till hope you are a Christian!

"To your third article, wherein you observe, having 'been sent by your
government to root out this traffic, if possible, near your own
settlements on the coast,'--allow me to have my doubts of such orders.
Your government could not have issued them without previously making
them publicly known;--and, permit me to say, those Christian nations
you are pleased to mention, are not aware that your nation had set up
colonies on the coast of Africa. They were always led to believe that
these Liberian settlements were nothing but Christian beneficial
societies, humanely formed by private philanthropists, to found a
refuge for the poor blacks born in America, who cannot be protected in
their native country by the free and independent laws and institutions
of the United States.

"If my argument cannot convince you that you are not justified in
molesting a harmless people on these desolate shores, allow me to
inform you that, should you put your threats in execution and have the
advantage over us, many factories would suffer by your unjust attack,
which would give them an indisputable right to claim high damages from
your government.

"Most of the white residents here, are, and have been, friendly to
Americans at large; some have been educated in your country, and it
would be the saddest day of their lives, if obliged to oppose by force
of arms the people of a nation they love as much as their own
countrymen. The undersigned, in particular, would wish to observe that
the same spirit that led him to avenge Governor Findley's murder, will
support him in defence of his property, though much against his
inclination.

"I remain, very respectfully,
"Your obedient servant,
"THEODORE CANOT."

This diplomatic encounter terminated the onslaught. Buchanan, who was
over hasty with military display on most occasions, made a requisition
for volunteers to march against New Sestros. But the troops were never
set in motion. In the many years of my residence in the colonial
neighborhood, this was the only occasion that menaced our friendship
or verged upon hostilities.

* * * * *

Whilst I was abroad in England and Cuba, my _charge d'affaires_ at New
Sestros sent off a cargo of three hundred negroes, nearly all of whom
were safely landed in the West Indies, bringing us a profit of nine
thousand dollars. There were, however, still one hundred and fifty in
our _barr