christianization of Africa. Our efforts are exclusively devoted to this immensely important work. Our pages are ever to be filled with matter in someway bearing upon it. Our aims, and our thoughts, and our desires, are all concentrated here. Is it too much to hope that the number of our subscribers will be greatly increased during the present year? It would seem to be matter of justice that those, who at present peruse our pages, should make some little extra exertion as a fair set of to the extra expense we have incurred to make the Repository more attractive in its form, as well as more interesting in its matter! But aside from this consideration, look but for a moment at the great principles we advocate. See how they stand forth in bold magnificence among the principles which regulate all well ordered society-how they stretch across the destinies of millions! We aim to rescue the free colored people of America from an inferior condition; from civil disabilities, and social disadvantages. To remove them from circumstances where no light dawns upon them ;— no prospect opens of their elevation; and to place them in a new set of circumstances; in a country made for their race, and honored in its early history; where they may enjoy all the blessings of free government, wisely administered by themselves in all its legislative, judicial, and fiscal departments, and where they will bear and feel the whole responsibili ty of giving life, motion, steadiness and permanency to the vast machinery of their social, political and religious organization, under whose benign and elevating influence they must necessarily rise in the scale of humanity. Nature must change her laws-the soul of man must lose its susceptibility to impressions from the objects of the moral and physical world around and above it, before they can long remain in circumstances calculated to produce a physical regeneration, where the highest influences operate to lift them upward, and the most powerful motives appeal to every feeling and emotion of their souls, without exerting upon them a beneficial tendency, and imparting to them expansion of mind, energy of character, pride of race, and all the elements of moral elevation necessary to an even standing with other races of men. Here is a great work. It has all the requisites of the moral sublime. It combines all those nice and delicate shades of thought on which patriotism, philanthrophy, benevolence and christianity delight to dwell! It is magnificent in its conception: arduous in its achievement: and tremendously important and glorious in its results. It therefore may be considered an honor to be in any way connected with it, to exert any influence in its advancement, or to diffuse the smallest ray of light upon its pathway, by which new friends may be brought to its aid. But this is but one aspect of the great work in which we are engaged. and the deepest sympathies which There are on the vast continent of stir in the heart of benevolence, and Africa millions of human beings on which cluster around the great and whose dark and forlorn condition philanthropic institutions of our age! not one beam of hope shines from If the various elements which conany other quarter of the universe. stitute the moral sublime; if boldIf we cannot by the process proposed ness and grandeur of conception, and reach and bless them, they must sit magnificence of achievement; if enstill, and forever, in the shadow of larged plans and comprehensive ardeath, with nought but despair and rangements; if assistance rendered gloom as their curse-bound inherit- to the most needy; if help afforded ance. We aim therefore to spread to the most helpless; if the concenthe fruits and the flowers, and the tration of an immense number of beharvest of civilization over the blood nevolent emotions and their applicastained soil of Africa: to renovate tion to the relief of wretchedness and her wasted and decayed greatness: ruin upon the broadest scale; if the to lift up her ignorant and barbar- combination of all the powers of civious population from the low depths lization, education, virtue, piety and of sin and consequent degradation, religion, and their application to the and bring to bear upon them all the regeneration of a continent whose moral power of education and all the immense borders can only be encomregenerating influences of christianity. passed by this accumulation and exWe aim to arrest and destroy that tension of all that is morally good, most accursed traffic, the slave trade, and whose deep recesses of crime and thus save to Africa the hundreds have resisted the attacks of all other of thousands of her inhabitants who assailants, and whose dark dungeons would otherwise annually be torn of pollution have proved utterly imfrom her and thus wash out the penetrable to every and all other infoulest stain upon her character; shut fluences: if the fair hope of seeing the sky of Africa lit up with a blaze of glory, and the