Eel'll ('anw th(> Gold Const Se'('8, \I hich \\as ]lllhhshcd at Cal)C Coast with :lIr, J\'ihlett, d Europc'an Barrister-at-Law, ;" proprietor and editor , 1 fjllote below two editorial p""ages to sho\\ the tone of tlw paper which was Yer~' much like that of its ('(ll1tpmporar~', the IT'rs/rrl1 Echo, as to [earle<;s and nnrclllittll1:! nitiei'Jl1,

v' ··~o dnuht :timo"t c\"('rvbonv 'who 1 ~lk(><.: ~mv intcr{'c;t in thi .. rnlllTl'\" Tllu .. t hav(' !'o{'cn that ·among Ollr \ilri~us W:lllL, at th l' pr\':--(,1l0t llHHlll'n~ j.., th(' e:-;t<lblislmH?llt of n H~nk 'Y(' nrc·, aW,lrc that thi, i .... OJ q\'Il~'liou whieh at ib '\('r~' lhn:~hold must "ugg-t'st :-;OnlC (,1H1Hlry of an e....:tcnsi\-t: ('l\arnder. lkfflrc a bHUk (~IUl bl' t's1;\bli"h('d or in t roduct:d into any p];.\(-(' :'dlll han~ to ll1.nke <:{'rt~lll1 that then: an .. all th(' fa\"our;tble (.~(illditioI1~ to (·n .... \11·(;' i t:-. rnainlt"luwce. I n otlH.'r \\or<1 .. yOU h.l\{' tn make .... UTt' 1h<11 the..' JWllpk fnr ",ho"(.' bt'llrtil It i.~ iulcnul'd arc' pre­r:\f\-d to Tt"('dq" It in :-t pT\")ln'r "ay or to atTOru to it tho.t ~\1pl'nrt "hieh would bi..~ e::"'('lltlal to ih SlW('l'~~. It ,,-ouid be IHI u ... (' ttl illlnHJUI.'\';\Il:· in"titlltion into a pla('(' wlH'Tt., lht· pC'opie "tmld nlll bl.' prl.'parl.'U h' n','t'}\"{' it (.\1" tu {'-ar(" for it. L(:t U~ M't' if till (,phi (lla!'o.t i ... pn-parrd l .. ..l ,In'orJ a LI\ournblc I"('­

('\ pt Inn tn a h,mk, To bl'f!lf1 w .. til. :Hl' th(' p('opk :o:.nli1<"icJ)tly t·i\ll1 .... ni to kJlP" "hat a b;l1l.k IllC<.tI):-'? '\t;' think th~, :ln~. 1\ is tnlt· thal 11) thi ... <.:oulllr, iftlw 111\"(.' ... lll!atiOJI w('n.. in..;tl­tuh.'d, thc.:t\,: \\"{lulu 1)(' ~l prql~mJ<:ratillt! numher of thl" inhahi­tanh i!.!IH,lfant of the' Ob.l\'l~l ... of "'III.:h ~ useful c .. tabh·,hmcnt. liut tiWH' "-..l1tleJ ~t ill bt' a good man) pcnpk whu ... {' (·,mI.Tp t ion l(lll tIll' ~\1hjl'('t) "1.)1111.1 b(' Jifft'r('nl, Tilt> l'dll<:~lt('d n;\t i\'l'~ in WhO .... l' dlT"('t't inh'r'· ... ts the Bank \'.()uld b,' lr1tr.~U(·ut '",01lId h,\'\{' ..... 'lllt:· lwttlT Idt'a~ aonlrt it :llld wlluld rnllH r hI..: di~JYlsed t,l :-.uppnrt It. AIUl("Iug:h the mu,i(lnty of thr pcppi!' would be ;\.~.\ill"-t th(' lTl;-;titutJon by Tn.son of the fHct th<lt Lhl'Y did not k no\\ \"hut it Wat;, "\\c should ll(~""t"rtllc:-ll:"s h3VC ~pmt" whooSe

13

conception on Its utility would be diffe-rent a nd would savour of an inclination to do a U in their power to keep it Rourishing"

Gold Coast Scu:s. June 6th. IS85 "

"In another column we publish a letter from the Queen's Ad vocat e correcting some impressio n under which we \'"ere labouring. \Ye were under thf~ impression that no provision bad been made for appeals from the Fu-ll Court of the Colony to the Pri\-y COunCIl. and although our belief has been ap­parently erroneous we think \ve were justified in arri'~ing at that conclusion, by reason of the fact that we were aware of efforts having been made in certain cases to car r:' appeals franl the Court here to Her :\Iajesty' <OJ Prh'Y Cou ncil and of those attempts hav ing been rendered aborti\'e owing to the Court havmg stated that no such pro\-ision existed: and repeated but una\'ail1n!! efforts were made to obtain in formation as to the exbtence 'Of anv such order of enactment. '\re have no hesitation in stating it as Oll r n rnl belief that the public gener­ally. with the exception, we dare say. of a fen·- oflicials, had no co!!nisance of the Order in Council to wh ich the learned Queen' s Adyocate refers. and we doubt much whe-ther it was known to the members of the professlOo. In such a case, we a re uf op in­ion that we are warranted in Jru\ving attention to what appeared to us to be a vital defect in our le!!al mnehinery. and if the result (If nur articles of the' 'SC'PRI::)LE COt..""RT ORD{.)..'A::-'C£, 7 6') has led to the public being pbcerl. in pO~$ession of such v al­uable information, of which it had no pre\"iOll::i knowledge, we cannot consider that OUf humble efforts have:! been entirely misdirected. The Government G<.uette 'was the proper channel for the publication of H er 5Iajesty's Order in Council: but it so happens that 10 thl3 Case it \\ ~lS almost t.:mtammmt to hic.­ing it onder a bushel, h~nce the general ignf)rance thereof. I

"Gold Coast St::.(;'·s,~· June 27th. 1885 . I

..... The abo'"e quotations make illuminating reading~~ was not until nine years after the auvocac\" of the Gold Const Xeu:s for an i~troduction of a Bank into this coun ­try, tbat is in IS;) ... that Sir Alfred J ones. of ble~sed memory, seized the opportunity and founded the Bank of British ""est Africa Limited" \Y e gi,"e 'hanks for the conildence of its founder and the enthusiastic impetuosity ofthe man, for" it aoes without sa'iino- that Colonial hank­ing has contribut~d in no slight' degree to the cle'"elop­ment of West Africa" "" The next paper to follow the Gold Coast Echo in ISHl at Cape Coast was the Gold Coast P eople" which" it is said , was owned and edited by a gentleman of ability whose identity was kept unknown to the public " But I ha'ie been told by older people that tha t gentleman was no

14

less a per sonage than the late H onourable J ohn :'IIensah Sarbah, C. :.\I.G. Bossman's great work on the Gold Coast was reproduced in the pages of this paper which formed a medium of instruction in matters political. As a writer Sarbah is an outstanding figure among all those who han" d istinguished thclllseh'es in the difficult art of writing in the Gold Coast by reason of the aptitude for the philoso­phy of politics that belonged to him. The [ollowing are some of h~ i lIurninating pieces of writing:-

. 'J am afraid we are prone to unden-alue our own capacity and abillty. c~.'rtainly we ar<.> unwilling or easily dl!'iCOuragt.'d to uni.1t-'rgo the tli:"'ipline and pers('\-eranct" and 'luiet endurance \\'ittwut "hich l.ht'rt- i::; no ,-uiuabl<:: expenence kading: to the a('COlnplishment of an:ytbing of ,,"orth'" -

