Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1845-09-05
NEGRO COLONIZATION.

1t is known TO most Of our readers that,
for some years back. the. "American Co.
lonizaton Society," has been endesvoring
to establish Colonies Of manum,ted blacks.
sent from the United States, on the coast
Of Africa. In Lyberia, a regular built ne
gro republic, whose citizens have princi-
pally gone from the United States, is now,
and has been for some time past, in ope-
ration. Whether the black man, under
any circumstances, would be capable of
self-government is a problem which has
been much discussed. For our own part
we think that he is not. We think tina,
his mental faculties are just as mishapen
and as unfinished, as is his physical con-
formation. TO this conclusion have we
come, as we'll from the pas. history of the
negro race, as from orr daily and hourly
observation of the character of his mind.
With regard to the progress which the
American blacks are making in the path of
civilization, now that they are transpianted
to the land of their fathers, the abolition
papers, as a matter of course, give the
most f1attering accounts. The following
extract from letter published in the New
Orleans Picayune of the 25lh nit. "from
ON board man of war;" gives. we think,
more faithful account of this progress.
We publish 1t because we think il will be
read with interest by our subscribers:
"Touching their capacity for seIf-govern-
ment, We have only to resort to selfevident
facts from which to draw conclusions In the
year 1886 was at three of the principal Set.
Elements Of manumtted slaves-from Mary
land, Virginia, and other States on the wes-
tern coas: of Africa. Our ship lay three weeks
al Cape Mesurado, off the town Of Monrovia.
which is the Virginia Colony, and one of the
earliest settled on the coast; and there We nat
urally expected to find the negroes in ccm-
Portable and furnishing condition, but the
prospect was uncheery. The first day or
shore convinced me that the negro, as a free
agent, striving to establish civilized com.
munity. was like tame goose endeavoring tc
persuade wild flock from using their wings
when they became dissatisfied with terra fir
mo. The town was very prettly laid out, the
streets crossing each other at right angles, anc
many of the houses we'll built and airy, bu
: tuo pOpuIdtlOn were all IDLE, and the long rank
grass IN their highways and byways. The
principal street showed but pathway, along
which the citizens idly sauntered; and, aitho
the soil surrounding was rich and alIuvial. NJ
appearance Of cultivation greeted our vision
There were many schools and meeting.hou
ses, and the children were being educated, ane
the women We're bowling and praying in tn,
most enthusiastic religious frenzy, alnos
nightly; but the men were all high dignita
, ries; they were governors. and Judges, ant
justices, and generals, and colonies, &C., &c.
and scarcely negro visited the ship that wa
not clothed with the badge of Office, or decke'
= with the insignia of rank. With the surgeon
: OF the regiment was in ecstacies. He wa
two shades blacker than any negro in Africa
and crammed to the muzzIe with the viles
> pomposity. The rank of surgeon did not en-
title him to very gorgeous uniform. an
= therefore he had that Of colonel included, an
no caricature that ever have seen Of negr
officer would compare with him as he stritte
on the quarterback with the captain of the fri
gate, or argued with our surgeon on the disea