Cb80203

YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

' Ha ,' f

.'. '<.,;. )li

OF

THE REPORTS

OF THE

AMERICAN COLONIZATION SOCIETY,

/REVIEW

OF
[E REPORTSOF THE
^SIUCAN^OLONIZATIOTf SOCIETY.
/ '- —

FROM THE CHKISTIAN SPECTATOR.

The Reports of ike [American Socie-
I ty f op- colonizing the free people
I of colour in the 'United States. —
/ 1818, 19, 20,. 2|,22,""23.
»: - ' - ' ¦/"
To the Government exercised over
' us while we continued in a state of
colonial .dependence, our country
owes the greatest blot which stains
her annals, and the greatest — almost
the only curse, J with which provi
dence has seen fit to afflict her. The
pittance of honour which England
has acquired, or even the stupen
dous amount of glory which she
.claims, as a reward of her efforts
against the slave trade, can never
atone for the crime of introducing
into he.r colonies without their con
sent, against their wishes, in defi
ance of their remonstrances, a pop
ulation of slaves— a population which
even if it were not literally enslaved,
must forever remain in a state of deg
radation no better than bondage — a
population whose relative increase^
is, and always must be, a positive
dimunition of national strength and
wealth, and on whose character, and
prospects, the philauthropist must for
ever look with commiseration, and
.the patriot with fearful forebodings.
--The. bare mention of the institu-
.tion whose reports are now before us,
directs, with an impulse vyhich we
find it difficult to' resist, towards a
discussion of slavery as.it exists in

the United States, taking the subject
in all its extent, and with all its- re
lations to the prosperity of our coun
try. And this impulse receives ad
ditional force from the, perhaps our
readers would say,- self-complacent
impression, that though our concep
tions of the nature and extent of this
evil, are no less vivid than those of
the more ardent of our fellow citi
zens, they are in some respects more
liberal, if not more rational, than the
doctrines on this subject which .are
frequently expressed, with the strong
est conviction of their orthodoxy, by
many of the journals and other pub
lications of New England and the
middle states., - But for the present
we are- compelled to wave that dis
cussion, except so far as it is neces
sarily connected with our immediate
object; and we do it in the hope that
we shall be- able ere long to present
our readers with a reviewof that
subject. >•;.;
Our present design fa to examine
at some length the history, the pros
pects, and the claims of .the Ameri-.
can Colonization Society. . 'We offer
no apology for this, because there is
too much reason to believe that a
great proportion of our readers have
never enjoyed a propers opportunity
of examining these interesting reports
/or themselves, and those who have
been more favored in' this respect,
will certainly agree with us that er-

cry individuai ought to know what
an institution so gigantic in its designs
has already accomplished, what it
is now doing, and what it may reas
onably hope to accomplish hereafter.
The American Colonization Soci
ety was organized at Washington
about the commencement of the year
1817. In the words of .its constitu
tion, " the object to which its atten
tion is to be exclusively directed, is
to promote and execute a plan for
colonization (with their consent) the
.free people of colour residing in pur
jbountry, in Africa, or such other
piace as Congress shall deem most
expedient." Among the individu
als most active in procuring its estab
lishment, besides many of the present
..members of the Board of Managers,
were the late Rev. Dr. Finley, of
New Jersey, and Samuel J. Mills;
The former is indeed said to have
been the original projector of the
plan; At the period of its formation
the society received the strongest
expressions of approbation, and the
¦warmest assurances of good will from
many very distinguished men of (he
southern states. This was highly
. important, as it had a strong tenden
cy to "gain . the confidence of the
southern people, without which all
the operations of the society,, must of
course, be exceedingly ernbarrassed.
But the . approbation of great men,
and the sanction of great names, will
never go far towards the attainment
of any benevolent object. It is one
thing for a professed orator to make
a speech in favour of an enterprise,
and it is quite another thing for him
to bring all the resources of his
knowledge and all the powers of his
understanding, to bear upon the suc
cess of that enterprise, even' though
if should' be at the expense of his
popularity. And it is one thing for a
mart of wealth in a moment of gene
rous excitement to place his name at
the head ci a subscription as the con-
'tributorof thirty, 01 fifty, or a hund
red dollars, and it is altogether a
different thing for the same 'man to
renew his donation from year to year,

Review oftheRepsrts of (he
when tile novelty of the affair has

gone bjf, or when the cause is la-
. boring uider a temporary depression,
or when lorae of his neighbours will
laugh atVhis enthusiasm. For the
success of any benevolent object,
we would\rather have the favor of
one pious "female, than the favor of
five rich n\en, who are actuated by-
no stionger'and steadier impulse thaa
the generosity of their nature. And
in this, or any similar undertaking,
the co-opei\tion of the humble,
noiseless, unnoticed, Samuel J.
Mills would lie better than the co
operation of almost any distinguished
man high in ofi^ce. It ought not to
be expected tha.t the men who are
occupied withXthe bustle and. in
trigues of political life, will devote
their time and Attention to the mi
nor business of doing good. They
feel that it is enough for them to
bid the philanthropist God-speed-'
It is enough for-, them to call the
slave trade by all the hard names
contained in the vocabulary of indig
nation, or to lift their hands and their
voices . in favour of popular enact
ments for its abolition. And it is no
.more than justice! to them, thar the
scanty- pittance of influence, which
is perhaps all that* their avocations
will permit them! to ^contribute,
should be made to go as far as
'possible. • Our benevolent insti
tutions in New England act on
this principle; and a society hardly
seems to be organized unless it is
able to prefix to its reports a bead-
roll of Excellent and Honorable.
-names. With this, fact in view,- we
have been astonished to hear it ob
jected to the colonization society,
that they are too anxious to secure the
patronage of great names. Without
attempting a formal vindication of
their policy in this respect, we will
merely suggest that there. is an old
proverb touching the inexpediency
of that man's beginning to throw
stones who Jives in a glass housej
and we close'this digression by observ
ing that much good would be accom
plished if all our Senators and raem-

American Colonization Society
bers of CoDgvess who are enrolled
as Presidents, and Vice Presidents,
and Directors of Benevolent Socie
ties, would devote to the objects
which they "profess to patronise, half
that attention and half that zeal,
which as we do assuredly know,
southern senators and members of
Congress, have devoted to the object
now under consideration.
, The first important measure of the
Board was the sending of a mission
of inquiry to Africa by the way of
England. This was a measure of
obvious necessity; for in what other
way could they obtain the informa
tion which was indispensable to the
commencement of their enterprise ?
The Society's agents, Messrs. Mills
and Burgess, sailed from Philadel
phia, Nov. 16, 1817, arrived at Sier
ra Leone in March following, and af
ter about two months spent in a la
borious and painful survey of the-.
coast, re-embarked on their voyage
/or America. The memory of this
voyage is consecrated in the hearts
of christians, by the fact that soon
after they left Africa, Samuel- John
Mills,the man of God, whose name is
$o intimately associated with almost
every great moral movement which
has been made on our continent, fin
ished the work which God had given
him to do, and entered on his reward
in heaven. The simple narrative
©f the missionaries which so beauti
fully describes their travels, and la
bours in Africa, has been read by
thousands, and ought to be read by
all. It was published entire in "the
.second annual Report, and the sub-
stance.of it may be found likewise in

the biography of- Mills;''
By the exertions of some members
ef the Colonization Society it was
soon discovered . that the law of the
United States for the abolition of the
slave trade, enacted hi 1 807, was ex
tremely defective in some of its pro
visions. " By one section of this law,
the power of disposing of "any slaves
who might afterwards be introduced
into the United States was vested in
the Legislatures of the several states

or territories into which they might
be imported. In conformity with
this provision the Legislature of
Georgia had enacted that all negroes
unlawfully introduced into that state
should be sold by the Executive for
the benefit of the slate; and under
that law sales to a considerable
amount were actually made, and the
proceeds paid into the state treasury.
The same act however recognised
the existence and designs of the Col
onization Society, and provided that
if that Society would -engage to re
ceive such persons of colour aud
transport them out of the country ex
clusively at their own expense, the
slaves instead of being sold should.
be delivered . into their hands*
In consequence of the representa
tions of the Board to Congress, the
laws relative to the slave trade were
revised, and it was determined to es
tablish an agency on the coast of AC-
rica for the reception of rescued slaves, .
and to send from time to time, a na
tional ship to cruise along the" coast
so as to abolish the slave trade at its
source. The particular point at
which the proposed establishment
should be erected was left to the. Ex
ecutive; and as it was evident that
a co-operation between the Govern
ment and the Colonization Society
would equally promote the benevo
lent objects of both, the President
determined - to locate the agency at
whatever place the Society "should
select for the site of their colony.
Accordingly, the Elizabeth was char
tered which carried out the agent of
the Society, and the two agents of
Government, together with about

eighty people of colour, who were
to commence the settlement, and
were to be employed for a time at
the expense of Government/in ma--
king the necessary preparations for
the reception of such Africans as
might be recaptured- Though the
location of the colony had not been
determined, it was expected that the
agents would easily procure a favor
able situation in the Bagroo country.
They were. compelled by a variety;

