New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-07-02
Colonization in Africa.

The following from the Knoxville ChTOn-
icle, tallies with the story told by thousands
who have been lied to by the eminent Chris.
tian gentlemen Of the Colonization Society.
"Dan's" advice to the colored people to quit
politics, and especially the civil rights bill,
is more than likely an invention of the COR
respondent himself. The testimony borne
by ''Dan" against Liberia cannot be called
in question, as it is in accord with all the
testimony we get on the subject. Stay in
the United States and settle on the public
lands is our advice to our people:
STRAWBERRY PLAINS, June 12.-Dau
Price, a bright, intelligent mulatto, who left
this neighborhood the Odd day of last No
vember, in company with thirty-two others,
for Liberia, arrived in our town on the ten
O'Clock train this morning, on his return from
old Africa, the native country of his race
across the deep blue sea. Dan" tells us a
very distressing story of his trip, and of the
fate of many of his relatives and friends, and
believing that it will be of interest to many
readers of the Chronicle, send it to you for
publication.
He says they had not been in Liberia a
month till they had buried nine of their little
party, all of whom died of fever, including
his wife, mother, grandmother, and his oldest
child. lie brought two of his little children
back with him, who were fortunate enough
to escape the fatal disease.
The remainder Of the party are nearly all
sick and anxious to get back to America, but
as trip this way costs fifty dollars, none of
them can get the funds to return on. But
few of them have been able to do days
work since they arrived in Liberia, and when
they can work they only get twenty-five
cents per day.
He says that the agent of the Colonization
Society grossly misrepresented the country
to them Or they would never have thought
of leaving East Tennessee. The natives,
with but few exceptions, are of the rudest
type, and nearly all of them live upon roots,
frogs, snakes, scorpions, lizards, and insects
of various kinds. Bacon being fifty cents
per pound, and flour from twelve to fifteen
dollars per hundred, of course can only be
used by the rich. Corn, wheat, oats, and
other staple productions of this country cam
not be grown there to any advantage.
He never saw team Of horses, mules, or
oxen, from the time he left New York till he
returned, the soil being principally cultivated
with the hoe. No one ever thinks of going
out without an umbrella or something to
protect them from the intense heat of the
sun.
Settlers are often overrun by the different
savages from the interior, themselves killed,
and their houses robbed and burned. Many
of the natives dress III regular barbarian
style; that is, they 60 generally naked, eX-
cept when out from their places of abode !;
they then dress up with one garment, hip
cloth.
The offices of the government arc filled by
negroes. who are generally mean and tytun
nical toward the common people. The rich
will not in any way associate with the poor,
and when the poor negro works for the rich
one he is sent to the kitchen for his meals.
He says when he landed in America he was
greatly surprised to hear that colored people
were demanding more rights of the Govern
ment, for they should be contented with the
privileges they already have, and not get up
disturbance with the whites, their best
friends.
He mailed a dozen letters at this office,
which were written by former slaves to their
old masters in this country, all asking that
money be sent them that they may be en-
abled to get back to their old homes once
more. He brought the letters to this country
and mailed them, from the fact that none OF
the writer's had the money to pay the high
so many letters fail to reach America, espe-
cially those containing statements about the
true condition of that country.
Take it all in all, dan" says, if he could
even have his health in Liberia, he would
rather be slave here than freeman there.
Dan reads and writes well, and has for years
been considered leader among his race in
this section. He advises his people to quit
politics, and especially the civil rights bill,
and 90 to work, that theym be prosperous
and happy.-Core&pondsm Knoxville Chron-