The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-08-04
CHARACTER OF THE NATIVE !
RICAN.

We nave some extracts from the last annua
message OF Governor Benson, to the Legisla
| ture OF LIBERIA contrasting the character Of tia,
| native African with that of many emigrant.
from this country, very much to the credit O
| the former
Speaking Of the nation adjoining the coun
| try on the east, the Veys, Gov. Benson saws:
They are intellectually in advance of many
of the immigrants from the United States
| He solemnly "warns the Legislature not to
make different system of education for Libe
ria and natives, tending to degrade the latter >
and says: am happy to be able to say that
since the introduction of the subject" (tbe d;f
| fusion Of educaton) "to the Legislature. two
years ago, have received written and verbal
messages from several native chiefs, who have
by some means learned the purport and object
oil the recommendation, expressive of their cor
| DIAL approval OF the measure, as being in per
| feet accordance with benevolence and Justice
and assuring me that they stood ready to cheer.
| 1uily comply, at any moment, with such rea.
| sonable arrangement and requisition. The
fact is, have not had for the last six or eight
! years any serious fears of the existence of in.
| surmountable difficulties III the way of assimi-
| atlng, III due time, the manners and customs OF
| our aboriginal population to those of civilized
| life, and OF bringing them within a reasonable
time, into state Of intelligent, loyal subjects
of this Republic. The fact is. il is
most certainly and encouragingly approxima
ting consummation each successive year. OF
this, no one who has given proper attention to
the matter will for a moment doubt.
- am yet to be convinced, however, of the
existence of anything so peculiar in the condi.
ton and dispositions of our aborigines, and in
their relations TO us, as to Justify the adoption
by this Government of system Of education
and training for them differing from that neces-
sary to be employed with the America Libe-
rans and their descendants, for the accom-
plishment of the same results
Again, under the head of " NdtiUes and
Emdncipated Immigrants Compared" Govern.
or Benson says /" / must confess. as an indi
vidual, that my fears and anxieties for the last
five or six years have been, that the moral, in
tettectu0t, and industrial training of a majority
of the immigrants who may arrive here from
the United States, as we'll as that of our DOS
terity bred and born in this country, acW not
keep pace with the advancement Of the abo,Tgi-
mes in those elements of individual and nation.
al greatness. In order to show that these fears
and anXieties are not unfounded, have only
to state what is generally known in Liberia.
that there are thousands of natices, living with
in the jurisdiction of this Republic, who are in
tetlectually IN adU0nce of at least one-half of
the immigrants that arrive here annually from
the United States"
The Governor then declares that the natiUes
produce most. He also expresses serious ap-
prehensions that unless good and vigorous
laws are made for training up in the industrial
arts the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and their descend
ants" they may live in idleness, luxury, and
affluence," and endeavor to make the aborigines
"hewers Of wood and drawers of water" This
he denominates a dangerous line of demarca-
ton, which should have no existence in Lii
IBERIA"
With what face, says the Courier and En-
Quirer from which the above is taken, while
the preceding facts are in view, can any man
advocate the reopeni"o Jievaung Africans