Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-02-02

J. n,.rcns will sr.dnni'v Z" oar. ~hi'h VIII r,bah "
N. ci si.iza'inn At 'htt D-n'.'''.d 'a".l'
7, i. interesting 'o trace tn 'G"h 81 african c''"n
49,; ~ ,rn,n ;,s fist eugg.a.ion to it, fall develop
n, in ,L, Am.r;car Conn'zafion Society FIR
,Jonlins O. Rhode Island, in l772, conceived me
tbou ,, Of substituting free negroes i"r white misson
aries To Africa. Mr. JeG.r'ou, IN l!'e' prepared
Man or coIoniz alton chairman of COMMITTEES OF
The LEGISLATURE of Virginia; but nothing definite waS
dona nr,bahy hecausa when tho committee report
cd Mr. Jefferson was in France. The ieneral IA
sably of Virginia in 1900 1902 and 1904 passed re-
soluons upon the subject, and correspondence en-
sned betw TIE President ot the United States Mr.
JaiT.rson) aud Mes.rs. Monroe and Page, Governors
of Virginia, IA to the comparative advantages uur
Southwestern frontier of the West Indies, ana OF Al
RIGA AZ rroposed site for the colony. Our d'fhcuittf
with foreign powers arrested these interesting pro
caed;nys Mr. Jefferson, however. continued 10 se''
tate the subject from his retirement ut Monticello
say, in l8ll-
II have long made up my mind that thiS is the best
measure for drawing al" this part Of our population
Going from country possessing all tina Useful hr'a
they might be the OF transpaniln2 them 10 Al,
tica and would thus carry back Ia the country W
their origin seeds Of civilization when wouiu reuue
their soouru here blessing IN Tie eno 10 ''a ''un
In 1916 the General Assembly passed the following
resolutions by n inaiotiy Of l37, out OF li6 votes III
the House Of Delegates, anG win out one u'''e"''nH
voice in the Senate
"Whareas the General Assembly Of Virginia has re
peatedIy sought to obtain asylum beyond the mn
it's of the United States for such persons OF cool az
have teen or may be e;nnncpated under the laws OF
this commonwealth, out nave suh louuu OIL 'nei GU
forts frustrated. Sc:
"R,soired, That the Executive be requested 70 cor
respond with the President for the purpose OF obtain
ing territory on the coast of Africa or some other
pgcs not within the United States TO serve az an asy.
um Of such persons OF color are now free and de-.
eire the same and for those who may be hereafter
emancipated within this Commonwealth &c
In response to this demand the American COLOMBIA
| Nooh tnnfn
1917. by politicians and Christians from the North
and the South What but the overrung providence
of God could have produced this cOrjuncture of cir.
cumstances and union of mnd'1
II WAS happy coincidence that the year OF the es
tsblishment of the Colonization Society was the year
of the accession of James Monroe to the Presidency
uf the United States. We have seen Nlonroes active
| &C. operation while Governor of Virginia win Jther'
son, then President of the United States aEu sllmu
lating and shaping those acts Of the General Assem-
bly of Virginia which lad to the formation OF the
Colon cation Society. We shall now see his agency
| in higher sphere in executing those iaws OF Con
which were perhaps ,9dSpemaaoo 10 ne
lishment of the colony itself 1t was hardly possible
for private society 10 make permanent plantation
upon distant and barbarous shore. AND II was not
| likely that the Government OF the United STATES
thonyb Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and Marshall all
concurred in the opinion of its expcdiency and con
| stitu,ionaIity. But that Divine Providence, whose
WAYS are not ways, had, az II seeme 10 me- iao
far back in the legislation OF Congress IRAN OF
csuses whose effects made it the interest OF the Gen
.ra Government to cooperate with the Colonization
Society The act of Congress prohibiting the foreign
slave trade after 1903 contained provision placing
Africans recspured by our navy at the disposition OF
any State within whose territory h6y might De land-
ed. Under this provision the Legislatures OF some
States sold number of recaptured Africans. In 1879
two delegates from Virginia, Messrs. Mercer and
Floyd. reported bill repeating these provisions ana
committing all recap.ured Africans to the custody
of the msrshals of the United States until they
could be- restored tn their own country II also au
thorized the President to appoint agents upon 'ne
coast of Africa to receive those Africans anu apPro
priated one hundred thousand dollars 10 carry ts pro-
visions into effect The legislation OF Congress- hav-
ing thus devolved upon the General Government
necessity for providing an asylum Tor recaptured Al
ricans it became the interest OF the Government 10
cooperate with the society, whose designs were just
rips for execution. We cannot tell how II strikes
others but for myself, recognize with reverence IN
these proceedings what seem to me unmisaksb!e in.
