The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-09-21


his youth According to Them. Africa
IS invoking the American negro 10 re-
turn to the home of his ancestors. and
they believe. with Bishop Turner. that
nowhere else VIII he find perfect peace
and great prosperity
They have availed themselves Of a
call across the ocean for the purpose Of
settling the boundary line between Ii
IBERIA and Sierra Leone and to visit the
United States and press home the burn
ing question Of emigration. As relates
to the incidental object of their jour
ney. they say it may be illustrated by
the fable Of the Arab and the camel.
First John Bull stuck his nose into the
Lfberian tent then his shoulders. then
his bulky body. at the same time pO-
IiteIy requesting the Iiberians to get
out of his tent, or words to that effect.
To show how this latest grievance of
Liberia against the British came about
a bit of history might be apropos.
Liberia. as all the world knows is an
independent negro colony of western
Africa which owes its origin to the
American Colonization society organ
lied at Princeton, n J.. in 1911 for the
purpose of sending freedmen and re-
captured slaves to Africa It's agents
were sent to Africa 10 select a site in
1917. IN 1920 about a hundred persons
ernigrated thither and in 1924 a plan for
the civil government of Liberia was
formulated At first the society retain
ed an ultimate decision as to all ques-
tons Of government, but finally. when
Great Britain claimed that Liberia had
no status as a nation and consequ ent-
" could not levy duties on imports.
etc, 10 avoid threatened complications
the society surrendered its powers and
counseled the colony to declare itself
an independent nation, which it did in
1s4z.
The republic today comprises some
p. 600 American coIOnfsts and their de-
scendants, perhaps as many more semi
civilized Christian native and more
than million pagans and .-ohammed-
an aborigines. The republic has a ter
ritorial area variousIy estimated at
from $4,000 70 $50. 600 square miles. de-
pending upon how far back from the
coast it is recxoned to extend It's
coast line is about $50 miles according
to English authorities, and from coo to
700 miles according to the Ldberians
1t is this question that is now troubling
the Liberians. and it is for the purpose
Of having their boundary daIimited
where 1t is coterminous with that Of the
British colony of Sierra Leone on the
north that the commissioners are visit
ing England and the United States.
The names of the two black colonies.
Liberia and Sierra Leone. are rather
significant, the former being derived
from the Latin ''liber.~ free. and the
latter meaning the lions mountain
The lion in the case is John Bull. of
course, and he by no means intends to
conhne himself within the original
limits of his mountain Great Britain
and France have already despoiIed LIZ
IBERIA of one-third Of her original terri
tory, and, one on each side. they are
pressing her closely for more Owing
to the extension of their territory by
means of explorations the two govern
ments have gradually encompassed Ii
IBERIA all around except on the seacoast.
and that they patrol with their gun
boats and have shortened by successive
deIimita tions. The interior country be-
longed practically to nobody and was
as free to Liberia as to France and
Great Britain Liberia acquired it by
gradual expansion and some plucky
exploring expeditions, but her enemies
in the guise of friends acquired most
OF their holdings BY forcible seizure
from the natives
Accepting the condition of things
forced upon them in the past. the Libe-
rians are now aiming merely to hold
what they have been secured in by form
al treaties, their particular object in
the present mission being to secure the
rectifcation of the river Manoh which
divides them on the north from the
block Of territory seized by Great Brit
ain about fifty years ago. In an un-
guarded moment Liberia gave over the
navigation OF the river to Great Brit
ain, and it IS now entirely under Brit
ISL control
As waterway boundary between
two nations is usually considered neu-
traI and is rarely il ever exclusively
controlled by one of the contiguous
countries. the condition now prevailing
might seem to demand an explanation.
In answer TO a query President of the
Senate King said that the republic had
coded the entire river to the British
government in 1885. at the time the
boundary was delinited between it and
Sierra Leone. and that this course was
adopted because of England's friendly
advice. At the time the treaty was ne
gotiated the French had esta blfshed a
trading station on an island in the river
Manoh, and in order to avoid possible
complications with France the Lfbe-
rians were urged to grant all their
'riverine'' rights to the British.
This is the naive and ehfIdIfke exp1a-
nation given by the Liberians them
selves They admit that the lion put
his paw on their territory BY their own
permission, but they hope 10 induce
him to remove it BY a plain statement
Of the case 10 Mr. Joseph Chamberlain.
Any one cognizant Of Mr.. Chamber
laiu-s attitude in such matters and &C
quaInted with the history of Great
Britain's aggressions in the past can
assume in advance the utter hopeless
ness Of their mission. Should the com
mfssi0ners fail in their diplomatic
business even they have other objects
IN which they hope to enlist the capt.
taIists and phiIanthropists Of this coun-
try. including the development of mines
and the establishment of a bank
There are many who believe in the
future of Liberia. Notwithstanding that
the general outlook IN view Of past ex-
perience is discouraging. One Of the
best informed men on the negro ques-
ton IN this ountry-Bishop Henry n
Turner-deelares that the only hope
for The Amerlean negro lies in the re-