<< LIBERIA>> .

On Thursday evening last a discussion of rather a singular character took place in the Lecture Room of the Lutheran Church in this place. It was between Mr. Johnston, Editor, Merchant, and Attorney at Law, of Monrovia, and William Nesbit, Barber, Hairdresser, School Teacher, and Author both Anglo Africans, with a sufficient dash of Anglo-Saxon blood in their veins to enable them to tower majestically a head or two over the pure blooded Africans, as far as intellect, shrewdness, and general ability is concerned. Nesbit, it is pretty generally known went to << Liberia>> with all his loose change, and went into business, in company with a number of respectable colored men form this neighborhood. Some five months after he returned plus the remnants of a tropical fever, and minus his dollars, earned by dexterously handling the razor and shears for many years. His accounts of the country, the colonization society, and its financiering agents, reached the ears of several of the gentlemen pecuniary interested and through one of the emigrants for this section an attack was made upon his through the pulpits. This attack brought for Mr. Nesbit a pamphlet, which made the darkies who had contemplated becoming Presidents and Legislators in the favored hand, roll up the whites of their eyes in astonishment, and the colonization society to fairly wince; because indecent of Nesbit's statement of the country, he gave as corroborating evidence, a large number of letters from persons in << Liberia>> , many of whom declared they would rather be slaves in the States than freemen in Africa. Of course, these statements brought out sundry efforts to hush Nesbit, and among others, Mr. Johnston, a dapper little copper colored fellow, with a small mattering of learning and a large quantity of Billy goat, partaking of the colors of a new saddle and a crow's feather, who came all the way from New York to lay out Mr. Nesbit and his book. Now this was altogether wrong, - it was an unsuccessful attempt to beard the lion in his lair. Nesbit is known here as a man of probity he has had between his thumb and forefinger the nose (barbarously speaking) of our best men could it therefore be expected that Johnston, Attorney at Law, Editor and Merchant, could at one fell swoop annihilate Nesbit, Hair Dresser, barber, Schoolmaster and Author, and that, too, among this friends: We reckon not!

As we said before, Johnston came on Wednesday evening, and lost no time in challenging Nesbit to a public discussion on the merits and demerits of the latter's book. Nesbit accepted the challenge, and accordingly on Thursday evening, the basement of the Lutheran Church was filled with a mixed audience. Messrs. Davidson, T. Bingham, and Rev. L. Knight, were appointed a committee and a rule adopted that each man should speak half an hour at the opening, and fifteen minutes alternately there after. Mr. Johnston opened the discussions, and consumed his half hour by giving his personal history, not failing to press upon the audience that he was a man of note at home an Editor, a Merchant, and a member of the Bar.

Some of these fine fancies, were exploded by Nesbit, who declared that he knew Johnston very well in << Liberia>> that so far as being an editor was concerned, he did not think a man could claim much credit of reediting the 8 x 10 which he held in his hand. He granted that Johnston might be a Lawyer but then he said it must be recollected that every man who could read, could be admitted to the Liberian bar. Mr. N. said that the kind of a merchant Johnston was were numerous in Monrovia that he kept a doggery and sold tobacco and rum and such rum! the selling of which, in the States would send a man to the Penitentiary?
Nesbit then went on to defend the portion of his book criticized by Johnston, and incidentally emptied that he had recently read a gassy letter published in the Colonization Herald about Commodore Mayhew coming ashore at Monrovia every day, and riding through the town. “Now,” said Nesbit, “there are only two methods of riding in Monrovia one on the back of a native, and the other in a go-cart drawn by natives. Riding infers that he rode on horseback, when the fact is notorious that there is not a single horse in all << Liberia>> in short, gentlemen, it is not even a one horse country!' A palpable hit.

Instead of confining themselves to the truth or falsity of Nesbit's book nearly the whole of the debate consisted of spicy personalities. Johnston did not fail to try to impress the audience with the belief that disappointed ambition had soured Nesbit's temper initiating that Nesbit found men quite as sharp at a bargain, and quite as talented as he was, where he least, expected to find them.

The farce wound up by a majority declaring in favor of Nesbit, and Johnston left “a sadder man, if not a wise one.” Hollidaysburg Standard.

