Merlin endorsed gradual African progress but rejected Diagne’s demand for immediacy.

Evidence

In lamenting past policies and assumptions and thinking up ways to prevent future attacks on French authority, Merlin was not suggesting, however, that the aspirations of this new elite be ignored altogether. To the contrary, just as he was envisaging some form of power sharing with chiefs, the governor general also recommended that the evolues be given their own say in decision making. In a confidentialletter to the minister, written while Diagne was mounting his campaign for political equality for Africans, Merlin insisted that he certainly “did not oppose” the goals the evolues and Diagne stood for. “I told [M. Diagne],” Merlin continued, “that we had the same ultimate objective, that of encouraging the progress of the indigenous populations along the path of civilization.” Rather, Merlin explained, he opposed Diagne’s means: “What separates us is the question of extent … he wants to go too fast, while I intend to show consideration for the transitions.” And Merlin concluded, “In point of fact, I am firmly convinced that reasonable and carefully considered democratic measures are likely to engender, to the benefit of civilization, more solid and lasting habits [acquisitions], than measures inspired by a demagoguery that is as imprudent as it is utopian.” — Alice L. Conklin, A Mission to Civilize_ The Republican…, 669

Categorization

Category: Causal Relationships

• DEFINE: Clarifies the gradualism vs. immediacy fault line in French colonial policy toward African elites.
• QUESTION: Worth exploring: how did Diagne’s campaign for political equality ultimately fare against Merlin’s gradualism, and did this tension prefigure later decolonization debates?

Related

• Merlin claimed to share Diagne’s ends but opposed his pace of reform (similarity 0.93)
• Merlin recommended giving educated Africans a voice in decision making (similarity 0.81)
• Merlin argued Africa needed French-imposed discipline to avoid relapsing into barbarism (similarity 0.81)
• French administrators shifted to power-sharing with chiefs to avert future rebellions. (similarity 0.78)