-A-nsr ^IDDE-BSS DELIVERED BEFORE THE Imifintan 4^I Of those who have least faith in African Colonization and least fervor in forwarding your endeavors, it may not be uncharitable to guess, the lack is due largely to the same cause which, we read, gave God such grief in the days of the prophets; "Israel doth not know; my people do not consider." But, remembering how much there is to know and do iii our day, weneed not feel aggrieved if all good men are not enlisted in every excellent movement. It does not disturb the faith we have in the temperance reform that some really pious people are imprudent enough to tipple. Nor ought it to inflnence any friend of African Colonization unfavorably to hear ol ardent philanthropists who prefer another way of paying our debts. It weighs nothing against this Society's work, that we know, if even the de based race, for whose welfare it has so patiently worked, are not entire ly enthusiastic in their praise of it. That signifies nothing ; because their intelligence is not yet so broad and clear but that they are in dread of the very uncertain white man who from the time he first stole their fore fathers and enslaved them has shown an ingenuity in mistreating men of their color. Neither do any short comings of complete success in the free colony and Republic of Liberia settle the question against your eloquent appeal for enlarged suppprt. Nations do not grow as Jonah's gourd— unless to wither as quick. It was 1831 before a permanent be ginning of the Republic of Liberia was recorded. Since then only sixty years have passed. Sixty years with sixty wings on every minute of the time, and how swiftly the years do fly. Take account of any other nation that started on so desolate a site, on such stinted supplies, in the teeth of such hostilities, and see how much more any one of them achieved in their first sixty years. What was there to show on these shores within sixty years from the coming of Columbus? Or wait six years after the Spanish keel had cut a track across the sea, when the first English colony of 300, under Sabastian Cabot, arrived, and then count forward sixty years, and compare the re sults with those of Liberia. Quite seventy years elapsed before there was so much as a permanent colony planted north of the gulf of Mexi co. True the world was younger then than now, and equal progress could not bo expected. But we may be more generous, and not begin to inquire of the American colonies for a full century after Cabot's company came. And yet starting thus, in 1598, we shall need to wait two weary centuries more before those colonies are seamed and cement ed under a Constitution of States. So that if the short-comings of African Colonization were even more -real than they are now imaginary, the propriety of supporting it dots not deserve a snap judgment against it. When reading recently more carefully than before the significant facts of the Society's history, I paused at this ; it was in the ship "Elizabeth " your first eighty immigrants were carried to Africa. We re- cal another Elizabeth who bore a forerunner of her race and the pioneer of a holy dispensation . Her child endured mahy a year of ascetic sac rifice and severe labors in the wilderness of Judea merely to "prepare the way of the Lord ." He organized nothing. He established nothing. This son of the New Testament Elizabeth was satisfied if he might be but "the voice" of the better things to come. And if the results of the voyage of that Eliizabeth of yours, in all the years since she touched at Sherbro Island had been but to prepare the way of the people who are yet to follow, and to secure the blessings that Lil>eria may yet be stow on Africa, we ought to say of the Society; "Well done good and faithful servant ! " l i A second reason why the African Colonization Society Ought to survive and be strengthened is, that better than any other it is now equipiped to aid these restless sons of Africa to return home. With some it is a first question whether they are restless, and do ask -to r turn, The street says, no. Statistics say, yes? And of the two, •statistics may be taken as the more sober and reliable witness. But I have not met a more adverse view of this work than comes from those who quote the street. They think the fundamental idea of the Society is fallacious: because the colored people do not desire aid to return and it is at variance with the truth to say they dol May I not safely make this answer on your behalf? If they do not, then they need not. They are not to be coerced nor cheated into changing countries. This Society has no kidnappers roaming tho South. No cunning repre sentations of yours arc dcccivincr tho colored population of the Carolinas. No oily-lipped agent in Floridii or Louisiunn, similar to those wlio serve the Chinese companies of CaUroinia iu Asia, or tlio Jlormon monstrosity in Northern Europe are securing you emigrants. You do not flash the south with posters promising these poor people they will find Liberia tlio Eldorado where they can pick up riches a? stones iu tho street. That is the way they used to draw emigrants from Ireland, — more's the pity. But as far as the cast is from the west is any measure of yours from that bold operating of modern mining companies, whicli capitalizes a shadow at millions, on paper, and puts the shares on the market at a sixpence. And so, it has but little .appearance of undue influence, where I read iu ^^Information about going to Liberia that each emigrant on his arrival is given only a town lot, or ten acres of land." For if he remains in Amer ica there are one hundred and sixty acres open to his occupancy. When it is asked: "How can I make a