Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1853-08-17
ELOQUENT EXTRACT.


The following very eloquent passage in rela-
ton to Africa we extract from the address, Of
Hon. Edward Everett, late Secretary of State,
recently delivered before the American Coloni-
cation, Society at Washington City.
In speaking Of the impraclicability, if not i'm
possibility, Of cvizing the continent of Africa,
by white men, he said:
"Sir, when that most noble expedition, think
in lS4l, was fitted out, under the highest aus
pices in England to found an agricultural colo
nv at the confluence of the Niger and the Chad,
out of one hundred and fifty white persons that
formed a part of it, every man sickened, and all
but three or four died. On the other hand, out
of one hundred and fifty colored men, that form
ed part of the expedition, only three or four sick
ened, and they were men who had passed some
years in the West Indies and in Europe, and
not one died, think that fact, in reference to
the civilization of Africa, is worth, had almost
said, all the treasure, and all the suffering Of
that Inflated expedition.
"Sir, you cannot cvilize Africa,-you Cau-
casian-you proud white man-you all boast
ing al-daring, Anglo-Saxon, you cannot do this
work. You have subjugated Europe; the ma
tive races of this country melting before you
as the untimely SHOWS Of April beneath the YER
nal sun; you have possessed yourselves of In
da, you threaten China and Japan; the farthest
isles of the Pacific are not distant enough to es-
cape your grasp, or insignificant enough to elude
your notice; but this great Central Africa lies
at your doors and defes your power. Your war
steamers and your squadrous may range along
the coast, but neither on the errands of peace,
nor on the errands Of war, can you penetrate in
to, and long keep the interior. The God of ma
ture, for purposes inscrutable but no doubt to
ha ilod uit lie nd
has drawn Gordon across the chief inets, that
you cannot pass. You may hover on the coast,
but woe to you if you attempt to make per-
manent Judgment in the interior. Their poor
mud-buiIt villages will oppose no resistance to
your arms /; but death sits FORTRESS at their un-
defended gates. Yellow fevers and blue plaques,
and intermittent poisons, that you can see as
well as feel hover in the air. lfyou attempt to
go up the rivers, pestilence shoots from the man.
groves that fringe their noble banks; and the
al-glorous sun, that kndes everything else in
to life and power, darts down disease and death
into your languid frame. No, no, Anglo Saxon,
this is no part of your vocation. You may d.
rect the way, you may survey the coast, you may
point your finger into the interior; but you
must leave it to others to 90 and abide there
The God Of nature, in another branch of His fam.
ily, has chosen out the instruments of this great
descendants of the torrd cline, children
Of the burning vertical sun-and fitted them bv
centuries Of stern discipline for the most noble
work
From foreign realms and lands remote
Supported by His care
They pass unframed thro' burning climes,
And breathe the tainted air.
"Sir, believe that Africa will be civilized,
and civilized by the descendants Of those who
were torn from that land. believe it because
will not think that this great fertile continent
is to be forever left waste. | belve it because
see no other agency fully competent to the
work. believe it because ! see in this agency
a most wonderful adaptation"