'Review of the Reports of the-

of unfortunate circumstances to land
and make a temporary establishment
on the low, unhealthy island of Sher-
bro. Here while they were attempt
ing in vain to negotiate for land with
the treacherous natives, they were
attacked by disease; and the three
agents, and twenty of the Colonists
were swept away. The superinten
dence of the whole establishment de
volved on Daniel Coker one of the
most intelligent and respectable of
the settlers. Some of the colonists,-
who by the way seem not on that oc
casion to have been selected with
much discretion, became disorderly ;
and the colony came so near to -uin
that in the spring of 1821 when it
was reinforced by. the arrival of
Messrs. Andrus and' Wiltberger the
Society's agents, and Messrs. Winn
and E. Bacon the U. S. . agents,
with 28 effective laborers, they were
instructed in consequence of the en
tire failure of the negociations for
land, to seek the protection- of the
British Government at Sierra Leone.
The colonists were accordigly re
moved to Fourah Bay in the yicinity
of Freetown. Messrs. Andrus and Ba- -
con went to the Bassa country, and at
tempted unsuccessfully to purchase
land for the colony. They had
¦scarcely returned from this expedi
tion when Mr. Bacon and his wife
were attacked with the sickness in- -
cidetit to the climate, and sailed for
America. Mr. Andrus soon after
tlied, (Aug. 27) and in the succeed
ing Month Mr. and Mrs. Winn, with
in a few days of each other, followed
fhirn to the grave. In the beginning
•of December, Dr. Ayres who had
3)een sent out as the Society's agent,
.-and Lieut. Stockton "of the U. S.
i-schooner Alligator, sailed to Cape
Montserado, and after struggling with
;great difficulties which they over-
'came by means of their acquaintance
-with the African character, succeed
ed in purchasing of King Peter, King
<5eorge, King Zoda, King Long Pe
ter, King Governor, and King Jim-
>my, for the consideration - of about
- 300 dollars/" a tract of oountry large

enough for all the present purposes
of the colony, supplied with excel
lent springs of water, fruitful in its
soil and healthy in its climate,.on the
banks of a river as large as the Con
necticut, " and with one of the best
harbors between Gibraltar and the
Cape of Good Hope." The letter
of Dr. Ayres, containing the history
of this transaction, presents so vivid
a picture of the character and man
ners of the natives, that we must be
indulged with the following extracts.
" On the 1 lth of December, 1821, in the
night, we came to anchor off St. Paul's
river. At daylight on the 12th, got under
way and soon Observed several canoes
coming off to us. The moment we an
chored our boat was out, and Mr. Stock- .
ton and myself went on shore before- nny
wrong impression could be marie on the
king. We landed on the beach, at the
king's Crootown, and told them we want
ed to see the king ; we had presents on
board for him ; and showed them some
rum and tobacco which, we had taken on
shore for him.
" Three or four of the people who had ,
gathered round us were dressed in large ."
striped hoods, thrown over their shoul
ders, and had the appearance of bein" '¦
people of authority..
*• After waiting some time, they sent off ¦
an express for king Peter. It had been rep
resented to us unsafe to go on shore without
being armed, and that we should certain
ly be murdered and robbed. But we de
termined to go unarmed, as an evidence
that Our aim was pacific. While sitting
and waiting for the king under the shed
of a Crooman, the people kept collecting,
most of them with knives hanging to their
sides. - At length there-came five or six
armed with muskets. I began to think
there might be some truth in the reports.
We were now surrounded by fifty or sixty.
armed in this way, and we were without
the means of defeaqe, except a demijohn
of whiskej and some tobacco. I narrow
ly watched their countenances, as well as
that of Mr. Stockton. I saw he was" no
way concerned, and a little observation
showed there was yet no hostility in their-
intentions. Express after express was sent for the
king. After a long time one of the most
reputable tpoking men told us" The king
be fool— he iio talk English-.! his mouth,
what 1 say, king say. — What you want?"
«' We told him we were desirous of getting
a place in Africa to build a house, make
farms, Sic." — After explaining- our views .
to this person, and discussing them some'
time, they sent another message to the--.
•king, and he then made his appearance'; V

American Colonization Society.

He was dressed in a cotton garment of
large blue and white stripes, thrown over
his shoulders, and a person holding an
umbrella over his head. He came, shook
hands with us, and took a seat. Whan
his interpreter related to him our object
in visiting him, we did not fail to let him
know the high estimation in which we
held him for veracity and punctuality, and
that this had induced us to prefer him to
some other chiefs : and like most mon-
archs, we found his ear always open to
the sound of his own praise. He said "he
thanked us for the favor we bad done him
in coming to him first, and we might have
land." We told him we wanted the Island
at the mouth of the river, and the Cape.
He objected to the Cape, and said. " if any
white man was to settle on it, their king
Peter would die, they would bury him,
and then his women would cry a plenty."
We did not fait to place in the must fa
vorable light the advantages 'which our
trade would be to him;, but took good
care, after our former experience how we
attempted to oppose their prejudices, or
to offer to their consideration any views
which they could not fully comprehend :
we therefore said nothing of civilizing or
christianizing them; but left this, hoping
our future example may recommend our
principles to their adoption. After sitting
some time in palaver, the king told us he
would see his head men, and next morn
ing be would meet us again on the beach,
and make a book for the land. We gave
them our rum and tobacco, and returned
to our vessel.
On the 13th we again went to meet his
majesty. We found his head men but no
King, yet we sent off an express for him
It was not till after some time and sev
eral messages had passed, that we could
get him to meet us. After sitting three
. hours in palaver, the unfortunate subject
of the slave trade was broached, and we
again broke up the palaver.
Our prospect at this time was very dull ;
we however determined not to. give up
the subject lightly, and the next day went
on shore again where the King appointed
to meet, us.. When we got there, we
found neither King nor any sf his head
men. Our prospects now were truly dis
couraging. We, as we had done before,
- sent off an express for him. He sent
word be- would not come, nor let us have
any land. It then iecame necessary ei
ther to go and seek the King in his Cap
ital, or to give up the case as imprac
ticable, as all persons had found it, who.
had attempted to negociate for this place..
before. To go to the town was to place
ourselves entirely in the- power of a na
tion who had always been represented to
us so savage as to render it unsafe to land
. on their shore 'without being completely r
armed. However we were determined "
Vol. V.— No.:.9: 62

to go ; and were conducted by a Croo-
man, through dark dismal ways,~al one
time wading through the water, and Al
another wallowing through the mud;
passing through thick aud dark swamni,
in narrow paths for six or seven miles into
the interior. If one of us staid behind,
the Cronman would halloo to us to
"come along — the devil will catch us."
We at length arrived at his majesty's cap
ital. We were shown into a palaver hall
spread with mats, to wait the coining of
the King. The head men came and shook
hands with us,'and iuformed us thaL ha
was dressing, and would see us in a sheft
time. They looked very grave, and few
of them looked well pleased. After
waiting about one hour, the King made
his appearance. Instead of coming and
shaking hands with us, he went and seated.
himself under another palaver hall. His
prime minister then came and invited ::s
to go to the King. He shook hands with
us, but looked very angry."
The first word the king said to us wa.<,
"what you want that land for ?" This ques
tion, so often asked and as often answer
ed, had again to be explained to him.
We now found that among the Croomeo
who had been on board our vessel the
day before, there was one, who bad been
engaged with the father of the Bassa
youth we had on board. This man told
them we had taken away the king of Bas-
sa'sson and killed him, and when we got
the land, we should cut their throats and
bury them, another Crnoman saw some of/
our colonists on board and knew them,
this circumstance gave them to under
stand we were the people who had beeo
quarreling so much at Sherbro, and, as if
these things could not throw difficulties e-
nough to try our diplomatic skill, one fel--
low presented himself to Lieut. Stockton,
and told him he was one of (hose whom-
the Lieutenant had captured on his last
voyage, in the Daphne, and they had re-'
captured her on their passage home.
These circumstances accounted for the
change of conduct in the King and peo
ple. Our cause now looked truly-deplo
rable. We were unarmed, in the midst
of a nation so exasperated against us.
But Lieut. Stockton's dexterity at mixing-
Battery with a little well timed threat,^
tamed all to our own advantage. > When-
they complained of his taking the French?
for trading with Ihein in slaves, he told
them his orders were not to meddle with ¦
the French or any other nation. That
when he saw the French vessel, he sent
his boat to see who she was ; that they
fired at him, and when they fought him,
then he whipped them and took their
vessel: that he .would not suffer any
body to make a fool of him : and now
king Peter wanted to make> a- fool .of
him: that he tell -him, three days, he
would let him have land, and drink up l

Revieio of the Reports of the

his rum, aud take his tobacco, and now
he say he shan't have any land : this was
fooling him. I believe the old king was
afraid of being served as the French ves
sel was, for he soon came to, and prom
ised to call some more kings, and meet
us on the shore next morning, and make
a book which was to give us the land.
I consider our contract no^only as a
triumph over savage prejudice, but over
European negotiation. For this you are
entirely indebted to the energy, sagacity
and perseverance of Lieut. Stockton. — ,
The island at the mouth of the river we
have named preserverance, ¦' to perpet
uate the long and tedious palaver we had
in obtaining it."

