rmanent home, establishing there, among
their own race, and in the land of their ancestors, a great republic.
Liberia has already largely contributed to the decline of the African
slave trade. She has reclaimed from barbarism, for civilization,
Christianity, liberty, and the English language, 700 miles of the coast,
running far into the interior, reaching a high, healthy, well watered,
rich, and beautiful country. She has already civilized and Christianized
300,000 native Africans, and brought them into willing obedience to her
government. As her power extends along the coast and into the interior,
she may soon extinguish the slave trade. This would relieve our
squadron, stationed by treaty on the African coast to suppress that
traffic, and leave the large sums, annually expended by Congress for
that purpose, to be applied in further aid of the cause of colonization.

Providence, for several centuries, has mysteriously connected our
destiny with that of the African race. This rebellion developes that
purpose; the civilization of that race here, and their transfer to the
land of their fathers, carrying with them our language, laws, religion,
and free institutions, redeemed from the curse of slavery. Now, indeed,
we see the approaching fulfilment of prophecy, when 'Ethiopia shall
stretch forth her hands unto God.' We have just established commercial
and diplomatic relations with Liberia, and, in separating from the race
here, let us do them ample justice. Let us purchase for Liberia (which
can be done for a small sum), the great adjacent coast and interior of
Africa, and thus eventually evangelize and civilize that whole region.
Liberia would thus expand and become the great Afric-American republic,
and the dominant nation of that immense continent. Commerce, the first
great missionary--like St. John in the wilderness, preceding the advent
of the Redeemer--would penetrate that dark region, and the execrable
trade in human beings, give way to the interchange of products and
manufactures.

The _Westminster Review_ has said, 'The Americans are planting free
negroes on the coast of Africa; a greater event, probably, in its
consequences, than any that has occurred since Columbus set sail for the
New World.' Let us now adopt gradual emancipation, and the colonization
of Africa, and the voyage of the great discoverer will have given
civilization and Christianity to two continents, and eventually, we
trust, the blessings of libe