'Fanti patriot and Japane:,e Emperor ,l.·ith his statesmen Wt'TC both striyina to ra ise up theIr respectl'vc countries by the proper t"duC'atton and elhclellt training of their people. The S:lme laudable obJt'ct was b('fore them both. The Afric<-IO' s att("mpt was ruth I{'s .... ly cru~llt'd anJ his plans frustratl'd. Japan \\as not under any un.::ympathetic protection; ."he has SU{'('ct..'<.icd. and ht..'T yery su(,c{'ss ought to be an lnspirut ion as well a ... an inct:nti\ ~ to tlw people tlf lhe GoJd Coast Territories to attt'Tllpt acam to kt'(·p on striyinc: until they win in th .... T\\ en­tieth It'lltury \\ hat \\as !:>ought for Thirty-h"\c y ears ag-o.'·

For ahout t,,'enty years afr:r ~he"' admir~bk efforts of Char Ie, llannerman - the Ea:;tcrn Pronnce remained without n paper unli I during the earl:' nineties "'hen the Gold Coasl (,},rOIllCic . the Gold Coast Express. and the Gold Coast il/d, pflldflll came into existence at Accra. The" Chroniclc" "a~ e<tablish .. d for the first t1lne III ]xHl hy the late :'Ilr Boi Yan(il'rpu:-e. subsequent 1.\' it p,,",cd into the hands of the late ~[r. Timothy Laing. and in lR'IG it "-as corp,>rated in the Ires! _-lfrican Ga~(tte.

\lnder the gunian,-e of the nt' '1. The man who edited the "1I1d,p"lIdfn( "a> the ia~e :'\Ir. Bnght Davies, of Freetown. ~il'rrn Leone. The "Express". being a daily pap,'r. dncs (lot com(' ttlder this head. It ,,-ill, therefoT~, h~ noticed in a subsequent chapter dealing with tlai ly [,apt'T' of this (' 'untry . ... But hy rar tht' greatest effort in journalism in the nI nd l~S it i, said. was the Gold Coast JIetlwdist Times. ,,!lObe editor was thl' late versatile Rey. S. R. B. Attoh Alluma. :.\1.--\.. The: paper was a religIOUS one owned by

15

the Wesleyan Ylethodist Church, to which Attoh Ahuma belonged M-s an eminent minister. But in spite of its strictly t~ligious policy, the editor could not help using its (;olui;tin to ventilate the political grievances of the people of this country. This naturally met with the dis­pleasure .. of the 1Vesleyan .:IIission authorities. :Never­theless ,Attoh Ahuma was convinced of the justice of his cause (}P,.the propriety of his action and declared that Religion and Politics are two inseparable things for, without the political tranquility or safety of the country missionary efforts would be impossible--" Oman si ho nna posi ban sim"-to use a Fanti adage. It fell to the lot of the ,. Jlethodist Times" to fight and win Governor :'IIHxwell's notorious Lands Bill of 1897 which sought to decla.re all the lands of the Gold Coast Crown lands. Thus 'Attoh Ahuma was rightly considered a great journalistic force in hls day, who by the popularity of his topics'!and his treatment and by the universality of interests to which he appealed carried the entire country with him. He possessed an amazing stock of English words which were constantly employed by him. Thus he lent himself at times to the temptation of being bombastic. None the less he had a commendable, shrewd. and classical style of which the following selected passageg from his booklet entitled, ,. Gold Coast Nation and National Consciousness," which are reprinted from the columns of the Gold Coast Leader. are an example:-

. 'It is strenuously asserted by rash and irresponsible literalists that the Gold Coast, with its multiform composjtion or Congeries of States or Provinces, independent of each other, divided by complex political institutions, laws and customs and speaking a great variety of languages could not be described as a nation in the eminent sense of the word. The term, it is urged, presupposes in its connotation, the existence of a homo­deneollii cOJumWJity included in or bounded by one ""ast Realm, governed <:Ind controlled by one potent sovereign and possessed of one constitution, one common tongue. But the objectIOn appears to us to bc purely academic and is ob\-iously advanced wi~hout sufficient regard to practical considerations. In sp Ite therefore of the dogmas and ipse dii.Cits of those wiseacres 'who would fain deny to u.c::, as a people, the inalienable Leritage of nationaJity, we dare aflirm, with sanctity of reason and with the empbasis of conviction, that--w'E are a ~ation. It may be a miserable, mangled, tortured, twisted tertium quid. 'or to

16

quote a higher authority a N atio;]' scattered and peeled .... a Xation melted out and trodden down: but still a NatIOn:'

" ' Vhen a son of the soil ",ho 'wears the rose of youth' has cut hi~ wisdom teeth. and is ber-orne conscious of himself; wben he fullY knows who and v. hat he is, he Yet lacks Doe or two things. pcrhoaps the most important branch of his mora} edu­cation, that is to say. if his hfe is to be of any practical value to himse lf and to the (:onununity at Jarg'"e amongst whom bis lot is cast.. It is simply this; his t~irlues must go OU~ oj him, he must touch other ]jYe!' fur good. \5 Shak{~"pe.are. the swef't singer of Axon. has it:-

'Spirits are 1Iot finely touch·d. but to fine issues. I ought follows as a natural ('orollarY fr('lm I am and J can. _y(Jl)lJ..'\.~c obligr-Xobilily has' its impositjons of peculiar oblig:ttion. and the liberal g-ifts that wt: rce('iYe. the powers that arc dcycloped in us. the klHlwledge that we acquire, the cxpc:riences we go thT\>u"gh an: all bO maD)" talc-nb divinely be~t.owl.;'d on and entrusted to Us for wise and far rcac.:h in~ purpo!'-es, and woe is that man who waste himself upon his yirtut.'s, or hb ,·irtues on him'ielf a]onr, obliyjous of his environments. regan.ll('ss of his misSIOn ill life:'

"lnlltation, it is ~aiu IS thC' sincerec;t form of flatten-' but ac('orJlIlg to JOlwthull ::,wift in hi:.. Cadenu~ and Yonessa, ·Jlattl'rY;·~ the food of f()Qls: Hh.trjonism is undoubtedh- the spcdaJ:rorte of thr educa1 ('d \Yest :\friean : he is a copy lst to the pitch of profane (''\.eelk'n('c. The \Yhitcman has. hi, .... jr-t's ~ well as hb yirtu('s. and sometimes tht." yiN'S of hb Yirtues. To fnllo\\ hm' half-way. theft'fOft", is not. :lno cannot he the sin('(,'f(~t form uf ftattt."rv. The uycragt: '\"e~t African of the "l\101Iu~cuo Order. i$ a clc;·er imitaLor of t"ye~·-thiIlg the \Yhi1t­man thinks. and do~'s and says. particularly in the outward nplwuJ'arw( and obSCn"ancT:'

TO\\'ards the close of the nineties-in] SnS-the Gold Coa,.1 _Jboriginco appeart>d on thc journalistl': fidd at Care Coast uuder the auspie,'s of the (~old Coast Abort;,.'nes Hights' )'rotedion So{'icty. It was the Rey. Asaam who ",us jirst T{'sponsibk for the editing of the papcr; sul."equently the Jate "Futher" J. P. Bro\\n had char<7<' of it. (opl'es ortlw paper which) haye heen priYileg~d to see C(lllYlnCl' me of the good sen 1(,C It TllUst ha,-c done to this country. The followinl! is the full text of tIlt' lcadll1g article 'published in '-0 \.'] ., ::\0. :? oIthe paper of Januar~ Mh, l"n~. 1 quote the full text became of its Yery \\ eighty message which m", sen'e a useful purpose in these days of indi ndualist lC tendency or e"\.cluslYt:'ness:- - -

1.