A settlement was begun without
delay at Cap* Montserado by the
colonists who had been residing at
Fourah Bay. But in the mean time
the -African Sovereigns had repented
of the bargain by which they had in
troduced into their vicinity a govern
ment favorable to the rights of man,
and the progress of human improve
ment; and like their whiter and mdre
civilized brethren of another quarter
of the Eastern Continent, they were
alarmed ^and looked with jealousy
©n an innovation which as they with
their little perspicacity could see —
threatened in its progress to impose
a new aspect on the face of the soci
ety, and to do away all the ancient
and venerable abuses by which their
wealth and power are supported.
Accordingly when Dr. Ayres arrived
with the colonists! he was notified
by their majesties that the contract
must be annulled,- and that he could
not be permitted to settle. He how
ever ventured to land, so that while
the colonists were building their
bouses he might negotiate with the
kings at his leisure. The same
course of conduct whichLieut. Stock
ton had taught him to pursue ou the
former occasion :proved successful
here. The kings were intimidated by
his decision and by the zeal of the.
-settlers, and the treaty was ratified.
But in a few weeks the difficulties
.were Tenewed. ., "" ,. '-.',¦
% _ . . - " .
"A British prize slave vessel had -.
solicited and obtained permission ^to
take water from the Cape. .This ves-

shore. The spirit of hostility, excited^ by
a dispute between the captain and one of
the Kings added to the powerful motive
presented by the presence of a French
vessel waiting her complement of slaves,
induced the natives to attack her,'wifh
purposes of plunder. Several of our peo-'
pie engaged in her defence. In the con.
test which ensued, and which they in vain
endeavoured to prevent, two of the na
tives were killed : and on the succeeding..
day, a British soldier and one of our col
onists. Through the criminal inadver
tency of an English sailor, who dischar
ged a cannon in the immediate vicinity
of the store house, this building took fire-:
and with it most of the clothing, provis
ions, and utensils of the' colony were
destroyed." — Gtli Rep, — p. 10.

AH was now in confusion. The
natives had received demonstration
of the bearing which the colony was
to have on the slave trade. . A grand
palaver was assembled, consisting of
seventeen kings, and -thirty-four half
kings. One or two of the most pow
erful of these were, the decided
friends of the colony, and had armed :
their subjects for war, in case peace
could not be procured. Dr. Ayres
appeared Jbefore this congress, and
gave them to understand that he had .
purchased the territory in question
and paid for it, that therefore he in
tended to retain it, and that if they
thought they were able to expel him
they might make the attempt, and he
wouldsho'w them what- fighting was:
— he would bring ships, and batter
down all the towns of those who op
posed him from Cape Mount to the
Line. "While making this speech,"
says he, " I narrowly watched the
countenances of Kings Brister and
Boson, [King Boson is the most
powerful friend of the colony.] Bris
ter showed evident signs of concern,
but Boson shook his sides very-heart-"'.
ily with laughter. By this I found-I '
had touched, the right chord, and did
not spate invectives. The other
kings appeared uneasy and said one
to another, Ob,- look, white man get
ting mad, '.white. man getting mad!
Boson to second ,the_ impression 1
had made, sent one of his people-
round to circulate a report that there

sel parted ber eable and was thrown on were four large ships a. little way t»*,

American Colonization Society,

2

the southward, making into the har
bor." — "This threw all into confu
sion, and it was with difficulty we
could keep the kings together, until
the business was settled."
The difficulties' having been ad
justed, Dr. Ayres felt himself under
the necessity of returning to the Uni
ted States, for the sake of obtaining
supplies. He accordingly took pas
sage for this country on the fourth of
June, 1821. On the Stbof August the
settlement was reinforced by the ar
rival of the brig Strung from Balti
more with Mr. and Mrs. Ashmun,
and thirty-five colonists, besides fif
teen recaptured Africans. Mr. Ash
mun was sent out as the agent of the
Government, but he had also receiv
ed a commission from the Coloniza
tion Society to act in their nami* in
ease he should find no agent at the
colony. - He accordingly assumed
the direction of the establishment,
laid out the plan of a town, and be-
ffan to erect such fortifications m
might secure it against any attack
from the natives. '¦
It was soon ascertained that the
labour bestowed on these fprtifica-
'tions was not in vain.' Many ol the
Icings, as we have seen, Were from
the beginning exceedingly afraid that
the influence of the colony would be
to break up all trade — by which they
mean the slave trade — and it is reas
onable to suppose that their feelings
of suspicion and hostility would not
be allayed by the friendly sugges
tions and admonitions of the traders,
Accordingly Mr. Asbmun. and his
fellow labourers seem to have been
continually disturbed by reports of
¦the hostile designs of their neigh
bors, and- to have built the walls of
their little town somewhat as Nehe-
miah and his countrymen builded
the wallsof Jerusalem- ;vVe very one
with one of his hands wrought in the
work, and-withtheotherheld a weap
on-." On the mornihg^of iSFovember
1 lifer' they .were attacked_,by a body
;p£ 800 natives-," who? -coming upon
them .by surprise, "gaine'd possession
d£ the settlement, till afterone or two
;.' ¦ ¦ '« * '' 2

discharges of the eighteen pounder,
they betook themselves to flight. On
the second ot December they, return
ed with a still greater force amount
ing to about 1500, and attacked si
multaneously in two opposite quar
ters, but after receiving a few shots
from the terrific " great guns," they
made a hasty departure. They
might perhaps have been entirely
cut off by these repeated assaults,
had it not been for the interference
of a British -schooner which provi
dentially made its appearance in
this season of distress. A cesa-
tion of hostilities was effected by the
mediation of Capt. Laing, the dis
tinguished African traveller who was
on board, and twenty mariners were
landed to guaranty the observance
of the truce till the difficulties should
be finally adjusted. The comman
der of a Colombian armed vessel
presented the colony with a fine prize
schooner of sixty tons, which may
be considered as an important addi
tion to the establishment When it
\s remembered that in this contest
the whole effective force of the colo
ny was twenty-eight men "and boys, '
and that the whole loss was only
three killed and four wounded, we
may regard the result as proving at
once the bravery of the settlers and
the cowardice of the natives. In the
trepidation of the assault, doubtless
neither Mr. Ashmun northe colonists
would be able to form a very cool
and deliberate estimate of the num
ber of assailants; but after making
every allowance for their seeing things
double on such an occasion, it must
be considered as proved, that one
hundred well armed freemen, fighting
for their liberty, and their children,
and their homes, may defend the
colony against all the hordes that can
ever be mustered by the holy alli
ance of Africa. And here we can
not but remark that this affair illus
trates very strikingly the differ--
ence between the wild men of that
continent, and the - wild men of
America. If that establishment had
been attacked, by 800, or 500; or

iO

Review of the Reports of the

200 Indians, — we should have known
its fate only by conjecture.
It was uot to be expected that an
arrangement like the one above men
tioned would place the settlers imme
diately ia a state of entire security
and comfort. Accordingly, when the
Cyane arrived on the coast, where she
had been sent to execute the laws a-
gainst the slave trade, she found them
in a suffering condition. The noble
and disinterested exertions of Cap-
taiu Spence and his crew, iu erecting
a house for the agent, and a tower of
strong mason work lor the .defence
of the town,. are gratefully ackuowl-,
edeed by "the Managers in their ad
dress to the public inserted in , the
last number of the Spectator. This
. tower which is expected to bid defi-
anceto the barbarians, has been cal
led Stockton Ciistle. Africa will
hereafter, honor the men who are la
bouring for her deliverance. Her
mountains and rivers, her provinces
and cities, while they testify her gra
titude,, will be the monuments of their
benevolence. And though friends
and the public may weep at the loss
of those who perish beneath the
stroke of the sun by day, o'r of the
moon by mght,wl>ile labouring in be
half of suffering humanity; yet there
is a consolation in the thought, that
they have perished in a cause, for
which they need not be ashamed to
be martyrs. If we honour the mem- ^
ory of those who die on the bloody
deck in extending the fame of Ameri
can valour j surely we ought to hon
our with a double reverence the mem
ory of those who sacrifice theirlives to
extend the triumphs of American phi
lanthropy. It makes us feel proud of -
otic country, to seethe zeal, and effi
ciency, which have uniformly been
displayed by the officers and seamen
of the national vessels that have been
^ appointed from time to time to the
'African station. "Most of my as
sociates," said Lteut. -Stockton,
.•'were ready (and I sincerely believe
it) to sacrifice on the altar of humani
ty, ronvenience, comfort, interest and
health.",, '¦ v.-.

