The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-25
WAITING FoR a LIsERIAN sEIP.
The Arkansas Emigrants Studying
Metropolitan Life.

March ~ tnol Will nave ample opportunity
OF getting acquainted with metropolitan
life
While in Savannah the party had very
vague idea under what auspices they were
going to Liberia. They said they had a
letter from a colonization society in Wash
I ington promising them free passage to
Liberia and a farm and other things when
they got there. The letter turned out TO be
this:
COLONIZATION Rooms.
WASHINGTON. d. C., Oct. IS, 1891.
DEAR SIR-Your application postmarked
oct. II" containing names, ages, etc, Of sew
enteen persons wishing passage aud settlement
and will be presented 70 the executive commit
tee. Should their action be favorable / will
promptly inform you. Many thousands are
spontaneously seeking our aid for homes In
Liberia far exceeding our ability 20 furnish
Yours truly, WILLIAM CoPPIEGER.
10 Coleman Williams, McCrorv, Ark
Some Of the party said they had received
word from the society to start. but nobody
knew exactly who had received it or how,
and it finally developed that they had "jes
up an started
The American Colonization Society is one
OF the wealthiest benevolent societies in
Washington. IL was organized in 1917 and
has had as its presidents some OF the great
est men in the country. Its first president
was Bushrod Washington, the second was
Charles Carroll, the third was James Madi-
son, the fourth was Henry Clay and the
fifth was II. B. Latrobe. The present pres
iden. is the Ri. Rev. Henry c. Potter,
bishop Of New York.
The executive committee. although it had
no fntlmation that a party OF negro
emigrants from any place, was on its way
TO New York to embark Tor Liberia, de-
cided TO give $4,000 to transport them to
Liberia, provided the remainder of the
money could be raised in New York The
COMMITTEES says there has been no correspond
ence between the negroes now In New York
and the society. and the latter is in no way
responsible for their deplorable condition.
They usually sends three parties year
OF forty persons each, that being the capac-
ity OF the vessels chartered for this service.
1t is very particular about the kind Of emf
grants it accepts. 1t provides them with a
free passage to Liberia and gives to families
farm or twenty-five acres and to indi-
vlduals a farm of ten acres, and becomes
responsible for their support for tue first six
months OF their residence in Liberia. The
object is to coloniZe and Christianize Lis
IBERIA. The society gives everything and
gets nothing whatever in return, except the
satisfaction Of having done its work.
The officers say they cannot understand
how the Arkansas negroes got 1t into their
heads TO start for Liberia without any in
structions from it. The instructions the
society sends out to those with whom it is
in correspondence are that no enigrant
should under any circumstances leave his
home until he has been provided by the So
ciety with his passage ticket from New
YORK to Liberia.
In the meanwhile the negroes under the
leadership OF the REV" Judge Thornton.
who goes around New York carrying an
old lantern on his arm as he did when the
party was here, are being cared for the best
they can be in the metropolis.
II done carried that lantern all the way
from McCrory. didn't know but what il
might be dark on the way to Africa, but I
amt had no occasion to use 1t YET" the old
negro said when asked why he carried the
lantern