The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1880-05-20
From Africa.


ceased, Of Winchester, and who emf
grated to Africa soon after the war be-
tween the North and South, writes us o
long letter from Monrovia, the capital
Of Liberia. By the same mail we also
received one from Jacob M. Davis,
colored man who went from Memphis in
this State to Africa. Of course the let
ter from William Slater is mainly de-
voted to family matters, because he was
a family servant, so-called. lie was
and is one of the best blacksmiths We
ever knew. There are many white peo-
pie in our town who know that he could
make a pocket-knife that would almost
equal the cutlery Of Wostenholm or
Rogers. He went to Africa as preach
or. He is more intelligent than the
large majority of negroes, and he is
truthful. His letters are generally
about six weeks in coming from Monro-
via 10 Winchester. Under date Of
March Oath, 1880, he writes
~ received your letter December
9th, 1879, and it found me in tolerable
health, for which give thanks to God.
I hardly ever send letter to the United
States through the English and Liberia
mail. Mr.. Jacob NJ. DAVIS and myself
have put thirty-odd letters in the Libe-
ria office, and not one Of them has ever
been heard from. also learn that
England does not insure the delivery Of
letters carried By her mail Therefore
Mr.. Davis and l send our letters
through the Colonization Society, by
one Of Yates d Poterfeld's vessels.
as to the Liberia government. We
need manufactures of every description.
We emigrants know how to work, but
none of US have any money. l want to
start saw-mill to saw palm-wood, and
have gone 80 far as to buy saw to run
by water-power. Also, l have two
cross-cut saws, but all these are idle be-
cause I am not able to start them. 1t
seems TO me that men with money could
come here and do well in this business,
or in running coffee farm. The black
people should come here. They might
as we'll come first as last, for they will
have it to do. The Scriptures must be
fulfilled as to them % well as TO other
people.
Here follow quotations from the
Bible in regard to the negro race and
the late war, from which the writer
concludes that the war could not have
bGen avoided-that God had a duty for
the negro to perform in Africa-that
the Lord brought the war on in order
that He might establish His kingdom in
Africa, &c. But the negro, says Will
liam S., has failed to do the duty the
Lord intended him to do. He is stay
ing in America, away from "his own
country" while other people are usurp-
lug the benefits and prospects of his
land. He says:
81 have chosen the mouth Of Congo
river for the Tennessee black people to
build q great city at, or about 80 miles
distant. 1t ia the richest part of Afri-
ca, and Liberia is in the poorest part
And there is no way from Monrovia to
the interior except by the sea, or paths
from one natives town to another. Be-
side, the weather is not cold enough in
Liberia to stop the progress of insects.
At the place I have selected there are
many wild animals, from the elephant
down, and where you find the most wild
animals and yarmints there Is the
richest country.
"Now, this the negroes country. And
all the nations that used to trade in
slaves are settling up Africa, while the
negro stands back from his own land.
You know as we'll as l do that darkey
will not do anything except the white
man is either behind him or before him.
l know this, for ! tried them Nashville
negroes, and they laughed at me. But
they have no excuse. They never can
be frcemen in fact until they come to
their native land. They should come
hero and bring with them the knowledge
they gained while in slavery under the
white people. The Kansas fever, which
l see from the Home Journal you kindly
send me, is prevalent with them, will
prove their ruin. Africa is the place
they must come to, and leave politics
behind them. Amen"
The letter from Davis we omit for
the present He simply urges the ne
groes to come to Africa, every one who
has negro blood in him. He says: 81
am at home. | am negro, and in
tend to live in my own land. You all
should come and make home for your
children" He tells them that they can
grow everything there that can be grown
in America-that all sorts Of fruits
grow spotancously-that monkey-meat
there is az good, or better, than squirrel
meat in the United States-to come and
bring few greenbacks and provisions
to last about four months, and all will
Lo WALL Thoy ron mako Coffee and Gil