Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1842-07-13
PROSPERITY OF LIBERIA.

eonuHlou sOEkne aC0l0nIZatlOn Society s
paradise for coi6fed men was given from
q former agent oil thesocietv. This week
another witness may speak; the editor o.
The Liberia Herald. the paper of the colo
ny. The following is the leading edit.
oral OF that paper. dated Nov. 2Oth, 1871.
Z may be as well to add here, that the
Herald-thoogh very small paper, is
sued only twice mon.h-can not find
support IN the colony, but depends on as
slstance from this country, for power TO
drag on. It's languishing lite, and even with
what It gets here, seems likely to perish
OF starvation. The editor complains that
II has been losing concern ever since he
has had anything TO do with it, Voice of
Freedom. - =
/" At this time, as it is impossible to saw
with any degree of certainty, it NAV be
proper to conjecture what course the So
ciety a, home will adopt to revive the
dropping interest of the colony. That the
colony is in feeble state, no one, not
even its warmest and most enthusiastic
friends, will deny. But that lis condition
is worse than might years ago have been
predicted, haG the bearing and relation Of
events and circumstances been foreseen
and taken into account, admits of ques-.
lion. The present depressed state OF the
colony is the legitimate result OF natural
and moral deficiencies and evils inherent
10 the system; whose combined negative
(if we may so speak, and positive effect
has engendered our misery. La lie early
stage of our colony. the liberal benefac-
tons Of the Society to all classes in need
of help, or who chose to appeal to her
charitv-the fat donation of private benevo-
lists. the profuse allowance to emigrants,
and the occasional arrival of one who
would jingle dollar in his pocket, served
to keep up kind Of excitement and stare
absolute proyerty out of countenance..-
Trade, at that time. though not larger in
amount with the natives, was engrossed
entirely with the colonists. No foreigner
thought of baftering with the natives
Merchandise, to large amounts, was readily
credited 10 the settlers, for barter with the
aborigines, andzlo be paid for at an accom-
modating time. Profits then were high !:
and the trade being almost exclusively in
the hands of the settlers they were ena-
hled to keep prices steady and firm But
the times are changed The little fond
ling, supposed to have attained the state of
adolescence, no longer enjoys the smiles
Of its foster parent, and the lullaby of liber.
al donations to all who ma ask, or really
need, is no longer thrust into his mouth,
to stop its. piteous wailing. The subject of
the colony having now become trite, and
no longer able to excite, many of its early
and ardent friends have turned TO new
sources Of phrensv. Others, equal in in
consistency, and differing only in their
mode Of procedure, disappointed in their
expectation that the colony would at once
attain the stature and strength of manhood,
have turned lin despair. Men of
pecuniary and moral worth. have ceased
10 come out. The composition of foreign
ers in the native trade, has annihilated US
almost to unit. They press closely
upon US, on every side, and wherever a
tooth. of ivory, kentle OF eanWood, or a
knoo of oil is to be found, there you will
find the foreigner ready 10 barter for it in
exchange for merchandise, at shade less
in price than he would sell them to u.s. -
To this there are some honorable exeep-
tons. A few captains, regarding our con-
dition. refuse to sell to the natives at prices
less than we have established. Others,
again, boast of their superiority In this
respect and openly avow their intentiorl to
break Us down, by running. the trade
The extent Of this evil can only be realiz
ed by those who know that the price
once reduced, can never be raised. The
natives understand Less In The price of
their purchases. but MORE, by. no course
Of reasoning, no .alledged combination Of
clrcumstance can you bring them to COM
prehend. b What, then, is to be. done; is
the question frequently asked. Keep out
foreigners, saws enc, and hold the trade in
our own hands. But are We abe 10 keep
them out; will not a seizure and confisca.
ton. ofploperty involve US in a dispute
And are. we able to contend with any but
ourselves We have been whole year
fighting a few refractory spirits in our
midst. We have conquered them, il is
true but it is to be apprehended that,
| Phenix-like, they will spring from their
own ashes, and force US again into the
field. There are no people on Garth with
whom we can contend. with even MIN
ic hope of success, but these dastardly
Devs around Us, who not unfrequently run
from the report of their own FIRE. Then
betake yourselves to the soil, says the
Ignorant SPECTATOR There is the source,
sure. unfailing source Of competence and
independence. and this be commands,
with all the assurance and complacency
of al oracle. We are not, however, so
Ignorant Of political economy. as not to
know this fact The difficulty does mol
consist in ignorance. but in. weakness and
poverty. Let the people, one and all
Immediately turn themselves to farming.