...... WORD TO THE GOLD CO.-\ST ABORIGlc-.'ES RfGHTS PROTECTIO" SOCIETY."

"It will not be amiss that our first words should be ad­oressed to the Society whose organ this is. now that we consider ourse-h-es to ha\'e made our debut 00 the stage of journalism. Theff':lH' one or two n=ry important subjects claiming our atten­tion dt th is t!\'entful time, but we must wai\-e them and \"enture to offc:r an adyice to the society. .. \ti\-ice" says the pro .... erb " is cheap" So is air. So commonly is water. Yet air and water are each worth more than gold: and ad'\"ice e'-en when it costs nothing. somet imes turns Ollt to b-:- mere valuable than if {'yery word had been a. diamond.

"To c .. :en the most casual observer. it would be easily dis­cerned that as a people we arc on the eve of some momentous and rC\'olutionary changes, and fOT tl'S who li\.'c at this period of our existence to be mere' 'spectators of the playg on our social and political stages, to be uttcrly unconcerned of and disinterested in, pas~ lI1g events with one's time and attention engrossed in the duties of one's own little world . rendering one' s ~et f Impf'rturb<J.blc to e\."erything else in these days, \\.'ill be not on lY of the direct kind of selfishness and di:.-.lovalty to one's country. but harmful to one's self. and cruel and ttnjust to one's posterity_ \\"e haye each been privileged to Ih-e at this time by the A,!l·,dse ProddC'ncc for purpose, we have all

~been enuowed with special talents for our special work. to li,,'e in these days, In our different \,,-alks of tife. Pro",idence has prepared \ls~and hm.\' much that preparation hus cost us and taxed His patience, He a.lone fully knows, The old who sti ll li\'e amollgst us must remember they are spared to the country for a purpose, their com rades ha'.-e done theirs and gone to j(.in the majority. The young, S0nle \\ ith their inllu· ence and pOSItion, others with their intellige-Tlce and influence. some \\':lt h their common sense. other:; WIth their naked native· abi lity. may (mu enough and more th:\n enol[!.;h to do for this dear fatherland, \\'h .. lt a gond thing it would be ifthC'se \\'ould one and all. ad(lpt as th{-ir motto in life: 'Dlllc.:e et dProTllm est pm patria nwri ," a motto aduating their yt"ry moth:es in all they do. niliog tbetr '-cry Ih-es. forming th~ \'ery foundation of \\ hat s tructures of wealth. fame. position, or reputation they may rum to build for them'5eh'e.;,;; bl essed , thrice ble-ssed is that p.::o"ple whose youth may be imbued with sLch a motto. And there are many ways of one" s dying for his country, some die in wealth, others in reputatlOn, and in some instances e"-en, somt:' '1re called upon to give up tht' ir "'cry Ih:es for their country , In all this we ha\'e some 2:lo rious illustrations in English History and eyen 1n days gone by amongst our people. 'fhe E:nglish nation to·da.y enjoy their liberty of speech and all the good things we hear of. because their ancestors with their wealth, reputation and Jives. purchased these things for them, • 'History repeats itself" and why may it not be with us? Perhaps with u.s this may sound quite utopian, and yet

18

It oan b e done. If that h ideous thmg. that bi-te noirof the coun ­try. can o nly be rione m\'ay with, surely all thtngs considered we ('an make stich rapid strides G!:Io will a~tound the D'lOst cyni­('·d ~ceptic, at home and abroad? \Ve do not say this grim foc of aU that is good and noble is ind igenoltC) to the so il-fuc froOl this ; but we do say" that it exi5ts ,1.mong US to such a d~­gree. Ulat one can see it rearmg its head O\'Cl' e\'crythin~ else CVE'n

\'dlf>re the pro ... pt~rity. the progrec;') and the pC'acl: :lnd the fllliet­ness of the land i;\re a t stake, ........... ,:..;0 , no. let us <.:;ee-k to bu ry th i.., nem.ii,h sp int o Let tho~e \vho-are btessed ,,,ith tht!gnou thm~s of the world kllOw how to give a he-Iping hand to a p,)vr strug-­g imgunfortnnate brother afHl he '\, ill lind some g()odwitl ;t('crue f rOln tilat little kwdIH-'SS aud immortalize his name when the weulth \"\-hich he sought to ama."s would h;)yc been ~rlllandered by li\O~e Itt' l(~ft behind, Let the..;,!> feel that after all, they are btlt ..,tf'warrl:s of what the:: po~se",,;, to Hun who raiseth up one and putteth down another, Let thosp <.lfllo n.gst us "" ho h:l\:e had the ad\·antag\·", .)f a ,good C'ducution USf' it freely in the mtl-rest of the eounf"n:. reml-'mh~'rm~ that othcr~ might have had tll(" same advanta.g.es. and mt!!ht have done just u.s !!n(IU, if not b(~tt(:'r, had they not been Jt'niect those au\·antage" by film who knowet.h ·1.lt thin£!" , Let tho ... e who ~lr(" blessed \ ... ·ith sound common sen...,'" use it in tile int(,lT...:ts of the country: Hnd may ow .. ' and all '\\ Ith ,vhatt>\'t>r blt."s~\Ilg we- ma~' ~n.i!}y in iife, 'Yhat ('''\ IT we O1a'"\ be or do kt U:-i ne·n.~t' he tcnlpted to ~a"\ '. 1. ... nol this gre:1t t~aby Ion that I h.ave- hnllt . by the mi!..:"ht of my ptlwer. ann fOT the honour of my ma\e..,ty ')I \ !!l'<.~a.t and pnWf'r­ful King in olJt"n (1;\\', 'i:"lid so, onCt,' ~nd we know to what a pitiable cond ition 1)(" Wi:L"J brou;!ht, and to·dny we can ("'OllTlt by the ~wnrc many who h:1ye ('41n1C to a miserable end If twt in tlH'tns('IYes tx'rt.ainly in th~lr poo,,;terity \\hose talents w('reo mi:-iu~etl. In this \:(.'r:-- count ry Wt' hayt' ha,d iu tlH.' t!ood old days, "'Offit' 'iwe~'t IllSt.'1HCt'...; nf self-d(,[l\ Iflgo men and ~.'\I)rn.Cfl anrl. "Ilv rwt now WIth :,It nur enlil!htpnm~'T1t :lnd eiyHisation Let us nil, ttwrt'foft". do what we can ill Ill1r day anJ cencratlOn in "pite of all di";t~onra~f'ments, b:lsC ingratitude. scurrilous remark,>;. n:1.u~t'atin~ .. lI ... appointments. and tba.t for the dear (.'owltn;' S :-o.akt'

