Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1848-01-28


rican people, throughout the whole extent OF the coun
try, that IL they chose To take hold IN their respect
i've States, and in constitutional aud proper man
ner il was competent for thcm and who could doub
that il was competent Tor the government to carry ou
the purposes oi colonization tar ms to transport al
the Tree persons oi color. and all who may bc cmnnci
gated either by authority OF the states or 10y nv'i
Individuals That Il demonstration has been made.
But il is urged and particularly by one class of oii
opponents. 10 whom have referred, that this is the
country oi the slavcot the black aIof the African
racc-ind therefore he ought not to be sent to Airi
ca. which is not this country Why, gentlemen Of the
s,ricty, in some sense, undoubtedly all Africans
born in the United States n,ny claim this ms theii
country. And so could all the Isracli,cs, who were
born in Egypt during their captivity, hive claimed that
as their country could ali the lsraces born in the
wilderness during their progress from the land Of bon
dngc to the promised land Still in the contemplation
Of that Being who directed and guided the dcsiinics o
TINT most rrnrkaplc people, Egypt not the
try Of the lsracites. the wilderness either but Gu
mann, the promised land was the land to which they
constantly looked as their home. tApplause)
Who can doubt that in a similar sense Africa s the
the casualty Of birth, has placed them upon ihi:
continent There they were placed, and there they
were found. until torn from their land by lawlcss
violence. Here they have been brought here they
cannot remain in peace and contentncnt--l speak o
the Tree portion OF the race here they cannot happily
remain. And does 1t not seem to be one Of the dsi,ei-
saiios Of an allwise Providence, that those who had
been orcibly brought from their native country should
I've carried back to ii, in order 10 fulfil the Just and holy
purpose which verify believe, IL il he not prcsunptu-
GUS To express the sentiment, is part OF his awst
though iIiscrutalc providence But the separation d
the Tree people of color, with their own cons. from
the whites Of this country is moi merely recommended
by their good and the good Of the whites, but recon-
iciidcd by otler and, il possible higher co'rsdera
tons: Africa lay in balhaiisn worsl'lling unknown
and forbidden gods Africa was without the lipl,t o
civilization, and without the benefit and light OF Chris
iiany. Those who together in consultation up.
on the subject Of forming colonies in Africa, saw not
only that great good would be accomplished by the
moyal OF free people OF color, with their own consent
to that distant land, in the fact that it would indeed
elevate them To the character OF rccmcn and restore
To them rights which it was impossible for them here
to cnjoy-but that they wou Id carry along with them
knowledge Of our holy REGION and all the benefits Of
the arts and sciences and civilization. What religious
sec, in all Chrisendon is there that does not take n
deep interest, in obedience to the commands of Holy
Writ, in sending forth missionaries Ot the for the
conversion OF the heather. Now fellow citizens, VIVA,
missionaries are so poent-who can le as well calc,i.
lated To effect the grand purposes Of missionary excr
tion ns those Of the same racc--thc bloOdthe
same common anccstry-the same sympathcs-tIle
sn,,,e feelings and affections, those among whom
they labor At this very moment, there arc be.
tween Hour and five thousand colonsts which have
been sent under the auspices OF the American Col
oniZnion Society, to Africa and ! venture to say
TINT. in time, they will missionaries engaged in the
propagation Ot Christianity, accomplished more, per-
haps than any equal number Of missionaries dispersed
through oil quarters OF the globe. What have We
OF public worship in Leria, dedicated to the same Tod
aud Savior whom We worship. Twenty-Five places
OF public worship already, and thousands Of the
tives are rushing into the republic in order to obtain
the benetit OF education, knowledge OF tho arts and
in time the benefits of Christianity themselves will be-
instilled into their hearts.
