Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-10-22

The two free men Of color who were delegated
BY the free people Of color Of Natchez, in the
state of Mississippi, to visit Liberia in Africa,
stopped for twoor three days last week 10 this ci-
ty on their return home from Liberia. They ex-
press themselves greatly grati6ed with their trip,
and are now on their way home for the purpose
of making arrangements to return early next
spring, taking their families with them, aud max
king permanent settlement, in that colony They
were kept constantly engaged while here answer
ing the many questions propounded to them by
the coored people OF the city respecting the CO.
lony of Liberia, aud they seemed TO take great
! p'easure IN Answering, conversng and giving any
information IN their power upon the subject
! However we will let them speak for themselves
by inserting below, the following letter we re-
ceved rom them, as they were about taking their
departure from this ciiy.-FredeHck Times.
FREDERIcK, Oct. 18th, 1882.
! DEAR Slain 4 conversation we had with you
few evenings agu, you requested US to give you
short sketch Of trip to Liberia in Africa. -
Being much pleased and delighted with our trp
and the warm friendship expressed by you for the
great and good cause Of Combinations; gives US
pleasure in furnishing you with au account as
far as our feeble abilities will enable US.
! Having been requested by the people Of CO.
Tor of Natchez, to visit and see the true state of
things in Liberia, and report To them the pros
poets The free peop'e of color of the United
States would have IN making settlement in that
Colony. in compliance with their request, we
set out from Ndtchez, on the Slst of March last,
and after pleasant trip Of about As days alter
we left the American shore. safely anchored
at Monro,a on the S0h June, aud there we re-
manned diligently engaged in making inquiries
aud observations for thu space of three weeks
Ever, facility wa, given us t0 examine fully in
to the aifaiIs. ard we found that such were their
! happy and prosperous condition., their kindness
and hospitality, that we truly sorry that we
were so citcumstanced, as not to be able to re-
main longer with them. Sir. as soon as we plac.
ell our feet upon the soil OF Liberia. we felt as it
We were born agan--we felt as freemen, and
! for the first time was about to enjoy in the true
sense vi the word, Life, Liberty aud Iudepsn-
,lence. 1t is only necessary for person TO be
one hour on that happy land to see and be salts
fed, that the people there enjoy, and possess
more truly the spirit OF Liberty, than thy posi-
! bly, can q the United States under any circum.
stance.
There they have no other and look to no other
superior but their God. and it gave me pleasure
to see with what confidence and obedience they
looked to him. As respects their manner and
mode of living, think it may truly be said
of them that they live under their own Vine and
FIG Tree. We have seen hundreds and thous-
| ands in the United States with thousands of dol
lars in their pockets, who do not live near as
comfortably as great proportion in Liberia.
| Although we had great accounts of Liberia be.
fo:e we set our, YET, Sir. every thing exceeded
our expectations, We were surprised when we
stepped into their houses, to find their rcoms well
furnished and the flours handsomely carpeted.
There are five schools, two Of which visited,
and were highly delighted with the discipline Of
the school, and the Improvement Of the scholars.
In reference 10 the moral state Of the Colony, 1t
gives us pleasure to say we found them strictly
moral, and as a proof. we only met with one who
was the least anfen,perne. and but two who used
profane language. All strictly attentive to church
and the observance Of the Sabbath; every time
we attended church, there could not have been
less than from three TO four hundred IN the con-
grega'ion.
We yisiiei the poor house, aid found there
four sick and infirm persons, one pf whom made
a good deal of complaint. for want of supplies
and attention. We found only two other per-
sons in the Colony who expressed any dissatis
fat ton. and we had much reason to doubt whe-
Their thev had good cause tor 1t. You asked us
about the produce OF tnt SOLVE IDuUu growing
pepper, corn, rice, sugar cane, cassida. pantains
cotton. finer in quality than we saw in the
Mississippi. oranges, lines. coffee, peas. beans.
sweet potatoes. water-meons, cucnmbers, snus.
of, bananas. and many other fruits and vegeta.
be.; aud as to the fertility of the soil. we think
it much like that of the Mississippi. They have
also cattle, sheep. goats. SWINE and poultry, in
great abundance. In reference to the seasons,
We were there in what is called the rainy season
talthough it rained hard only once for hall an
hour while we were there) and instead of the heat
being oppressive, we had constantly hne breeze,
which made the air as cool as at Natchez the
last of September.
We have dwelt longer than we expected,
when we commenced this letter, but the subject
is so pleasing to US, that we scarcely known when
to stop. However, we now come to- cOnclu-
sion BY saving, that the strongest proof we can
give of our delight and qualification with the Co.
lony is. that We now are on our way to Natchez,
with full determination and the permission OF
our God, to make arrangements for an immedi-
ate removal and settlement of ourselves and Ia