Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1849-01-15
THE VINDICATOR.
S TAUM ON
LAGOON NO. Ill.

five have calculated and reasoned rightly the
removal of the free coored population from the
State is now desirable land will soon become absolute
ly necessary.
The question then arises, Can it be dome
ought il to be done, and done ,o,c9 We answer
afhrmaiyely-it can, ought and must be done
They can be removed and settled in Liberia-
Remaining here, we hold them unchangeahy dis
franchised and degraded. Can it be doubted, then
that we do duty if when safety and interests
require their removal, we place them in connu
nifty Of fres men, themselves free and equal, the
propretors in fee simple Of the soil they cultivate
and under the protection of good laws like OUT own
in their Mlherland. This we may do by providing
for their emigration and settlement in Liberia.
By an act Of the Legislature Of Virginia in 1873,
an appropriation was made of $50 900 to be paid in
five annual instalments for the deportation of the
free coored people to Ilbcra--thiry dollars to each
emigrant. No part Of this appropriation was ever
drawn from the Treasury, because no voluntary en-
igrants were to be found.
Now if the Legislature, instead of forcible re-
mova of this people, should revive the act Of 1888
making an appropriation of $50, 600, or what would
be still better, twice that sum, what would be the
effect? Would the free negroes avail themselves
Of the provision and if they should, would its dis
bursenents make any sensible impression on their
them? Are they willing to go2 Can they be in
duced to go?
That the appropriation could now be easily APP
piled to ts object, there can be no reasonable doubt
1t may readily be shown that Liberia is the pro-
per home of the free colored man. LA can be made
10 sac that. 1t was very different in 1888, when
the former invitation was extended to him and re
iected. Liberia was then a Colony, struggling
with difficulties incident to its unsettled state, its
climate not we'll defined, its virgin soil hardly turn
ed by the plough share, its resources not developed
not even counted in their number and value, the
savage border tribes still restless and Of doubtful
friendship. and all the early calamties Of the colony
in its infant state still fresh in recoleclion Now
the Republic Of Liberia stands among the nations
Of the earth, recognised by other nations, invtin,
the emigrant to free government Of constitutions
laws; to soil not surpassed in fertility; to social
Intellectual and religious privileges by no means in
feror to those he leaves. We say, then, he MAY
become a voluntary emigrant, because it is for hi.
interest TO go. 1t is not repatriation, but rather the
| return of the exile home So he sees it, when h,
looks beyond his preudices to the facts in the case
But we not left to probabilities in this matter
We are told by those who have addressed them o.
the subject, that they are easily made to desire
removal to Liberia. Receiving the facts in the cas
well authenticated. they ssy-"het us go to car ia
her-land." The Colonization Society has now
more applicants than means of transportation. Th
is the natural flow of the current when unobstruc
ed When Paul CufIee, a noble negro Of Bedford
Mass, carried the first emigrants to Africa ia 6l
a company OF % in his own ship, at his own ex
pense. ii was believed every man of color in New
England was then anxious to go. Would VIZ
know why this current has been checked and turn
ed back ?-we must ask the abolitionists of the
North-not Virginia, whose legislature repeated il
1916 her testimony of 1900, and has uniformly ad
hered to the opinions Of her great statesmen, early
and uniformly expressed.
Having, then, arrived at The conclusion thai
the emigration of our free colored people can be
secured-it only remains that we consider the
ways, the means, and obligation. Hoe can 1t be
done2 Ought'it be done?