In April last Dr. Ayres sailed from
Baltimore in the brig Oswego with
sixty new settlers, — if their voyage
was favourable they must have arri
ved there more than two months ago.
A trading company has been for
med in Baltimore, which if the plan
succeeds will hereafter afford the
means of a constant and regular cora-
municaiion with the colony. . This
company consisting of a few respect
able merchants was formed with the
approbation of the Board, and will
we trust have an important connec
tion with the regeneration of Africa.
Its design 13, we believe, after hav- .
ing made a fair experiment to run two
or more vessels as regular traders
between Baltimore and Cape Mont-
serado. These will of course afford
the means of conveyance to such as
are desirous of emigrating. The first
vessel sailed at the beginning of June
and carried a few passengers.
The present condition of the colo
ny may be briefly described. It con
sists of 190 settlers under the direc
tion of two agents, ardently devoted1.
to the cause, accustomed to their bu
siness, seasoned to the climate, and
well acquainted with the African''
character. These men occupy a soil
of whose productiveness it is difficult
for an inhabitant of our climate to
form any adequate conception. By
the latest accounts the controversy
with the natives seems to have ter
minated entirely to their satisfaction,
so that the former intercourse with
them for the purposes iif trade has
been resumed, and the settlers can
clear and cultivate their lands without"
danger. - ...
( Such is the history of the Amerir-.
,'can Colonization Society. Its derigwi,
lis general — the benefit of the whoie"
{African race. Its plan of operation
lis specific, the establishment on the
'ijCoast of Africa of a colony of free
people of colour -from America. It
is not a Missionary Society^ nor a so- i
piety for the suppression. of the slave
trade, nor a society for the improve
ment of the blacks, nor a society for *
the abolition of slavery, . It is simg-

American Colonization Society. 14
\y a society for establishing a colony the negro from all that h valuable in
on the coast of Amca, and so far as
any of these other objects are attained
by it3 efforts, they must be attained
either as the means, or as the conse
quences of establishing that colony.
' But limited as are the operations of
this institution, it appears to us to be
the only institution which promises
any thing great or effectual for the
benefit of the black population of our
country. A single glance at the con
dition of these beings, and at the ob
stacles which lie in the way of their
"improvement, is enough to convince
us of this.
There is at present within the lim
its of the United States, a colored
population of one million, seven
HUNDRED AND SIXTY NINE THOUS
AND. The character, and circum
stances of this class of the communi
ty fall, to some extent, under the
personal observation of every man.
Who is there, that ..does not know
something of the condition of the
blacks in the northern and middle
states? They may be seen in our
cities and larger towns, wandering
like foreigners and outcasts, in the
land which gave them birth. They
- may be seen in our penitentiaries,
and jails, and poor houses. They
may be found inhabiting the abodes
of poverty, and the haunts of vice.
But if we look for them in the socie
ty of the honest and respectable, — if
we visit the schools in which it is our
boast that the meanest citizen can
enjoy the benefits of instruction,-— we
might also add, if we visit the sanctu
aries which are open for all to wor
ship, and to hear the word of God;
we shall not find them there.. The
' Soodra is not farther separated from
the Brahmin in regard to all hispriv-
iliges, civil, intellectual and moral:
than the negro is from the white
man, by the prejudices which result
from the difference made between
them by the God of nature: " A barrier
more difficult to be surmounted than
the institution of the Caste, cuts off,
'and while the -present state of so
ciety "continues must always cut off,

citizenship. In his infancy, he
finds- himself, he knows not why,
the scorn of his playmates, from the
first moment that their little fingers
can be pointed at him in, derision.
In youth, he has no incentive to pre
pare for an active and honorable
manhood. No visions of usefulness, or
respectability, animate his propects;
In matureryears.he has little motive
to industry, orto any honorable exer
tion. He is always degraded in the
estimation of the community, and the
deep sense of that degradation en
ters into hia soul, and makes, him de
graded indeed. We know that there
are individuals, who in spite of alt
these obstacles to moral, and social
improvement, have acquired a char
acter of respectability, and piety.
But instances like these, occasion
ed by the peculiar circumstances or
powers of the individuals, cannot be
brought to disprove the general as
sertion, which we make without the
fear of contradiction, that the blacks
are degraded, without any proper
means of improvement, or anysuffi-"
cient incentive to exertion, that they
present the strange anomaly of. a
large part of the nation that loves to
call itself the freest, and happiest,
and most enlightened nation on the
globe, separated by obstacles which
they did not create, arid which they
cannot surmount, from all theinstitu-
tions-and privileges to which the other
portions of the community owe their
superiority. But there is another still more im
portant characteristic of the condi
tion of our coloured population, in
comparison with which every other
circumstance dwindles into insignif
icance; and from which all that we
have already said is only a single
necessary consequence. We mean
slavery. And on this subject we
must express ourselves briefly, yet
boldly. We have heard of slavery as
it existed in the nations of antiquity,—
we have heard of slavery as it exists in
Asia, and Africa, and Turkey,— -we
have beard of the feudal slaveryunder

Review of the Reports of tht

12 which the peasantry of Europe have
groaned from the days of Alaric,
until now; but excepting only the
horrible system of the West India Is
lands, we have never heard of slave
ry in any country, ancient or mod
ern, pagan, Mohammedan, .or chris
tian, so terrible in its character; so
pernicious in its tendency, 50 reme
diless in its anticipated results, as the
slavery which exists in these United
States. We do not mean here to
speak of slavery as a system of bonds
and stripes and all kinds of bodily
suffering. On this point, there is.
we believe, a great degree of misap
prehension among our fellow citizens
of the North. Many of them are
accustomed to associate with the
name of slavery, all that is horrible
in the. details of the African trade,
and all that is terrific in the cruelties
of Jamaica and Porto Rico. But we
rejoice in the belief that- these con
ceptions are erroneous; and that
though there may be instances of un
punished, and sometimes perhaps al
most unnoticed barbarity, the con
dition ofa slave in most parts of the
United States is generally as much
superior to that of a slave in the
West Indies, as the condition of an
American farmer .is to that of an
Irish peasant. Here we are ready
to make what all will consider the
most liberal concessions. We are
ready even to grant, for our pres
ent purpose, that, so far as mere an
imal existence is concerned, the
slaves have no reason to complain,
and the friends of humanity, have no
reason to complain for them. And
when we use the strong language
which we feel ourselves compelled
to use in relation to this subject, we
do not mean to speak of animal suf
fering, but" of an immense moral and
political evil, — of slavery as it stands
connected with the wealth; and
strength, and more especially with
the character, and happiness of our
nation. " . .. . ¦ ,.: , v .. ..
. We have no room to enlarge on
the political aspect of this subject.,
We will only ask — where would be

the enterprise and the wealth and the
strength of New-England, if her green
hills and pleasant vallies were culti
vated no longer by her own independ
ent and hardy yeomanry, but by the?
degraded serfs ofa Polish aristocracy?
And what would not Virginia become,
if she could exchange her four hun
dred and twenty five thousand slaves
for as many freemen, who, in blood
and complexion, as well as in immu
nities and enjoyments, should be
one with the proudest of her chil
dren ?
But the mere politician cannot fail,
in estimating the magnitude of this
evil, to look at its moral tenden
cy. The great mf-u of the south-
have looked at it in this aspect,
and have expressed themselves
accordingly... Judge Washington
pronounces it to be " an inherent
vice in the community." Mr. Jeffer-
.son uses language on this subject, too
strong for even a northern man to re
gard it as strictly true, [n his Notes
on Virginia, he says — "The whole
commerce between master and slave,,
is a perpetual exercise of the most
boisterous passions, the most unre
mitting despotism on the one -part,
and degrading Submissions on the
other. "— " The parent storms, the
child looks on, catches the lineaments
of wrath, puts on the same airs in a
smaller circle of slaves, gives a loose
to his worst passions,and thus nursed,
educated, and daily exercised in tyr
anny, cannot but be stamped with o-
dious peculiarities." — " I tremble for
my .country when I ' reflect that God
is just, and that his justice cannot
sleep for- ever.7'— And speaking of
the probability, that the blacks may
assert their freedom, he adds, " the-
Altnighty has no attribute which can
take side, with us in such a contest."
It would be easy to collect the senti
ments- of many highly honored indi
viduals in the. southern States who
have expressed- themselves as deci-
..dedly if not as strongly. But it is en-
Jough to say in regard to the moral
.^influence of the system on the blacky '
that laws exist in nearly all the slave-

American Colonization Society.

