The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-02-23

i A88Ye9o
| Wsssers africa, before tie Csls~tsstdsa Soss1y,
Friday spsntnS 1sst, a. " The Cox3iaes "
Lib@is." sssszesss4.a.
The report having been read, and Interesting cd
dresses having been delivered by the Rev. Messrs.
Moore and Read in advocacy Of the objects Of the
society, the Rev. Mr.. Slaughter introduced DR.
/ Payne to the meeting. remarkins that - he was
gentleman who had lived some - years In Liberia,
he was better qualified from actual observation to
give light in regard to the condition and prospects
of the colonies there than perhaps any other person
| in the world.
| Mr.. P. then rose and said--Mr. President have
been requested appear here this evening to state
my views in regard to the condition and prospects
of the Liberian colonies. The gentleman who has
just taken his seat says that actual residence of
Is years In Liberian colonies has given rue the op
portunity of forming judgment the subject
| which should entitle my opinion to some weight,
and undoubtedly there is proprieiy in this view
At the same time l candid to confess that In
creasiDg experience and observation have made me
more careful to examine the credibty of witnesses
who bear testimony. Many years ago, there was
assembled at breakfast table in England, large
invited party, and the subject of missions in India
i
had resided in India ten years, declared the scheme
of missions there hoax, and boldly asserted that
there had not been during his residence there,
| conversion in all India. Upon being asked by q
gentleman sitting opposite him whether he had lived
such life in India as was calculated to commend
christianity to the people among whom he resided,
he confessed that he had not. He was again asked,
whether he had visited the missionary stations
or made any efforts to acquant himself with the ac-
ual condition of the missions while there and he free
ly confessed that he had not and that he knew moth
iEg of the subject will relate another incident that
has had its influence in making me cautious in the
| particular to which have referred. While riding
along the colony road to Cape Palmas made the
acquaintance of an officer of the U. s. Navy and in
| the course of the conversation he mentioned the
fact that he had visited the South Sea islands, and of
course asked him if he had not paid some atten-
ton to missionary operations in that region He an
swered that he had, and hoped that would accom-
plish more among the Africans than had been accom-.
plished among the Sandwich Islanders l went on
little further and got into conversation with ano-
Their officer who had visited these islands, and upon
addressing to him the same question that had to
the other officer. he answered that he considered
the most remarkable missionary work had been &C.
complished in the Sandwich Islands that had ever
been accomplished in the world. The change eff
fected among the savage islanders during 80 years
was almost incredible. then told him of the diff.
ferent statement of his brother officer and he said
that the man who made that statement Certainly
| knew when he made it that it was not true | did
not come TO that conclusion however suppose that
the other officer an honest man, and said that
which he believed, but did come to the conclusion
that in order to constitute person capable of udg-
ing correctly of certain facts there should be certain
qualifications for the task. And the case is per-
fectly supposbe that although residing l3 years in
Africa, yet am not really qualified to pass cor
rect Judgment upon its condition and prospects,
You have heard from officers of the Navy and others,
who have been there, the most conflicting testimony,
While the English government has extended to the
colonies of Liberia its fostering e, you will hear
English traders the villify the colonies as
everything that is contemplate because they inter.
fere with the gains which they make in their direct
trade with the natives l mention these facts to
show that in order form a correct Judgment it is
not only necessary TO have the facts in the case but
also previous preparation of mind and heart
l shall not be considered 90 vain hope, when I
say that consider nay birth and residence in the
northern neck Of Virginia up to manhood, and
subsequent residence of I3 years in Africa has sup
piled the necessary conditions for forming correct
judgment in reference to the Lberian colonies and
| take graat pleasure in giving it my deliberate
judgment that duly considering the material Of
which the colonies are composed, their progress
exceeds the most sanguine expectations and this
statement is not made because this people have
originated an Independent republic, or because the
colonies have such an officer over them as Roberts
and numbers of others of similar stanp-but from
actual observationI fully testify to the spirit of
patriotism and industry which has sprung up in Lii
IBERIA within the last years and which seems to
promise that she will become q most respectable
and permanent community. will mention some
factsin proof the progress of her real interests
At the Basso Cove there is plantation containing
5000 coffee trees and in the same colony there are
plantations containing, severally, 5000, 1000 1000
and i5OO coffee trees. On the st. Paul's river the
banks of which are almost rich as any land ever
saw, the cooniss have entered into the cultivation
OF the sugar cane, and the prospect is that consi.
derable quantity of it will be raised for expectation
There seems to be very general movement in the
colonies IN favor OF agricuture-and this to me is
very encouraging feature. The petty traffic which
they carried On tor eight or ten years did not fur
nish permanent foundation for prosperity This
advance of agriculture does give evidence however
OF permanent prosperity-which viii enable them
to receive the constant migration which will now 60
out to that country.
But it is most gratifying consideration that the
merits of this American scheme of colonization do
not rest upon human testimony but upon principles
as permanent as Gods own laws of Providence in
this world; and have been and still in favor of
the scheme of African colonization, because think
| that missions in connection with colonization have
ever bern Gods great scheme for spreading chris.
sianity in the world. We see that when God pre-.
pared the way for the FIRST spread of christianity he
first spread the Roman colonies over the world, and
twas in connection with these very colonies that