October 26, 1855
FREDERICK DOUGLASS' PAPER
Rochester, New York

A MINISTER SUSPENDED. The Indiana Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church has suspended from the ministry one of its clergymen, for unchristian conduct. The following are the specifications:

“First Specification. For associating himself with an association known as the Underground Railroad, whose avowed business is to assist slaves from slave to free territory.”

“Second Specification. For actually engaging in the business of assessing slave in making their escape form slave to free territory, which is contrary to the laws of the United States and statute laws of the State of Indiana.”

Several of the witnesses stated that the offending minister had boasted to them of the number of slaves he had aided to escape, giving the names and places in Kentucky from which they had escaped; and one of them testified that he had heard him say that he had never denied belonging to the Underground Railroad, and that he had said in April, this year, in speaking of the relative numbers taken to << Liberia>> by colonization, and to Canada by Underground Railroad, that 10,000 had gone to << Liberia>> and 35,000 to Canada by Underground Railroad. Baltimore Sun.

September 21, 1855
FREDERICK DOUGLASS' PAPER
Rochester, New York

FROM << LIBERIA>> . Dates from the West Coat of Africa to the 27th June have been received at Boston. The bark Cora had arrived at Monrovia, with 106 emigrants from Norfolk. Rev. M. Hoffman and Miss Wilford, Episcopal Missionaries, returned in the same vessel to their station at cape Palmas, and two other Missionaries, Rev. Messrs. Wilson and White, with their families have arrived. The election of Stephen Allen Benson, as President of the Republic, to succeed President Roberts, was celebrated by the “True Liberians,” the party supporting him with much eclat. Alfred T. Wood, a swindling scamp, who had been collection money in England ostensibly for the erection of a building for a Church in << Liberia>> , of which he said “George Harris and wife,” mentioned in “Uncle Tom's Cabin,” were members, was convicted on his return of obtaining money under false pretences, and a libel upon the Republic.

October 5, 1855
FREDERICK DOUGLASS' PAPER
Rochester, New York

AN IMPROTANT EXPEDITION ANOTHER CHANCE FOR YOUNG AFRICA. The colored people of the United States are gradually yielding to the outside pressure, and have generally become pretty well satisfied that if they do to emigrate, they will be extinguished. The Republic of << Liberia>> has proved as successful experiment, despite of the fanatical opposition of Garrison's gang, who desire to keep the Negro here in order to get his money. Arrangement have been made in this city for a still further extension of emigration faculties, and we hear of an expedition which will shortly set out form this city, to make explorations into the interior of Africa, south and east of << Liberia>> . A greater deal of attention has been paid to Africa lately. On the north the French have Algiers, and are marking still further addition to its primitive boundaries. Further down the west coat we find Spanish, Portuguese and American settlements, while the Cape is in the possession of the English and the Dutch. All these people are anxious to get into the interior, where the climate is aid to be much more healthy and the soil much more fertile. The English government have sent two scientific expeditions to explore the interior, and much useful information has been thus gained.

It is now proposed by a number of bold spirits here headed by the Rev. J. Morris Pease, an agent of the colonization Society, to get up an expedition to explore the rich country south and east of << Liberia>> , and, if possible, to mark out the boundaries of a new republic for colored men, emigrants from the United States. This territory is almost equal to the United States in extent, and much better for agricultural purposes. The territory, once settled, would sustain the same relation to us that << Liberia>> does at the present time. The expedition will be a difficult and very dangerous one. People who value life and healthy will not join it. Africa was made for the African, and for no one else. Mr. Roberts, late President of << Liberia>> , has written a letter on the subject. It is evident that he does not think the expedition can succeed. Brother Pease is leading a forlorn hope; but Anglo-Saxon perseverance, activity and enterprise will accomplish much. Meanwhile let Young Africa watch and pray. N.Y. Herald.

September 21, 1855
FREDERICK DOUGLASS' PAPER
Rochester, New York

REV. WM. H. BISHOP. We seldom have occasion to say a word about colored ministers. The really gifted and most elevated specimens of our people are less largely represented aong this class in our country at present than formerly. A few years ago we could point with complacency to SAMUEL R. WARD, HENRY HIGHLAND GARNET, ALEXANDER CRUMMEL, HOSEA EASTON and others, but death and colonization have removed those great men from amongst us, and we are left to struggle on without their immediate help. Death, << Liberia>> , and Jamaica, have made sad havoc amongst us in this respect; but never despair.