'. holding States, prohibiting their in-
, struction, and even driving them from
; Sunday schools, because the public
safety requires thera to be kept in
perfect ignorance ; and iu regard to
its influence on the white population,
that the most lamentable proof of its
deteriorating effects maybe found in
the fact that excepting the pious whose
hearts are governed by the christian
law of reciprocity between man and
man, and the wise whose minds have
looked far into the relations and ten
dencies of things, none can be found
to lift their voices against a system
so utterly repugnant to the feelings of
unsophisticated humanity — a system
which permits all the atrocities of
the domestic slave-trade — which per
mits the father to sell his children as
he would his cattle— a system which
consigns one half of the community
to hopeless and utter degradation,
and which threatens in its final catas
trophe to bring down the same ruin
on the master and the slave.
There are two considerations in
view of which we ventured to re
mark that the slavery which exists
in our country is more ominous in
its character and tendency than any
similar system which has ever exist
ed in other countries. The first. is
that slavery contradicts the primary
principles of our republican govern
ment. Slavery was not inconsistent
with the principles of Grecian and
Roman democracy. It is in perfect
harmony with the systems of govern
ment, which, excepting Great Brit
ain and Switzerland, prevail in every
province of the old' world from the
Frozen Ocean .to the Cape of Good
Hope, and from the Bay of Biscay
to the Pacific. But it stands in di
rect opposition to all the acknowl
edged and boasted maxims 'in which
is laid the foundation of our political
institutions. _ The other considera
tion to which we refer is, that which
.. spreads terror over every aspect in
which the subject can be viewed, and
which seems to tell us — for all these
evils there is no remedyJ It is, the
fact that the slaves, and- those wh«

13
have been slaves, and those whose
fathers have been slaves, are. all
marked out and stigmatized with, the
brand which nature has stamped up
on them. In Greece and Rome,
as in almost every other nation, a
slave might be made free, and then
he was no longer a slave, but he wasf
amalgamated with the rest of the
community, and the road of wealth
or honor or office wa3 open before
hirn, and his interests were united
with the interests of the republic.
But here the thing is impossible t a-
slave cannot be really emancipated.
You cannot raise him from the abyss
of his" degradation. -You may call
him free, you may enact a statute
book of laws to make him free, but
you cannot bleach him into the en
joyment of freedom.
Now apply to this subject one ve*
ry simp'.e arithmetical calculation.
In 1820 the slave population of the
country was 1,500,000. Their an
nual increase is estimated at 35,000.
Their number doubles in jess than
twenty years. Things remaining
as they now are, in 1840 we shall
have 3,000,000 of slaves,— in I860,*
6,000,000,— and in 1880, 12,000,-
000, — a nation of slaves larger by
4,000,000 than the whole present
white population of theUnited States*
What a state of things will this be.
Twelve millions of slaves. 'A na
tion scattered and peeled,' 'a nation'
meted out and trodden down ;' — andi
God forbid that it should be written-
in the blood and echoed iu the-
groans of that generation — "a nation*
terrible from "their beginningbither.""
But even in the short sixty year*
which must elapse before such a-
state of things can take place, hovr
much terror aud anxiety must be en
dured, how many plots must be de
tected, how many insurrections must
be quelled. '
.Plots! and insurrections I These
:?are words of terror ; but their terri"
•, bleness is no argument against the
| truth of what we say. If thingsgo-
on as" they are words, more terrible
than these must. be- "familiar in our

14

Review of the Reports of the

siouths." For notwithstanding ail
' that may be done to keep the slaves
, in ignorance, they are learning, and
will continue to learn something of
their own power, and something of
the tenure by which they are held
in bondage. They are surrounded
by the memorials of freedom. The
air which they breathe is free ; and
the soil on which they -tread, and
which they water with their tears is
a land of liberty. Slaves are never
slow in learning that they are fetter
ed, and that freedom is the birthright
of humanity'. Our slaves will not be
always ignorant — and when that
righteous Providence, which never
wants instruments to accomplish its
designs., whether of mercy, or of ven
geance, shall raise up a Touissaint,
or a Spartacus, or an African Te-
cumseh, his fellow slaves will flock
around his standard,- and we shall
witness scenes — which history de
scribes but from "the thought of which
the imagination revolts. Not that
there is any reason to anticipate such
an insurrection as will result in.the
emancipation of the slaves, and the
establishment of a black empire.
A general insurrection in the south
ern states, might indeed destroy their
cities, might desolate their planta
tions, might turn their rivers to blood;
but to be finally successful, it must
be delayed for more than two or
three generations, — it must be de
layed till the blacks have force en
ough to resist successfully the euei-
gies of the whole American people ;
for at any_time within sixty or a hun
dred years, the beacon fires of insur
rection would only rally the strength.
of the nation, and the illfated Afrir
¦cans, if not utterly exterminated,
would be so nearly destroyed that
they must submit to a bondage
more hopeless than ever.
Cannot the people of the United
States be roused to an effort for the
partial if not for the entire removal
of the evils attendant on the circum
stances of our black; population ? .
We refer to eW these evils ; though.'
they, cannot all be enumerated,., for

their name is legion. We refer to
the condition of all th'e'blacks wheth
er bond or free. They_ariL-W-retcb.-
ed, and_ their, wretchedness ought to
he alleviated. They are dangerous
'to the community, and this danger
ought to be removed. Their wretch
edness arises not only from their
'bondage, but from their political and
: moral degradation. The danger is
not so much that we have a million
and a half of slaves, as that we have
within our borders nearly two mil
lions of men who are necessarily any
thing rather than loyal citizens —
nearly two millions of ignorant and
miserable beings who are banded to
gether by the very same circumstan
ces, by which they are so widely
sepaiated in. character and in inter
est from oil the citizens of-^pur great
republic. The question is1, cannot
the people of the United States be
induced to do something effectual
for the removal of these evils? With
out doubt they can be roused to an
effort ; for in a nation so far under
the influence of christian principle as
ours, there is a spirit which will an
swer to the voice of benevolence
when it pleads the cause of humani
ty. It did answer in England, when
jWilberforce and Clarkson lifted up
ftheir cry against the wrongs of Afri
ca; — and the consequence of their
iun wearied labors has been the formal
abolition of the slave-trade by every .
^christian power in both continents,"
and such a total revolution in public
sentiment, that all who are not imme
diately interested iu the nefarious traf
fic are ready to denounce it as the
most high-handed outrage that ever
was practised by fraud and power a->
gainst simplicity and weakness. If
the philanthropists of America will
summon up their energies to a like ef
fort — if they will never cease to warn,
their fellow-citizens of the extent and
nature of these evils— if they will
properly set before the public the po- ;
jitical and intellectual and moral de-:'
gradation of the blacks, and the dan- >-¦
ger which results from this degrada
tion; — the same spirit which answer

American Colonization Society.

ed to the plea of Wilberforce will
answer them, and the effect of their
labors will be, seen in the sympathiz
ing efforts of all the enlightened and
benevolent. We doubt, not that the
public may be excited on this subject,
and if excited they may put forth such
an effort as will alleviate the evils in
question, and long delay, if not utter
ly prevent their final catastrophe.
The excitement required is not a mo
mentary, feverish, half delirious ex
citement, like that produced by the
agitation of the Missouri question, —
it must be something more calm and
permanent. It must not be a sudden
torrent passing away with the cloud
that gave it birth ; but a river whose
broad, deep, peaceful streams are sup
plied by perennial fountains, and
whose pure waters, like the waters of
Jordan shall wash away from our na
tional character this foul and loath
some leprosy.
/ But what shiill be done ? This
excitement must have a definite
object,  what shall that object
be 1 — what kind of effort is deman-
J d.ed? We answer, first, any effectu-
.[ al effort for the benefit of the blacks
! must be such- as will unite the pat-
< riotic and benevolent in- all parts of
the country. There is perhaps no
subject wnich excites so much of
what is called sectional feeling, — so
much of jealousy at the south, so
much of exultation at the north, and
so much of indignant invective in all
parts of the union, as the subject
before us in any of its relations.
But this feeling at the north and
al the south, is equally unreasona
ble, not to say, equally criminal.
.! The difference in regard to slavery
and a negro population, between
New-England and Georgia, we owe
not to ourselves, or to our fathers
but to the God who has placed our
habitation where the climate •for
bade the introduction of Africans,
and where the hard soil could be
'cultivated only by the hands of free
men. Had the rough hills, and the

