The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-12-23

slave prefer the
the strongest way against colonization and LIBERIA that
the reply may be the more conclusive
turn now TO the American account which denies posi-
lively the allegations Of the French statenea well
the statements from other IN the
tract from President Reasons letter OF the 18th September
last.
And hee is proposed, with view OF giving weight to
the denals OF the President to corroborte them by the
testimony Of other witnesses, and by circumstances
The first charge is that Simon urged procure the
cigrants Liberia. The following correspondence puts
this ut rest
permission . establish iEe'islat is 70 say Cape
grants fixed "a. Of 9 for each put On
very advantageous proposition win be agree. your
ceIsney The honor Of reply re%aa with
To the PRESIDENT OF Liberia, at Monrovis
In President Benson's reply be says
your note TO avowed principles az bearing
days. and such would be revolving 20 The feelings Of ha
government This cannot grant Your request
The President then proceeded to tell Captain Simon that
four days at auy port named will be sufficient 70 in
form him whether voluntary emgrants can be obtained
there and that all sent of to him after that time are every
apt to be cocstr trained"
There certainly urgency here on the part Of tue
authorities and there be no doubt that they were na
ives not colonists the President had in view when the
native towns spoken Of the places where it
proposed TO establish factories President Benson denial
is thus fully corrobora,ed.
Again, with regard to the payment of the passport
they2 THIS is, perhaps, as important matter as
any other because Il would go further than any other
tence-that is to say the money had been paidcan
be doubted that they would have been produced long
this Their absence another Confederation OF Pres
den. Benson deaa in this particular worthy Of consde
ration, That money paid is not denied, but 4 IS
stated and doubt truly, by President Benson in his let
ter TO Mr. Rastoa been $3.50 for license
along the coast that beng the duty the invoice which
proposed to dispose Of That had anything 70 do
with passports is positively denied The urgency OF the
meat OF the passport duty and the Americans Of
the negroes board beng the three main points at ISSUE
there remains but the last and we now propose TO show
that the denial OF President Benson is here also fully cor
robofated.
Thongs NJ Chester an intelligent citizen of Liberia who
IL the United States during the last summer, says
(sce African Repository for August, 1859 that she
on board the vessel several times, after they had pro-
cured Number approxmatng 200 The natives FOR there
were others board emgrants, appeared very
much dissatisfied and depressed, and hoped would use
my influence TO have them released"
Again. one OF the principal teachers OF the Alexander
High School IL Monrova, and lately member OF the Lbe
rian Legislature, es.fes that he twas present in the
tried and that emgrant 90 board native, aud
that but Of them could read the Veg Character ee
the Repository above quoed)
Again, the Rev. Alexander Cowan, Of Kentucky who
Africa at the time, states that on the 10th Of De-
cember 1857 he the Regiaa Coil six miles above
Cape Mount. and that the pursner nlomeo him that he
had board two hundred and twenty native Africans,
who were TO work for number OF years ia Guadalupe as
apprentices. =,
whose official report have not been able to procure
letter relative written after the event. gives minute
account Of the massacre and uses these words re-
NAMED alone the mast head. An emigrant takes aim
at me, cry out to hun in Afrcan-Je us oyi, IN Afi
c0ln-my friends enough OF victims Never have
been unjust. When you have been sick, have always
nursed you" Many Of them made me understand (me
font eoaprendre) that it was true, and begged me to
If the emigrants we're Americans why address them
10 African THIS gentleman is the witness relied or to
prove their Amercanism-nasmuch as he g supposed
70 have declared that they could readnot FRENCH
presume, but Enssh. In this event, no must have
oers,ood the language; and Why therefore he should
have called out IA African to coons.s speaking EngNsh
II + difficult To imagine.
But az already SAID the surgeons declaration
be asce.tned in the absence OF his official report,
not that the migrants Americans but that they
subscr bed their ndcntures II should be found here
after that he asserts their Amercanism il will be for him
TO explain why he addressed them IN African.
Comparing now the French statement with all its i'm
probabilities with the denial Of President Benson, cor
roborated as i IL by positive as well As crcinstanal
evidence there is certainly no doubt about the side
Oh which the scale should prepondersc.
There st remains the fact however, that EN- grants
obailed within the territorial limits Of Liberia with
the knowledge Of the authorities and assuming that the
parties board the Regina Co natives, the ques
Ton may be asked why did the government bold any
Intercourse with Captain Simoawhy not order him 10
leave the waters Of Liberia and pursue his business else
whereg' The question appears a reasonable one.
The government Of Liberia ike that o. the uucd States,
has right, tine 81 peace 60 prevent veanary eni
grafton, by either its civilized o. uncvilzed Inhabitants.
Were 30 pass such Law, no oatery YET made would
would be that Liberia prison house where
crets were to be Kept from ,he civilized world by
embargo upon the people
All that Liberia property 90 IL to protect TO the
ten, Of her means, the natives within her borders from
wrong aud imposition They hire themselves on board
the vessels that frequent the coast-tLey make AT times.
long voyages then-they nay hire themselves Ia.
borers shores well upon sb,pbosrd aud
the government liberia has right prohibit But
the hirers these occasions a means OF ensayng
the cmpcy es IL becomes the lberians assuming as they
do the character OF guardians OF the aborgaes . protect
a. r. L..
and the strength Of the government should be used TO is
fullest extent u enforcing them; and where Il has not
the agents OF civilized State femons,ranee should he
employed again and again and until (as sooner or later Il
would te) the end was accomplished aus the wrong re-
strained
Ana this IN sc has been The course pcr sued BY Ibe
ria Her constitution declares that there shall be
slavery in this republic Nor shai citizen Of this re-
publc, any person resident therein deal III slaves,
either wtha OF without the republic, dreNy or Indirect
E
cipation 10 4 with the seycrcsi pcui'tcs
Then all emc-art vessels, such az tue Peg m Coil gre
required TO clear from Nonrova on their return voyage
80 That each emgran may be Intercepted personally, IN
port where he can be protected as To the circumstances
~ his cnbarklton.
Nor has the action OF the government been confined u
egsat.ng ulDn tie subject
Asfsg taek az 1852, English vessels having made AZ,
empts 70 procure native aborers proclamation roquir
bg passports and nations resulted IN thcr desis,ug
France thea embarked 10 the plan. In 1856 the proca
nation ths, Ind restrained The English was renewed
sdeut Benson addressed the French government the
subject requesting "tai prompt action should be taken
% French subjects IT, desst at from the VIOLA
ton ~ statute laws well az express treaty supultons
existing between the two nations.
IN September, 1857, cx President Roberts sent
Commissioner Europe and visited Paris u enforce pct
sonally the Of bis government There u Is said
be advised that his proc amations AMI comfnunca
tons from ibera N this regard had not been satisfactory
10 the French Authorities
In December 1867 the President brouyht The subject
before the Legislature, and invited them at once %
enact such law "wouli oaccualy put etop to the
ys.em Of procuring cmgfants from aborgn Of
whom the guardians" II was on this occas on
thi tho present laws passed on the LIST Of februa
ry 1885, which striuvest they can he, without
absolutely prohibiting emigration. The Regina CTli was
then Tire coast aud toe captain had had bis only inter
view with the President.
subsequently when the ship was brought into the port
II Monrovs b, the Brit sh mail steamer Ehope, she
eled In the courts for salvage and the Grant Jury cf
Nouroyia county ornd true bill against Captain Simon
Tor engaging ia tho slave trade. But the French war
Rcnaudn dsregardiue everything but the law Of
rover carried o both the ship and The commander from
the custody Of the courts The rinscsders, who had
tceu charged With the murder ~ the the evil