Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-04-08
Affairs in Liberia.

A recent letter from President Benson, oi
Liberia, dated Feb. l, says:
81 feel greatly encouraged amidst the pc.
cuniary pressure. feel that our citizens
are approaching true independence nearer
than ever The number and quality of the
articles exhibited at the fair far exceeded the
expectations of the most sanguine; and the
whole enterprise has astonishingly stlmuia-
ted the citizens throughout the Republic
The Legislature have provided for the hold
ing of another in this city in December, and
for one to be held annually in the different
counties in succession. anticipate ten
times the number of articles. as well as iR-
provement in quality, at the ensuing exhibit
ton, to what there was at the last. | pre-
sumo no less than fifty persons in the diff
ferent counties will experiment more or less
at Cotton cultivation this year. They vii!
try both native and foreign seeds. | shall
continue to do all | can to concentrate their
minis and energies upon such avocations as
can alone form basis of national and in
diyidual prosperity and Independence.
A letter from Monrovia, in the Baltimore
American has some interesting items
A cotton farm has Just been started on
the Junk River by Hon. D. b. Warner
Should it be successful there will be large
yield, which will doubtless induce others to
make similar experiments.
The corner stone of"Liberia College"
was laid Jan. 25, with the assistance of the
Masonic Grand Lodge of Liberia and is
subordinates. l have not seen plan OF the
building, but judging from tine extent OF the
foundation and such casual description as
could obtain from the builders, the edIfice
will be the most imposing in Liberia. There
was great delay in selecting suitable site
caused chiefly by local interests and rrejud
ice, but the final decision has located it il
Monrovia, the policy of which has beeE
doubted BY many, the chief objection being
that such an Institution should not be sI,ua
ted near large town.
The Legislature adjourned Jan. %, afte
a session of six weeks. One of the mos
important bills passed during the session re
lated 10 the French plan of procuring emf
grants from this coast. am unable to Civ,
you synopsis of the bill, as it has not beer
printed as yet. but the restrictions which i
imposes will have tendency to abolish tn,
system from that part of the coast owe
which this Government maintains jurisdic
ton. The course we have pursued in re
gard to this system has SO affected tn
French Government toward us that she ha
retracted the gift of sloop-of-war mad
some time since, although we had sent al
agent to France to receive It, according I
agreement. Blu, il is preferable to lose tn
vessel, which is much needed, than to be re
miss in frowning down a system which ha
proved to possess but very few mere of tn
attributes of humanity than the slave trade
The Methodist denomination of Liberi;
under the jurisdiction of the American Epis
copal Church Bishop, has increased in pros
perity and importance to such an exter
that it was deemed expedient to have
Bishop especially for this country-one VIII
was citizen of the Repuclic, and ident
/ fled with the interests of the people; accor,
ingly the Conference which has just at
! journed elected to that position the Re,
f, Francis Burns. 1t is judicious election
, as Mr.. Burns has ben Superintendent {
: the Methodist Mission in Liberia for Ion
: time, and no one is better acquainted tina
: he with the condition and W ants of this pei
! pie. He expects to visit the United State
, during the ensuing Summer, for the pu
| e