Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1896-08-13
American Negroes in Africa.
EXODUS OF SEVERAL COLONIES
OF THE RACE FROM THE
SOUTHERN STATES.
Interesting Facts Regarding the So
cial and Religious Conditions of
the Negro OF the African Trop-
ics-A Trip to Liberia.


and who mas recently returned from a
trip to the west coast of Africa. Mr..
Roberts has travelled extensively in
foreign lands, having spent many
years of his life abroad, and will re-
turn again to Africa next spring.
MEXICO, Mo-, Aug. Sin certain OF
the Southern states there has for sew
eral years prevailed strong sentiment
among the negroes in favor of emf
grafton to Africa. AS result of this
sentiment ship carrying POS negroes
left Savannah, Georgia, irl March,
1895, and another vessel with 321 peo-
pie left the same port in March, 1896.
The departure of these two colonies
from the United States is thought by
| many people in the South to mark the
beginning of an extensive exodus of
the race from this country. With a
view to studying the race question and
the prospects of negro nationality in
the African tropics accompanied the
batch of emigrants which left Savan-
nah last spring. Judging from the
thousands of colored people who
crowded the wharves and river banks
at Savannah, and the amount of en-
thusiasm they displayed, / was almost
led to think that it would soon be hard
work to find enough ships to carry
them away, but later experience prov
ed that when it comes to saving up
money to pay the passage fare there
would probably be less than a BAKERS
dozen out of those thousands of en-
thusiasts who would ever accomplish
the feat.
On landing at Monrovia the emil
grants met with a most cordial recep-
ton from their Liberian kindred and
they were rendered every assistance
in getting located in the various set
Elements. The Liberians have been
reused to a remarkable zeal on the
subject of immigration from America
by the recent encroachments of the
French on their territory. They now
realize that unless their numbers are
reinforced by immigrants from the
United States their whole country is
likely to be gobbled up by avaricious
Europeans.
In the administration of the Liberian
government there is not much to find
fault with except that expenses have
exceeded the receipts during the last
few years; but as our own govern
ment has been doing the same thing
on much larger scale we Americans
have no right to criticise that little
weakness. Fortunately, there is no
gold standard in the country to blame
for this state of things. ANY Populist
or cheap money agitator who is really
desirous of studying the financial
problem would do well to visit Liberia,
where they issue paper currency that
is backed by nothing but a vague
promise. Needless to say the paper is
not accepted in the markets of the
world, and in order to get native to |
take it you must first get him roaring
drunk or club him into state of sub |
mission. In the absence of a sound |
system IN Liberia the coast
ing trade has to be done with Ameri-
can, English and European money,
which occasions no little inconveni- |
ence to merchants. Since the agita-
ton on the money question in this
country, American paper is heavily
by Europeans on the Afri-
can coast, though the Liberians have
continued to take it at par value.
The public officials of Liberia are
well educated men and sufficiently |
considering their oppor-
tunities and the material they have to
work with. The great need of the
country is few civilized people to
start settlements in the interior for
ests. The interior is much more fer
tile and healthier country than the
coast-line where the majority of the
present population is located. The un-
native-population out
numbers the America -Liberians by
nearly forty to one. These natives,
while willing to be governed by the
Liberian element, are poor citizens,
being possessed of nothing upon which
saxes may be levied, having no SYM
pathy whatever with Christian civili-
zation and positively refusing military
duty. Should the civilized element be
increased to equal numbers with the
natives and the greater part of the
Iorest land be brought under civiliza-
lion, the latter would find it to their
interest to adopt the religion and civ
ilization of their rulers.
. The Liberians have recently been
with a new danger through
emissaries of the Mohammedan faith
coming into the country from the
5oudan and making covenants with
the native tribes. The Mohammedans
seem to have better success in pros
elyting these natives than do the
and should they gain great
numbers to their cause they are likely
TO give trouble to the Liberian gov
ernment.
In my travels through the country
found several negroes who had ar
rived from the United States penni-
less and who had accumulated for
tunes in Liberia. The land is SO fer
tile that when once cleared of the
dense forest growth family can live
of few acres planted In
fruit and vegetables. Coffee is the
chief staple for ready cash and when
D farmer has a thousand or so of
coffee trees bearing he is about as in
dependent as any man living.
The Liberian government gives
every immigrant 25 acres Of forest
land and allows any amount OF addi-