Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-03-25

pers TO diffuse knowledge for thei
bodies-'and affectionate and enlightened ooun.
sci for their minds. Thousands of hearts, II
all partsSof our country, ascended to God 70
their success, and followed them to their ney
homes in every form of benevolence. Oul
Government has indirectly secured then
against hostility and violence, at an expense
II fairly estimated, that would reach many mil
lions Of dollars. Every motive was quickene'
into activity which could be awakened In thei
hearts, for the regeneration of Africa, and thei
own progress In Christian civilization.
Could better theatre have been selected
could better materials have been secured Il
occnpy it-could wiser and better counsellor
have been selected on the globe, to guide thei
infant movements In the mission OF self-im
provement and African redemption2 ir5I
The noblest branch Of Japheth's descendants
who had been SO long accustomed to progress
on this continent, were slow to doubt the sue
cess Of this experiment., and could not patient
ly and wisely weigh the evidence time beg An 70
furnish, that its success was doubtful. Wheth
er by design or not, discouraging facts were
withheld from the public, and Aattering pic
lures of success were given to the world. h' l'
Our country was made familiar, by the ,press,
with comparisons between this and other colon.
ization experiments, with large balance In
favor Of Liberia Yet, In 1913, more than
twenty years after the settlement OF the colony,
their statistics showed that the average quantity
of land cultivated in this agricultural colony
Gncluding town lots) was about one third of an
acre per head, aud that not single draft AMI
imal, plough, wagon. or cart, was used at that
time for any purpose; that no farming tool was
used, except a bill hook and hoe; that the
machinery sent them to saw their lumber,
grind their grain, and manufacture their cane
into sugar and molasses, and the tools sent them
to cultivate their lands, were then rusting and
rotung unused The colonists have at all
times affirmed that the soil was exceedingly pro.
ductive, yet their custom houses, at that time,
reported not single article exported from Lii
IBERIA, which was produced by the labor of the
oolonists, The articles for which their soil was
peculiarly adopted, such as tobacco, bread
stutfs, cotton, coffee, sugar, molasses, potatoes,
&C., were imported from abroad, and 80 was
their meat. All these articles commanded
high prices in their own market, prices which
ought to have induced their, cultivation by any
human being willing to labor. ...t ~. . 80
+, After they had been adding to the outfit which
they carried with them, the avails Of their own
labor, and all that had been given them by their
beneiactors for more than twenty years, the as-
sessed value Of their agricultural wealth was
FIVE dollars and few cents per head. During
the whole of this time, their government had
cost them nothi9g and our navy bad given them
peace and security. ...., -,,.... s.. ..es
Statements, however, were in conflict, and its
friends, from time to time, sought for informs-
ton that certainly could be relied on. The
last accredited agent was Mr.. Cowen, from the
Kentucky Colonization Society, who, in 1853,
after sojourn Of seven weeks, made report.
This report, with respect to agriculture, pre-
sents about the same state of facts as those of
lS43. The colonists have always affirmed that
the climate was healthy; yet, with rich soil to
give them food, and healthy climate TO pro-
long their, lives, and forty years to multiply
their race, they are now about ore'fifth less 10
number than the original emigrants. .ie..
The general view have taken of Jamaica
and Liberia is derived from sources that are
entitled to the highest credit, but my informa-
tion has been obtained from different sources
and at different times, and was not carefully pre-.
served, supposiDg 1t could be obtained again at
pleasure from historical records, and in chro-
nologicsl order, but In this | was mistaken
There "a nothing, however, in point of fact, from
any quarter, tending to q different conclusion,
from that at which have arrived: that is, that
themselves capable, under any circumstances,
of retaining in freedom what slavery gives
them, or Of making progressive Improvement,
unless they are subjected, more or less,lto the
control of the white race. For more than three
years, have been trying to get statistical and
facts, concerning these experiments
on foreign fields. But the library Of Congress,
the proprietors of book stores, and some Of the
best informed Of our public men, could give me
no aid. This Is suggestive fact "He that
ioeth truth cometh to the light" says Christ
Here are experiments that have been in pro-
gress for more than forty years; one Of them by
the most enlightened government In the world,
the other ymany Of the most enlightened in.
iividuals In the United States, that are almost
covered up In darkness. Why is this 7G1 ai
One Of the ordinances of God is, that man
shall eat bread by the sweat Of hisjface-that is
that he shall by labor contribute his share to the
common stock Of supply for human wants.
Christ has ordained that In His kingdom no man
shall eat unless he work. We have sent Hams
descendants TO Africa to raise and govern fami-
lies, and to assume the higher responsibilities
,f organizing and governing states. From the
pest authenticated facts we can gain, we are
,biiged to believe that they are not qualified to
10 either, because they will not perform volun-
.ary' labor. Among Hams race In freedom,
here and elsewhere, there are but few indvid.
nails who are willing to labor continuously
Tor the support Of q family. No people can
multiply and raise families, unless they have
homes and are we'll fed, In the Northern States,
In Jamaica, and Liberia, The deaths among the
free lblacks steadily exceed their births. The
slaves at the South multiply faster than the
white race at the North. 'lh ~ 9th' !
On the field of experiment there is another
that deserves our notice. In Hayti, the slaves
were emancipated by the Assembly Of France
In 1873. In the same year they slaughtered
The white race, and appropriated to themselves
the invested wealth Of the island. This island
had been In most prosperous condition before
that event, Its exported productions had been
immense. From that time Its productions de-
clined, and from 1the address Of their President
last year, they have reached the lowest level Of
laziness and poverty, are In very degraded
as much or more so than the original
Inhabitants when the island was discovered by
In l492. 'ls y aF@
Z have said that the evidence which proves
the unHtness of'the African for freedom, utares
us in the face as the sun In the heavens, that II
amounts to demonstration. That evidence
has been passed In review before my reader. -
Il consists, first, in the experiment at the South,
of giving freedom to the most promising OF
the race. We of the South know that it has
proved curse to them. 'osi'4A a''i, "a l.luoi
The North emsncipsted that portion Of the
race they held In bondage. From the same un'
Willingness TO labor, they are too poor to raise
families, are diminishing In numbers, and are
degraded by an amount Of crime which ex-
oeeds more than twelve timest that Of the white
In Jamaica, no wages can overcome their un
willingness 10 perform labor. q os-s'
II In Liberia, where they have been literally
hnld m hx kindnaaa n nd cnnnaal and al