History of Liberia Johns Hopkins University Studies In Historical And Political Science

blic seems a discouraging and inadequate return for the life and treasure lavished upon it; for others, hoping for a bloodless and gradual extinction of slavery, the Civil War carried away th

guest knowledge of these terms. Sometimes the voice of contempt is heard; but this is always a proof of ignorance. Liberia stands forth historically as

n Movement towa

n the violence of Abolition had fanned it to a white heat. Indeed, during the whole period before 1832 there seems to have been a prevailing sentiment in favor of emancipation-at least throughout Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. But the condition of the free blacks was notoriously such that the humane master hesitated to doom his slaves to it by emancipating them. The colonizationist hoped, by offering to the free Negro an attractive home in Africa, to induce co

ive unnecessary alarm or offense. But when in 1833 the Maryland Society adopted its C

y shall cease to exist in Maryland, and believing that this can best be done by advocating and assisting the

portation and establishment in Africa. What further success it might have had was prevented by the rise of the Abolition Movement. The intense pro-slavery feeling which this stirred up in the South caused the Colonization Society to be regarded with distrust and ev

the motives of its adherents. His "Thoughts on Colonization" hold up the movement to public odium as the sum of all villainies, and in the columns of the Liberator no insult or reproach is spared. His wonderful energy and eloquence

can scarcely be doubted that its growth and expansion were seriously checked by the cross-fire to which it was subjected. Among the ne

nction of slavery. But we should not fail to recognize in the movement an earnest and noble, if too ambitious, effort

ck to the S

on both sides of the early settlements. The coast tribes, broken up and demoralized by the traffic, waged ceaseless wars for the sole purpose of obtaining for the trader a supply of his commodity. It was their onl

on careful calculations that the trade on the western coast resulted in a loss to Africa of 500,000 persons annually. At length the progress of humanity drove England to declare war

rrors were multiplied. Small, swift cutters took the place of the roomy slave-ships of older days, and the victims, hurriedly crowde

and elsewhere. The slavers, warned by many encounters, forsook at first the immediate neighborhood of the settlements, and, as the coast line was gradually taken up, abandoned at length, after many a struggle, the entire region. Six hundred miles of the coast was p

penalty of absurdly slight transgressions, or is imposed at the arbitrary displeasure of the master, while more serious offenses are punished by death in atrocious form: as when the victim is buried alive with stakes driven through his quivering body.[16] The institution is of co

, from the standpoint of human

ward the Civili

migration which the world is yet to see. But to confine ourselves to the present and the strictly practical-there is to the interior of Liberia, sweeping away beyond the valley of the Niger, a country of teeming population and vast resources. That this territory be opened to the commerce of the world, and the blessings of civilization be conferred upon the people, it is necessary that some impulse of enlightenment come from without. The casual visit of the tr

tizenship, agreeing to conform to the laws of the country and abolish inconsistent aboriginal customs. The schools are full of native children, while large numbers are distributed in a sort of apprenticeship among Liberian families for training in the arts of civilized life. The English language has become widely known. More remote tribes, while retaining native customs,

uch proportions that numbers of interior settlements can be made which shall be radiating centres of civilization, the enormous p

Missiona

one bravely to its doom leaving no trace of its sacrifice save unmarked and forgotten graves. It has indeed been a bitter experience that has proved this work can be successfully undertaken only by men of African blood, for whom the climate has no terrors. And the superiority of an established Christian community to a f

argely represented in Liberia-the Episcopal, Presbyterian, Baptist and Methodist-made strenuous efforts, and sent out a succession of missionaries, most of whom fell victims to the fever. Later, after lear

ken a strong hold on the interior, and is spreading rapidly to the very doors of Liberia. Candor compels the admission that it brings with it a marked improvement in the condition and intelligence of the converts. Intemperance-which in many cases follows in the tracks of the Christian merchant-disappears. A knowledge of Arabic is soon acquired and the Kora

from the Pressure of Incre

, all thinking men are agreed that the country is already entering upon a new era. The period of expansion, of the taking up of new territory by the overflowing population of the older districts, is practically ended; future development will be intensive, the country will be more thickly settled, and the sharpn

ll prove fittest to survive. To follow the train of thought would lead into all the unsolved difficulties of the Negro Problem. But surely there will be some among all the millions of the race who will become dissatisfied with their life here. Some will aspire to higher thin

masses left behind will have before them the constant example of numbers of their race living in comfort and increasing prosperity under their own government. Many wil

d striking out into new fields. The western course of migration has reached its uttermost limit, and the tide must turn in other directions. One vast and rich continent remains; upon it the eyes of th

? And what is more natural and rational than that they, when the population of the country approaches the migr

ORIT

ion which proved most u

ogether with the files of its quart

of Liberia, and the R

, War, a

onization Society, preserved by the Ma

*

Colonizat

story of Colo

on Condition of

g u. gegenw?rtige Zust

ria.

ive of a Journey

ryland in L

toire de la Fondation d'

das interne Leben der

olonialzei

blik Liberia. D

nity, Islam, and

isebilder aus

TNO

Philip A. Bruce, dated

uson, Life of Hopkins.

efferson, Note

Kennedy's Rep

.S. Report for 1

ociety to many unjust attacks. Of course many would join such a movement from mixed motives;

all, Fourth Auditor, to the Secr

te 8: A

eventually paid by the U

o Secretary of Nav

the Civil War ended the arrang

tion is preserved in Minute Book

deten, erfahrenen, weisen, und der Rede sehr kundigen Staatsman Wir (i.e., Ritter,) ha

mi-Centennial Me

erson, Narrative of

.C. Reports of

nderson's Journ