Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-08-01
BACK FROM LIBERIA.
An Intelligent Georgia Negroes Gives
Her Impressions Of the African Re.
public.

FROM the Atlanta Constitution
Yesterday Juna Hudson arrived In Atlanta,
ai'er an absence OF over Il years nom Georgia.
She WAS one of the negroes who went TO Liberia
soon after the close OF thewsr. She belonged
70 Major j. W. Warren Of the executive Office
ana was the nurse Of his children. The crazs
,or Liberia did not captivate luna, but IL caught
ner husoand,a skilful mechanic, who was
, nee gro In slavery times, aud had accumu-
lated property.
= In ,he latter part OF 1867 there was n very
.ss ehisr"ion OF negroes from the cotton
made up In Muscogee and adjoining conn,ies.
OF winch Hudson and his family wer.a promi-
men, members The negroes who composed this
Soioh! were nearly all old servants of we'll.
known Georgia families. They reached Iibe-
ma safely, and founded town when they
named tortsNille, In honor OF the well-kpown
Georgia family. The history of the colony "a a
sad one. Most OF it's members died OF the fsver.
Hudson prospered AID accumulated considera-
bic property. A few months ago he died His
widow determined Ia return TO tseorpia with
ner TWO children and spend The remnant OF her
DAYS among her old friencs. Yesterday she
reached Atlanta. and went al once 10 see MARS
Joe" W arren at the capitol, who gave her "A cor
dial welcome. luna Hudson l. "A woman of re-
markabie intelligence. and appears to toe well
educated. When asked what She thought of
that country, she said: 1 never liked IT, IL Is
remarkably rich cout 'ry, and the climate il
generally agreeable. I don't know when have
felt a day as hot this. The trouble IL with the
fever. which never fails 10 attack settlers, and
Is very fatal. 1t takes two years at least 20 be-
come acclimated and don think the climate
ever agrees well with an, body but the natives.
us the population growing"
"No, sir. / think not. The natives m Az be
increasing. but there are fewer American ne
groes there now than there used To Ice. Nearly
all OF the ffty that went over in our party died.
Some came back. ON the vessel that brought
me To New York were ri emigrants returning
TO TINS country. They generally get enough u
Liberia in six months.
"what Inducements are offered 20 settlers"
Every family Is given % acres OF land, and
cents an acre. Ii Il the HIGHEST land ever saw.
too. had a beautiful place with many inn
provements. There were 10000 bearing coffee
trees on II, besides thousands of bananas and
plantains. IL was valued "A few years ago
$4,000. Yet when I sold il to get money To
come back on all 1 realized was about $500.
One reason OF this was the trouble with the cur
rency. Very little money is circulated. People
are afraid of the money because II is constantly
being deprecated. Trading is done almost alto
gether by barter. L could take my coffee and
get anything wanted. So with syrup or fruit.
gold could hardly get anything for IT, The
Legislature is trying now 10 make the money OF
the country good. Crops are bountirul, but every
necessary of lie is high. Pork IL 80 cents "a
pound; beef2o cents, ham DO cents, and good
nour very high"
"What about the government,
at is modelled after ours. All the officers
are negroes, and there are a good many poiti-
well, suppose SO. The natives are happy
In their way, but 1 don't think the country
would satisfy those who had been raised in
Georgia"
"what is the religion Of the people?-
among the emigrants there are the various
denominations we have here. The natives wor.
ship idols
why don't they send missionaries among
them?'
"They do. but IL is a hopeless task, think.
Among the thousands OF natives I saw while
there only three had been civilized and chris
tanned; Missionaries are scattered all over
the country, and they find no trouble In get
ting crowds of the natives into their churches
and schools. Many OF these profess CONVEX
sion, and are enrolled as christians, but almost
invariably they go back TO idolatry when they
return to their tribes. The missionary work
In Liberia seems TO he making no progress"
"Iou don't think the future of the country
looks bright"
mo, sir. The emigrants who have gone there
rom this country as a rule are not contented.
Many of them come back, and many more
would come II they had the means. The coun-
try Is not going to fill up with intelligent Amer
lean negroes, and 1 don't believe the natives
will ever be made into good citizens. They are
ignorant and brutal. They are happy when
they can come down from the forests loaded
with fruits to sell I'm the town, and then 20
back to their miserable nuts"