Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-11-07
L.om "a. Richmond Enquirer.

pie are deeply impressed with the necessity 81
getting rid, as speedily as possible, OF the Tree
peopIe of color No one feels the necessity more
deeply than do; few have felt 1t longer; none
rejoice more heartily at observing that The sent,
ment is becoming general hope the effect VIII
be TO lead our thinking men, deeply to mediate
on this subject. 1t will not suffice to says ''ieave
Virginia. place must be provided to winch
they can go. If any one surprises tina, our SIS
ter States would permit such an addition 10 the'r
colored population, as would be produced py Tue
emigration of forty or fifty thousand tree negroes
from Virginia, with those which will be driven
out from the other Southern States, l can only
say that entirely differ from h'm. ana that
suspect he has not very deeply pondered the les
son which the Providence mob has taught
Would it be wise, if it were PRACTICAL TO senu
them TO Canada, there to add to the strength oil a
people, who, upon the principles which have al
WAYS governed nations, will in few years, las
soon as the grst!e of their infant state is hardened
become,our natural enemies, UNLESS the previous
coming of the millennium shall cause the spear
to be beaten into the pruning hook, and nations
n learn war no more? Does not prudence
tell us also, that Canada is too near to our own
borders 4 negro nation in Haytl, and negro
tribe in Canada, would be very undesirable neigh
bors These objections would apply most forci.
bly, to their settlement on any portion OF this con-
tinent east of the Rocky Noun tans; and the en-
pense of their removal to territory west OF those
mountains would be i:,;oierable.
It perhaps deserves notice, that immediately
after the suppression Of Gabriel's insurrection,
our Legislature felt, as people now feel, the
Importance of removing the ice negroes. In
! 1901, resolution YVES passed, nstructinS Mr.
Monroe, then governor OF the Commonwealth,
to consult the President, Mr.. Jefferson. on the
prac,icabity of procuring on the coast OF Africa.
a territory to which our free people OF color might
be sent. The disturbed state of Europe at that
time, rendered the scheme abortive and 1t seems
never afterwards to have taken deep hoM on
the public mind IN Virginia, until since the South
ampton massacre. Ineeed, | have sometimes
thought that in this matter, we Virgnans are not
unlike the Spaniard. of whom | have read, IN
whose house a traveller once sought refuge from
a stor,n.-Finding that the vain rushed through
the roof slmost us freely as fell from the clouds,
the traveller asked him Why he did not repair his
| roof. "You would not have me undertake 1t in
such weather as this" asked his host" No."
was the answer, ''but you should do il in dry
weather." he replied, lit is quite unnecessary;
thi, roof answers every purpose In dry weather. Z"
! But the thought suggested in 1901, though, as
il have said, it never afterwards, until lately,
seemed to take deep hold on the public mind,
was never entirely lost. In 1911, Mr.. Jeiler-
son, expressed IN letter to MIR. John Lynd.
the opinion that colonization on the East Of AtrI-
ca. as the most desirable measure that could be
adopted, far gradually drawing off this part Of
! our population; the most advantageous for them,
| as well as for US. He spoke OF 1t not as an idea
due to him, but one Of which he had long thought,
and on which he had fully made up his mind
| In 1916, the Legislature Of Virginia passed re-
solution land believe by vote nearly unani-
mous) having in view the same object at which
their predecessors had aimed in 1901. The OBJ
iect was at this time attained; territory was
pro, urpd and Colony planted. Our State has.
believe, on two or three occasions, manifested
the favor with which she regarded the Colony,
of Liberia, by presents from The public stores;
but she has never vet embarked in the enterprise
with the zeal and energy. which suspect she
is now prepared to manifest. 1t appears to me
that the Colonization society has already done al
most all that could reasonably have been expect
ed of private association. 1t has provided ter
rtorv it has planted a colony has establish
ed a regular government over its territory-it
has given Just and equal laws to Its citizens
it has seen them able TO defend themselves
against any hostile attack which could be expect
edit has seen the Institutions of religion and
of elementary literature, spring up among them
it has seen their agriculture thrive as fast as
the unprecedented profits Of their commerce,
and the high wages earned by their mechanics,
would permi'-it has seen them an industrious,
moral, enterprsing, and thrifty community
There is reason too, to believe, that their terri
tory may be almost indefinitely extended; not by
| war and the determination of the natives. as
that of our fathers was; but by treaties lairly
made and faithfully observed: by impartins to
the natives. the arts of civilized life, and the re.
liglon of the Gospel, and by receiving them as
members to the communities to which they Will
have been so deeply indebted. In short, the CO.
lony OF Liberia is 0ow the nucleus around which
tree, and happy. and virtuous community may
grow; and all that is required of our people is
TO transport Our free co!ored population thlther
Ii it be said that the expense Of this removal is
greater than we can bear, reply, that the ex-
pense is as little as the expense of removal to any
other place. where they would cease to be formi-
dable 70 us. If it is necessary that they should
be removed. it is necessary that this expense
should be incurred, and we who asked for their