mountains and plains of Africa beaming with unparalleled splendors, and her millions shouting hosannah in the highest, should attract attention, interest the heart, nerve the arm, and call forth the best efforts of heaven-born charity, then may we presume upon a mighty increase in the number of the friends of this enterprise, and a vast enlargement of their liberality. up ness! What work could be more sublime? How does it appeal to every lover of his race, and every friend of the needy! And why should it not gather around it the best affections In this view of the subject, we be done demands it. The good to be accomplished demands it. The avertion of great and impending evils, if we do not adopt it, demands it. cannot think it unwarranted in us to lay our plans for the operations of the present year upon a greatly enlarged scale, and to calculate upon being sustained by greatly increased resources. The cause demands this course at our hands. The work to Reader, will you do all in your power to sustain and carry us through? Despatches from Liberia. WE have the pleasure of laying before our readers, extracts from several letters received from the colony since our last number went to press. contain, though not of a very recent date, will be found very acceptable, being much later than any thing before received. It will be matter of gratification to the friends of the emigrants sent out during the past year, to know that but very few of them have died, (as few or fewer than would probably have died, had they remained in this country,) and they with other diseases than the African acclimating fever, and that the remainder are all doing well. The information they The friends of Dr. Lugenbeel will rejoice to know that he continues in good health, and is deeply impressed with the prospect of great usefulness opened before him in the colony. Our patrons we hope will not fail to notice what is said in regard to the purchase of territory. Governor Roberts had not reached the colony when these letters left; but we learn from another source that he arrived about the first of November, in good health. GOVERNMENT OFFICE, Monrovia, Sept. 10, 1844. June, per ship Virginia, which arrivDEAR SIR-Yours, dated 13th ed here safely on the 3d August, with fifty-eight emigrants, all of which were safely landed, and comfortable lodgings provided for them; and although in the midst of our rainy season, yet providentially about the time of their arrival, we had a spell of fine weather for about five or six weeks, which enabled us with a little effort, to discharge the ship in about ten days, so that she sailed for Calcutta in less than two weeks from the date of her arrival. Dr. Lugenbeel being absent, having gone to Sinou, attending the emigrants by the Lime Rock, when the Virginia arrived, I had them safely and comfortably housed here, until he could be informed of their arrival. Lieut. commander Craven, of the United States Brig Porpoise, kindly took my letter to him, and gave him a passage to this place. On his arrival, I consulted him on the propriety of removing them to one of the upper settlements, exhibiting your letter, and mentioning that you requested that they should not be acclimated in Monrovia; but the Doctor thought as I did; he well knowing the situation of the different settlements for commodious house room, &c., thought that it would be far better, not to remove them from where they are so comfortably situated, during the rainy season, fearing that the least exposure would subject them to much danger. We therefore concluded to continue them here until the first of the dries, when their lands can be surveyed and apportioned them, at or near Millsburg, where there is much good land. I truly regret not being able to comply with your orders in this instance, but believe me, sir, that it was altogether from the purest and best intentions. * * * We have peace with the native tribes around us, and a measure of prosperity and contentment with ourselves; together with a small but happy revival of religion in some of our churches, which will, from all appearances, extend unto all. We are glad that the United States has commenced the experiment of making this a depot for their squadron on the coast. I certainly think the benefit will be material, for experience has fully proven that flour, butter, &c., keeps better here than in the more Southern States in America. Besides this, the officers and crews of the squadron would prefer doing business with a people that they understand, more than with a strange and filthy population, such as they will have to do with at the Portuguese Islands. The United States squadron have been of much benefit to us; the officers generally, seem to manifest the most friendly feelings and social disposition towards us. Commodore Perry, together with Captains Mayo, Tatnall, Abbot, and Craven, will ever be gratefully remembered in Liberia. The health of the squadron since out here, I think, speaks volumes