Now, feluw-citizens, these were among the great
objects which had in view when thirty one years
ago, as has been stated to You repeatedly in the
OF this evening, we met together, in coistIltat lion
established this Society, and few years afterwards
finding that the purchase might be made advantage
Ousy Ui suitable territory for our object an agent was
sent to Africa. Alter that acquisition Of the land
three or four years afterwards, thnk-abOu twenty
five years agothe first colonies transported from
various portions OF this country to the shores Of the
land Of their ancestors know that il was then urged
ms it has since been urged, again and again. that there
are other places to which the coosts might be sent
with equal IT not with greater advantage. do not
concur IN that opinion Looking at the item of ex
pense nlon- Africa is the most suitable and inviting
place. You have been told, this evening" that fifty
dollars will cover the expenses incurred in transport
ing the eInigran TO Liberia and in supporting him
for six months after his arrival a, his final home. To
what other part OF the world could you send emf
grant upon cheap terms! Certainly to the Pa
cifc-to no part of Oregon, or OF Mexico, Of any
other part o this contlncntO no other country be-
lcvc. Looking, besides, at your advantages ot
gallon, the shortness Of the voyage with which your
object can bc accomplished, il is evident that to no
other portion OF the habtabe globe could You send
igrants with the same economy and advantage. Send
these great high moral and religious considerations,
the unity OF which, with the object Of separating the
free classes Of colorcd people from those with whom
they can never mngle and nmaigamate, happily TOR
both partes constitutes one OF the choicest coslrra
tons with the operations of this Society
These considerations can be- secured only by sending
the cmigrnns to Africa itself.
II is said that the purpose OF colonization, even if
il undertaken by the government se could not
accomplish the Object Of Transporting the free colorcd
people OF the United States. Why, gentlemen oi the
Society, am not greatly mistaken, into the single
port at New York there came, during the last year,
emigration to an amount almost equal to the annual
increase, perhaps greater than the annual increase, OF
the free people OF color in the United States. That
done voluntarily and upon the great motive 81 all
human actlon Why have the Germans and the Irish
and other European foreigners iucked to our shores
unaided, AT least, with liicoislderahc aid on the
part either oi their respective governments, ar ndlyi
,unls upon their own private resources Why
have they ilnckcd here III such numbers not only Ia
equal believe, the annual increase Of the nee people
o color, but TO approximate To an equality with the
annual lIcre;is' O all the African bond and Tree
in the United States They have here simply
under n law ol our nature. They have come here Ii
pursuance OF that great and controlling motive Of u
man action which procls man into all his great enter
prisrs. They have come here 10 better their condi-
ton. and hope they will better their condition. Cap
pause) And 81 il the free people OF color were 10 IL
transported from the United Suites to Africa would
not their condition, physically, morally, politically
socially, liz infinitely better than II Is here II is II
vain to attempt TO eradicate their feelings which keel
asunder the two colors II is in vain Tor the office al
philosophy, of humanity, Of bcneyoencc, or Of an,
other Office To attempt To establish what is an ute
Observation-Disclosures bringing together OF two race,
which God himself, by the difference OF color ant
other constitutional circumstances has declared, ough
TO lie kept separate. (AIlhusc)
While We send them back to Africa not by volcnc,
noi by coercion, not against their will but with ihei
own consent, let say the Aboironists and to h
other cxtremc,-to all men, why should not the ire,
colorrd Africans, residing amongst rs have the option
OF gong TO Africa or remaining III the United States
Well, that option is all that we propose to them. w
tell them the Kind oi country to which wish then
to 60. We furnish them, in the vessels OF the society
with the means oi transportation. The emigrant
supported tor some months alter his arrival there
and il Ut his rce-will and volitiun hc chooses 4
co. why should any one interpose AN obstacle To tn
enjoyment Of his own pleasure upon that subject
know ii is sometimes said that il is cruelty To SEN
those poor creatures 10 AiTicatha the climate IL IN
hosptable-lliat sickness and death soon overtak
them there, aud TINT II is act ot the creates, nh
! mainly To transport them To that country. ] We
know gentlemen Of the society, that records bcu
the most gratifying testimony on that SUBJECT IN Il,
colony at jamestown IN Virginia, alter II had bee
established seventeen years, and after nine thousan
colonlsts had been sent out, fifteen thousand pound
sterling had been expended there were only two tho,
sand colonsts remaining. All the rest had fallen vic
tins either to the caie, 10 the savage or to Oh
change OF condition into which they were brougll
TO to the other memorable colony established upo
this conlincnt-ihe colony Of Plymoutll-and thin
history reads II do not mistake IN my recollection
its testimony That in less than months after the u
rival oi the colonsts, moiciy O them, one full hall
them, had been dcslroycd-lied from disease, iroI
want and from, suffering Well now compare tho,
two colonies with the colony OF Liberia, aud what
the result Why fellow citizcns IN twenty hive yea
during which eniigranis have been transported iro
THIS country to Liberia, the total deaths amount only
about twenty per cent on the amount Of emigration