15
the rich plains and the burning sun
and. the enervating breezes of Car
olina, all the sacred -principles of
puritauism would not have preven
ted the introduction of shivery at a
time when hardly a man could be
found in either hemisphere to raise
his voice againsl the enormity, and
when England was determined to
infect all her colonies with the de
bilitating and deadly poison. What
occasion then can we have to exult
overourfellowcitizens? Itisas if the
heir to an estate "should exult in the
poverty of his neighbour. It is as
if the man in health should glory
over his brother in sickness. And
it is with indignation that we some
times see the editors of political
journals in one part of the country,
attempting to kindle and cherish
such feelings ; — for every such at
tempt excites and increases, and ia
some measure excuses that tetchy
sensibility in respect to this subject
which the people of the south
are always too ready to manifest.
But still we are happy to believe
that notwithstanding all the vapor
ing of newspaper -declaimers, the
great majority of the northern peo^
pie regard the matter — at least in
times of calm reflection — with far
more enlarged, liberal, national
feelings than is commonly imagined
by their southern brethren. And
we will even express our belief,
that there is hardly any enterprize.
to which-the militia of Vermont or
Connecticut would march with more
zeal than to crush a servile rebel
lion (if such an event should ever
take place with all its cruelties and
horrors)- in Virginia. The" people
of Maine belong to the same
great community with the people" of
Georgia; and hence they desire at
once the right and the duty of in
terfering to alleviate, and if possi
ble to remove, an evil which affects
the prosperity and safety of the
whole American empire. The peo
ple of the . south should know this,

cold winds, and the long winters, of ~ and if they once see their fellow cil
New England been exchanged for * rzens engaging calmly and kindly in

16

Review of the Reports of the

eal efforts for the alleviation of this
evil, their prejudices will be done
away, and they will acknowledge
the unsensonableness of their jeal
ousies. If the people of New-
England will talk less of the guilt
of slavery, and more of the means
of counteracting its political and
moral tendencies ; or if when they
speak of its guilt, they would
acknowledge that New-England is a
; partaker ; if they will remember
that it was their ships and sailors
that carried the Africans in chains
across the ocean, and that there are
now men nmong them who are liv
ing on " the price of blood" — mea
whose wealth was " earned" by
" sinews bought and sold" ; — if
they will speak of this subject with
the modesty, and think • of it with
the shame which such remembran
ces, are calculated to inspire, they
may soon find that there are prin
ciples and schemes of enterprize in
which the benevolent of all the
states can unite : And would not a
national effort for the removal of this

^national evil, do away local prejudi-
,, ces, and bind together the different
\". parts of the union with jl closer
j bond of national feeling?
;s An effort for the benefit of the
i blacks, in which all parts of the
-country can unite, of course must
i not have the abolition of slavery for
!its immediate object. Nor may it
'aim directly at the instruction of the
great body of the blacks. In either
case, the prejudices and terrors of
. Ihe slave-holding states would be
excited in a moment ; and with rea
son too, for it is a well established
point that the public safety forbids
^either the emancipation or the gen
eral instruction of the slaves. It
requires" no great skill to see that
ihe moment you raise this degraded
community to an intellectual exis
tence, their chains will burst asun
der like the fetters of Sampson, and
they will stand" forth in the might
and dignity of manhood, and in all;
the terrors of a- long injured people"
•thirsting for vengeance. ¦ - . : i '

But notwithstanding these restric
tions, occasioned by the necessity of
the case and the danger of exciting
jealousy, the effort in question must
be a great effort, great in its con
ception and great in its details. We
mean that there must be a magnifi
cence in its immediate object, and
an attractiveness in every step of its
progress, which will not let it be
forgotten or overlooked among the
numberless enterprises of the age.
There is a certain simple grandeur
in the design of the Bible Society,
which fills the whole mind of the
beholder, and awakens the benevo
lent heart to ecstacy as it contem
plates the mighty scheme in all its
relations. It is this which has unit
ed in the holy undertaking chris
tians of every name and of every
country, and Lt is this which will al
ways unite them till the design of the
Bible Society shall attain its perfect
accomplishment. The Missionary
Society with perhaps less of that
imposing simplicity, in its phice' seiz
es on the attention and the affections
of the public by the charm which is
thrown over all its proceedings.
Every new report of its progress,
every letter from a distant missiona
ry awakens in the supporters of the
enterprise a higher joy, and a live
lier interest. And it is this increas
ing brightness in the details' of its .-'-
progress, which will always make it
fresh and beautiful to the benevolent
eye, till ' the kingdoms of this world
shall become the kingdoms of our
Lord.' So any effort for the remo
val of the evils to Which our atten
tion has been directed, before it can #•
become powerful and lasting, must
have something of the same charac
ter. There must be a similar gran- ..
deur in its object to arrest the public
..attention ; arid to keep up that atten-
tion'.there must be the same interest
thrown over the successive events
of its history. Without the one, the
great body of the people will vnot4*
engage in the enterprise •-without**
the other', they will not maintain it.
We hare asserted that the Coldni-.

zation Society is the only institution
j which promises any thing great or
! effectual for the relief. of our black
population. We have examined the
condition of that population, and
have pointed out the characteristics
of the effort which shall accomplish
any thing for their improvement. To
establish our assertion, it remains for
tis to show that the direct object of
this society is attainable; and that the
two characteristics above mentioned
belong to this scheme, and to this
alone.
¦ What other scheme, then, for the
irnpfovement of the blacks, is there
before the public? What other ef
forts are we exhorted to make ? What
other projects do we hear of? There
are a few Sunday schools established
for their benefit in our large towns ;
and in some of our cities the Africans
have churches of their own, and tole
rably well qualified ministers of their
own. And -more, to educate young
men of colour for the work of the
ministry among their brethren, there
is, or there was, somewhere in the
State of New-Jersey, an African sem
inary, with whose managers, funds,
resources, students, instructors, ~and
even local situation the public at large
have been, for three years past, about
as well acquainted, as they are with
the course of the Niger, or the police
of Tombuctoo1. But efforts of this
&ind, taken by themselves-, hardly
amount to any thing; they do not in
the least affect the essence of the
evil ; and not only so, but by a great
part of the slave holders they are con-
sidered dangerous, and therefore they
ean never become such as will unite
the patriotic and benevolent in all
parts of the country. The same re
mark will apply, with at least equal
force to the projects of " the Ameri
can Convention for promoting the
Abolition of.Slavery, and improving
the condition of the African race," as
, set forth in an " Address to the peo-
s pie of the United States," which now
,* lies before; as; and which contains;-.
some calculations- and suggestions-
¦?-r.;:;-i * '•¦¦; ¦•¦• ¦¦¦¦ ¦•'. - 3

American Colonization Society. 17
that ought to be familiar to every
mind. If then there is any hope of exten
sive good for these two /millions of
beings, it must be found in the plans
proposed by the American Coloni
zation Society. But before proceed
ing to examine how far this plan pos
sesses the characteristics necessary to
success, it is important to notice the
objection, sometimes urged, that the
establishment of a colony in Africa is
impossible. If a colony of free blacks cannot
be established on the coast of Africa,
it must be, either 1st, because free
blacks cannot beinduced to go, which
is false, for they have gone, and hun
dreds are waiting to go, — or 2dly,
because when they arrive there they
cannot be defended from-the natives,
which is disproved by the late can-
test,— or 3dly, because the soil will not
yield them support,which needs noan-
swer to any man who will look into a
book of travels,-or4thly,hecause they
must be cut off by the insalubrity of
the climate, which is contradicted by
the experience of the settlers, and by
the testimony of travellers.- It is con
tradicted by the experience of the
settlers; for since they have occupi
ed their present station -they have
been visited with no sweeping pesti
lence, excepting only the recent mor
tality among those sent out in the
Oswego; the number of deaths among
them has been no greater than the
average mortality of the same class of
people in America. It is contradict-'
ed by the. testimony of travellers. If
we had room for extracts,- they might
easily be collected from a variety of
authors. The opinion- of Lieutenant
Stockton must suffice : — ¦'
" We have had an interesting cruise
on the coast, from the shoals of the
Great River to Cape Pa I mas : it was
during the most unhealthy season, and
under circumstances not the most
flattering. Being iu a small vessel,
we were often exposed to heavy rains,
and occasionally encountered great
fatigue; Npt withstanding whi«b, we