in favor of the coast, and with prudent management, I see nothing to prevent a continuance. I assure you, sir, that I will do all in my power to facilitate their views, and to gain their respect, &c. I hope Governor Roberts' visit to the United States, may be productive of the best of consequences, both to himself and to our infant republic. ** * * * * * * * * I hope ere this, the correspondence between the United States officers and those of Great Britain, have come to a happy conclusion in favor of poor Liberia, as it is of vital importance to us to know our position to the world, also our territorial limits, &c., &c. I have the honor to be, REV. WM. MCLAIN, Washington, D. C. MONROVIA, LIberia, August 26th, 1844. REV. AND DEAR SIR:-You have, no doubt, received my last letter, sent from Greenville, by the Lime Rock," per New Orleans, in which I think I acknowledged the receipt. of yours of 1st March. Your favor of the 8th March, came to hand on the 27th July, whilst I was in attendance on the company of emigrants, with whom I went down to the settlement of Greenville, in the early part of May. Your letter of the 5th March, enclosing a draft on Gov. J. J. Roberts, for one thousand dollars, for a specified object; together with your letter of the 13th June, informing me of the embarkation of another company of immigrants, was kindly whom I alluded in my last despatch, came down to Greenville about three weeks before I left that place. On my arrival at Monrovia, I found the company of immigrants, who arrived on the 3d inst.-fifty-eight in number-comfortably housed, and most of them in good health and spirits. A few of them are now on the sick list. The remaining part of those whom I left in Dr. Brown's care, are doing well. I find that it will be altogether injudicious and even impracticable, to locate the late immigrants in the country immediately. We have more or less rain nearly every day; and we probably shall have, for two months to come. We shall probably locate them on the St. Paul's river, between Caldwell and White Plains, as soon as circumstances will admit. At present, comfortable houses cannot be procured for them, except at Monrovia. As soon as their state of health and the weather will permit, we shall make arrangements for their accommodation, in going up the river, to clear their lands and erect their houses. And, I am satisfied, that if they are industrious, before the end of six months they will be able to live comfortably and independently, under their own vine and fig-tree. You need not be apprehensive that brought to me by Captain Craven, of the United States brig "Porpoise," on the 12th inst. I accepted the kind invitation of Captain Craven went on board the Porpoise, and, in a few days after having touched at Settra Kroo and Cape Palmas, we arrived at this place. I spent three months at Greenville; during which time, all the immigrants who were landed at that place-sixtyeight in number-experienced one attack, or more, of acclimating fever; but, with the exception of two small children, whose death was caused by the effect of worms in the alimentary canal, they all recovered; and I left them, in nearly or quite as good health, as when they first arrived. After the first attack of fever, which in nearly every case, occurred between the fourteenth day and the end of the fourth week after their arrival, I suffered the men to go up the Sinou river, to the settlement commenced by the first company of Mrs. Read's people, to attend to the clearing of their lands, and the erection of their houses. Several of them had their lands cleared, and their houses nearly finished before I left. One of my students, Mr. James S. Smith, was with me; and I left him at Greenville, to remair with the people until the colonial sloop be- a thirst for trade" will induce any longing to Mr. Young, of that place, of them to take up their residence in should make another trip to Monro- the Metropolis; for I am happy in via. Mr. Smith is a young man of being able to assure you, that the very good literary acquirements; trading mania is vastly on the decline. and he has made very considerable Some who are now engaged in tradprogress in acquiring a practical, as ing, have already found out that forwell as theoretical knowledge of the tunes are not now so easily acquired, healing art. My other two students as formerly, in that way. I rejoice were not with me, consequently they that the citizens of Liberia generally, have not enjoyed as good opportuni- are convinced that the true source ties as Mr. S. has. I subjoin a copy of wealth is in the soil-that, in order of the report of Dr. James Brown, in to the maintenance of themselves and relation to the nineteen immigrants families, and the preservation of their whom I left in his charge when I standing as a free and independent left with the other part of the com-community of people, endowed with pany. Mr. Gibson and family, to the unalienable rights of life, liberty 66 |