Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-07
AFRICAN COLONIZATION.
Distinguished Americans Who Have Been
Interested in the Project In Times Past
The Society That Flourished at the Be-
0ippfpD ,f tho Prosopt Capturv

The Society That F1ourished at the Be-
ginning of the Present Century.
WRITTEN FOR THE D1sPATcH.l
The present interest in Africa serves to
recall to memory some of the early and dis
tinguished friends of the African Colonial
ton Society during the fore part of the
present century. The central idea of that
project was to there provide an asylum for
our colored population, with their consent,
when free or emancipated.
It is said that Rev. Robert Finley, of
Basking Ridge, N. j., was prominent in Or
iginating the society. President Madison
was an early friend of the society and Its
president at his death, contributing largely
to Its funds and bequeathing it 81, 4,O00 JEFF
ferson, Monroe and Charles Carroll were
prominent advocates of its object. In 1919
Congress appropriated 500, 900 for the pur-
pose OF carrying back to Africa such slaves
as should be surreptitiously imported, and
to that end the Government and the society
co-operated.
Judge Washington, Of the United States
Supreme Court, became its President after
the death of Madison. Chief Justice Mar
shall was its distinguished friend and oldest
vice president One of the latest acts Of his
life was to contribute largely toward fitting
out an expedition with colonists from Nor
folk. Robert Ralston. of Philadelphia, and
the Rt Rev. William White, D. D., were
among its early vice presidents. Elias
Boudinot Caldwell, ESQ.,, OF Washington,
was its first secretary. Upon his death the
board, desirous to perpetuate in Africa the
name OF this "benefactor OF Liberia"
directed that the name of Caldwell be given
to the first settlement or town established by
the colony.
Among other early and warm friends of
this society were William Henry Fitzhugh,
of Virginia; Thomas Smith Grimke, of
Charleston, s. c.; Rev. Lott Carey, who
was born slave near Richmond, Va, and
was among the earliest emigrants to Africa;
DIR. Richard Randall, at one time Professor
of Chemistry in Columbia College; Dr.John
Wallace Anderson, OF the University of
Pennsylvania; Rev. Melville B. Cox and
Judge Workman, of Louisiana, who con-
tributed to the society 100000 There also
may be similarly mentioned the names OF
Writ, Crawford, Lowndes. Clay. Mercer,
Webster, Frelinghuysen, Southard,
Vroom. Cotton, Smith, McLane, Por-
ter, Mexican, Everett and Butler,
while, from the mercantile world, Gerard
Ralston, Anson G. Phelps, Henry Sheldon
and others, and, among the clergy. Breck-
enridge, Proudft, Gurley, Burgess, Bacon,
Fisk, Milnor, De Witt and others. To this
society, in addition to its work for the col
ored race, belongs also the distinction of
having been chiefly instrumental in found
ing the State of Liberia.
1t does not seem uniting, therefore, when
we reflect upon the many years during
which America has had peculiar interests
and obligations in respect to Africa, that so
many OF her prominent citizens have identi-
Neither that it should have resulted in our
having sent out Stanley to explore that
Dark Continent, into which the light is
now breaking as never before.