The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1861-05-02
The Republic of Liberia.


Perhaps the general ignorance. says the Boston
Journal, respecting the African Republic Of Lihe-
ria, accounts for the Indifference felt for It's welfare
and prosperity. But that should not be suffered 10
blind u 10 the advantage which We might derive
from a closer commercial connection with a little
State which promises more than everything else
% become the means Of opening up the great resources
Of Africa. Owing undoubtedly 10 home prejuiices,
our government never has encouraged trade with
I Liberia. not even taken pains 10 form q commercial
treaty with IL. Libvriau vessels, Of which there are
now n number engaged IN trade, mostly with Eng
land and France, are obliged 70 pay tonnage dues III
our ports. 50 much dissatisfaction has been thus
Occa-iouei. that We understand the question Of I'M
posing differeutial duties on American vessels forms
I one Ot the issue Of LiJeriau politics. We understand
that this subject will be duly attended 10 and rightei
under Linc1Iu's administration, and that trade with
Liberia and Hayti Will be put on an advantageous
footing.
Sti, it becomes or public spirited merchants to
look into this matter Of Liueriln commerce., ~Iuiepen-
I IDENTIFY II governmental action. Liberia i going
ahead in trade, Is rich in commercial capacities. and
somebody must reap the benefit oft. IL requires 10
great research 10 see that others are awake 10 these
facts whether We are or not. y reliable statement
puts the average annual exports e Western Central
Africa Cmainly Liberial 10 the European States at
$4,000. OyJ. Great Britain j. the principal Gus O.
mer. Her trade with Liberia for the last twelve
wears has been greater than uurs with all Africa, and
il i rapidly Increasing There i No solid reason
Why th5- should be 20. There are many articles that
We can supply better than any European nation. while
We want nearly everything that Liberia produces.
Her dve-woCls and ornamental wo-is, her ivory,
palm-OII, ard unsurpassed coffee. are welcomed ia
every market. But the extent to which the proluc-
ton Of these could be increased by q iuliCiOus out
lay OF capital, j. almos, incalculaDle At present.
The colony o. Liberia, II will he remembered, ex-
tends back fIOm the coast only from nifty to eighty
miles. But while the country increases in richness
toward the interior. the va-tuess Of which j. but par
TALLY explored, there are no roads beyond forty or
fifty miles from the coast. CamwOOl Is brought
down on the shoulders Of the natives But immense
quantities Of Ialm nut are suffered to decay for want
Of means " transport, and the mahogany, l]ignumyiin
and rosewood trees, which are said 20 be A. plenty A.
hemIOck and spruce IN Maine, stand untouched.
And this where the rates Of wages are low, and the
climate exceedingly adapted for labor the year round.
We have been assured by an intelligent and reliable
Liberian, that the present entire trade OF the StIth
with the European countries - not 50 great as II
could be made with the United States alone in eigh-
teen months, IL our merchants would only take hold
Of the matter a II deserves, lie estimates, for IN
stance, that nearly twO-thiris Of the oil and ivory that
could be obtained within q hundred miles Of the
coast, is not now brought down, for the reasons We
have stated.
But we should not forget that Liberia deserves our
attention on other grounds than the money which
can be made from her commerce. She Is demOnstra-
ting the power Of the cOlOred man TO carry on u gOr-
eTHment and build uD Il prosperous state. She num-
bers some 80 600 inhabitants, of whom 10000 are
free blacks from the United States. But these men
are the traders and factors Of 100000 OF natives in
the interior. They have virtually stopped the slave
trade on 4 large part of the western coast OF Africa,
and they have done much toward eleyating the con-
dition of the interior tribes. Their commercial and
social progress j~ustifes the assertion Of Hon. Edward
Everett, in his colonization speech, that they Will COM
pare fayOrably with the founders Of any other State.
As n singular indication of what they have done,
we may mention that while the British export trade
with different parts Of the world has only increased
in the last twenty years % per cent, the export
trade of Western Africa has more than doubled. But
like all new colOnists, they suffer for want of capital.
II that could be supplied, every element of prosperity
would be quickeued, the means of communication
would be improved, new resources would be deyel-
oped, skilled labor INTRODUCED, and immigration in
creased. We have confidence that this subject will
yet commend itself TO our far-sighted men Of business,
as well rs to genuine philanthrorists, and that the
Republic Of Liberia will soon receive n new impulse
in the career which has thus far been 50 honorable to
her.