The colored American., 1901-03-23
IIBERIA-BY MINISTER SMITH.
rhs Apparently Slow Progress IN Liberia
More Superficial than Real.
Prof. E a Johnson,
Att aDdC0unselIr ct Law,
RaIniyh ~ q

teamed faVcr of Decemb Der l 900 IN which
vou ask me "W hat is the matter with
iba- country (Liberis) that it makes
sgeh slow prOgress?"
In reply I have to say that this or
similar Inquiries have been trequentI ,
nr00Ouud7d to me and my predeces
sors. c0ncarnig g THE country by pei
s0ns who ike yOurst II. have been born
and reared under the most f4vOrat | }
circumst8 o. ces In the most prosperous
and highly civll'z~d countries Of the
world, and III Lne most or 5greseive
and highly or DsperOus periods OF their
cluury's history.
IN ths first p ace [ will sag, that pei
sons who have been so favOrably itU-
s,ad and Hilc lmstsnced all their | yes
are very Ill prepar' 10 give an u, =
bjssed and | - conception Of the hard
ships. seer fees. stTuggl e, hIhdrauces
and obstacles or newly settled cOuu
try iusl emerging out Of 8rbsTism and
sUperstijiOl SO lmm0n TO ali the now
great countries Of the world once OcCu-
pied bg the ab"riginees, pr or to the
settlement Of q civilized government.
In evidence Of the above it is hardly
necessary 10 recall your attention to
the ineXhsusFive evidence fund in the
pages OF the htst0Fi 'G Of the countries
Of Europe, as Italy, Greece, Germany.
France, Spain aid England but VIII
comet to our OWE country aud ref II upon
the history OF our own proud america,
her nOtIs ancestry and people. The
Pilgrim Father and their then New
York, Boston, Philadelphia and Tren-
ton the suburbs Of the same cities OF
today were then doubtless, the chas-
ing gTIunds Of the earl er settlers in
pIrsIi. Of he FED deer: Ii we took in
10 consideration the lapse u time from
the Plgm nuth Rock settlement to the
building Of the first American railroad
aid re egraph lines, the pr at i'm petus
TO American expansion and inter state
COmm-rCe, doubtless the most potent
signs OF civilization, then we fiUd our
own proud people nearly 2I2 ye8ts or
tharesOJut, traVeiog on foot. horse
back or stage coach except whore tbeV
could utilize Gods highways, the rivers
la5es and s9as to their eOnyenif nee. bt
fore they began 10 make the sic IA en
g0e their motive power for travel ard
electricity medium OF Communication.
When We look at the apparently slow
progress Of all great nations IN their
Tentative period from the de 9th from
which they came to the height to which
Ihey have attained and compare the
eirly LIb2rian C0lOnIsts. principally
emanciPated Nrgr. es from American
slavery, jIllrerate, ignorant as to the
duties OF statesmanship and in many
instances Denuiless, save their tramp
passage fare landing on the coast De-
cem0er y, 1922 among an uncivilized
ana hos5I5 people whom the COlOnlsts
mad 10 6ghteven to gain sufficient space
20 SET their feat upon, and now TO think
taat IN only rs wears they have hfcOme
tle sHl4 controllers, masters and rulers
olIOD 600 square miles of fertile terri
IoTy, su0dusd or brought the sbOrig-
ln9es ln50 au slljed relation to the civil
'171 government; having estsbji5h bed
sf7gul2r form OF Constitutional Gov
elauent, built the legislative, executive
oIa'H' judicial, treasury and other de-
p'Hnental buildings, coined their own
money carrying on a regular postal
C'FVlng service with the other great
FoWeFs Of the civilized world; having
i5tRulerly organized and beautifully
Is'o on villages, towns aud cities. reg
alsT ports Of entry, bonded warehouses.
auu custom houses ETC.. for the collect
ug OF revenues; entered into treaty re-
I0on7 Wlh all the great powers of the |
TOHG, including Rome: adhearing
J,oSFIY to the provisions of Iutern atom
a a rights; observing and resuecting the |
"e rights Of neutrsls as we'll as receiv-
lug from foreign governments and
s'lIIn& IN return thereto. diplomatic |
aIu consular PeOFeEautafiveS bos;dec