National Republican., 1873-03-29
AMERICAN COLONIZATION SOCIETY
Mo oh,cr,. or tho society Expiniued.

Me Objects OF the Eocioty ENpilhous
r. u. gdi,or II Ne Eaiionai R-gvslicss, ,-.,..
SIR: There Ia q widespread mlsapprehenelon
of m iho American Coionizatlon Society Which
scrap Of history touching tho origin OF said
a public meeting was held In the city OF Wash.
Ington December II, 1915, to consider the ques-
on q forming snn SSSe Gr ne
The Hon. Henry Clay was called to the chair,
who, In q brief address, spoke earnestly IN favor
q ne CTsnI,Satcn and q africa SE As the place
provision might he made for the colony Itself,
and 1t might be rendered instrumental to the In
PRODUCTION into that extreme quarter OF the
There was peculiar, moral illness In restoring
them to the land Of their fathers. And n, In
stead Of the evils and sunerlngs which we have
been tho innocent cause OF INJECTING upon the
inhabitants Of Africa, we eau transmit TO her the
blessings Of our atts, our olylllxaton and our
religion, may we not hope that America will ex-
REl,i Which she has % coutsSted to hat unfortunate
Mr. tiay was followed by Elias p. Caldwell,
Who urged at length the same views. Afief
mentioning several reasons for preferring
Africa to any other place, he said: "But have
q greater and noblcr object In view In desiring
them to be placed In Africa. II Is the belief thai
iigion would be Introduced into that benlghted
quarter Of tho world, IL Ia the hope OF redeem
ing many millions Of people from the lowest
htAto OF huIfTAVtlOn lEuOThuftt anu To
storing them to the knowledge and worship Of
the true 0od. Great and powerful a. are the
other motives 10 thls measure, in my opinion,
and you will md u the opinion o. a large claai
OF the community, all OtasT motives are small
and ttlning compared with the hope Of spread
lng among them the knowledge Of the gospel"
Tue. views thus presented were heartily In;
dorsed hy Hon. John Randolph, OF Roanoke, and
Mr.. Robert Wright, Of Maryland.
After appointing committee to draft q con
s,ltntlon. the meeting was adl9uInsd g The FOL.
oi REPRESENTATIVES,, the American ColonlEatlon
society was formed by adopting the oonstitu.
ton, which had been prepared. -.
| The society held Its nfst meeting January ],
| 1917, Tor the election OF oiiicers, when Hon,
Bushrod Washington was chosen president
/ Elias u, Caldwell secretary, and David Engllsh
treasurer also thirteen Vice presidents and .
the The first action Of the society thus originated
was TO Instruct the board OF Managers 10 memo
riAllze Congress 'on the subject Of cplonlSinG
| with their consent, the free people Of color oi
the United States In Africa or elsewhere" Ac.
curlngly memorial was prepared and laid
before both branches Of the national legislature
the contemplated settlement, they say; 'Tf the
| experiment, In lts more remote consequences,
should ultimately tend to the diffusion OF similar
| blessings through those vast regions and un-
numbered tribes, yet obscured In primeval dart.
| mesa reclaim the rude wanderer from life OF
| wretchedness TO civilization and humanity, and
superstltIons TO the holy charities, the sublime
m6raIity and humansing dlsripline OF the g1s-
pei, the nation or the Individual that shall have
iaken tho most conspicuous lead In achieving
the enterprise viii secure imperishable glory,
founded IN the moral appreciation and grautude
OF the human race, unapproaohable TO all but
tie elected instruments OF Divine benencenoe--
msnts OF human force or power must sink In the
compettion and appear Insignificant aud vulgar
IN the comparison"
In the House OF Representatives this memorial
was referred TO n committee Of seven, who In
their report said Of Africa: at Ia the country
whsch, IN the order OF Providence, aeems 70 have
been appropriated to that distinct family OF man
KIND. And while II presenis tho nttest asylum
for the free people OF color, u opens wide neld
for their Improvement In civilization, morals and
religion, which the humane and enlightened me-
moTiallsts have conceived II possible, In process
Of time, TO spread on that great continent"
From the above statements Il Ia manifest thai
the Christian civilization OF Africa was promi.
nent idea with the founders OF the institution.