'1.'111"'; f(.7'mation of tlw \BORIGJ"-F"~ Sncn:TY amon~...,t us, I':;' yt'ry IIppnrt'JfW '"\Cay the spiflt of unity that has brooded oy,,'r ll-"; t"., hlln!! us tn!.!t'thcr thu~ C\){1tlOue to lead us I Here tht' '\-1)1111:': UlJ 'the 0111. th~ cducateJ and the ilUter::lte. mt'et t\lI.!l·iher for th\~ ('pmrn.m ~Il·'d of tbe land \\"e have nil \\'ish to :.!t'\t' 'lminvu~ ~" .qd'S ,\t' tH~rt'fllrc desire to t"xpress our hearty 1 .. It~ln!! f~'r it~ pt'flll:\flCrlCy.. \Ye hope the enthusiasm whil,.~h ~'h:lr~\\.~tl'riz.crl the SOC1£TY at its commen,'l'mt'nt w-ill li'\"~ and !.,'Tt'''' Ll't it 1l\.~Yt'T bt' sa id of it. ~,_s it j..;, llsualh· ..;;.aid of tbioi!S With IN -It j" \) lllv;1. ninl' tl .. n""S wontler.' \nd for this end l~t I,;\\'h m1..'l"nlwr ft'd "IllS impl)rtanct' twd rC' .... ponstbJlity f' ... r th~ \\nrk ln~,)f thl'S'H,:rI'T'\ \Y e do n0t wish to see thin~ done in .... uch i,t Wa\ that Ow work -would be thrown on a few. <;0 that if :\\r ~o -.\[\d-~o happ\'ned to be a-w~y. no headway could be made

19

with business; the representatives of our :Kings and Chiefs sIlould be present at certain meetings. sa:y the monthly or qU:l.rterly meetings: we are pleased to find their linguists now and a~ain at the meetings, but we think there should be cer­tain meetings at which representath-es from them should in­\'ariablv attend; m a large Proteetorate like ours tht"rc should be properly '\vorked brarlches ln all the principal towns on the sea-board. and at all the pJaces where the King:s and Chiefs rhide. _'-t pre"ent as far as we know only :\.xilll and £hnina ha,'e branches. but we thirLt.;: other branches should be formed Without the le~l~t possible delay, jf WI.! wisll t(·, work h;1rmoniou~Iy <:.Ind effcc:ti'-el\-: and nbo\-e nil we should see that the Go~-ernment rccogTlise in some practical form thi ... -::'OLl ETY \-..-h ich is in reality the mouthpiece of the n<ltion,

-- \Ve hope the interest which the Kings and Chiefs had in tlH' lOvement of the SOClETY has not in tIle least abated ° It is it!';t ptlssible that a large country like ours \\hcrc in snme ln~tanL"es we are separated by some miles cach locality may h;lye its peculiarity which may in some unnceounlabJe W<iy

interfere with the doin~ of this SOCIETY: let us guard aW.lin~-t this for it is in these tliings that we uD\YittinglypJay ourseh-es !Htl) the hands of enemies. "-e h~lye jhTd in cont;.tct with <i

Civilized Goycrnment Jong enouQh to H,-c down such 1hin~s: the ~vC1J-:TY we thiILl.;; :>hould see that our King .. and Cbic::fs~do ha,-e intclJ1!Zent people to act;).:, their clerks for it is unqut"stion­ablY true that c;;ome at least of our troubles arise from the fact that these fifth 1'eltc . 'scholars" do not tran:slatc Government cornmunieutions to them propt'rJy. norcan tbcauthoritics under­stand their 'hi!!h Engli,h O and tht' result n~n- oftt.:n is I!ra\'e and ~l'rjous mis-und('r~t;.lndings on buth ~jdcs .. "-f' may rco\.'ert to this subject a!:,!ain, for we- deem it Yl>r'Y important.

. 'Th(~ dutit'" which the SOCIETY has to perform ur(' £n'at and many, we hope, howe, "er ° nothing undaunted. it will liyc; and llying. will sO rnanug-e and carry out thill!!,~, that their t)r!!oln too· may never fullow the fate of its prt'dl~c<:Ssors-(this "ill be to our <.:r:-°jng ::ihame a.::. a people) that Ti!:!ht and .iu~tice may prc\ ail. to the pe:.Jce and quietucss of the land:'

\Yith the Gold Coast ,1borif1.incs came to an end a , l]lt .. r. and n wonderful chapter indeeu, in tile histor,'

',j Gold Coa,t jOllnlalism , and as one Jook. back and u,<lecb one ('ould happil,' only see what glorious part

ark" journalism had played in the political history of the coulttry from the Yictorian Era-\\'hich was an era If profound erudition and illdiyidual gel1lus-up to the ,esent tnne, and is likely to play in the future, /'

20

CIUPTER III.

yIODERX JOURXAL IS;\I.

The beginnLO~ of the present centur:v w!tne;sed the appearance of the Gold Coast Leader at Cape Coast. with the late ;\[r. Herbert Brown as it~ proprietor, and with it a new chapter of the history of the Gold Coast joumalism opened. The late Rc". Egyir A,aam. "'ho was dt"stincd t( play an important part in the modern journali.slll, though of a smaller calibre than James Brew. ;\(en5ah Sarbah. Case Iv H.wford and Attoh Ahullla. did not fa.il to lay a solid foundation as the Ilrst editor of the' . Leader" upor; whieh. for thirt~ or more good years now. others 'were to rear the sllpcr,trneture. Th .. ,t\"lf' of Egyir Asaam was clear a nr! tersc. as cou ld be sec'; from hi,; me""ge to the l~okl Coast Aborigines Rights' Protection Societ) reproduced in the last chapter from thf' Gold Coast .·l borigines, of wh ich he was the first editor. He was cool "nd reUective. and honest: as his po lar star during hiS journalistic career. When he left the editorial chair . . -\.ltoh "\huma sl epped into his shoes for a willIe, hefore Ca~el~' Hayford took over and edited the p"per. until he abo handed It to the late Hon. E. J. P. Brown. O.B .E., "ho piloted it until Casely Hayford took over again up to tht: time of hi, death in An!rllst. 1930. Other people \I·ho have had connection with the editorial staff of the paper in recent years are the Rev. Gaddiel R. Aequaah, of the :\Iethodist (hun; . the Re,·. )itedu K,-irbua. of the A.:'ILE. Zion Church. Hr. Svdncy Ha\·forcl. still on the staff or the paper. anc! ;\fr. John Buckman. 1I0W a Tr:bunal Rq!;istrar.

During the' Congress Session in Freeto\yn, Siena Leone, in Fehruary. 1$):33. the late Hon. Cornelius ;\[ay, pro· prietor and editor of the S.errrt Leone Tr~d.;/y Sews, rlc,cnh"c1 the Gold Coast L,·.,,j,,. .-while speakin!! on the "1.' (\lon of "-cst Afri,c'1n Press" at the \YIIherforce ;\[,'I1I(\rial Hn !I.-as the hest eclited paper in 'Vest Afric:t, for the' cOllstructi\"e and outspoken character of i>., editonul< as well as its hi!!h literary tone duri.ng the time of Casely Ha:i'ord were unsurpassed in the ",'!Ole "'est Afncatl journalism. "'-', a journalist Caseh' Hayford e-tablished lumself as the idol and the oracle of the people

21

of this country. The enthusiasm of the man was ahvays infectious. H e was one who believed that, in the materia l as well as in the spi ritual. mountains can be remo"ed by faith. Thi1,c!Qctrine he always sought to impres> upon his readers~ f Of al l the journalists and pllblicists from the beginning of the present century up to the present time who han stamped their personality in lasting characters on the press. Casely Hayford has been the most picturesque figure. He was the ~[acauI8y of the (;old Coast. that famous Engli-;h EssaYls t and historian. It has been said b,' Goethe that·· the stde of a writer is a faithful represe~tati\'e of his mind .... The qllotatlOns below from the Gold Coast Leader thus indicate the mmd as well as the crisp and gracefu I style of Casely Hayt,)rd:

