Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-06-07

The recent return of an Ameri-
can Traveller from an extensive tour
on the west coast .of Africa is the
source Of some fresh Information
concerning the religious, social and
political condition of the people in
Liberia. The Traveller was no less
person than Rsv. Gilbert Haven, a
Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal
Church in the United States, whose
visit to Africa was fficial and hs
interviewer was thu correspondent
of Cincinnati newspaper From
his communication we gather the fol-
lowing frct
The religi IA condition If this
untry is considered quite good.
The American conf renee numbers
several very intelligent and pipus
native preachers, and the two pre-
siding elders on the coast are doing
an excellent work
The population of Liberia includes
about 10000 colored Americans, of
various hues; according to the guam
tty OF white blood that runs 10 their
veins The native population is set
down at about 400, 000 The Amer
. leans are mostly congregated in six
towns on the coast while the natives
are heather, without forms OF civil
cation, and attend to business, in
doors and out, without being bur-
dened with clothing. They never
attend sacred worship. Sometimes
they linger about the church doors,
but possibly they have an intuitive
consciousness that in their undressed
condition they are in no condition
TO associate with more civilized
people. The colored Americans are
the arstocrats of the country, and
do not affiliate with the natives, the
services of one of whom they can
hire a whole day for quart Of rice
The problem of cheap labor has been
solved in that far off land.
The native Liberians may be as
proverbiaily INDECENT as the natives
of other tropical lands, but the i'm
ported American colored men have
more stamins-more of our northern
energy, and. as the Bishop saw them,
are moro industrious and shrewd in
business Some Of the heaviest
merchants are colored men, and
own farms in the agricultural dis
tricts. Hundreds of acres of land
have been cleared and cultivated.
According to the Liberian consti-
tuition, no white man can possess
land This proVisian originated in
the fear that the whites would over
run the country and drive out the
natives. The Llberians are poor,
but they cannot sell their real estate
to white men, who seem u have
most of the money. and there II but
little indictment 10 sell to natives.
A change in this respect would great
ly benefi. the country by bringing
10 capital.
1'he Bishop thinks Africa viii
eveatualIy be civilized. The African
mind is susceptible to the highest
forms Of education, TIE climate
causes Qfl9flng, 81 course, as IN all
warm countries bus the natives are
not necessarily prevented by the
heat from attaining al advanced de-
gree OF culture. Atcica will yet be
civilized, through the agency OF re-
Iigion, commerce and politics. The
coIorcd people can live there rs well
- in other countries, but the whites
are easily affected by the tropical
fevers Outside G. mmunicaton is
becoming moro general and easy.
Monrova is now only fifteen days
journey to England, and there is q
foreign mail about once fortnight.
Peopls may emigrate to Liberia #
they chose. Some Of US still prefer
IlliGos.