cumentary evidence of which has been lodged with the Secretary
of the Interior."[25]

On December 31, 1862, there was signed a contract by which, for a
compensation of $50 per head, Kock agreed to colonize 5,000 Negroes,
binding himself to furnish the colonies with comfortable homes, garden
lots, churches, schools and employ them four years at varying rates.
He further agreed to obtain from the Haytian government a guarantee
that all such emigrants and their posterity should forever remain
free, and in no case be reduced to bondage, slavery or involuntary
servitude except for crimes; and they should specially acquire, hold
and transmit property and all other privileges of persons common to
inhabitants of a country in which they reside. It would be further
stipulated that in case of indigence resulting from injury, sickness
or age, any such emigrants who should become pauperous should not
thereupon be suffered to perish or come to want, but should be
supported and cared for as is customary with similar inhabitants of
the country in which they should be residents.[26]

Kock also proposed a scheme to certain capitalists in New York and
Boston. This had nothing to do with the contract with the President.
He proposed to transport 500 of these emigrants at once, begin work on
the plantations, and by the end of the following September--a period
of eight or nine months--he estimated that this group could raise a
crop of 1,000 bales of cotton. It was planned that the colonists
should secure from the island a profit of more than 600 per cent in
nine months. Kock estimated his necessary expenses as $70,000, and all
expense incurred by freighting ships and collecting immigrants was to
be borne by the government. It soon became known to the government
that Kock had sought the aid of capitalists and money makers.
Suspicion as to the honesty of his purposes was then aroused. It was
finally discovered also that he was in league with certain
confederates to hand over slaves to him as captured runaways on the
condition of receiving a price for their return. Lincoln investigated
the matter and discovered that Kock was a mere adventurer and the
agreement with him was cancelled.[27]

A certain group of capitalists, whose names are not mentioned, then
secured the lease from Kock and entered into contract with the
government through the Secretary of the Interior, April 6, 1863.[28]
Under this agreement a shipload of colonists from the cont