living in, Africa;" the answer, as printed, is not particularly enticing to a people who are naturally tired. it says : "In tbc same way that you would make ona anywhere else ; that is by industry and economy." This is not even so inviting as the inducement which an Irish labor er, lately landed in America, offered to friends in tlic old country to fol low him here. I have nothing to do, wrote be, but lug loads of brick to the top of the building, and another man does all the work. Emigrants to Liberia learn before leaving home that the sentence of Heaven stands in Africa as here: "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread."' But notwithstanding the ignorance tbeio is among the colored people of the opportunity presented to tlicm to obtain an independence, a self-control, a social respect, and political influence, which for gener ations to come but few of their race can reach by remaining in America ; and notwithctanding the slight inducements that are offered them iu passage and in property, this conservative Society asserts, that of its knowledge there are half a million of the people of color who are agi tating the question of emigration to Liberia. If so it would seem befit ting that this first; friend of Western Africa's civilization should be en abled to aid this restless offspring of the early slaves. Except the Afri can, there is no race represented in our heterogeneous population whoso offspring might not be able without any outside aid to emigrate wheie- cvcr they would — over all tbc earth, provided tlieir fathers liad used their opportuuilies and economized their profits. But it has been otherwise with the African race. Of the millions of them who were slaves, not one has a son over eigliteen years of age who was not born with tho brand of bondage on his brow and a fetter on his foot, unfitting him to easily find his way beyond the base estate in which his ancestors have suffered for centuries. Aud it agrees with the best impulses and deep- 10 est principles of justice that we owe it to every son of those sites who lived and died in servitude, to put it within tboir power to go and take up a residence wherever they desire. Do some of them yearn for that, to them, most of all sacred state, the fat lands of Kansas? Then wo would throw open every door, despite any specious argument which former owners urge against losing them from the cotton fields. Aud wore, as Joseph put money into tbc bag of bis brethren it would be but scant charity if ev ery emigrant to that laud should have given him as good a send off as you promise to those who start for Liberia. So, too our God speed would go with all wlio ask ilie way to South Africa, or to the rising-sun- sido of their fatherland, "with their faces thitherward." But multi tudes arc lookiug to Western Africa: aud when it is inquired who is in a l>osition to best promote their going there does not appear any ground to debate that you are. Wlictber thinking of the wisdom of the illustrious men who have managed this Society — aud before the array of their names the spirit of reverence spontaneously bows. — or whether wc reck on the superior advantages of climate and geography of your young Re public or if wo note tho numerous pointings of Divine Providence which prophecy a brilliant future for Liberia, it docs look unreasonable aud is due to some ignorance that all well wishers of colored people are not friends of Afiicau ColonizitioD. Aud t his leads mo to the next reason why the Society ought to succeed . Third ; The American Republic owes it to her only child, the Republic in Africa, that sho shall receive such supplies as will insure her stability aud preserve her purity. Wc say things sound as if the morning hour for Africa has struck. But there are hours before the thin I. Wo do not forgot that for a hun dred and fifty years fcarU'ss and faithful followers of Christ, have been laboring to lift South Africa into the light of Christian civilization. He reads little of the world's heroes who knows not George Schmidt, the pioneer of African missions; nor of that illustrious scholar, soldier and saint, Vaudcrkcinp, who gave bis groat' heart and life for Kafiiis and Hottentots, nor yet of Robert Moftat, whose glory-crowned grey-bead was cynosure at the Mildmay Missionary Conference in 1879. ; and who owed the honors ho received, and is to receive unto and after death to the unmatched services and sacrifices ho has given to missions in South Africa. It is not forgotten that Cape Colony gives a brighter view of the continent than Victoria Nyanza, Bornu, or the upper Niger. That where George Schmidt planted his "handful of corn" mission near ly two hundred thousand Christians have come to the Cross, and es tablished the faith in South Africa. But nouo of the beginnings iu that region belong to us. To Great Britain and the Dutch Boers belong the Cape, the Oiaiigo River Free State: and tbc Transvaal Republic. And as posterity will bold them responsible for their good or evil influence over tho poor natives, so it 11 must be with us up the coast, where we are trying the experiment of a Republic, built on a pattern received by us in the holy Mount Calvary. Liberia is far from home, and hard pressed by heathen populations that would enthral her liberty by exhibiting to her ruling spirits the ad vantages of oppression. The child is separated by wide seas from this parental at mosphere that has, as its vital element of intelligent enterprise and inde pendence, the prayers und piety, traditions and tendencies which arise as a fountain under the Christian Church and circulate through all the channels of social, commercial, literary and political life. Remembering