The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-08-03
Our Duty In Regard TO Liberia.

There rests upon tho United States
some measure Of moral responsibility
for the feeble and apparently incapable
little republic Of Liberia. The Amsri
can Journal Of International Lar makes
the matter a subject Of special ttention
in it's July number II is there treated
more from a sentimental than from n
practical point Of view. II il assumed
that the republic il worth saving and
that it's salvation ia a moral obligation
of the United States The admission is
made. however. thar political depend
enCe. ALWAYS vague. Ce'ls.d many years
ago Under such circumstances the
moral obligation Of the United States IL
much less clear and much less impressive
than il might be
The article in the journal was written
by Mr. FALKSER, the chairman Of the
commission sent 10 Liberia last year.
To most persons in the nited States
he savs, the name az Liberia repre-
s..n's Il /, means anything a. all the
somewhat inglorious outcome II the
dream 81 few high minded blt I'M
practical men that they could solve the
great question at slavery in the tinted
States bv transporting its negro pOpula-
ton back to the shores Of Africa Ou
II this dream came the organ izar ION
Of the American Colonization Sncetv.
founded IN Princeton IN 1911 through
the efforts Of the Rev RoBERT FINLhY.
4 number 81 the prominent men 81 the
time were associated with tho -r'i"iv
aud actively engaged IN advancing ~
purposes The Government becauc in
3, iSIg 81 an act relative ~ the slave
trade. tn" >act provided for b." H."
~ armed vessels II the United States
IN the suppression 81 the slave trade
and for the return 10 Africa II slaves
released by those vessels Great Brit
ain had ALREADY established an a-yhm
IN Sierra Leone for those rescued by iis
vessels, and the projected colony Of
the American Colonization Society Of
fered n happy sOlut ion for the difficulty /"
that presented itself IN connect ypn with
fhe return IL those negroes relfss.Si bv
American vessels \ supplementary
arrangement was made for the -epairi-
alton ~ blacks who had been freed in
thus country and desired 10 return 10
their native land. In this way in.
Government became an ar'v" partner
in the scheme 81 tho society
For nearly thirty wears the iust!tu-
ton occupied en- indef,nlt" position. In
Z .
I'PsHCR wrnt" 10 Nj Fox, then TIA.
British Minister. that Liberia was not
established under the authority Il our
Government, nor has u been recognized
"a subject 10 our laws and jurisdiction %
II Liberia was. a. Mr.. EAIKNFR holds.
colony 81 the United States, N"
mother country appears - hav" been
reluctant 90 reCOgnIz" ~ offspring
and Ia assume responsibility for II In
1884 Secretary FREIINGHUYsES wrote
90 the French Minister in Washington
that Liberia. although ~ no time "a
colony Il this Government. began il,
career among the family of Indep"ndent
States "a an offshOot of this country,
and a. such IL entitled "a the sympathy
and when praCtICnbl" to the protection
and encouragement II the United
States Although there existed what
Secretary EvAKTS once called peculiar
relations Liberia has at no time been
recognized or regarded as a colony Of
the United States. In iSI; the people
Of the settlement held convention and
adopted a Constitution creating the re-
public Of Liberia as an independent and
self-goyerning nation. The new gov
eminent was soon afterward recognized
by Great Britain and other nations, hut
Il vas not until ls52 that diplomatic
relations were established between
Washington and Monrovia.
Throughout its entire experience the
feeble little commonwealth has = lung
90 the coat tails Of tire United States,