History of Liberia | Page 2

afforded by
the peculiar conditions of life in the Republic produced a number of
men who deserve unqualified admiration. From the earliest days of the
colony, when Elijah Johnson upheld the courage of the little band in the
midst of hostile swarms of savages, to the steadfast statesmanship of
Russwurm and the stately diplomacy of Roberts, there have stood forth
individuals of a quality and calibre that fill with surprise those who
hold the ordinary opinion of the possibilities of the Negro. The trials of
the Republic have afforded a crucial test in which many a character has
shown true metal. It is not too much to assert that the very highest type
of the race has been the product of Liberia.
There are other aspects in which our tropical offspring has for us a vital
interest. Perhaps the most important is the connection it will have in the
future with what is called the Negro Problem in our own country. There
have been and are thoughtful men who see in colonization the only
solution of its difficulties. Others ridicule the very suggestion. It is a
question into which we do not propose to go. But there is scarcely any
doubt that when the development of Liberia is a little more advanced,
and when communication with her ports becomes less difficult, and
when the population of the United States grows more dense and presses
more upon the limits of production, there will be a large voluntary
migration of negroes to Africa. And no one will deny that the existence
of a flourishing Republic of the black race just across the Atlantic will
react powerfully upon all questions relating to our own colored
population.
But let us not venture too deeply into this theme. Another claim of
Liberia upon the sympathetic interest of the entire people, is that it
represents our sole attempt at colonial enterprise. It is true the
movement was largely individual, but the effort came from a
widespread area of the country; moreover, the part played by the
National Government was not only important, but essential. Without its
friendly intervention, the plan could never have been carried out. The
action carries with it some responsibility. The United States might well
exercise some protective care, might now and then extend a helping

hand, and let the aggressive Powers of Europe see that Liberia is not
friendless, and that encroachment upon her territory will not be
tolerated.
A few words upon the topography of the country and upon the
aborigines may not be out of place. Liberia is by no means the dreary
waste of sand and swamp that some imagine it. The view from the sea
has been described as one of unspeakable beauty and grandeur. From
the low-lying coast the land rises in a terraced slope--a succession of
hills and plateaux as far as the eye can reach, all covered with the dense
perennial verdure of the primeval forest. Perhaps the best authority on
the natural features of the country is the zoölogist of the Royal Museum
of Leyden, J. Büttikofer, who has made Liberia several visits and spent
several years in its scientific exploration. The account of his
investigations is most interesting. Small as is the area of the country all
kinds of soil are represented, and corresponding to this variety is a
remarkably rich and varied flora. Amidst this luxuriance is found an
unusually large number of products of commercial value. Cotton,
indigo, coffee, pepper, the pineapple, gum tree, oil palm, and many
others grow wild in abundance, while a little cultivation produces
ample crops of rice, corn, potatoes, yams, arrowroot, ginger, and
especially sugar, tobacco, and a very superior grade of coffee. The
fertility of the soil renders possible the production of almost any crop.
The fauna of the land is scarcely less remarkable in variety and
abundance. The larger animals, including domestic cattle and horses,
do not thrive on the coast, but are plentiful farther inland. On the
Mandingo Plateau, elephants are not uncommon. Buffaloes, leopards,
tigers, antelopes, porcupines, the great ant-eater, divers species of
monkeys, and numerous other animals are found, besides many
varieties of birds.
The native Africans inhabiting this territory are probably more than a
million in number, and belong to several different stocks of somewhat
varying characteristics. The most common type is of medium size, well
formed, coal-black in color and rather good-looking. They are
intelligent and easily taught, but are extremely indolent. Their
paganism takes the form of gross superstition, as seen in their constant
use of gree-gree charms and in their sassa-wood ordeal. Like all the
races of Africa, they are polygamists; and as the women manage the

farms and do nearly all the work, a man's wealth and importance are
often estimated by the number of his wives. Domestic