.J • -:\(en. the future holds in store for c ur race l11call'ulabLe benetHs . but it is only in prornrtion as . .. :e be!;tt r oliNe-h-es in intelligent act ion that ~\'e shall come to :lny aood. Tile ag~ in which we live is a practICal one. and you cannot ~et the l!:ood things o f Hfe by mertdy po::;se~sjn!! the philosl)plwr's 'Stone. You must dig the mountams . di\'e into the bo\\-t'!s of the c-arth by the use o(sinew and br,un, if you expe-ct to thri\-e as others have th ri\'e n _ You must cut the drgin forest and apply sc ientifi c me~ns , if vnu wish the earth to vield her increase. This is not a mere figure of speech, hut a s tu bbo rn fact whieh you must take into account o r be !t"ft out 10 the cold _ Today men o f Britis h \\"est :\fr ica a re bCHlg outstripped in eVl' ry rleld of endeavour. Once upon a time our merchantmen \'ieJ with

. Europeans in the hold upon the trade of the country _ Today we end in broken purposes. broken purse::,-. and ~Hd to tel!, we a re so sunk in despaIr as to indul!.te jn \"ain querutoU5 com­plaint of the SVTian ~nd othe rs 'w ithal our gates. 'who have the brains to use the ir wit and time to !!uod pl~rpo:-:e. \\-ilt'n God said to men of Is rael to 2:0 (H-e r to the land of Canaan and. pttssess it. it did not mean that thev were to ha\,e Idlatt: \'er tllt:\, wished for the mere asking. but h meant hard work . hard thinking against tbe fOTces of nature a nd the machina.t lons t)f men.-" -

J flIuwry :kd, 19:!.'5.

"/ "the life -blood of e\-e rv commu n ity is commen:e. The mo re a natio n exports and th'e less: it imports the better fo r the financial status of the people _ There-fore cn:-r:- progrc..;.sh.-e community ~t rlYes to export more Q:oi)d~ tha.n it lrtlpnrts_ It follows ·with us_ not being n rnanufu('turiIlQ" people. the more raw products we export in (:ompari:wu wlth what Wt- t:lke in, the greater the degree of our prosperity. In th e gi\'e and take of business we rely to :l large e~-tent upo n the European rner­chant who in turn relies upon us for ou r output in raw material_ So that in ordinary healthy co nditions the mutual

22

re lations betwt:en the merrhant and the producer should be an int lmRte and a confidential one, Their int(~re'::its_ in :..;, ~en':)e a re ldentl(~a l . and therefort" fl'.lltl1al protedion Sh(,\;l I :Jllide them in the i r rdathln"i with outside bndie~. ~iq· d:l.l-tdkt:", Jiy(:" and let li .... e. 11Cl~ -..: h,- of ourno:-.e in <111 bUSIIH'~':'; relations wHI achien" a gou(i te~t\l in olir economic pro5p(>rtty uS a pc'op i": '

.J UIIt' 10th, 1 H~13,

"TIJI:' re i<::. a ~anctity about the gov(>rnanc.c.-" nf the \\ urld for which mankind as yt.'t h:\~ not gl\-efl l'nough l:redit to the

vlIi~lH'r PP"\prs, ':(!\'I~I:.n we hear IIf Hll!'siu hllrlUl.!! ail ultimatum " against ChlO;l :ln~l .... ('on tlu!.!'ra t h)O rdea.. ... f'd \\ h tr' h may

in\'()h:e thp wholt, 'world iu :tTlot{wr mighty <::.tru!Z~k _ t"'.-/'n. ,lS It

"turt('li.qth the Lt..:;1. war. men ~lre apt~to 'think th}lt {,ur \~"rld is ~overued by a crazy ch:l.nce" yet ;lll tht.-" \\ hile the ITand tlJ:.H. guid.{->s is "'lIre,

rile last war cost mankmd lllnwll"r3blp 'iarriht·e-.;. in bloddlnd trt'u..,ur". !tOU at the time 1 r"'i",t as If all the ~H("f1t:I~t'=" 1,,,pre m \'i-dn but up~--'n deept'r rt-nt I it i .... e,,~iutnt that ;:!'llOU h;~ ... (:om'" (lIlt of th'" evIl and that; t"ndt'T1r:" to-ward:; i!l'nt'r:l( co·"pf.'r:ltlOn as a:!ain~t exl-es ..... iyt' individtuhsm hu.s !la,tlll"ll ('l'Insi.kr:.l,olt.' !!TOunrl. So. no ma~t:er what the i.mmt·diatc (utur"" mav have in st-url' for manklIld. woe ('unnot but hPlle\T that ,ve shaH be bT"I!!.:'~t npan:r to the dawn of the nt'W ,l'"p~ which the prophets fnrl'tukL

" The" Lea!l,'r" -wh",h '0me time ",,0 earned the name of the papt'r of the . \ r,,;locrac kl' hall the longest ", .1 one of the mo,t usefnl careers in Gold Coast journalism. tholl~h not without paS'lng through Yacdlatin~ cireum­st<lI1('E'S, I t is the oldest p"per of th~ Gold Coast to-da~ , anJ has ntt.llned the tl!!e of u\"er -hlfi\" ~ t'urs,

Tilt' (;old Coast ldcocat ... [lubltshed at Accra. "lnd whose edltor \\ as the late ' Ir. A lloi Quartey P',paho, B \. , LL.ll (l'antab), llarrhtcr·"t·La"·, "as the next weekly paper to (,,,lJow the (;old C Jst Leadpr about 100 .. , The 1'0110\\ Lng quot'ltlOn IS cullell From the leadtng; article "I' tht' naper or' Januar,'" 1 nh, 1(103:- "

'· " 1"' h,lH' now ;d"tn;'_H~· ~'nkr(""d upon '.1. new Y(':1.('_ The 11ut~"ti(1n ,\rb~~s. what :\r·' the p\llitlt'.·d PTI"Pt'Cts of the Colon~'? \cd wh~\t .... n: the ptls ... ibilltics of imprOYC-Ole-nt fn'l' the Gold

l"(l<1!-t gl~neralh and \ l'~.'ra In particular'! -\m\.)og the many inlp1lttant 'lllt·stinn ... that face u .... tOlluy i~ that "hieh. I)'\-er and a~.dn, hau b~·\.·n a.sK,'d in the .... l' columns ltl Tt'ference to the P()(It.'~" \1f ;\(.lmlni~tr\~ Ion nfG~)\'t'{nment withln a ft"w yean; back: I)<')lin ~·n('\)UTa~lTl!.!' the- rlbpositinn of arran~in!.!' the e:-o;:pendi­turf" ,\f publit.' I{\:","cnue I~r the TnUnageOlent of public fund.'" to tht:" t',c\ust'\"+:' inh't"t'4 of the U(ln~rned, o r ('If the people contrl ­butio,!! alw;n-... to that rt"n:~nue:· -Cmld ('o<J,.-.:.:t .id-vocale. Jan ­Wlry 1 Uh. t ;~l. __ l ,

The Gold Coast "Yation, which came into existenc'e at Cape Coast after the" .-ldL'ocate," was the official organ of the Gold Coast Aborigines Rights' Protection Society, with the late Rev. Attoh Ahuma as the organiser and (lditor. Here again Attoh Ahuma proved himself a po litical genius and a journalist of the l~lrst water. When he left the" .Yat ion" the late )Ir, W. S . Johnstone took o"er until the paper became defunct. The press was then bought by :'Ir, K . Sekyianuna who started the Gold Coast Times at Cape Coast in 1922. *:'Ir. Sekyiaruma had not the aJ,'antages of a high training just as some of the present editors of this country. but he is a Yery able journalist and a self made man. The "Times" is noted for it> trenchant criticism of GO\'ernment policy as well a. for its strictl~' consen-ative policy towards the preser­vatIOn of native institutions. Before the ., Times" there was a paper known as the Eastern and .-lku:apim Chronicle. which was edited and published at Accra by that ta len ted man. the late }Ir, Timothy Laing. It Was a paper which was a potent intluence for good in its day.