dicstions Of Divine Providence presiding over and
| shaping the ends of individuals aud OF nations. IL
was in acknowledgment of Mr.. Monroe's benehcent
execution of this law Of Congress that the capital OF
Liberia was called Monrovia. Whether the General
or State Governments will hereafter support or repu
date policy Initiated by such eminent authorities
ia more than can tell. But whatever may be their
views of expedieucy, our duty is clear. The grand
spocbs in the history Of man have been eignaiized
by higher motives than those which usually dictate
human policies God is in them, and all human be-
end obey the laws which He pre'cribes. II this
thing be of man i. will come TO naughr but If It
| be of God cannot overthrow II. Inc real
strength of this enterprise s in the ChrStlan hearts
that ara beating behind it. The conversion OF Cen
trail Africa TO Christianity had long been an insoluble
problem to the Christian Church. The Son OF
Righteousness, in making His circuit of the earth ha.
visited other lands and even ilumned the frontiers OF
| Africa But not Il ray had penetrated the land OF
| the black nan. For two hundred years Christian
| nj. uaria had
of planting the ensigns Of the Gospel within this en-
trenched camp of Satan. The result was perfect
failure and the bones OF noble army OF martyrs
| hlaached The burning sands. To human view the
land seemed doomed, but not to the eye of faith,
which saw through theae fruwnlng provldeaces E:hi
opa stretching out her hands TO God Al inns crtica
moment the happy thought WAS suggested OF colo
nizipg Africa with free American Chrlslianzed ne'
groes. The Colonization Society is missionary 90
ciety The colonst and the missionary must stand or
| fall together. Missions and colonization, said
our African bishop, Payoue, have ever been
Gods great schemes for spreading Christianity
over the world. The Methodist Bishop Scott, after
Writing the churches in Liberia. calls the colonies the
bright spots raging out light upon the surrounding
darkness Of the same import ia the testimony of the
BAPTIST and Presbyterian missionaries, Let us, then,
| with hand Joined With hand, and heart linked with
heart launch ths Colonization Society as missionary
| society. Cheered by the voices and waited by the
prayers of all chris;eudom, ii will move on glorousy
10 its coneulnmaon. IL has passed serene!y through
sail BY the chart of Constitution, which limits our
operations exclusively the removal OF free persons
Of color. To this principle we are soemny pledged
and so long adhere to 1t our position IS inpreK
nabls. The missionary argument ID brlei one, ana
is az follows the millions of Africa, however degra
ded stll belong to the human family tor whom Christ
died. 1t il our duty to send them the Gospel' ana ree
Americanized negroes are The only MISSIONARIES 'na'
can long survive the burning Guns go fatai 10 the
white man. 10 the graphic and emphatic anguo2eo OF
Governor Wise, of Virginia: 49, -
"The black missionary 10 black africa, IKE 10 Ke'
Who fit to be the pioneer OF CIVILIZATION IN Africa
az the black mani liza light expires, haa always gone
out in the hands Of the white rnsn. firmly believe
that slave tEs continent was intended oy God 10
be tie sun of the illumination ut thas lahd oil night.
Is there aught regously wrong IN making all d0ia.
trous pagan sire WORK out the chnsaii''y OF SOD
If this be not so why wers Africans brought across
the ocean, leaving Indians unenslavedf why bnl
10 return civilization for slavery! Africa gave Plr
ginis a savage and slave Virginia gives hack TO
Africa q citizen and a christian. Send forth these
your missionaries with light and love, to the land of
night until that dry of lions shall become the
nursery Of civilization, and law, and order, anu rel
zion. The destiny Of this peoplei Is towards AFRICA
My authority ID Gods Providence against iui'ie at
empts of nhuman Bab-i builders upon earth. his
servants had better be about their Master 8 WORK..
Let us, then, my Christian frienss, take courage
and 60 forward like brave men 10 our WORK we
shall not witness its concentrations OUT lot us eave
ss legacy to children, and they will tranemlt /;
TO succeeding generations. God works mol 10 a Gay
or generation. A thousand years are with Him but
as one day. Time ID q necessary element in human
progress. What is Of long growth is Of slow decay
and the inveterate evils of many ages cannot De erad
Gated within the hour.gass OF one mans lille. We
Americans are impatient Of results that are long in
coming Expresses aud electric telesraphs are our
types. Every thing that is worthy Of being done
must be done with the rapidly OF lightning ana the
energy of The earthquake. Time when it WAS
proposed to offer bounties to quicken immigration to
our shores but now the eyes ohe oppressed are every
where turning wistfuly towards this land OF psomse
and there is an exodus from the Old world inc New
And it NAV be that by the time Liberia sha have &C
qured capacity of safely receiving and sesimilatng
large numbers Of free backa, that the pressure
upon them will have became 20 intense that sponta'
neous movement of them will take place TO Africa
like that of the pauper population of Europe to our
own shores. Nothing is wanting but unity among
Chrstans energised BY strong will 70 dothe Will OF