The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-10

made upon this score we must credit Mr. Dur
nam with striking contribution to the study
OF n deeply interesting question.
MIR. Durham has preliminary word to say
| about the torn by which he thinks tho NOM
bers OF his race should describe themselves.
lie objects to tho uso Of the words negro aud
colored. Hams descendants aro he says
Africans by geographical origin and Ethiopian
BY race. just as the progeny OF Japhot are
Europeans. as regards their original location.
and Caueasians by race. Again. Africans and
otner Ethiopians are black. as Europeans
and other Caucasians are white. He docs
not soc why the hue Of the complexion
should be indelibly stamped on the appellation
OF one race and not upon that OF the other. He
would therefore have his brethren call them-
selves Africans and leave it to their former
oppressors to taunt them with their color
What Is tho actual condition OF Liberia,
and what are It's possibilitiesp These aues-
lions are answered in the course Of chapter
whose purpose Is to show that the Liberian
latherland is tho only suitable plaoe OF resi-
dcnco Tor the Amerco-African. 1t is pointed
out that the Liberian Constitution is mode lled
upon that OF the United States; 1t Is, in other
words. Constitution to which the America.
Africans are accustomed. In Liberia how
ever thereis no mob rule and no lynch law.
Even handed Justice prevails throughout the
republic. No race problem can possibly exist,
because no man who Is not Of African descent
can be Liberian citizen. Tho rulers are not
whites. as they are In the United States and
tho British colonies: they are blacks. Tho
oHlclal language Is not French, al Is tho case
IN tho Congo Free State. but English the lam
guage which the Africo- American uses daily
and exclusively. Moreover. unlike tho Congo
Free State. Liberia is progressive. Mr. Dur
nam insists that she hns In her all the
elements OF progress. and that embrace
Ing as she does at least one hundred and fifty
| Thousand square miles OF territory, she has
room enough to accommodate the entire body
OF expatriated Africans. In Liberia the Amer
lco-African would encounter familiar political
subdivisions such as counties. townships and
chartered cities: he would find there Mayors,
Aldermen. public libraries and librarians,
churches and clsrgymon. Coroners. colleges
| and schools. professors and teachers lawyers
| and physicians. shops and merchants. ware
houses. wharves. custom houses. lighthouses,
forts. body OF regular soldiers. militia. and
police Apropos Of churches. ono should note
In passing that the Liberian Constitution.
while 1t tolerates all religions and forms Of
| worship. allows no established Church.
MIR. Durham enumerates no fewer than nine
teen important towns in Liberia. exclusive Of
Monrovia. tho chief seaport and seat OF Gov
| ernment Among the Liberian products which
are exported may be mentioned cocoa, coffee.
cotton. indigo. dyewood. ivory. gold. tortoise
SHE'LL hides. iron. copper. rubber. the teeth OF
the seahorse. palm oil. CATTLE goats, wine.
fowls. ducks. sheep. the sugar cane. rice,
| Indian corn. millot, wax. ground nuts,
ginger pepper. arrowroot. palm kernels,
yams. bananas. cassavn. pineapples oranges,
cocoanuts. and tamarinds. The soil Is OK
tremely fertile: the natives Of the country,
| although often without tools or skill. are able
with very little labor to raise more grain and
vegetables than they can consume. and fire.
| quently more than they can sell Cattle,
swine. goats. sheep. fowls, and ducks thrive
without feeding and require no other care
than to keep them from straylng. Cotton. cof-
fee. indigo. and sugar cane are the spon.
tancous products OF the soil. and may be
cultivated at pleasure to any extent.
Ono should add that winter is unknown in
Liberia: the hills and plains are covered with
perpetual verdure. and nature is constantly
pouring her treasures all the year around into
the laps Of the industrious. Mechanics OF
nearly every trade are carrying on their va
rious occupations and there is not o child In
the colony but is provided with an appropriate
schooling. Tho piety Of the first settlers has
been transmitted to their descendants, and
the standard OF morals remains high.
Tho author denies with energy a state
ment made in the London Times two years
ago by Mr.. W. Laird Cloves. who had been
commissioned to investigate the condition Of
our Southern States. Mr.. Cloves serted
that to-day In Liberia whites are treated by
the blacks much as blacks are treated by
whites in tho South. Did he moan. asks Mr.
Durham. that whites in Liberia are lynched by
the black citizens2 Did he lean that the per-
sons and property OF whites are not protected
by Libsrian law. and that tho whites are re-
fused fair hearing In the Liberian courts of
Justice? IIe could not have meant any
Of these things. for had they existed
the European and American Ministers and
Consul Generals to Liberia would have pro-
tested against the maltreatment OF the whites
No such protest has besn made and we are
therefore justified in inferring that the whites
are not Ill treated In Liberia 1t is true that
the Llberan Constitution confers citizen
ship on none save those OF African descent. but
Mr. Durham is doubtless right In saying that
were 1t not for this restriction Liberia would
DO swamped by white men. and the funda-
mental purpose Of the colony frustrated.
Another assertion mado by Mr.. Cloves was
that diplomatic intercourse with Liberia and
IIayti cannot be carried on under ordinary
condltons: neither can commercial transnc-
tions. Mr. Durham rejons that MS a matter
OF fact the principal countries Of Europe and
OF the American continent receive Ministers
and Consul Generals and Consuls from Lii
IBERIA and Hayti while those States In their
turn receive diplomatic and commercial rop-
resentatives from the Americas and Europe.
AS to commercial transactions being I'm
practicable. is it likely asks the au-
thor. that II this wore truo the Brit
ish India Rubber States Company would
havo been formed for the purpose Of acquiring
and working concession from the Government
OF Liberia for tho right of collecting and ex-
porting India rubber and gutta percha to tho
European and American markets. Another
statement OF Mr.. Clowes's was that tho colony
OF Liberia had not been conspicuous success
for the reason that the American immigrants
and their descendants hardly number 5000
souls. The figures are strangely incorrect.
The African depository. the organ OF tho
American Colonization Society reported in
April. 1901. that emigration to Liberia under
the auspices OF the society Just named