One of the most irlfluential papers of the Gold Coast in recent year, has been the Gold Coast Independent, which made its debut in 1918 at Accra through the enter­prise of the HOil, Dr. F. ,', ~anka Bruce. :'I.B" Ch.B. (Edin.), and the able editorship of the late :'IIr. J. J. Akrong, a talented man from Labadi. a suburb of Accra. The paper. which is liying up to its motto, "Truth feareth not: ' has on its editorial staff able men like the Hon, Dr. ~anka·Bruce, :'Ir. D. G. Tackle and :'1r. Peregrina Peters, B.A. (Durham ), and finds favour with all sections of the community because of its well-balanced editorials, its interesting ':.-llound the Town" column, as well as its reliable news sen-ice. But I cannot pass on from this point without paying a short tribute to the late ;\Ir. J, J, Akrong for the noble part that he played in the inception of this paper as well as the very good foundation lie' laid for it as the first editor. Whatever measure of fame the " Independen.t" achieved in those early days of its existence, the name of)eIr. J. J. Akrong was indissolu­bly bound with it , for it was not until his appointment _ ')lr , SeI.:yiarruna died in August, 1984 , after this book had

gone to press. 2-1.

as editor of the paper that he felt the full force of his responsibility as a public servant. He was a man of literary abdity, which stood him in good stead m workmg for the upliftment of his country whIch hp loyeci ,0 well. Shortly after the .. IndepFTuu'7rt appeared the 'Vox Populi at \ccra, owned and edIted by that enterpri".r·.;; !'vIr. Kwc~1 Tete Orgl<>. Barristet'- -Law.

The Gold Coast Spfctalor was started at Accra m J D~7, 1Ir. A. J. Ocanscy being tbe proprietor and :\[1'. H. W. Dupigny the editor. The "Spectator" lS undollbtt'dly one of the most popular papers of tbis country, and it is the fa'-ourite of the young people beca.use of its fearless tone as well as of its ,-,acious interesting fe'l.tures, such as . The Literary Bow-\Yo,,'" column, "The BO\- Scouts" column and' :The J[US >C and the Stage" colum·n. Apart from all the.!" the "Spectator" has a w",' of seeur}['i! instructi" e artIcles from special contributors such as tile: learned :\Ir Kobina Sekyi, :\LA. (Lond.), a great politieal ,nIter and crItic whose artieles are almost alwa,'s "id"lv read. but whose argumentative and controversi~l ma.nne'r ofwriling ha" not fader! to win for him hostihty as well a< aJmiration, \[r. C. S. Adjei. a rapidly rising writer. as well as the "'-Iter. Dr .. ~ . B. Daoquah wa~ before hiS paper, The Times of n-est _l]rica, Callle into eXistence, abo tt special contributor to the "Spectator." In the pages of the "Spectator" have been published such memorable articles as :\Ir. Kobina Sebi's "Thoughts for the Relkdi\-e" and "Conflict of L'Ovalitles," ~Dr. D"'lljllah's "(;0[.\ Coast ~o. 114." and the writer's "Ut1'tcial Camout1agc" and" Expecting the Impo"lble.·' 1I[r. R. R. \\ Iltu Ofei. the present editor. is welt uplwld­ing the tradltJons of the paper, Contemporaneous with it came the Gold Coast Truth. which has smce cea.,ed PUbltClltlOll ,

The Y"llnaest ., baby" born to Gold Coast journalism is the Go/,/ C'lst Guardian whieb saw tbe light of ria, at Saltl'ol1l1 towards the close of l0:3:? and whose tine motto is ' Loyalty llnd Sen-ice." Jlr. J. E. Haidon, the editor, i''luitea.ware of the uphill task of startll1g a paper and ke"plng it IIp in this cOllntry, but he is not of the type who are e>l.,t1y daunted by dltllculties. The paper bids [air to do well in tbe hard struggle towards the attainment of our national go,,!.

CHAPTER IV .

THE rXTRODt:CTIO~ OF DAILY :'I.'EWSPAPERS. I now come to another important phase of the history

of Gold Coast journalism. and that is the mtroduction of daily newspapers into tillS country which dates bac,- as far as the earh' .. Xinetles. " when at>, 'lit 1 ~il-t the intrepid and pIoneer, the late Ju. Timothy Laing, established the Gold C()t1"t Express at ACCl'a. The paper contInued for a number of years in good sen'i<:e of this countrv. and ceased to exist towards the c1o,e of last centur;·. I <,!uote below a few Interesting edltorial passa"cs frQ£ll the paper;-

. 'After S years service ill 1~..,9 he nrr. George Ekern ,.....,' Ferguson) applfed for 12 months :Cave to proceed to tngldnd.

'J'h<" QbJ~'t of this lea \ t.' tD use his 0\\ n word.."i \-..-as 'to complete a COUNe of instructions ill Science and to apply such kU\.l\\'ledge to the interest of the t:oi,·,I'.'.

"Sir Bt;lndforth Grilllt'h recommended the application to the f:l.vour-uble conside~(lOn of the th~n Secretary {\f State (Lord Knutsfurd). The le~l\-e ask(>d for "-as grant'cd and on th{· :Wth June. IBc>9 _ Fer~l~o[J Jeft for En!!land \\'ith ~ir Brand­fllrth Gril1ith by the s_ .. ·.lJarb,)f)// (I)r;.l ("oursi>" of instruct{CJn in

practical Scif'nce and enterr:-d the ftoyd ::"lJrman School of Sctence a nd Hoyal ::)("hool of ~iinl's. South Ken~ington:-

Gold ('()(Lsi ~·.rpress _ Jltft~ lath t 1897 .

