Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-08-03
THE LIBERIAN REPUBLIC.
WhHf Mr.. Garnet Says About IN
New EldOradO of the COIOred
Race.
81. louis RennhLienn

81. LOUIS ReDu6tacQn,
Everybody VINO is Interested in the affairsl
OF the Liberisn republic knows that theI
Rev. Henry Highland Garnet, D. D.. OF New
York, has just been appointed United Statesj
Minister and Consul General to the coloredI
republic. 1 met Dr. Garnet Yesterday, anal
few facts which be told me about his an
cestry, taken In connection with his recentl
appointment, make a very interesting and.
indeed, romantic story. The doctor, inl
orlef, is going not only to the continent
Where mis- ancestors lived, but to the very
spot where they had their homes. He viii
represent the great government under whose
nag ne was born amid the very tribe in which
his paternal grandfather was a Young
warrior. Times and circumstances
alter cases, and there is very
striking contrast between the manner
In which his ancestors crossed the ocean
and the trip which he is about to take. Tom
Chat was the civilized name to which his
grandfather was taught to respond) made
his advent to the home of the free IN the
hold OF SLAYER, in which, as an obstreper-
GUS captive, he passed the most of a tor
turesome voyage In chains. His grandson
goes back In the first cabin of a Liyerpool
steamship, with a commission in his pocket
from the State Department authorizing him
to represent the interests which fifty mill
lions of people have in the experiment of
self government that the African Republic
is making. Let this fact be used hereafter
In support OF the proposition, disputed in
some quarters, that the African is capable
OF self elevation.
81 remember my grandfather well +" said
Dr. Garnet, Though he was a very old man,
over ninety years of age, believe, when
was a little boy. He was a native of what
is now called Liberia, and belonged to the
Mandingos, which is now, and has always
been, as far back as we know, powerful
tribe on the west coast. The tribal centre
Is, aud probably has been for many genera
tions, at or near the Liberian town of
Brewersville, some fourteen miles back in
the country from Monrovia. The Mandingos
have marked physical characteristics, being
almost invariably tall straight and broad
shOuldered. Their present chief lives at
Brewersville, and my daughter, Mrs Bar
bozs, who went to Liberia as a teacher, two
years ago, knows him well. In the first let
ter she wrote me-" continued DR.. Garnet,
laughingly, "she said: Father, the chief
of the Mandingos looks Just like YOU. Nv
grandfather was member of this tribe of
wild Africans, and some fifteen years before
our Revolutionary war broke out he was one
OF their hardy young warriors, noted for his
physical prowess, and having a hand In all
their encounters with the hostile tribes
around. In one Of these fights he was taken
prisoner aud, after the African custom, was
reduced to slavery. About the same time
an American SLAYER anchored off the coast
aud picked up a cargo OF slaves, my grand
father being among the multitude who were
slowed away In her hold. He was landed
on the coast OF Maryland, and in that State
he lived over seventy years, a lifelong
slave. He was a man of naturally quick
parts and had considerable executive ability.
and Tor many years his owner, Col. Spencer,
him with the direction of the work
of his large force of laborers. When Coz
Spencer was in Congress my grandfaper
took entire charge of the plantation iT hts
masters absence. To the last days G his
life he had vivid recollection OF MS old
home in Africa. He wa always GID, how
ever, that he had been brought to ais coun-
try, even though in a state Of b1dage, for
not long after he had acquired Iull know
ledge Of our language be wa6onVerted to
the Christian religion, and 1uIlng all his
subsequent life he was VI Y{6v pUgS msn and a.
donhtedIv In the Mendint tribe there are
branches of.9Iy family, and it
wonId he rather int sting, were such
hing pnssibIe. TO INT up my African
cousins"
Dr Garnet will trt for Liberia via Iiv-
erpool about thesiinattioon VI - Posnoer. He
will reach his he will . e "a. sne tropical
~; lry season, w He is very honefnI -t6it tpnt
climatic 1eWe to do o good deaI ~ - @ enaG
oe my ooce betwePn the two counfrjas
10 ,eo 5Aith Lib1ria," be said. e'is NOT
. ~ u%Fhat it ought to be. Our mers
ahdnts : alSle q't kHoW yet what profits can he
N made d. =, tr2ae along the West African
Two or t9Iee iEsir ffGi fGasi15s5 Just as
,hig as possible, so as not to attract at
lBn. l couldn't understand why tne
7of ~ 81 -, in this city, could De
,ced to say SO very little about the Libe-
trade. and that little OF disparaging
ire. until some of my friends explained
, the firm was very fearful of competi-
and wanted to keep the whole business
themselves. Not many years ago
Q started in the trade with one
e vessel and were poor men. Now
y are very wealthy. The English,
flanders, Belgians, French and German,
now doing a large business all along the
# coast. The Lberians are Americans
birth and sentiment, and they would
oh nrefer that the largest business rela-
ns should be with the United States.
ev don't like to see the European nations
non0Iizing their trade. The English
,ecialIv are doing a great deal to demor-
re the country by the yigor with Whlch
~ are pushing the rum trade both among
natives and the Lberians. This TACT has
vIous than ever to enlarge their trade re-
ions with the United States, and to relieve
cir country of the present preponderating
itish Influence. They prefer American
1thes and American manufactures gener-
". English and French capitalists nave
cretlv proposed to build railroad from
IurUVla which should penetrate good
AVS into the interior of the country, open
o. uD very rich district. The Liberian
9vernment has thus far withheld its en-
from the project, simply
scause It would prefer, for a variety Of
,asons, TO secure the cooperation OF
lnerican capital in building Liberian
.ilroad. The LiAerian trade with the
nited States in coffee alone, which at
resent is Insignificant. ought to grow to
nnrmous proportions. Their coffee is pro-
ouncea by high authohty in England as
ute as good as Java coffee. 1t has recent
? been selling in the Loadou market at
Welve shillings per hundred weight above
be quotations for Ceylon (Arabian) coffee.
he berries are twice the size OF the ordi-
ary coffee bean. DR.. Nichols, of London,
as recently called attention to the fact that
be LiDerian coffee tree has recently been
-ansplanted in large numbers in Dominica,
nd other of the West India islands, with
Important results, as It has been found to
ourish well, to be free from blight, and to
e more prolific than the Arabian tree,
yhile the flavor of the coffee is excellent.
DIR. Garnet said he hoped to see, before a
reat while, commercial agencies in all chief
tiles of the Union for the introduction and
ale of Liberian products. He said that no
olonies were being organized In this coun-
~ at present for emigration to Liberia. He
1as glad this was so, as he thought it very
nwise to encourage indiscrimnate emigra-
bn to that country. Colored people of in
diligence and energy, particularly when
hey combined little capital with these
luaities, could do well in Liberia, and
might improve their condition by going
herr But he thought It was very poor
Dolicy for meier do-wells, who couldn't make
decent living In this country, to attempt
TO pioaeer it in a new and undeveloped land.
@. G.. A.