serted
that there was no objection to voluntary emigration; the government of
British Honduras and Guiana then appointed immigration agents who were
to promote the immigration of laborers by using Boston, New York and
Philadelphia as emigration ports.

The President came to be of the firm opinion that emigration must be
voluntary and without expense to those who went. This was repeatedly
asserted according to reports of the Cabinet meeting by Gideon
Wells.[21] The Netherlands sought to secure a labor supply for the
colony of Swinan for a term of years, using the freedmen as hired
laborers. Seward objected to the acceptance of such a proposal.

Of all the propositions offered President Lincoln seemed satisfied
with two--one was for the establishment of a colony in the harbor of
Chiriqui in the northeastern section of the State of Panama,[22] near
the republics of New Granada and Costa Rica. The situation seemed
favorable not only because of the ordinary advantages of soil and
climate but also because of its proximity to a proposed canal across
the Isthmus of Darien and because of its reputedly rich coal fields.
There were two objections to this plan. One was the existence of a
dispute over territory between the republics of Costa Rica and
Granada. The other grew out of a specific examination of the coal
fields by Professor Henry of the Smithsonian Institute.[23] His report
doubted the value of the coal bed and advised a more thorough
examination before closing the purchase. Before the project could be
examined a more acceptable proposition appeared. In addition it also
developed that there was opposition to Negro emigration from several
of the States of Central America.[24]

An effort was then made to establish a colony on the island of A'Vache
in the West Indies. This colony was described in a letter to the
President by Bernard Kock, represented to be a business man. This site
was described as the most beautiful, healthy and fertile of all the
islands belonging to the Republic of Hayti, and in size of about one
hundred square miles. "As would be expected," writes Kock, "in a
country like this, soil and climate are adapted for all tropical
production, particularly sugar, coffee, indigo, and more especially
cotton which is indigenous. Attracted by its beauty, the value of its
timber, its extreme fertility and its adaptation for cultivation, I
prevailed on President Geffrard of Hayti to concede to me the island,
the do