immediate or gradual abolition of slavery without expatriation.

The scheme of colonization was conceived at an early period, and appears to have been regarded with favour by some of the greatest minds our country has produced. Mr. Jefferson, as early as 1777, is said to have suggested colonization. In 1801 the legislature of Virginia, a state that appears to have been always restive on the subject of slavery, recommended colonization. In 1816 the same body passed the following resolutions:

"Whereas, the general assembly of Virginia have repeatedly sought to obtain an asylum beyond the limits of the United States for such persons of colour as had been or might be emancipated under the laws of this commonwealth, but have hitherto found all their efforts frustrated, either by the disturbed state of other nations, or domestic causes equally unpropitious to success.

"They now avail themselves of a period when peace has healed the wounds of humanity, and the principal nations of Europe have concurred with the government of the United States in abolishing the African slave trade (a traffic which this commonwealth, both before and since the revolution, zealously sought to exterminate,) to renew this effort, and do therefore

"Resolve, That the executive be requested to correspond with the president of the United States, for the purpose of obtaining a territory on the western coast of Africa, or at some other place not within any of the states or territorial governments of the United States, to serve as an asylum for such persons of colour as are now free and may desire the same, and for those who may hereafter be emancipated within this commonwealth; and that the senators and representatives of this state in the congress

of the United States be requested to use their best efforts to aid the president of the United States in the attainment of the above objects.

"Provided, That no contract or arrangement respecting such territory shall be obligatory on this commonwealth, until ratified by the legislature."

In December, 1816, the American Colonization Society was organized at Washington under the auspices of Dr. Finley of New Jersey, Hon. C. F. Mercer, F. S. Key, and some others. Measures were taken as early as possible to select a site for the proposed colony. In 1818, Messrs. Mill and Burgess visited Africa by the way of England, and gained much important information. In 1820, the first expedition sailed, and attempted to make a settlement on the Island of Sherbo. The climate proved fatal to the settlers, and the effort failed. In 1821 another expedition sailed, and the colonists remained at Sierra Leone until a settlement could be made. In 1821, Dr. Eli Ayres, with Captain Stockton of the U. S. navy, purchased from the natives the territory called Montserado in the name of the Society. In 1822, a settlement was effected, and the colony placed under the government of Mr. Ashmun, as agent of the Society. The first year of the settlement was marked by many disasters. The natives assailed the colony in great force, but were repelled with intrepidity and success. In 1824 a form of government was adopted by the colonists. The board of managers of the Society appoint the colonial agent, who is a white man: all the other officers are men of colour, the most important of which are elected annually. Mr. Ashmun continued to preside over the colony until 1828, when he was constrained by illness, which soon proved fatal, to return to America. He was succeeded by Dr.

Richard Randall, who shortly after died, when Dr. Mechlin became agent.*

The following account of the colony is extracted from an address published by the Board in 1832.

"Description of the Colony.-The name of Liberia has been given to the colony, because it is the land of the freed. Cape Montserado, on which stands the principal town (Monrovia, so called, in honour of President Monroe,) lies in about the sixth degree of North latitude. The tract of country under the colonial jurisdiction, has been obtained by fair purchase, from time to time, from the natives, and extends from one hundred and fifty to two hundred miles along the coast, and indefinitely into the interior. Two important districts, Grand Bassa and Cape Mount, have recently been acquired in this way. There are several rivers, most of them small however. The St. Paul's is half a mile wide at its mouth, and were it not obstructed by falls, would admit of boat navigation two or three hundred miles. The three principal towns are Monrovia and Caldwell, about seven miles distant on the St. Paul's (which is connected with the Montserado river, by Stockton Creek,) and Mills and Burgess, (or by contraction Millsburg,) about fifteen miles above Caldwell, on the same river. The houses in Monrovia are substantially built, many of them of stone.

"Fertility and Agriculture.—In their address the colonists say: A more fertile soil, and a more productive country, so far as it is cultivated, there is not, we believe, on the face of the earth.' Dr. Randall says, that the land on both sides of Stockton Creek is equal in every respect, to the best on the southern rivers of the United States.