. Success som~ on~ h .. ""LS saId "depend...; on the powt.~!" to grdSp and make use of opportunlti~:-. as thr'y occur.' ~lnd the result of the examinatlOo of th<.> Sorrnan ,:,chool nf Science and Hoval Scbt)oJ of )llOes. 1897-00. proved beyond dL"putf' th<it .\ir _ F.:"er­gwon pO!t~es:,<:'"d in no small mt'asure both thc-- !J!1\\ r-r of gra.'P­mg :l.nU m~ing use of opportunities. The Ir;Jl'Jwing appeared in the Go\·cntmt.:nt Gazette for febru~\ry l':';!H-'The fol!nvdng t',,:tracts of Class list of the- Se-s:,uJuaI .Examinatlons of the :\"QTman School of ~C1('nce afld Royal S('h()i ,J of )Iill('S held in Soutn l\.enSllIgton, )SS!J~\.:l. :Ht' published for general infor:1.a­tion-.-\.5t:rf:nonllcal PhVSH:~". (;('-Qr2"c E. FE::rrruson. tifth in tir ... t cIa.."-S.:,1 competing", -'lining-. "L<:.:-.aying and ~Iine Sun-ey­ing, Geo rge E. Ferguson. si)..'"th in First cla.. .. s. :W competing. On completing his course in the school (If n;ine-s ~hl('h em~ braced instruction in the principles .If the ~rinm.!.?" in :'-If'tallurgy and .-\ssaying and Hl SUI\ .. eyin~ mcluding }lap and Pian Draw­ing, he returned to the Co~ony and resunlcd duty on the 2nd Sept. J 1~90. Since 1890 and up to the time of his death he had

26

been practjcally in harness devotmg all his. ener~y uod -h·\\~·r~" and appJyingsuuh knm.dedge as he had acquired 10 EIl~l<it:C. 1..

the inte-rcst of the Colony." "" His report :oiud :\lu p .... I}[: :.'H: "lK"ClaJ rnissi(111 to the hinter land in 189] and HHj~ wc.u, ("<:)u ­sidcred by t1l(' H()\:al Geographical Society a <,uf1i('wnt (:'Jntri­budon towards till' Ge-olog]eal and GeographH.:i.tl know:." 'z" of1he hintl:'rland ()f thb Cnlony to justif\ of the a' .... ~r·, ~ . !,. of it" l;ill '\lcmoT!lll Prize. a Gold \Vatch and a dipion'H \'~!":~l hf ret'(·jved" lIt.> W~l'i att a('h('d to the X('()ranza rj('t.;';I'~'I~r'r·"

durin,!! lhe\shanti Expt'dition of 1;;H5-HS9h <.lnriwU'l till. rt;" .. -p icnt of tIll' A~hantJ ~tar fm his ser..-ic,'s"

Gnld ('na'! Express, June 17th, lXW7

"Thpr<' cnn bl.: no doubt thRt in thf' COUj'""':{' of a fu\ !1Jfirt­

VCUTS. tht, Go ld l ·oa.<;t will be cons idered and rt'1r:lrded 0:1' the rll'he,t pos~l~:s:-.ioD ill the Empire,

"The :.\lll1ing' indu,try is being rapidly protnotf"d and d{~'n: l ()pl'd and owin[! tn the cn~is Hl South Africa ecriain T:1 \

linnaircs alld cupitaJisu. in Lur(Jpc urc all ..... lntL'' In IO'\.'('~I money in otJwr channels. preferring the Gnld <.. va..c:t ttl (t: . .1 -,

phwt's '-Pt'01'k who h3Y(' put money into South African )rlnli.l~

"()mpanie~ and SyooH.'atc~ art' now almost Tl'!:r<:-ttm!! wna! h"!.'\T dnn(', and an naturalh' on the look fI\lt fllr otlWT "-li~r in!!~ _ The war" Ith TnJ.l1."yaal is likelY~ t last for many Illr.·y• l\nC hUl{'r tht, dispostinn on tllt' part of many of Ow (.aprt.,d I..:t lTl 1 llrolw h· itlYt;!st in 0t1lc'r (·hannel ...

'Th(' ( .. "Id l'O;ist hcl"l!oJrl TO grca1et quantiti(; ... tIlI:lll ('olD h.

[(lund in :In~' other qw-\rter of the globe .Ineludin~ t'vt>n .\.llio -'11~; .. and l'alif~)rllin.

'\Jr. ~h-wd()nald qf the Akim Gold FJeld~ i, hl'Tt" aOt hb \York 011 t ll~ (;I.llrll\):lst call be C)uott-'d in support of ~ r''')ntcn~ that this ('ountry }s tht> rkhe::.t pos"t'(;.qnn in Uw Hr II Ernpir" '1"111'" ,l!t'llt.kman i, a mnst brilliant \\Titf"T and (':"1

~p\~'lk \\ lth ~omt' :mtJwrit~ on mnttt:'T:' pt'rt:.l.iniu,£!: t 1 U'I, rtHlntry .

(~l ld C()a.~( E.)'PTf',~,~' Drr. :!ls( ]8f1~

Tht, G()ld Con,'! TIPrt"" wa" f0\'()'<t'd by an0t',er Jall\, tht. Gold Cu{}.\'f ('ouno. whic'h (" r. t p;tn t'Xi ... tt"tH'f ~al Chrlst'lllh .. lre in ] ~Hl.) i~")r a brief spal..'E' 01 t It" The f01h \\ltlr: is ('ul\ul fr"m its \e&di,,!! "r"lde fr-r J;,,, :?lst. 1 !,),j "

'TlWTr i ... no d('lubt th~t thert" wa ... ..;; nf'Yt'Tl po- r~ ~ l\lQ\)ry l.,f thl ... f'11untn wht'tJ It wa" .. h ...... ·'!.j:- it ,":'0 rn!'\\ Pt.·n-\){~ t I finei ('n.pln:-illt'l1t"

. 'It: tilt' \Inll't'~ anrl ~tort.~ ... ")1 tl'H .. (- ~rh.

t"1'TldmH~'nl nJ<l"\ b· !H,"\HJ and th.a.-,· •. r

Ql!.q"('ll"" "";tl, ttl' .. ,' 1"" ', I"P"; of .... ' ... -rant .. l~ - ...

... cn -, l .... fO·l \. !:'I)O( ".1. H :- .. t\\ and 'f H and till.: pk,l 1'" 'TruOf i~

11'"\""t' and une" ... tn~~ 1" fhu~ ~t'ing ( 'N> 1 .. , tw -n _ltt ,C4'

ofa merchant in these days. judging from what is taking place now ib to be where you may be at any moment either told ttoat ,-our services cannot be continued. or that to remain in ,~~,-'e~ vou will have to submit to some substantial reduction or ~CI'tf·~· .. ..;- of salary." .

.. .. a bout 25 'vea~; after the " COllrier" had ceased I 'li(" '~'\ln there' was not a "daily" in this country until

'I .1~ ·,i when rHorts were made to establish one at Accra I>; "II . Kpakpa Quartey and subsequently by a European. T he de"'" neit her of which efforts were crowned with ,.,[(cess. But out of these attempts came two "dailies." ' !'<J.el;. the Gold Coast Telegraph and the Gold Coast D.': '21 S,'u.s, for only a brief existence, It was. therefore, HO t until the establishment of the Times of West Africa 1Jl i931 , through the foresight and enterprise of our esl ,'emed countryman, Dr. J, B, Danquah, Ph.D .. J_L.R. (Lond.), that the history of daily newspapers in modern times properly began III this country . Dr. D, .,q ua n is the editor,in-chiei of the" Times." a nd }Ir. ',I . ');eil -tewart-an accomplished writer-his second in command. There can be no two opinions that }Ir. D ,mquah is a born writer or journalist, although it is saId thut the journalIst is made and not born. The cosmo ­politan knowledge of afflurs as " 'ell as the literary genius a l ,d insight that belong to 111m make fHm a great journal­i~tIc force. His writings have inherent vitality. though n...t ll,,'ays free from error of judgment. The" Diary of , ,, ".1, about town" of the paper IS as stimulating and

e !'!c:ative as its " Women' , Corner."-of which }liss >1:11' , .. ie :,[ansah issupposed to be the '~Titer-is edifying, T,vre has been a good deal of controversy O\'er the ,<l"ntity of the writer of the . ''''omen's Corner" of the , Times." :Many wish to see the gifted lady "Titer in OI . ~r to satisfy their curiosit,-. But no one has ever seen her III the flesh. But perhap~ :Hiss }[arjorie }Iensah is an imaginary person just a Sir Roger de Coverly is entirely an imagll1ary person, and existed only in Addison', viVId imagination. The editorials of the "Times" are h:l.:::d to excel in literary merit, and it seems to me the :)aper has a bright futW:e before it if it can only stick to irs beautiful motto, ,. Keep on Fighting, there is more Beyond:'

28

CELU'TER Y.

