Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1849-01-22
LAGOON No. VII.

Ject OF African Colonization has long been me-
qulvocal and well defined. Her Legislature in
Dec, 1oOu, adopted resolution in secret session,
requesting the Governor, James Monroe, to cor.
| respond with the President of the United States.
nos Jefferson. to procure lands in Africa or some
other lorelgn country, for this purpose The first
resolution on record is dated Dec. 81, 1900 A
second, more definlte and full, of the same import
was passed On January 10th, 1902. Another,
still, Feb. 3, lso4-foilowed up by still anolher'
Jan. X, 1913; In which last, the Senators and
Representatives Of Virginia, in Congress, are in
sruced to use their efforts to obtain from the gen
efal government 'a competent portion of Territory
IN The country OF Louisiana" for colonizing our
free people Of color
In Dec, 1876, again the Legislature of Vir-
gina passed the following resolution, with but
nine dissenting voices in the House Of Delegates
and one in the Senate :-Resolred, That the Elk
ecull'e be requested to correspond with the Pres-
aeni OF the United States, for the purpose of OBJ
tanning aterrlory on the coast of Africa, or at
some other place, not within any of the States or
territorial government of the United States. to
serve tor an asylum Of such persons of color as are
now tree, and may desire the same and for those
Who may be emancipated within this Common
wealth, and that the Senators and Representatives
OF lhls State In the Congress of the United States.
De requested to exert their best efforts to aid the
President Of the United States in the attainment
Of the above objects.
Cotemporaneously with these measures in the
va. Legislature. but few weeks after the fore
gong resolution, the american Coionisa.ion So
caety was formed in the city Of Washington, tslro'
the agency of Gen. Chas. +. Mercer (who was
the mover OF the Virginia resolutun,) and other
noble Virglnlans before mentioned. Through the
personal exertions OF the same gentleman, aided
by r. s. Key Of Georgetown, Robert Purviance
OF Baltimore, and Bishop Meade of Virginia, a
subscription OF $4,000 was obtained to dei'ray the
expenses of Messrs. Mills and Burgess, who were
employed to explore the coast of Africa in order
to select suitable place for the proposed colony.
The Colonization Society was formed in the ci-
ty OF Washington December 81, 1876 and Bush
rod Washington was appointed President with
thirteen Vice Presidents-eight of whom were
shareholders, including ii. Clay of Kentucky
Mm. ii. Crawford of Georgia, John Taylor Of
Virginia, Andrew Jackson of Tennessee, and Gen.
Mason OF Georgetown, ID. c., and board OF
twelve managers, all of the District of Columbia.
At the meeting which effected this organization,
the speakers We're Henry Clay, John Randolph,
p. b: Caldwell, and Robert Wright of maryland
The Board OF Managers were instructed 'sto pre-
sent memorial to Congress on the subject of CO.
lonlzlng, with their own consent, the free people
OF Color OF the United States, in Africa, or else
where" This duty was ably and faithfully exc
cuted by the Board, and the memorial was pre-
scented by MIR. Randolph, referred to committee
who reported iavorably, concluding with joint
resolution for immediate action. While perfect
unanllnity seemed to prevail, other pressing bust
ness prevented the resolution from being called UT
at that session. On the 18th ofDec, 1921, Capt
Richard f. Stockton and DIR. Ayes under au-
thority of the U. s. government and the society eff
iected purchase OF attract of land for thecoony on
Which Monrovla now stands, and thus commenced
THE AFRICAN COLONY in fact, which was con-
tempated in all the foregoing resolutions of the
Virginia Legislature, and which was the germ of
what, in its flower and fruit, is the Republic of
Liberia, and which HOW invites to all the privile-
ees and protection of a free and we'll constituted
government, the free colored people Of Virginia
and her sister States of this Union
Again in 1923, the Legislature of Virginia
had the subject Of African Colonization before
them, and appropriated $4,000 to aid in peopling
Liberia with our own free colored population
The law making this appropriation has never
been repealed, and may, therefore, be regarded,
perhaps, as wanting nothing but another action of
the Legislature providing the ways and means to
make it available, and in equity with an addition
ot interest," now equslling the principal. All these
several resolutions and enactments have uniformly
met the hearty appreciation Of the people at large.
In view OF these facts-can it be doubted that
the mind Of Virginia is made up? DO you ask
for public sentiment Read the history of the
Commonwealth for the last half century, Trace
the records Of her legislation this subject BY the
references here made. Ask counsel of your con
stltuents in detail, of your Preside sympathies,
your experience, your hopes, your just fears, your
Judgment, yonr pockets, your love of your coun-
try's glory and her fame. They all alike-with
one voice, strong, harmonious, admonitory,-a
say, on" free colonel population CAN be Ynaorcd-
OUGHT to be resnoued- and reaaored NOW. .Nop.
at the present session, let beginning be made
The completion will require course Of years, BE-
gin when you may.
We have now arrived at the following csnclu-
sions where respectfully leave the suylec, with
you.
l. 1t is desirable and necessary to both races
that our free coored people should DO removed
without delay from the State
it is for their nteres, to emigrate to ,ha. land Of
liberty and law.