St. Landry democrat., 1878-08-03

the Azor induced your correspondent t
call upon the officers OF the Liberia
= exodus association; and inquire whethe
they had any statements to make in thei
own defense that might relieve then
from the charge cf criminal negligence
IN falling to secure the services OF com
petent physician and properly provisor
the bark for the trip The president 0
the association, colored clergyman
named Porter, is said to be sick in Balti
more, and the acting president is Major
Delany, black man of education, having
a good personal record. From him
learned that on Saturday last the associa.
ton received two drafts ON them from
Messrs. Randall & Fisher, at Sierra
Leone, Tor provisions and towage,
amounting to sixteen thousand eight
hundred dollars. These drafts were
forwarded through Boston banking
house to the first national bank of this
city. The association did not accept the
drafts on sight, but asked thirty days
time to meet them. and the president of
the bank, it is said, will do all he can to
secure the time asked for. The drafts are
tor the expense of the towage of the
Azor from Sierra Leone to Monroyia by q
British mail steamer, and also for provis>
ons procured at Sierra Leone for the
half-starved emigrants Upon the mat
ter of the provisions Major Delany states
that the association paid bills Tor pro-
visions in the city of Boston amounting
to eleven hundred dollars before the bark
arrived at this port, and after her arrival
here they paid seven hundred dollars
more. He claims that the vessel was
amply provisioned and watered, and
that the suffering fer want of these ar
tlcles is directly traceable to the wan
ton waste of the emigrants themselves.
Over this, of course, the association hsd
no control after the vessel lett this port.
Ihe next and most serious charge against
the association is their failure to procure
responsible and competent physician
for the voyage and in answer to an inquiry
upon this point, Major Delany said that
the association had not relied upon
Curtis rs their physician, but had
procured the services of a compe-
tent practitioner from Washington,
who they had expected up to the very
minute. 1t was not until the vessel had |
anchor that the association for |
one moment thought of relying on Cur>
tis. The association are greatly in> !
censed at what they term the exorbitant |
rates charged by the British mail
steamer for towage, and. to use the
language of Major Delany, "It is an
outrage that will not be tolerated. The
bills will be paid, if possible, by the
'ssociation, but they will be paid under
protest, and |, who am we'll known in
England, will write personally to the
Earl OF Shaftesbury, and inqure from
lim whether or not it is the policy of
3reat Britain, which government has
pent millions of pounds in the suppress
ion of the slave trade and the civiliza.
ion OF Africa, to sanction such an out
age perpetrated by government agents,
he effect OF which is to reduce to a state
# lmpecuniosity those VINO. like brave
pioneers, are engaged in the noble work
f civilizing and Christianizing the wi!ds
t their native land." Your cores
'ondent learned that the association is
ntirely unable to meet the drafts upon
hem at present, but hope to be able, if
1ven time, to raise the cash among those
t the blacks whose enthuiasm has not
ooled. Delany and his associates are
ntirely ignorant, as yet, whether or not
he vessel has been libeled or will be
beled for the towage, and have received
o information either from Capt. Holmes
r from their agents who went out with
he vessel. Capt. Holmes received
rders before leaving to remain at Mon. {
ovia no longer than ten days unless he
7cured cargo. II, therefore, the
essel has not been detained by tiaa ancial
ificulties, she is probably OH her way ,
ack to Charleston by this time. Her
rival here is anxiously awaited by two
undred and fifty emigrants, one hun.
red and ninety-seven of whom are
iults, and, despite the terrors OF the
zperimental trip, these poor people,
ho have lived here for the last two
onths, no one knoYs how, are ready ?
Id willing at the shortest notice to ioin !
'eir comrades in the promised land. :
/ n. Y. Herald.