"Mr. Ashmun thus enumerates the animals and products of the country: horses, cattle, sheep, goats, swine, ducks, geese, chickens, and Guinea fowls, in abundance: fish in the greatest plenty; plantains, bananas, vines, lemons, oranges, tamarinds, mangoes, cashew, prunes, guava, pine-apple, grape, cherry, and a species of peach; sweet potato, cassada, yams, cocoa, ground-nuts, arrow-root, egg-plant, okra, every variety of beans and peas, cucumbers and melons, pumpkins, &c. &c.; rice, Indian corn, Guinea corn, millet, pepper, excellent coffee, sugar, cotton, and indigo. Indeed sugar, cotton, coffee, and indigo, grow wild.

"Climate, and Health of the Settlers. In the early years of the colony, want of good houses, the great fatigues and dangers of the settlers, the discouragements they met with, their

The society soon numbered among its active friends, many of the most illustrious names in the republic. Jefferson, Madison, Marshall, Monroe, Judge Washington, Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, W. H. Crawford, and many others, gave the scheme

ignorance of the proper mode of living, and of the best remedies, aided the other causes of sickness, and produced great mortality. But those times are past and forgotten. Their houses and circumstances are now comfortable; they are abundantly supplied with medical assistance; and for the last five years (as stated in the address of the colonists in 1827,) not one person in forty, from the middle and southern states, has died from change of climate. The effect is most severely felt by those from the northern states, or from mountainous parts of the middle states; but experience has proved that, with ordinary prudence, no danger is to be apprehended even by persons from those places, who are sober and have no radical defects of constitution. As the country becomes more thickly settled and better cultivated, it will, like all other new countries, become more healthy. From the past mortality or present sickliness, no discouragement will be felt by those who have read an account of the early attempts to found colonies in this favoured land. At a little distance from the sea, the land becomes more elevated, and there is the best reason to believe that the causes of disease on the coast are unknown in the interior. On these highlands, settlements will doubtless soon be established. Under date of the 28th of April, 1832, Dr. Mechlin writes-among the emigrants by the Volador, Criterion, Orion, James Perkins, Margaret, Mercer, and Crawford, the number of deaths will not average quite four per cent.' For emigrants from the wide extent of our southern country, the climate may be pronounced salubrious."

"Commerce. The colonists are actively engaged in trade, disposing of goods supplied by this country and England, for dye woods, ivory, hides, gold, palm oil, and rice, which they purchase by barter from the natives. The nett profits on the two articles of wood and ivory, passing through the hands of the settlers, from January 1st, 1826, to June 15, 1826, was $30,786. In 1829, the exports of African products amounted to $60,000. In 1831, forty-six vessels, twenty-one of which were American, visited the colony in the course of the year, and the amount of exports was $88,911.

of colonization, their active and ardent support. Auxiliary societies were formed; agents were appointed; the legislatures of many of the states encouraged the effort; and the funds of the society became sufficient to authorize vigorous measures, to promote the object for which it was formed.

The views of the friends of the scheme are fully and eloquently set forth in the address, delivered by Mr. Clay, before the society at its tenth annual meeting. The following extracts are sufficiently important to warrant us in extracting them entire.

"The object of the Society was the colonization of the free coloured people, not the slaves, of the country. Voluntary in its institution, voluntary in its continuance, voluntary in all its ramifications, all its means, purposes, and instruments are also voluntary. But it was said, that no free coloured persons could be prevailed upon to abandon the comforts of civilized life, and expose themselves to all the perils of a settlement in a distant, inhospitable, and savage country; that, if they could be induced to go on such a quixotic expedition, no territory could be procured for their establishment as a colony; that the plan was altogether incompetent to effectuate its professed object, and that it ought to be rejected as the idle dream of visionary enthusiasm. The Society has outlived, thank God, all these disastrous predictions. It has survived to swell the list of false prophets. It is no longer a question of speculation whether a colony can or cannot be planted from the United States of free persons of colour on the shores of Africa. It is a matter demonstrated. Such a colony in fact exists, prospers, has made successful war, and honourable peace, and transacts all the multiplied business of a civilized and Christian community. It now has about five hundred souls, disciplined troops, forts, and other means of defence.