Liberia's proximity to populous and profoundly, de based neighborhoods, it is worthy of our wonder that her skirts haven ot been already bemired and her spirit bewitched — as Israel of old was wont to be ijy the encroaching heathen . To surely prevent this, under that propitious Providence which has watched all your ships sail safe from shore to shore, let picked emigrants from our schools and Universities, and the better classes of colored citizciis go out; in numbers corresponding atleast with that constant inflow of country life which keeps our own cities supplied with their reviving ele ment, and the young Republic will swell but never stagnate, and will age but not lose its youth. Its present population of three quarters of a million is not sudicent to pierce the masses of moral corruption without becoming contaminated itself. And the best addition will be well bred brothers of their own blood who carry from home our highest and holiest ideas of education and re ligion to repeatedly refresh their aspirations and piety. And as it is your aim to accomplish just this, I think the effort ought to succeed : and for a final fourth reason . To afford a reasonable argument why other attempts to save Af rica ought to be aided. At the outset of this enterprise the end in view stopped with your good will to free people of color in (his country. Now all are politically free : and the emphasis of your endeavor rests not on narrower but on broader grounds. Then it was for the benefit of some Africans. Now it is for all Africans and all Africa. But if Liberia is not made a success after what has been given to it of the bead and heart of many of the purest philanthropists which this century has produced, what can be hoped for on the more hostile Eastern Coast, or at Mtesa's court? Neither the East nor the interior offer greater facilities of approach ; nor a kindlier reception to the now comer. Their airs are not so salubrious, nor soil more prolific, nor population more promising subjects of Chris tian civilizations. So that when Liberia shall come to disappoint the expectations of its founders and friends, the wisdom of expending life and treasure on any further attempt to dissipate the darkness from the Transvaal to the Al bert Nyanza will be pointedly questioned by practical men. It is not because I have consented to say something on this occasion, that the claims of this worlj draw my warmest words of approval. I am 12 not subsidized to utter an endiorsement, by a desire to receive your ap proval, who have placed me here. Any want of interest in me during the past has been duo to ignorance and misapprehension ; and to the fact, that only in the last few years have the claims of the dark continent and of the colored people pressed to the front of philanthropic questions. Even now no violent rapture sweeps me from the place of reason. No utopiaYi dream of drawing everybody into admiration of African Colonization fill my mind. But by as much as I gather together tho facts of history, motives of action, and achievements of good which are ' already recorded of your attempt to plant a land of the free and a home for the black in Liberia, by so much does it appear impossible that divine Providei}ge will allow you to want any good thing. Around tho entire rim of that great continent beaCons have been lighted and beginnings made. But no where is tho light so prismatical- ly pure, containing so many of the colors that blond to make tho white beam, as that which shines off tho shores of Liberia. I would it wore only by a flight of fancy, that I see there the one strong-hold of our ho ly religion ; and the ono place whore the son of man when He cometh will find faith on the earth. Naturally a more religious race tlian any; and so easily captivated by the name ot Christ that colored people nev er yield to anything so cordially as to the most Biblical religion, it may be that they in their own saved conntry may yet become the chiefest custodians of its sacraments, services and traditions. That if philosophi- ziug Europe, and fashionable America, and idolatrous Asia shall ever have lost themselves in a turmoil of debate, in a whirl of imitations, or laid down in a lethargy of indifference — as Asia is fast doing, Africa may be holding fast the faith once delivered to the saints. A distinguished and venerable bishop of the A. M. E. Cbiirch was preaching in my hearing at Saratoga. His topic was ; the trials and triumphs of Christianity. Selecting many striking examples in old Testament times where the powers of evil tried but failed to destroy the Church of God, he came to the advent of Christ. Now, said the preach er, Satan and his forces wore fired with a fierce purpose ; they would not be foiled in this attempt. This is the son, they said ; come let us kill him that the inheritance may be ours. And so all the aids of the adversary combined and engaged Herod to kill the child Jesus. But when the Lord saw how strong they were, and He had no place of safety for his son outside of Egypt; Uo just ordered Joseph to take the young child and its mother and go down amoOg tho colored people: and stay until He brought him word again. ' 'As it is written out of Egypt have I called my son. " It had been known and written by inspiration long before it happened that there would come a time when the only safe place for the infant Christ would bo down among the colored people. Is there any other Scripture in His mind, that reads ; the time will come when the cause of Chirst will have no place of perfect acceptance andsafety except in Africa, among the colored people? 3 9002 00475 6863 CO fP, Date Due All books are subject to recall after kvo weeks.