New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-11-22
AFRICA AND HER CHILDREN
An Address
From ne Megb,ys effle LIBRA Agricultural a-a
ED,i-rltlng Association.

En,i-ratiag Association.
TO TIE PvsLrc.
CITIZENS AND CovSTRYNEN
1t is with feelings of confidence that We
appeal TO you for succor your long-professed
in,eres; in the welfare of our people, induce,
the hope of aid IN this our mission YOU havs
often declared your readiness to assis, US when.
ever We presented a speedy and practical remedy
for the evils we complain Of. and this has led "a
the project which we now present,
We need not enter into detailed Arguments ia
convince You Of the necessity OF this association.
or the feasibility OF its object. We have we'll
considered all the difficulties incidental 10 a she.
cessiul prosecution OF our plan neither are We ac.
tuated by any new love for people, or the conn.
lry selected, for We have long pondored on thu
anomalous position that We are occupying IN TN
country, and have long been convinced Of the neces
sity of action on cur part-of practical, energesc
and common.sense action, that would secure u.
appreciation and cooperation Of every friend Of
freedom.
The fact that enterprise is bu; now pat forth.
should not prejudice 1t in the eyes of the comm.
nifty, as the difficulties labor under mus, b
familiar to the most casual observer.
The parties composing this Association, athoush
equally interested with others Of our people, have
taken but little part IN proceedings that have had
for their object the "bettering OF our condition.,
We have IN most cases been content 20 look on and
acquiesce an the schemes that promised deliver.
ance we did hope, though family, that something
might grow out OF their proceedings which wOaA al
least make our position tolersble but alas this
fond faint hope has proved abort.ye. the mist has
disappeared, and cur cream is felt 10 have heena
deluson.
those address, 10 state few facts which caused
the formation OF this ASSOCIATION. First The limited
means OF some and extreme poverty Of Others OF
who desire 10 emlgrate To the coast oi Africa.
Secondly The necessity at developing the agricul.
tural resources OF the country, means OF attract
ing and giving security 10 the emigranIs going out
there Thirdly And knowing, As We do, that agri.
culture forms but small part of African industry,
(for reasons which we shall presently show we
feel the call impeTatvely made Us To remedy this
glazing evil We were in hopes that the American
Colonization Society, which has charge Of Liberia,
would have accomplished the end desired but I'M
fortunately our people VIII not coniGe IN those
whose motives they mlstruSt. no mater what the
inducement And while we, as individuals and as
as organized body. cheeInlily give credit and feel
thankful for all the assistance rendered that be-
nighted country, whose very existence dates from
the beneyolencc and dlsnterested exerions put
forth by that Society, yet, as colored men, IN JUS
tee TO ourselves anc the hundred millions inhabs-
ing Africa, We cannot admit that organization 70 b
sufficient to work out the hnal destiny OF the African
race We have thought, and still think, that such
mission belongs to us, the Colored inhabitants OF
America, acting spontaneously and together.
The slow process OF emigration to Liberia hitherto,
must PRECLUDE the hope OF great and healthy col
ony from that source and the deeprOoted preJu-
tlces IN the busoms Of our people will ever make
them tardy III embracing that society as beneiac-
tor having their good and that OF Atfica a. heart.
Accordingly the Society must depend IN most cases,
Oh manuInlited slaves for emigrants and It must 10
obvious TO all that they are not qualified To success
fully ciyilze Africa. II Is notorious that the igno-
rance of slaves is pleaded a. an excuse for slavery
is IT, then, reasonable to suppose them better lifted
TO clyllize the barbarian than TO ENJOY freedom
among civilized people IL takes cultivated
people to teach the unctvated and 10 TINS we think
we hear the concurrent assent of every teonlza-
ZIONIST Let Colonizatlonlsts then assist us. As We
are the poople especially interested IN the prosperity
of Liberia, We have no fear that emigranis viii be
wanting. We only fear that means may not be found
TO provide for the m suitable reception
one of the great disadvantages attending the Col
oniZation Society is. that the persons composing 1t
are constituted and situated IN life, that 1t rs Inn
possible for them TO affiliate IN sentiment and SYM
patty with the emlgrants going out To Liberia.
second disadvantage they labor under as the I'M
mense uDpopularity OF their doctrine with the IN
telllgent portion OF colOred persons. The third Is,
their inability OF approaching the cOOred people SO
as to lay their CLAIMS Understandings before them.
The fourth Is. that two-thirds OF those who have
gone were melted by glowing pictures of wealth and
prosperity, and when they arrived IN LIBERIA they
found many there who. from experience we're more
capable OF securing this promised wealth, power
and honor than they, who had just landed They
found the entire trade N the hands of mOn0pOlies,
and their only chance was To peddle for those who
were already established. II Is, among some good
friends Of Africa, subject OF wonder why the emf
grants their arrival do not betake themselves 10
farming instead OF peddng as they do, for others.
Parties have SAID to us, Why don't they do as our
western farmers often have done, who have gone
out into the woods with five dollars for commence
ment, and IN the course Of ew years have accu-
muated handsome properties -
Now, there Is no analogy IN either country, peo-
pie, or situation III these two man can 70
INTO one of the Western States with five dollars IN
ready cash, or with only respectable character as
his capital and can get board with OF his neigh
boTs on credit, ISomsing them portion OF hn
crops when harvested for The men Of his board,
he give days labor for all the assistance ne may
require and that takes less than half his time
he viii still possess an amount OF produce equal TO half
his labor which would be Sufficient 10 keep nm, say
nine OF the twelve succeeding months. Then IN the
Winter he can busy himself with the clearing Of more
land, the wood cut from which wouldb be marketable
either fire wood, timber or ashes, and ms time OF
recreation could be spent IN shooting WHO game, all
Of which finds ready market. la a word the farm
er here Is surrounded Oy wealth and conyenie0ces,
whereas the Liberan farmer Is surrounded by igno-
rance, poverty, and disease. Now We ask, can any
practical man wonder at the non-euiyati0n OF the
African soil IL Is very easy for gentlemen fault
finders to say that this that lacks energy and
hence then failure but We beg TO remind them that
energy without means would be Ike an engine
without steam and this makes the fifth great adj
vantage the Colonization Society laoOrs under.-
For wis n an individual finds the means and neces-
sity OF returning 10 the United States consequence
of not beng able 10 stem the tide OF monopoly in
trade or succeed IN farming under 50 many disable
iiies, he commences The cOncocton Of all manner
OF bels as reasons for his returning and The con-
sequence Is that thousands who Otherwise would
have gone, are discouraged and fnghtcsed ont OF
their senses, thanking God that they have escaped
all the imaginable horrors that distorted BRAN 10
capable OF creating and they then very naturally
look upon the whole scheme as vie deception,
~ de IL az ann
II to overcome these Disadvantages that we er-
pect the Society Will al least lend Us ats influence
tor Cannot tor moment doubt thai ats 00lect is
our elevation and the civilization Of AirIca' ana
that IS lis OBJECT, WIN readily second any pfaten
project that has that end IN view. And as we ha's
SHOWN, from the mistaken views Of that body. as 70
the ability other eTngrsnts, has resulted all me
obloGuy now attached TO the LJenans .or not culu.
vatIug The soil And as the general cultivation OF