18

Review -of the Reports- of the

have returned in. good health, only
regretting that our cruise was so short,
and that ive accomplished so little of
that which we promised ourselves.
We had the fever on board, butin ev
ery instance it yielded to the skill ot
our surgeons." " Under all these
circumstances, I am bound to believe
(my conclusions however are deduced
from impressions rather than from un
alterable opiuions) that the horror for
that coast, the hue and cry about the
African fever, and the noise about the
tornadoes, are but litttle else than a
fable, generated by policy, listened to.
because wonderful, and propagated
by the interested. As to the climate,
it is true, the air is warm, and I think
a constant .exposure to the sun must
be very debilitating. The thermo-
metrical observations of this vessel do
not show that the temperature of the
air has ever been above eighty-five
degrees, measured^by Fahrenheit's
thermometer; but as the country is
seldom refreshed by a coo! invigorat
ing breeze, the heat is more uniform,
and of longer duration, and from that
cause I think arises its pestilence, and
-not from the immediate power of the
sun.* The heat is not beyond bear
ing for a while, but from its constan
cy must overcome any human consti
tution that is unwarily exposed to it
during any length of time without re
lief. The fever I think may be more
readily avoided, arid if taken is not
so dangerous, and may be more easi
ly destroyed than that which infects
many places in our own country. The
tornadoes, as I saw and felt them,
are inconsiderable and harmless, in
comparison with squalls met with on
parts ^of the American coast at par
ticular seasons of the year. We may
have been particularly favored, and
it is possible that all the dangers

not assumed a living shape ; the
winds are not saturated with pesti
lence ; even on the coast of Afri
ca oxygen forms a component part
of the atmospheric air, and to inhale
it is not certain death. We (for I
think I am speaking the sentiments
of my companions) respired as free
ly, and enjoyed generally as good
health as any country could have sup
plied us with. After .examination
and reflection, I honestly believe that
the climate presents all those obsta
cles which are the natural produc
tions of a tropical soil uncleared and
uncultivated, but that tbey will yield
to proper precautions ; and that noth
ing can prevent the consummation of
your wishes but limited means, bad
counsels, or feeble efforts.''
. It is not pretended that the climate
of Africa is as healthy to a native of'
Connecticut as the country in which
he was born. We say it may -be
.compared in this respect with other
tropical countries. Is Montserado
more unhealthy than New-Orleans or
Havana ? Yet these places have
been colonized ; and colonized with
the men whose descendants it is pro
posed to carryback to the climate, to
which, the constitution which they
have inherited from their fathers, is
adapted; Is it impossible to colo
nize Africa? And did the God of na
ture design that that continent, with
all the luxuriance of its soil, and all
the variety 'of its productions, should
for ev.er remain a "wilderness ? The,
happy inhabitants of Sierra Leone "
may give the answer.
With these facts before- us then,
we feel no hesitation in saying that
this enterprise is practicable ; and we
say too that it possesses the two char- ¦
acteristics already described as essen
tial to any permanent and effectual-

which persons are led to apprehend, |effort in behalf of the blacks. It is an
do ordinarily possess that country, ^enterprise in which all parts of the
But I can assure you the fever has \country can unite. The grand, ob
jection to every other effort is, that it

* Cape Montserado it will be remem
bered, is » steep and elevated towards the
sfea,"- which "affords it the advaatage of
Oe sea br*e.Te."

excites the jealousies and fears of the
South. But here is an effort in which.
the southern people are the first tan
engage, and which numbers many of"

American Colonization, Society.

lit

their most distinguished men among
its advocates and efficient supporters.
But it promotes the interests of the
South. True ; and must not every .
plan of the kind, which promises to
da any good, favor the interests of
that part of the country where the
evil to be remedied presses with the
most alarming weight? And does
not this plan promote the interests of
the North too ? Are there not thou
sands of blacks in New-England ?
And do they add any thing to the
good order and happiness of society ?
'¦" Or rather are they not, and must they
not continue to be,as a body, ignorant
, and vicious, adding more to the poor
I rates of the parishes in which they
| reside, than they do to the income of
' the government ? And shall a cause.
to which the good people of the South
offer not only money, but in not a few
instances the freedom of their slav.es,
languish because the people of the
North refuse to come forward with
their good wishes, and their prayers,
and their most liberal contributions.
It will. not. ' We dare to predict that
¦ the time is not far distant when the
North and the South shall unite in
this work of charily, and when' every
new report of the prosperity of our
colony will awaken the same joy in
every benevolent heart from Portland
to Savannah.
This leads us to remark on thesec-
' ond characteristic, namely, that it is
a great enterprise. There is a grand
eur in the conception of it like the
grandeur of the Bible Society; and if
properly supported, every step of its
progress must be attended by the
sympathies and prayers of all who
feel or pray for the missionary. Said.
Samuel J. Mills to his companion,
" Can we engage in a nobler effort ?
We go to make freemen of slaves.
We go to lay the foundation ofa free
and independent empire on the coast
of poor degraded Africa. It is con
fidently believed by many of our best
,/^and wisest men, that if the plan pro
posed succeeds, it will ultimately be
the means of exterminating slavery1
"in our country. It will eventually

redeem and emancipate a million and
a half of wretched men. It will trans
fer to Africa the blessings of religion
and civilization ; and Ethiopia will
soon stretch out her hands unto
God." Such is the object. To compre
hend in any degree its magnitude, we
must look at it in its relation to the
blacks of our own country, in its rela
tion to the slave trade, and in its rela
tion to the civilization of Africa.- We
might add the connexion it must have
with American commerce, not. only
by affording a" station- at which our
Iudiamen might take in water and
provision, in some important respects
more conveniently than at the Cape
Verde Islands ; but also by opening
to our merchants, at no distant peri
od, a lucrative trade in all the pro*
ductions of the climate. But we cau
only take the rapid glance at this top
ic, which is presented in the follow
ing extract from the third report.
"Has not the single port ofSierra Leone
exported,, iu one year, since the abolition
of the slave-trade by England, a greater
value than alt western Africa, a coast of
several thousand miles, yielded, exclusive
of its people, for a like period anterior to
that event ? When this 'abominable traf
fic shall have been utterly exterminated ;
when the African laborer can toil secure
from (he treachery of his neighbor, and the
violence of the maa-stealer ; that contin
ent will freight, for legitimate trade, those
ships which now carry thither chains, fet
ters, and scourges, to return home with
the bones, the sinews, the blood, and the
tears of her children. Her gold, her ivo
ry, her beautiful dyes, ' her fragrant, and
precious gums, her healing plants and ,
drags, the varied produce of her now for
saken fields and lonely forests, will be
brought by a joyous and grateful people-,
to the nations who, once their plunderers
and persecutors, will have at length be.
come their protectors, friends and allies."
Let us look more particularly at
the Colonization Society first in its
relation to the blacks of our own
country. Leaving slavery, and its
subjects for the mompnt entirely out
of view, there are-inthe-Unired States
238,000 blacks, ^denominated free,
but whole freedom confers on them,
we "might sey, no privilege bnt the

20

Review of the Reports of the

privilege.af. being, more vicious and
miserable than slaves can be. T heir
condition we have attempted to de
scribe, and the description may be
repeated in two words — irremediable
degiadation. Now is there not to the
benevolent mind something noble in
the thought of ameliorating the condi
tion arid elevating the character of
these 233,000? The Colonization
Society will do this. It will open for
these men an asvlum, whither they
can flee from the scoffs and the scorn
to which they are exposed. It will
restore them to a real freedom in the
land of their fathers. It will give
them all the privileges of humanity
in the hind for which their Creator
designed them. And should it be un
able to confer on all,, the benefits it
proposes, still it would do not a little
for their improvement. By elevating
the character of those who were trans
ported to Afrira, it would elevate in
some degree the character of those
who remained. It would set before
them the strongest motives to indus
try, and honest}', and the acquisition
of an honorable reputation. And
here would be room for the other
branches of benevolent exertion ; —
here would be opportunity for sabbath
schools and al! the apparatus of reli
gious instruction. And is this a work
to be overlooked or despised ?
But we have a million and a half of
slaves. The black cloud almost cov-'
ers our southern hemisphere. It is
spreading, — and extending, — and ev
ery hour "us darkness is increasing.
Now to dissipate this cloud ; to let in
light, the pure unmingled light of free
dom, on our whole land, — rthe pros
pect is too wide for our vision, the ob
ject too vast for our comprehension.
Let us look then witha nearer view at
a less magnificent object. There are
men in the southern states, u ho long
: to do something effectual for the ben
efit of their staves,. and would gladly
emancipate them did not prudence
and compassion alike- forbid such a
measure, of which it is difficult to say
whether it would injure most the com
fort and happiness of the slaves, or

the welfare of the community. Now
to provide a way for these men to
obey the promptings of humanity
while they at the same time conferi an
equal blessing on the slaves and on
the community — is not this a great
design ? And if, inspired by their
example another and another master
should emancipate his slaves ; and if
in this way the subject should come
to be discussed with nevv views and
feelings; and if emancipation no lon
ger useless and dangerous, should be
no longer unpopular; and if the voice
of public opinion at the south should
thus,, by degrees, declare itself louder
and louder against the practice of sla
very ; till at last the system should be
utterly abolished ; till not -'?a slave"
should "contaminate" our soil; till
Africa, abused degraded Africa should
stretch out. her hands and pray for A-
merica; — if this should be so what a
triumph would be achieved — what a
glory would be shed on our country
in the view of admiring nations. No
wonder, then, that faith should be
staggered, and benevolence overwhel
med at the prospect of a consumma
tion so magnificent. \ ''•
But the supposition of Entire suc
cess in this plan, though it cannot be
( looked at without scepticism, is not
j absurd. The Society have from the
|first anticipated the co-operation of
fethe national and state governments.
The states of Virginia, Maryland and
Tennessee have expressed theirappro-
bation of the design, and have request
ed the national government to engage
in it. The first of these states; it is
believed, stands ready, as soon as Con
gress shall begin the work, to lend
the most efficient aid in colonizing her
own coloured population. ' Indeed
we may say, that in all Ihe northern
part of that section of the country, the
necessity of a grand and general ef
fort is beginning to be felt, certainly
by all intelligent reflecting men. '.If
then, the Government of the United
States should begin the work, and if'
the governments of the slave-holding
' states should, one after another, fol
low on, who shall set bounds to what

American Colonization Society.

