Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-12-18
OFF FOR AFRICA. F.
The Bark MOnrOYii Sails with Emil
grants for Liberia---A Talk with the
Ex-AttOrney General of the Republic
1.-The Workings of the Government.
New York Herald

eEX-ACtOfney Uenefal OIL the Republic
1.-The Workings of the Government.
New York Herald. :....., d.
the new American bark Monrovia left
pier 10 East River yesterday, bound for
the port after which she was named,
and which is the, capital of the Libersan
Republic. The passenger list comprised
five cabin and thlrty.one steerage pas
sengers, all colored. whose friends as
sembled III large numbers at the dock
from which the vessel sailed. Capt. L.
r.. Richardson, who formerly com
manded the bark Liberia, stated thatlhe
expects to make the run in his new yes
sci in about thirty-fve days. The prin-
cipal items Of merchandise on the
bark's manifest are tobacco. provisions
and dry goods. Of the colored pas
sengers fourteen are from Boston and
the remainder from the southern states.
A leading man among the departing
Africans was Mr.. w. M! Davis, ex-
attorney general of the Liberian Repub-
lie, man about 45 years Of age, and a
lawyer by profession. He is q native of
Pennsylvania. and went to Liberia with
his parents in 1852. Remaing for six
years in Africa he returned to the
United States, taking up his abode in
Boston, where be attended school for
three y ears, and studied law for a couple
more in the Office of Messrs. Rice &
Nelson. He sailed again to Monrovia
Just after the attack on Fort Sumter, re-
manned there for seventeen years, and
became attorney general Of the re-
public. ~ .'H2 s.' 80 '....75
care there many lawyers out there,
Mr.. Daviss' asked a reporter of the
Herald.
con, yes; there are good many. In
our population of about $4,000 there
are half q dozen lawyers who could
lass at the bar here. and three or four
of these would be able to practice any
Where' .l"i r.
Mr.. Davis gave an account of the
workings of the federal system Of gov
eminent as practiced in Liberia Mr..
A. w. Gardner, Virginian by birth,
the present president, went into Office
last January, having been elected for
the usual term of two years. There is
now party in the republic agtating
for longer term of office, thinking
that the chief executive of Liberia like
that of the United States, should be in
office four years. The Liberians do a
large trade with England and an insig-
nificant one with the United States.
The English have two outward and two
homeward bound steam ers that call at
MOnrOvia every month. The exports
consist chiefly Of palm oil, cocoanuts,
dye woods, ivory in large quantities,
sugar, coffee, ginger, arrow root, indigo,
rubber and beeswax. There are about
one hundred white people in Liberia,
representing various natlOnallues-
American, French, German, Dutch,
Portuguese and English. These people
are either connected with the missions
or are merchants. Some firms there
have as many as five large vessels en-
gagged in the Liberlan trade.
" Do the cOlored people OF the United
States like to live there?'
"They do,' replied Mr.. Davis, !" after
becoming acclimated. Then they pre-
fer it, but if they get disguised because
before they get through the process Of
acclimatlzatlon, they bring back fear
FIJI accounts Of the country. The abo-
rhymes are by degrees adapting them
selves to habits Of civilized life. If
man out there takes to civilized ideas
he must be employed in some occupa-
ton depending on his new condition,
and as through want of employment
this cannot always be done, those who
want to become civilized cannot always
follow their inclinations. The Chris
tianizing process would be more rapid
IF there were schools for the education
of native women. AS things now stand
the civilized men cannot get wives
among the American portion of the,
population. Besides, if these educated
men go back to their native villages
seeking heather wives, they will have
to live there with those women, and
their usefulness will thus be curtailed.
In some cases, however, educated abO
rhymes have married melican-bOrn
women. .4
With regard to remuneration for
labor, Mr.. Davis said that tradesmen,
such as carpenters, get s. a day, which
they usually stipulate shall be paid IN
gold or greenbacks. There are plenty
of greenbacks in Liberia, and they are
preferred to gold. They are introduced
there by merchants and missionaries.
The salaries of the latter are, to a large
amount, paid in drafts convertible into
United States currency, and this sort Of
money is greatly preferred. The paper
currency of the country, which is about
$50 per cent. below gold per value, is re-
ceivable for all sorts Of taxes, dues,
custom house duties and the like. The
notes were printed in England. We
would have much preferred to have
them made in America, but communi-
cation with England is easier. There is
continuous stream of emigration to
Liberia. Very strong lines still mark
the difference between the races, and IN
any country where two people live to-
gether without intermarrying one of
them must be servile and the other
dominant. The colored people prefer
equal rights in small and weak coun-
try to unequal ones in large and
powerful nation.