Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-02-07


of the subject with pleasure, and with the conf
dent hope, that shall be able to rcmo,o all diff.
Guilty from tive have heard various parts of
the world spoken of proper for the purpose. Our
own possessions west OF the Rocky Mountains-
uavti--othcr West India lslands--and even the
acquisition of Texas, If practicable, has been alu-
died TO as desirable which to place an inicrvcn-
inc sable nation between the States of this Union
and Mexico. To all these, there arc, in my opn-
ion insupcrablc objections. Ir residence our
own Continent were not ltsUli objectionable, the
climate of our territory on the Columbia river, or
elsewhere that Coast, Is too cold TO permit the
/ existence of African descendants. To send them
there would be but lcgalizod butchery. Texas is
out of the question. 1t can probably not be
ourcd by Government for any purposes, and
/ If we owned il already, IL would be ilnpolitic
in itsclfa unjust to our adjoining Southwestern
states, where slavery exists, to attempt to locate
such population so near to them. They would
never conscn, to it. ilayti might receive
| few, but is inadequate III lis capacities to the
demand. AS for the English West in3;a Is
! lands, they Mr.. Speaker, arc, l think L can
lorcscc, to be free in few years. Yes, Sir if
the Reform Bill should pass in the British Pariia-
| mcnt ono of the first measures oftho Reformed
| Government Will be, the abolition o! slavery in the
| West Indies. If it docs not pass, there will be
revolution in the Govcrnmcnt-and, III either
event, freedom will DC established in the West
Indies. That some of our colourcd population
may find resting place there, is indeed probable;
but whether it would be desirable to place very
large portion of them there, if could, is Qucs
ton for reflection, which do not deem it pcces
sary to discuss. But, Sir, whatever additional ia
cities may present themselves A fricG-yos, Sir
prosecuted and injured Africa-is, of all regions
on the Globe, tho appropriate place for
the deportation of African descendants.
Let us translate them To those realms from which,
IN evil times, under inauspicious influences, their
! fathers were unfortunately observation-disclosures.
| ly Tor both parties-unfortunatcl for them and
! Their dcscendants-but much more unfortunately
Tor those among whom an angry Providence per-
united them to be placed. Mr.. Speaker the idea
oil restoring these people 10 the region in which
nature had planted them, and TO whose climate
she had fitted their constitutions-thc idea Of be-
nohting not only our condition and their condi-
ton by the removal, but making them the means of
carrying back TO great continent lost in the pro-
foundcst depths of savage barbarity, and uncon,
! scious OF the existence even of the God who
ated them-not only the arts, and comforts, and
multiplied advantages of civilized life, but what
Is OF more value than ala knOWlcdu of true re
| Observation-Disclosures of Il Rcdecmcr-is one of the
grandest and noblcst, one of the most expansive
and glorious ideas which ever entered into the inn
i aglnation OF man. The nccption--whcthcr to
the philosopher, the statesman the philanthropist
or the chrstian--of rearing up a COLONY which is
! to be the nucleus around which future emigra-
ton Will concentre, and open all Africa TO civil.
zaion and commerce, and science and arts and
! rcllgIcn-whcn "Ethiopia shall stretch out her
hands," indeed is one, which warns the heart
with delight.
Does Africa, then, afford the facilities and cana.
| cllleS Tor receiving them? Sir, the little COLONY
OF Liberia alone, founded by private association
WIN limited means, having to encounter the pre-
JUDGES OF thousands in our own country who
would never examine its real objects or PRINCIPLES
| OF action-and which had TO subdue numerous
disadvantages, within and without, incident to tho
infant c%crtion, has prospered already beyond all
calculation. 1t contains at present n popuotion
! OF about = 1O0-has established wholesome insti
tutions and laws-establishcd commercial rcla
tions with the surrounding Trbes-and already
/ Il IN inf,
OF Africa. 1t Is said by men who know its cond
ten, and are not enthusiasts, to be in more
! prosperous condition than any other colony which
| has been founded III centuries. Its ADVANTAGES
were dishcartcning-but not so great n s orr own
| ancestors had to encounter, when they landed at
Jaihcstown. You are aware, Sir, that the no.
! sessions Of the Colony now, extend from the
traiiinas river, en- the North, to the Territory of
kroo Settra, on the Coast which is South Of it.
! distance of $50 miles in enmth-a nd that tho
country already under its actual Jurisdiction, ey-
tends 100 miles along the Coast, from Grand Cane
Mount, near the mouth of he Pissou rive, to Trade
town. The possessions already acquire d by this
/ private company, are capable of containing thou =
sands OF inhabl;ants-but why should we confine
our observation to them? Regions of intermina
Die extent, and possessing great advantages, can be
acquired IN Africa almost for song. In one
treaty, we could obtain territory enough to hold
every negro in the Unitod Statcs-much more
thosc in Virginia.-It is true we are very mper-
1ectly acquainted with the geography of he inter
!
much additional light the information which
we formerly possoSscd-We know that there arc
dt some distance IN the interior, very extensive
regions, peopIcd by sparse and wandering tribes
winch are extremely fcrtile-and as healthy from
all appearances, as any other tropical climate 4
letter was not long since received from DR. Mech
I'm, the resident Colonial Agent, who had pro-
ceeded up the Measurable river to IFS source He
there found that the head waters OF the junk river
were In the same ncighbourhooh He returned
mrs Iton tic -
great distance, to its mouth, less than forty miles
rom MonroyIa; and to his great surprise, found
IL vide and noble stream, capable of any inland
navigation, and bordcred by extensive plains of
rich ana valuable land-oXhibiiing appearances
similar TO the lands seen in tracing James river
from CITY Point to the Ocean. I'm providing other
tracts OF territory, through the agency Of the fcdc
RAJ government, for the reception of any
future increased number of cmigrants, Sc
iectons could be made, so iudiciously, as
with little expense, to give us the entire con.
troi OF the whole southwest coast of Africa-en
able us forever to put down tie slave trade-and
pace the native tribes of the interior in depend
ence on the settlers from America. The present
colony owns most of the valuable harbors now if
any OF them can be called so, on an extended line
or coast BY acquiring the Island of Buama, for
instance, la policy which recollect 10 have seen
somewhere recommended in the mouth Of the RI,
Grandc, and within short run from, the Cane do !
'crds, and the point a which vessels from the,
usually touch, on the North OF the Enc -, ,..tI,
mem OF sierra Leone, whj"' rom causes well
"noerSlood' has never 'onrishod--aud can never
possess an extended influence. and also ob.a7'j.oi
ape Falmas, on the southern extremity of the
southwest codSt-we should have frontier which
would include the mouths of the Rio Grandc-fhc
GamDia--Nuncs, ana Pongos, Sierra Leone. Cane
Mount and the Kroo nation, which constitutes
snG only native seamcn Of Africo. We should
mod TIE commercial key of the whole South and
west coasts and far East as tho Blight Of Biar,,
ana control as we pleased the trade of fhe Can
0a, the Senegal, and CIV en- of the Nircr-tl,aI Two.
Ty coast and the Gold Coast. So sir Of all clio