21

might be accomplished. By the cal
culations in the second Report, which
are certainly moderate, it appears that
250,000 dollars would transport the
annual increase of the free blacks; and
2,000,000, or a capitation tax of less
than twenty fivecents on all the citizens
of the United States, would transport
the whole annual increase of bond and
free. "The amount of duties collect
ed on foreign distilled spirits, during ;
each of the first six years of Mr. Jef
ferson's administration, would defray
the sum total of this expense, and fur
nish half a million of dollars, annu
ally, to extinguish the principal, the
capital stock, of the heaviest calamity
that oppresses this nation." — "And
were the same duties charged in the
'United States, as in Great Britain,
on the consumption of this fatal poi-
* son of human happiness, their nett
¦? proceeds would, in less than a centu-
! ry, purchase and colonize in Africa,
^ every person of colour within the Uni
ted States." 2 Report p. 34.
j Thus these two evils — the great-
. est that our country has ever known —
might be made to , counteract and
destroy each other.
.. But, whether such expectations
are chimerical or not, there is an im
mense object to he gained by the ef-
'forts of the Colonization Society in
the entire suppression of the slave
trade. This horrible traffic, notwith
standing its abolition by every civili
zed nation in the world except Por
tugal and Brazil, and notwithstand
ing the decided measures of the
British and American governments,
is still carried on to almost as great
an extent as ever. Not less than
"60,000 slaves, according to the most
moderate computation, are carried
"from -Africa annually. This trade
is carried on by Americans to the
American states." The assertion has
been made in Congress by Mr.
Mercer of Virginia, that these horri
ble cargoes are smuggled into our
southern states to _a deplorable ex
tent." Five years ago, Mr. Middle-
ton of South Carolina declared, it to
be his belief "that 13,000 Africans

were annually smuggled into our
southern states." Mr. Wright of
Virginia estimated the nuiiiber at
15,000. And the cruelties of this
trade which always surpassed the
powers of the human mind to con
ceive, are greater now than they ever
were before. We might, but we
will not, refer to stories, recent sto
ries, of which the very recital would
be torment. The only way in which
this trade can be speedily and effec
tually suppressed is the establish
ment of colonial stations in Africa,
which shall guard and dry ui> the
fountains of the evil. There is no
slave-trade in the vicinity of Sierra
Leone. Soon there will be none in
the vicinity of Montserado. And
when colonies shall be established at
proper intervals along the coast, the
slave-trade will exist only in the
memory of indignant humanity.
And is not this an object for benevo
lence to aim at?
But this is not all. Thecolony
is to be a means-of— civilizing and
christianizing Africa. Hitherto the
extention of civilization, and, since '¦[
Christianity was established in the
Roman Empire, the extension of
Christianity has been almost exclu^
sively by colonies. Whence came
the civilization of Greece ? It was-
brought by colonies from Egypt.
How was Italy civilized ? By colo
nies from Greece, How was Eir--
rope civilized ? By the Roman mil
itary colonies. Whence came the
civilization of America ? And is nos
that universal spirit of improvement
which is springing up in Hindoostarr
occasioned, more or less directly, by
the British conquests there, which*
have poured in" thousands of Eng
lishmen, who are in effect colonizing,
India? Two centuries hence the'.
little band, who are now cultivating'.
their fields and building their houses-
at Montserado, and spreading over
the wilderness around them a strange
aspect of life and beauty, may be re
membered by the thousands of their
descendants, with the same emotions
with which the little band who land-

22

Review of the Reports oftM

ed at Plymouth two centuries ago,
are now remembered by the thou-
sauds of New-England. We do
not fear to say, that to the friends of
missions, the Colonization Societ'y
presents aloud and imperative claim.
The advantage of the Moravian mis
sions and of the modern missionary
establishments in savage countries, is
that they are in substance, little col
onies. If you could carry from this
, country to the Sandwich Islands, a
thousand civilized and educated na
tives, would you not think you had
done much for Owhyhee ? This is
what can be done, and must be done,
for Africa.
And will there not be an interest
in the progress of the work? - Will
it not be delightful to watch the ad
vances of the morning; to see the
light breaking in on one dark habita
tion of cruelty, and another; to see
—the shadows of heathenism fleeing
: away, and the delusions which have
So long terrified the ignorant pagans, /

vanishing; to see onetribe after anoth
er coming to the light of Ziou, and to
: the brightness of her rising; to see
Ethiopia waking, and rising from the
dust, and looking abroad on the day,
and stretching out her hands to God,
and the day light still spreading aiid
kindling and brightening, till all the
fifty millions of Africa are brought
into the " glorious light and liberty
of the sons of God" ! . Is there not
enough in this to arrest the attention
of the public, and to keep it fixed
on this object with an untiring inter
est, till all shall be accomplished ?
The Niger's sullen. waves
Have heard the tidings, — and the orient
sun
¦Beholds them rolling on to meet his light
In joyful beauty. — Tombiit's spiry towers
Are bright without the brightness of the
-_. •' :'-day, - . ...
And Houssa wakening from his age-long
- - trance
Of woe, amid thedesert, smiles to hear
The last faint echo of the blissful sound.

A few words more, and we have
-.done. We had intended, to notice
one or two things in the management

"of . this Society which might be
amended. *" One is, they have not
kept up a constant communication
with the public. The monthly reports
of their treasury have not been pub-:
lished; and we have known very lit
tle of their proceedings but from
their annual reports. ' Another defi
ciency appears to be-r-perbaps we
judge incorrectly — a want of that en
ergy and business-like regularity of
operation which so characterize some
of our northern benevolent institu
tions. Generally their colonists have
arrived at the most- unhealthy seasons
of the year. We the. more willingly
curtail our notice of these defects,
because we think we caa see an evi
dent improvement. They have is
sued proposals for publishing. aperi- -
odica! work, which we hope will be
well supported by the public..;:. And
they have resolved, and they have
called .on the public to assist in exe--
cuting the resolution, that if possible _
they will send three vessels with emi
grants to Liberia this fail. We do
earnestly, hope that this call will be
answered, and that the Board will be
-enabled to carry this design into ex
ecution, and by sending their settlers
to Africa at the healthiest, instead of
the most unhealthy season of the.
year, to 'ascertain whether the cli- -"
mate is actually so deadly as benev-^
olent slave-traders and the other en-*S
emies of the scheme are fond of rep
resenting. The late "unfortunate in- ¦*;*
telligence from Montserado, discour
aging as it may be to the timid and
heartless, ought to invigorate the
friends of Africa. ¦'It. has proved,
what every body knew before, and
what no man in his sensesever pre
sumed to deny, that the- climate of
that coast, like other tropical cli
mates, is dangerous to foreigners ar
riving at a certain season of the year. "
It has proved too that, whatever may
be thought of oneofthe agents at the
colony, the other is a man of sense
and integrity — ' a man of business,
and one who knows how to com
mand.' •¦."¦' - ;> ..,-.; ,- . ,
..-.fTbe public have. ^expected from

American Colonization Society.

23

this plan, we will not say too great,
but too immediate results. For our
selves, we expect to see repeated un
toward events. — We do not antici
pate any thing magnificent for twenty
or fifty years to come. But christ
ian benevolence is gifted to look into
futurity. Finally, if any thing is done it
ought to be done quickly. If there
are christians among us who intend
to favor this object, let them do it
without .delay .^ We would venture

to suggest to ministers of all denomi
nations the propriety of laying be
fore their people, sometime in the
course of this month, the claims of
an object so important to our coun
try and to the human race, and soli
citing their contributions. Let it be
known on earth, let it be known in
heaven, that America is awake on this
subject — that her sons of every name
and of every opinion are doing some
thing for the emancipation and salva
tion of injured Africa.

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