Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1853-01-22
Extracts from, he Eloquent address Of
HON. EDWARD EVERETT.


! Washington City, on-she 18th inst.
But great asis the importance of this object it
| yields 10 interest to another connected with it.
but far more comprehensive and momenrous: and
that is, the civilization of Africa. The condi-
ton Of the African continent is areproacia to the
civilization of the world. With an extent near
| y three times that of Europe-a considerable
| portion of the known regions of great fertility
| teeming with vegetable and animal life-tra-
versed by lofty ranges of mountains which send
down from their sides the tributaries of noble
| rivers-connected by the Mediterranean on the
north, both with the ancient and modern culture
OF Europe-the western shores reposing on the
Atlantic ocean, the great highway of civilization
the southwestern running within near prox-
| unity to our own continent-the eastern Goa SITS
spread out to the commerce of India and the
| whole Oriental WORTHWHILE the Red sea and
the Nile throw open the approaches OF the Asiatic
continent-it would seem that by natural en-
dowments and geographical position it was des-
tined to be the emporium and garden OF the
earth. Man only throughout these vast regions
has remained in arrears in the great progress of
humanity; and instead of keeping pace with his
fellow men in other parts of the world, to have
been so much depressed by various causes of
degeneracy, as finally to have come under sus-
picion OF natural inferority, in which | must
own have no belief
races of Africa, of the other continents, there
are great diversties of intelligence; from the
warike polite tribes of the Central plateau, TO
the broken down, enfeebled hordes On the banks
OF the Congo, and the squalid, scarcely human
Hottentot. But it may be doubted whether
this difference is greater than between the Lap
lander, the Gypsy, the Calmuc. on the one hand,
and the best and brightest specimens of human
ity to be found in Europe and America, on the
other.
What, then, is the couse of the continued IN
civilization of Africa And, without pretend
ing to pry too curiously into the mysteries of
Providence, 1t appears TO me that sufficient
cause may be found in some peculiar circumstan-
ces in the history and geography of this CONT
nent. 1t seems Il law of human progress, which
however difficult to explain, is too we'll sustained
by facts to be doubted, that the first advances, out
OF barbarism must be made under the influence of
culture from abroad. Thus the germs of improve
ment were brought from Egypt and Syria to
Greece; from Greece to Rome: fron Rome to the
west and north of Europe; from Europe to Anne
RIGA, as they are now on their way from
tinentto the remotest islands of the Pacific. TO
what extent the aboriginal element shall be borne
down and overpowered by the foreign influences,
or enter INFO kindly combination with them, de-
ponds upon the moral and intellectual develop
ment OF both parties. The native may be so
promptly
and kindly with the cultivated strangers. This
was the case with the early Greeks or the dis
parity may be SO great that kindly union
between them is practicable, and the native tribes
slowly and silently retreat before the new corners.
This has been the with the native races of
our own continent, who have found it all but i'm
possible to embrace our civilization.
Now, in reference to this law of our social ma
ture the difficulty in Africa has been twofold
FIRST that the other quarters OF the globe, who
had obtained the start in the race of improve
ment, and might have proved the instructors and
guides OF the native races, were oil deeply con-
cerned in traffic with the continent of Africa,
which, instead of tending, like other branches OF
commerce, to mutual improvement, and especi-
ally to the elevation Of the inferior party, is OF
ali barbarizng agents the most poisonous and
deadly. In this way foreign trade, which has
usually been the medium through which
the cultivated foreign race has gradu-
ally introduced itself to a mutually benei-
cia intercourse with the less advanced tribes,
has been 10 Africa, from the dawn of history to
the present day, the all-powerfu agent of eternal
civil war, anarchy, aud social REORGANIZATION
This has been one cause of her making so little
progress in civilization. Another is her climate;
her mighty equatorial expanse-a more extern
sve tract of land between the tropics than in all
the rest of the globe; her fervid vertical sum-.
fertile plains, and rendering her shores and water
courses pestiterous to a foreign constitution
This peculiar geographical character seems
again to shut her out from the ordinary approaches
OF civilization. Common Inducements of COM
| mercial gain are too weak to tempt the merchant
| to these fevereus districts. Nothing but a
taste for adventure approaching to mania attracts
the traveller; and when Christian benevolence
lures the devoted missionary to this field of labor
| I n nnffn III IT, sl,o
we see union OF influences which seem to seal
the tate of unhappy Africa as an abomination OF
! desolation.
But now mark and reverence the Providence
OF God educing out Of these natural disadyanta-
ges of climate disadvantages to mans apprehen-
sion,) and this colossal moral wrong--the Afican
slave trade-out of these seemingly hopeless ee-
menrs OF physical and moral evil-out of long
cycles OF suffering and crime, of violence and re-
trlbntlon, such as history can nowhere parallel
educing, say, from these elements, by the bless.
ed alchemy Of Christian benevol ence, the means
of the ultimate reg generation of A frca.
The aroused conscience of christendom de-
nounces the slave trade, but not till it has exis-
ted for three centuries, and flleda portion of
the western hemisphere with five or six millions
OF the descendants of Africa, of whom out
million and half in the islands and on the con-
tinent, have from time to time become free
Though born and reared under circumstances un-
favorable to mental culture, yet still partakng in
the main Of many business ofcvilization and chris
tianty, aud amply qualified as Liberia has shown,
to convey those blessings to the native land of
their fathers Thus at the moment when the
work itselfis ready to be commenced, the chosen
instruments are prepared. Do | err in the opn-
ion that the same Providence which has ar
ranged or permitted this mysterious sequence of
events, is calling and inviting them to the auspi-
! cIn pt, ho,, bn2z
vain. Private adventure has niiscarred; strength.
and courage, and endurance al most superhuman,
have langushed and broken down; well appoint
ed expenditures, fitted ont under the auspices
ofpowerful associations and powerful governments,
have ended in calamtous failure and it is proved