Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1849-01-15
LAGOON NO. V.


LIBERIA, as place of emigration for our fre'
colored people, demands special notice in connec
tion with the subject in hand.
The first purchase of land from the native
chiefs for the Colony of Liberia was made in 1922
by Dr. Ayres on the part of the Colonization So
cety, and Capt. Stockton of the U. S. Navy, OF
the part of his government. Soon after, in the
same year, Cape Mesurado, comprising the pres
ent site of Monrovia, was occupied by our emf
grants. This was the practices commencement
the project, first rec Dmmended by Mr.. Jefferson t.
| Legislature of Virginia, and afterwards approved
by the Legislature in their recorded acts Of 1900
and again in 1916, and again in l833--to which
enactmeps you are respectfully referred.
The Republic Of Liberia, as now defined, ex-
tends from Cape Mount on the western coast Of
Africa to Cape Palmas, a sea coast distance Of
more than 900 miles embracing virtually, in
form, if not in fact, Maryland colony on the South
of 50 miles sea coast, and also 100 miles lately
ceded by the Native Chefs-and on the north il
will soon probably be extended by purchase 200
miles from Cape Mount to Sierra Leone, stretch
ing N. w. and S. F. through 40 to SO N. Lati-
tude. It extends interior on an average of 45
miles. il comprises the whole extent of coast for
merly most visited by slavers, with excellent har-
hors, soil of unsurpassed fertility, and climate
Orwell proved healthfplness. The present num-
Der Of emlgrants aud re-captured Africans is per-
haps 5000. It's commercial, agricultural and me
chancal progress Indicates an active and energetic
population, and the staple commodities of Coffee,
Sugar-cane. Indigo, Rice, Cotton, Arrow Root,
&c, all Indigenous, demonstrate, by the expert
ments already made, that in no part of the world,
is agricultural labor more literally rewarded. Its
exports for the last few'years have averaged nearly
$50 to the head of its entire population, while
those ofthe United States have not exceeded ~.
Nlonrovia, the principal sea port and capital of
the country, has now 1900 inhabitants who ENJOY
in their houses furniture, and tables all the com
forts, elegancies, and even uxuries of life, COM
mon to settlement of the same size in this or any
other country lis national existence, as the Re
PUBLIC OF LIBERIA" commenced on the 24th
Aug. lS47 by a formal declaration of Independence
and the adoption of a constitution modelled after
our own. The operations of the governmenthave
since proceeded with the utmost regularity. Gov
ernor Roberts, who held his office under appoint
ment OF the Colonization Society, has been elect
ed President of the Republic. Its independence
has been acknowledged by England and France
and very advantageous treaties formed with both
those nations. Its trade has for many years been
valuable and will be of increasing importance to
the commercial world
As religious community, Liberia is unsurpass-
ed. By reliable statistics, we learn that about one
bers of the Christian Church, honoring their pro
fession by their lives. Twenty five church edit
ces. all convenient, and some costly, of stone,
brick, and wood, employ the services of f,rty
preachers, several of them pastors well supported
and wholly devoted to their work, all regularly
indicted into the sacred office and some Of them
not only intelligent but learned and eloquent. "a
Their School system is, to say the least, much
better than ours. Provision is made by law foT
free schools throughout the Commopwealth.. A
liberal appropriation Of the pablo lands is made,
And more than this, every man is required under
penalty, to send his chldre,, to school and edu
cate them They haye twohigh schools, a Lyceum,
two newspapers. s. are providing for University.
The native tribes are cnltiyating friendly in
tercourse and doing homage TO this new nation in
Africa. Disputes formerly conducted by bloody
wars, and thus by sale of captives taken on both
sides, furnishing victims to the slave trade, are
now settled by reference to the government of Lii
IBERIA. Missionaries and school teachers are eager
ly sought by the barbarous interior tribes, who
geek by these means, to become 'sn,erica men,"
1t is COW probable that Liberia-as fast as her en-
igrant population will enable her to take posses
sion and enforce her laws-may reclaim from bar
barlsm, the entire western coast from Sierra Lee
one to the cape colony, closing all access to
the piratcal SLAYER, and dhusing civilization and
the christian religion through this whole border
country. From this rim of light central Africa
will be illuminated, its darkness, intellectual and
moral, expelled, its fertile lands, reclaimed from
sterllity, its physical resources regenerated and
Afrca--whence civilization and the arts passed into
Greece more than three thousand years ago, thro'
Rome to England and thence to America-Africa
the land once fruitful Of heroes and scholars and
christians, of Hannibal, Hanno, Jugurtha, Ter
ence, Orlgen, Iertulllan, Augustine and Cyprian
of race that wrought the pyramids, eEieelled
the proudest monuments of marble and left in her
tombs the evidence that she has done all for the
material body but to give it eternal life-ts .Afi-
ca will be again raised to her place among civiliz-
ed nations received to the circle ofthe human fam
lily and tof the civilization she has, centaries ago.
impaired to othe-s-gepaid by civilisatioaa and
CHRISTIANITY, TOO
There Oh the coast Of africa, you now see the
bea, ideal ofy your great statesman-a colonY for
our free coiored people. There you see precisely
that which your predecessors in Assembly propos-
ed 10 the irst year of the present century and sub
seqnent legislatures repeated and urged by reitera-
ted decimosextal action in 1916 and 1923 The
periodic time has again arrived, and in lS49 you
are called on to consider these precedents, and to
do what remains to be done-to use the cotonY sue
ceesfully founded, and now rpened into nation
as place Of deportation for yourtree colored pop
plation who are awaiting your action, and in their
comparative dependence, reaching to take your
counsel and your helping hand.
IMPORTANT FROM OHIO.
Governor of Ohio-Ford and WeNer both deelar.
ed to be Elected Tremendous Ercitement-
Ihe Legislature Adiopn,ed in Roap!
COLUMBUS, Jan. 9, 1S40.
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