The republic., 1851-01-30

lie discemment, he has been chosen TO preside" !"
He gives an equally favorable account of the
other officers Of government with whom he
came in contact. Few State papers, says
Mr.. GURLEY, twill be found to surpass, in
dignity of thought and language, the inaugural
address or the several messages of President
ROBERTS; nor will these, and other productions
of decided merit from the pens of citizens Of
Liberia, permit US to doubt the ability of the
people of that republic to conduct successfully
the great affairs Of government"
In support Of this statement, Mr.. GuRLEY
presents extracts from the official papers of
President ROBERTS, and from published dis
courses Of other citizens of Liberia. We copy
single paragraph from the inaugural address Of
President RoBERrs, which will suffice to show
both the ability of the writer and the views
which he entertans of the wisdom and of the
success of the scheme of colonzation
''The time has been, admit, when men, with
out boing chargcable with timidity, or with dis
position to undervaue the capacities Of the African
race, might have doubted the success Of the colon-
cation enterprise, and the feasibility Of establish
ing an independent Christian State on this coast
composed Of. and conducted wholly by. colored
men; but. fellow that time has passed The
American Colonization Society has redeemed Its
pledge; and believe In my soul that the perma.
nency of the government of the republic of Liberia
is now fixed upon as firm basis as human wisdom
is capable Of devising. Nor is there any reason TO
apprehend that the Divine Disposer Of human
events, after having separated from the house Of
bondage, and led US safely through 10 many dan
rJs Ia AT
leave. the work of our political redemption and
consequent happiness unfinished, and either per.
nit US to perish in wilderness of difficulties, or
suffer to be carried back in chains to that
try Of prejudices from whose oppression He has
mercifuy delivered US with His outstretched arm. -
The annual revenue Of the government, for
the two years previous to the Independence Of
the republic, amounted to from eight to ten
thousand dollars. With view to its augmen-
taton, the Secretary Of the Treasury was au-
thorized to import various articles Gin great de-
mand for the African trade) and dispose ofthem
at a certain specified advance on the first cost; (;
but this monopoly, it is said, will be modified if
not wholly abandoned. Onall goods imported is
imposed duty ofsx per cent, and, in some speci-
fled cases, the duty is still higher. 1t is estimated
that the present revenue, thus acquired, will be
sufficient to fully meet the expenses of the
government.
To the honor of the people OF Liberia should it
be recorded that, from their earliest settlement
upon the African coast, they have, by courage and
discipline, defended themselves against the ma
chinations of slave-traders, and The combined
forces of many barbarous tribes, and in no in
stance suffered defeat. With the exception Of
such as are exempted in virtue of religious OF
civil offices, all the males in the republic, from
the age of sixteen to fifty, are subject to mill
tary duty; may be called at any moment by the
executive into actual service; and, in time Of
peace, muster, on stated days, and in obedience
10 uniform law, in the several settlements, for
examination, exercise, and discipline. This
force, wellarmed and disciplined, may be, in
number, from one thousand to fifteen hundred
doubtless be brought into more or less effectual
service in case of invasion OF naval force the
republic has nothing, with the exception Of one
small but beautiful vessel, armed with four
guns, present from the British government.
OF the prospects of Liberia in respect to ag-
rcuture, commerce, and manufactures, and
particularly i,s trade with the United States,
Mr.. GURLEY reports very favorably. 1t may
confidently be asserted that the soil is capable
OF yielding abundantly the most valuable pro-
ductions of the tropics. Numerous substantial
farms and well-cleared plantations are already
al
skill, and machinery shall be introduced, the
culture Of rice and cotton, the sugar cane and
coffee, will prove as successful and profitable as
in any region in the world. The forests TEEN
with valuable timber for furniture, house and
ship building the rivers abound with choice
fish, and the woods with game and gardens
can be made to produce every thing in their
kind necessary to a comfortable subsistence.
The quality of the Liberia coffee is thought
to approach nearly, if not to equal, the
Mocha; and the tree, properly attended, will
produce, at least in quantity, one-third more.
Cotton, rice, and the sugarcane may also
be produced in great abundance and Of ex-
cellent quality. No country in the world is
more amply enriched with the chief produc-
tons of the animal and vegetable Kingdoms.
The ground-nut yields a pure golden colored
oil, of pleasant taste, and has been sold as
high as ESQ per ton. The castor,nut grows
wild on the banks of the Gambia and else
where. The ginger Of Africa is particularly
fine and high-favored; it yields about sixty for
one; and the people only want instruction in the
method of preparing it for the European markets
The woods are extremely valuable Travel
lers enumerate not less than forty species Of
timber, which grow in east abundance, and are
easily obtained-such as mahogany, teak, ebony,
lgnumvite, rosewood, &c.
With few considerable exceptions, the whole
line of coast in western Africa accessible to
trading vessels presents immense tracts Of
land Of the most fertile character. which only
require the hand Of industry and commercial
enterprise to turn into inexhaustbe mines of