The herald., 1894-09-27
OFF TO THE DARK CONTINENT
Projected Exodus of Southern
ColOred People.
The First Vessel Leaves With Two
Hundred Next Month.
An Emigration sooisty Formed for COL
onizipg Purposes aud to Ms
tabiIsh Trade Relations
With Africa.

the lines at present laid down, bids fail
to have far-reaehing and potent iniu-
ence In extending the foreign commeros
of the United States, is being energetic
ally pushed in the east.
Mr. Charles F. Hoffman, who has been
making a short stay in the city while en-
route from mis- homo in Philadelphia ia
San Francisco, spoke yesterday of the
attempt being made to encourage the
return of the colored people from the
various southern states, whore an outlet
for their energies is ciroumscribed, to
various parts Of Western Africa. Incl
dsntslly, and for the particular purpoue
of reducing the scheme to feasible and
economical basis, q stsamship line is to
be established. Whether the society
that has been formed meets with ulti-
mate success in the especial object for
which it has been started or not, it
seems reasonably certain that at least
the line Of steamers ought to be SUCCESS
full on simply commercial grounds.
Speaking on this point Mr.. Hoffman
drew attention to the fact that ne steam-
ers ply between the United States and
the African continent, though no less
than III steamers run regularly between
Europe and Africa.
"This company" said he, "hss been
formed for the purpose of carrying out
the original ideas of the. old American
Colonization society which was started
in 1910 for the purpose of buying up
all the negro slaves in the south and
transplanting them to Siberia. The
present society has only been organized
since January and is composed largely
OF southern men. Bishop Turner OF the
African church is warmly in favor OF
this plan, and Bishop Taylor of the M.
E. church, so we'll known on this Pa
cihc coast, believes this plan OF emf
grafton means q solving of the negro
question: that has been and ia a buga-
boo to statesmen, and is also the tru-
est way Of evangelizing the dark con-
tinent."
You may divide the colored people
into two immense groups" remarked
Mr.. Hoffman, lone being we'll contented
with their lot in this country, which
they, not perhaps unnaturally, regard
as their native land. At present these
are mainly employed by planters who
furnish three meals day, a shelter and
a percentage of the crops. On the other
hand thousands of the oolored race have
expressed wish to return to the land
of their fathers. For time the society
was opposed by the political faction,
but this and other obstacles have been
overcome. No one will be considered
an eligible candidate, however, unless
of superior intelligence and free vi all
debts. The society will charge each
emigrant SAL as passage money, and
upon arriving at Liberia each will be
the necessary implements ana aKrlcui-
Iural tools. and temporary shelter until
he can erect one for himself.
The capital stock OF the society is
$3OO,O0O, OF which 100000 is in pre-
fsrred stock. On or about October 10Th
the frst steamer will leave for the Afri-
can coast with from 200 to 800 colored
people. The veseel ia 1000 tons burden,
and it ie expected that the rate for
freight will be less than that between
Liverpool and the same points. The
voyage will take about 20 days direct"
More than one Utopian scheme for
colonizing the southern negroes in Africa
has ceme to grief. but the one outlined
above seems to contain certain elements
of euccess. AT Bathurst, on the Gambia
river, at Sierra Leon, the old depot Tor
slaves released by the English African
squadron, and now prosperous colony
and the seat OF the government at
Cape Coaet Castle, Lagos and
other points on the west Afri-
can coast, there are American trad
ing houses having headquarters in
Boston and New York. Communication
10 carried on solely by trading suips, and
here 10 where profitable business can
indeed be built up. Freight rates by
steamer from Liverpool to African
points range from $24 to $50 per ton. and
when it is remembered that one steamer
alone will oftimes carry 300 hogsbeade
of tobacco, that has first been shipped
from the United States to England, il
does seem as If direct shipments o.
American products would be boon tl
merchants engaged in African trade.