The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-09-21
THE TROUBLES OF LIBERIA.

Benedict King, who is in this country
as commissioner from Liberia to the
Worlds Fair. has lately appealed to the
President for protection against French
encrOachments upon his country. 1t
seems that the Government of Senegal is
of opinion that negroes have no rights
which Frenchmen are bound to respect,
and that it is chipping off odd corners OF
the Liberian republic to annex them 10
its dominiOns. Liberia is the only colony
which the people of the United States ever
undertook to plant 1t was set up seventy
years ago by American philanthropists
who thought they could settle the slavery
problem by expatriating the negroes. A
few thousand free negroes, with a few
negro slaves who we're emancipated for
the purpose by their masters, were trans
ported to the coast Of Africa and bargains
made with native chiefs which gave the
newcomers plausible title to strip about
$50 miles long between the fourth and the
seventh degrees of north latitude. Like
the early colonies in this country Liberals
limits interorward were never defined.
1t was vaguely supposed that is east and
west line stretched from so to 100 miles.
Liberia has now attained certain meas
ure of prosperity. The colony is peopled
by about 10000 negroes, eX-slaves or thu
posterity of eX-slaves; they have attracted
to them about a million native Africans,
who have found under the Liberian flag
protection from the slave-tTadeT. These
people have built several towns, the chief
of Monrovia-cOn aims 1900 or
$4,000 inhabitants, and exports palm oil,
coffee, rubber, ivory. dye-wOods. arrow
root, sugar and cocoa. They have a con-
stitutiOn modelled on that of the United
States. They are simple, primitive peo-
pie, with elementary notions of CONNER
cial life. The other day the state borrowed
half million in England, but they never
could = made TO understand that it be-
hooyed them to pay the debt, or even the
interest thereon. Still they are sovereign
nation and maintain diplomatic inter-
course with other nations.
1t would seem that for auld lang syne
Mr.. Kings suggestion should at least be
considered. 1t is not necessary to declare
war on France. But a polite diplomatic
remOnstrance by The United States against
French absorption of Liberia might be
proper and effectual. The French repub-
lie holds territory enough in West Africa
without grabbing this poor little struggling
IcfuUtiCs W Z are III q UledSuIb IGSDUUSl-
bic for its existence. II was called into
being to relieve us of grave evil. If it
did not succeed it was not the fault of the
colonization society.
Geographers have described Liberia as a
place where the white man cannot live.
But recent travellers assure us that the
black man lives there TO a good old age.
The soil is fairly fertile, and its products
are of kinds which are understandable. In
the interior mines have been found which
may some day be worked. Liberia, if
helped along, may become the center of
an African civilization. as well as Senegal.
1t is rem arkable for one popularity. The
early colonistS were exported from this
country by religious societies, and religion
took as deep and firm root in the colony
as it did in the colony of Massachusetts
Bay.