The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-19
NEGROES IN LIBERIA
ONE LAND rs WHICH THEIR GOVERN
MENT Is STEADY.
Only Those Remained Who Loved
Liberty and Were willing to
work and Risk Danger.


Washington Post.
Mr.. George r. Ellis. secretary of the
United States legation at Monrovia, Ii
IBERIA. a young colored man. who Is
graduate of Harvard University, Is home
on leave of absence. having; arrived In the
city about one week ago. He will return
to his post some time during the next
month, after a brief visit among friends
and relatives in this city.
'I'm glad went 10 LIBERIA" said he to
a Post reporter. 1T has been an educa-
tion-an eye-opener TO me. I'm glad
went there for two reasons. First. be-
cause IL brought to my attention things 1
had not known before. and. second. on ac-
count of the fact that my brief residence
in that country made me ten times more
hopeful for the future of the negro race
than I was before. 1t is. of course. no
more than natural that l should take a
rather rosy view of the future destinies of
the African race. yet, for all that went
20 Liberia expecting to see a travesty on
government. and a veneer OF civilization.
such as one encounters in Haiti.
Just why I took this view. I do not
know. for at the time I realized that while
Haiti IS in state OF almost constant
sturmoil and revolt, with dishonesty, pecu-
lation and fraud ramifying every branch
sof the public service. Liberia has yet to
experience her first revolution, and one
party. the Wings. have been in power there
for thirty years. However. when l reached
that country I soon found that the facts
which I have last mentioned had some
weight, and that to-day Liberia is the most
promising state in Africa. The people are
progressive. speak good English. maintain
an excellent little army and keep up first
class systems OF schools. posts and cur
rency
The most promising admirable and sat-
isfactory trait of the Liberians. however.
Is the loyal. Conservative and sensible man.
ner in which they support and stand by
their President and officials. and the admir-
able. honest and straightforward way in
which the latter conduct the finances and
Affairs or that country. During the whole
time that l was in Liberia did not hear of
single case OF official dishonesty. and the
history OF the republic since the date of
It's establishment contains very few in
stances OF where officials have violated
tneir trust This; TO one not familiar with
the country, might sound like an ex-
aggeration. especially when IL is we'll
known that Sierra Leone. on which colony
the BRUSH government mas spent millions.
u very much OF failure. but / assure you
that In Is not without reason.
The negroes who were first TO settle on
the Ilberian coast during the early part
or the nineteenth century were OF two
kinds The first persons to whom
liberty was worth more than comfort, and
70 gain which they were willing TO make
any sacrifice. The other and more numer-
Gus class were negroes who went TO Africa
expecting 10 find sort OF earthly paradise.
with large cities and fine palaces, a place
where they would escape the curse OF
Adam. and be fed. clothed and amused at
government expense To this class Africa
vas a place where work was unknown
4nd where luxury was as common toll
~ The iand from which they had departed.
when they reached the African coast
= they found dismal jungle teeming with
poisonous insects and reptiles. and, instead
OF luxury. they discovered toll such as they
had never known IN America awaiting
them 1t every turn. To mako the situa-