The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-08-15
LIGHT AND SHADE IN LIBERIA.
Vast Natural Riches and shirless People
Correspondence Neus and Courier.

MONRONlA, LIBERIA, y uue IL
In my last letter, 1 described the land
ing of the emigrants and the appearance
of Monrovia. On Friday, June Z, two
days after the Decentralization, meeting
of welcome was held in the dilapidated
Temple of Justice, already mentioned.
About seventy-fve of the towpspeople,
and fair sprinkling Of those to be well
coined, were present. Capt. Holmes,
Rev. R. J. Kellogg, the newly arrived
superintendent of the Monrovian High
School, and 1, the only representatives of
the Anglo-Saxon present, sat in row
like three white crows, the color of the
assemblage shading off from our white
skins through octoroon, quadroon and
various other "roons" to the pure ebony.
The component parts thereof were gen.
orally about as well dressed, and gave
promise of about as much intelligence, as
a similar gathering Of the dear people in
America. The mayor of the town (black)
presided, sitting behind the judges desk.
The secretary (light) read the proceed
ings OF the previous town meeting, and
Rev. A. G. Pittman, black man, was
introduced as
THE ORATOR OF TIE OCCASION.
He spoke well, correctly and huently,
and without the super6uity of language
and gesture common with the colored
speaker He said that not only Monro-
via, not only Liberia, but the entire con-
tinent of Africa was to-day stretching
out hand to welcome these arrivals.
He rejoiced with his whole heart to see
these times, when in spite of all opposi-
zion light and intelligence were coming
an. He was glad to see so many individ-
uals voluntarily seeking their fatherland.
He bid the immigrants and their friends
q Hearty welcome They were greeted
ms brethren and friends. They were
welcomed as individuals willing to contri-
butte each his quota towards sustaining
the principles laid down by the fathers.
1t remained to them all, he said, to prove
whether they were true to the times.
The black race had its chance then and
there. They could not plead hereafter
that they had not had the same chances
as other men. Further on, he remarked
that Liberals friends had done her great
harm by painting her in too bright col
OTIS. Then he went on to say that Liberia
afforded refuge and asylum from degra-
dation and oppression. When Liberians
welcomed their brethren it was because
they expected them by individual and
united effort to assist in the elevation of
their race, by elevating themselves by
honest labor. If they had other ideas,
they had better stay and die in America.
iApplause. Their mission was to stamp
on the worlds history that black men
were men. Applause. The colored
people were religious people, and he
welcomed them to help in building up
the Church of God. Liberia was the
OPEN DOOR TO HEATHER AFRICA,
and nobler work than her people had
before them was never given to man.
They were the lump of leavcn which,
with Gods help, would leaven the whole.
Men were wanted, he continued. who
would work. They were not wanted for
presidents and legislators. Great ap-
plause-particularly among the office
holders. Men were wanted who would
and could uork! He was glad to see so
many working men. They were the
kind wanted. Then, he said, if this
effort was to succeed, there must be har-
mony and peace. There should not and
would not be factions. A very palpable
hit at the Communistic Curtis who sat on
the platform. He, the speaker, was a
pure African. None of his ancestors had
ever been to America. Laughter. He
felt entitled therefore to reiterate that
Africa, as we'll as Liberia, cordially well
coined the brethren. A preamble and
resolution was then presented and adop.
ted declaring that, whereas the bark Azor
containing the first company Of those
voluntarily fleeing social ostracism and
political oppression" had arrived in port,
that the meeting
HAILED THEIR ARRIVAL
with pleasure, and gave them the right
hand of fellowship, welcoming them as
fcllow-workers. Nobody had said any
thing to George Curtis, but that pirate
appeared like jack-in-the-box or a per
scvering Banquo's ghost, and proceeded
to speak, his remarks being largely devo-
ted to biographical sketch of himself
He "put his foot in it, most beautifully
in the first place by announcing himself
as an Englishman, and therefore lover
of liberty, as it ia part Of the Liberian
creed to hate England and her people
with g holy hatred. He then proceeded
to give sketch of the Exodus movement,
which the audience had previously read
in the Ne,cs and Courier. Gods hand was
evident in it, be said. 1t was nothing
short of miracle. The people brought
over were not seeking to escape from
labor. They knew that they would have
to labor; but every lick they struck here
would be for themselves, and
NOT FOR THE WHITE MAN.
Applause. They had come to elevate
themselves and their children, which they
could not do in the presence of the mas
ter race. They desired to be where they
could assert their manhood. They had
brought two hundred and odd working
people to develop the resources of the
country, and would bring thousands more
not only of laborers, but of skilled la
borers-men whose masters had taught
them trades to make them profitable SER
wants. Those were the jewels they had
brought out of Egypt. Applause. The
white men took good care that no more
negroes should learn trades and mechan-
les. but, thank God, they couldn't take
them away from those who had already
acquired them. He, the speaker, did not
hate the white race. There were good as
well as bad white men. The white men
could have crushed this movement in its
infancy had they chosen, but they re-
Trained. He thanked them for that.
The white man in the South Mt present
occupied
THE POSITION OF JAILER.
He was degraded by his office, which
kept him constantly in contact with a
subject race, which he had to keep down.
This movement would render hi:.. Il great
service. 1t would leave him to be 4 ho-
mogeneous race Then Curtis revealed
the blood in his eye. He said that he
had found this good country. There