'IRE :\ILSIO~ OF THE PRESS . . \.t this junctme, I wish to say a word or two as to what

,h' .",! b~ the real mission of the press. The pre<-s, as IS wt'iJ kno\m, is the etiucat"r of publIc opinlOn. B<,,,ide', the standard 0\ pDfJIH.: m,-:...i.s is largely in its keepIng. It is thus a <screq tic"" . The jo" r'1alist like the miniqer of the Go:;pel ,houl,; " iways aWl at truth and punty. lIs ;, to make thl:' 0-t:ss helpful to the cause of peaC'(; and

<lll u'1uei'Sbnamc:-, rather than to encoura!!(' sham t"" ts r-'+'''een individuals .)1' P' "'ties. I should, tDere­fore, W Cw ;',t any he,itatl<'n <:ondemn the journaltst who wou lei a h<" ',s make it a hhsiness to write on the bellIcose SIde 0- wh.)·wo,tld enco ~lra.'!e an~-thine like that.

Thl " ~:ie$ of public journali,t- are mlimfold, but they !lIe at tne same ',me plain and :nmlstakable. He who undert~kes the " punsibilit"", " f 11 public journalist must make up Le s mind t~llrJe,<ly to speak the trut]" howp,'<:,y \),tkr, and b,,:Jh"o encounter the enmitv of the po "-erfu i Generally speaking. a journal that en,inciates Its OplnIl'n ',(lut fear (IT fayOUI 1S admired and respected b,- the pubbc, JUS' iT' T'r0portion as it is detested by the

:l,)ritie~ "hose "mles It eA--poses, But a public j0urnal shuuld be ;, ;)ublic fnend. The friend of the people and the friellJ of the authorities; the champion of order and Jibe.rt~·. the 0PF,'ser of anarchy and of d"'C",ti<;m, In order to be respected a journa 1 ,hould be <,.,'c\udt'<.' . ~ u spirit A ngid irnpurtlaht~'. WltI. uecorum lJut'"ith lX)ldn\'s,. 1t shouldneit""r descend tothe mean­ness uf ~mderlD:': to the pub 1i(' passions nor say' .UIE::\'" to eY~T"-tt-\In!! ,;aid or ,1 ' De b,- rill ,;uthoritlc-s, There is no doubt that our i)ur:",~ m:J.·intall1 a Yer'- fair standard of joumu btlc integ-Tl<:' yt't there is ample room for 1m· pn"'elllent, sinC'" Slm", of them haye often had the ten­(,,,ncy ot bonkrin!! on the personal or of attackinlT each other oyer ab:urd 'tnYialities. The union of the" press

::?9

which was recently brought into being at Accra with the Hon. Dr. :\tanka Bruce as President, ::Ilr. A. J. Ocansey as Treasurer, and Mr. D. G. Tackie as Secreta ry, should be capab le of remedying the existing defects in our local journalism. But it is desirable that the scope of the union should be extended to the other provinces of the Colony in order to rna ke it more efiectiYe for the dllficult task '~hieh it. has set itself.

80

CfI_\PTER YI.

CO};"CLUSIO~ .

In conc bIding this hrief historical narrative. it is a source of gr8.tification to me to obsen-e that the jOllrnals of this country do not lall behind slmtlar Journals of other colontes of \Yest Africa as to literary matter. get up. and tinish. This optnlOn finds a happy corrohN'ltion in the report of the Hon. \Y. G .. \. Ormsby-Gon- 'f.P. (Parliamentary Fnder-Ser'T{'tacy of State for the ColonIes) on his viSIt to \\ c'st UrICH uuring the year l(J:!6. III that report the former 'Cnder-Secretaf'- - of 'itate for the CoJOInes seem,; to 11<1\ e paid a higcr tribute to the l."ld Coast journals than' () the jO\lrnals of other colonies of \\ est ,\fnc>t. In polities there lS. perhaps. no countr.,- III

,rest Africa to heat the lTolrl Coast; ancl since JournalIsm 1S the daughter of Ptllitics, It is. perhaps, not surprising that tile liold Coast ,\fncan h,1' :ill along shown such a marked apbtlHk to'Y:lnb Journalism also ~ Let the youth of tltts conntn-. theretore, not for[!'et the intellectual and journalistic t~adittons !tnd presttge of their country, and striv,~ to roll"w the fo()tprlnts 0[' their great ancestor,.; on the ,ands of tllne

T,)o l11\ll'h cannot be said in gratitude and pra"e to these "'hsters of (~old Coast Journalism" thrDugh whose "It-den\-i",,! erforts and legible penmanship we nre b\' l;, ,,1' -, grae what we are. Arc.! too much cannnt be saHI In honour of James Bre"-. :\lensah Sar\mh. Ca,e\y Ha\'f"rd and _"-ttoh Alluma, who p",sessed ttl a ljig-hl;- culb\ atcd deg-ree that sl:\.-th sense of innlltlon. which '0 mysteriously approximates to a prescl' 'Iwe of th~ future-for their bold leadership and infectIOUs enthUSIasm ttl the journalistic arena _ It is ob,-ions that we owe a great d,'bt of gratitude to our jonrna b f,), the quality of literary food and political protectl\)ll which they have. from tune to time, been'pro­"iding for the public. We are indebted to them fOT their

31

~~ t'<'''::)O"lt

• c." n t<!t!l'

h)" r

.\-,:.

~ .... !,. • t

,..t....", \ ~l..!!;1.r:?" 'lr,!

".~ 1) c: l.1:l('ln ,

,)L.L :..:.1 s.,..o:;

I~ ka':;' -;;;t· '·.1.f. .:' ..... d

("i·b .l.el::;,

• '"), ~ 110:1 n· ..... ;·~:

.i l ) ;\' I ':"' . .;.:r th/'"~ a

'ed ·.L,;·i,.Li;~'~ !-hat 'I}'] 1, ,,:'.i J.!c.ef

'l.; t. 1 ,.. "i::"i.~' t i r

~t:: Uf':t'"Cifl:l 'l"'~

)·...:.s 0rac-' .es of :.2tJ n

\'<- ~Vf'), d :i:' I~' S..:L.­

it, i~ a .. ~ (j, ~ntly to

~rld to·das -. e' i')l ,+ is '!'l~;-:)t e

·\:·C.-:-;Sltlc-~ of '~ne .( pd1g WIth

~ong-st liS.

t: '':;'('' TJ.::'; .. Yffi

"~,1 [H "t.!£ [C' -<iLl.

'11,; i." P:.!.rl~es. :(" ~, . '\[, ,t'~('~riand

;, 1- '.;' \ ·'~l: a.' .1

::·~d f eVt'n'- "vlli:~"'.. "t:~! •• 1 ) U~"~~'I 1)1: . ) f lC

"':!lll)[ OGe of t~he CnclrR.. :i('f'S: ....... '.al..::e!Speare. WflO

,. r Ci!:r:; do all that ~n2'" heCOT~:.;L man. fho dazes do nlore j.~ - IHFte.'