Zion Church, in this city, ahs just been visited by Rev. Wm. H. Bishop, the worthy Superintendent of the Zion African Methodist Church, and has enjoyed the advantage of his powerful ministry for a season. We will say a word of this man, for we feel proud of him, and are thankful that God has raised up such a spiritual Joshua among our afflicted people. Mr. Bishop is not only a colored man, but a black man. His Ethiopic descent is uninterrupted, and perfect. In him our pro-slavery, ethnological, phrenological, and psychological defamers, find a most difficult fact. He stands up a living contradiction to all their nonsense about Negro inferiority. We should like, for instance, to see Bishop stand beside the unscrupulous Editor of the New York Day Book. We would trust the judgement of even pro-slavery New York, with its prejudice, as to the comparative natural endowments of the two men.

September 6, 1857
PROVINCIAL FREEMAN
Chatham, Canada West

Accounts from << Liberia>> announce that the colonists were suffering severely from want of food. The failure of the rice crop and lack of industry on the part of the emigrants from the United States seem to have produced a sorry state of affairs in the Colony.

April 25, 1857
PROVINCIAL FREEMAN
Chatham, Canada West

WAR IN << LIBERIA>> . - We have seen letters from several of the missionaries employed by the Methodist Episcopal Church in << Liberia>> , from which we learn that a furious war is in the vicinity of Cape Palmas, between the colonists and the natives. Thirty seven American houses and much property have been destroyed and twenty-eight lives been lost. All missionary and business matters were at a stand. A detachment of 150 men had left Monroyia for Cape Palmas, on board a schooner, with ex-President Roberts and Vice President Yates to aid the colonists. We understand that the settlements immediately at Cape Palmas had not been destroyed, and it is hoped it will be able to resist the attacks of the natives. We do not understand yet the immediate cause of the war.
- Phila. Bulletin.

April 11, 1857
PROVINCIAL FREEMAN
Chatham, Canada West

GEORGE W. Johnson, one of the largest sugar planters of the Mississippi, below New Orleans, who died recently, left an estate valued at not less than $7,000,000. He has by his will manumitted all his slaves, 1,200 in number. They are all to be sent to << Liberia>> , in four years from his death, and each one is to be furnished with $50.

March 7, 1857
PROVINCIAL FREEMAN
Chatham, Canada West

The Lecture by Elihu Burritt.
Esq.

Upon "a plan of brotherly co-partnership between North and South for the peaceful extinction of Slavery," was a specious handling of the old subject of "compensation to masters," exploded over and over a thousand times. Though presented in a graceful and eloquent manner, and having for its advocate the learned and far-famed lecturer, the measure was clearly in direct conflict with the plainest principles of right, and the arguments urged in its favor could not by any logical expedient be made to agree with one another, (as should time permit we propose to show in future.) "Expediency" that potent excuse of slaveholder and colonization, and an occasional convenient after thought with more conscientious men, was the plea upon which compensation was urged. The noticeable feature of the meeting was, that while every just and generous sentiment was loudly applauded, there was no assent to the peculiar theory propounded. After the meeting, a vote of thanks was moved by Mr. Jameison, with appropriate remarks in favor of freedom, and complimentary to the talents of Mr. Burritt; but in no way endorsing his compensation view. The British Government under which we live does not acknowledge the right of the American slaveholder to compensation; neither would compensation to American slaveholders be a parallel case with that of paying West India masters; were we not, then, to violate every principle, of christianity and morality by agreeing to such a measure, we would be found as Canadians, repudiating the most generous and noble act of our own government. It should be ranked with treason! After saying thus much, we are in favor of compensation, but to quite other parties. Pay the slaves! not the master as Mr. Burritt would persuade, but pay the man who owns nothing, knows nothing and who has never been paid! Mr. Burritt suggests that over-plus treasury money might be used to educate him at home, or to send him to << Liberia>> ! Now we suggest, that that is a little too much to pursue us with that humbug here, though in the gentlest way unmaginable. What has a Canadian audience to do with << Liberia>> ? And we, with others, are puzzled to know what can be obtained by presenting the subject to a British audience? Elihu Burritt, by this brotherly scheme, has clearly forgotten the interests of the most needy of his brethren, namely, his "colored brethren," - M.A.S.C.

May 24, 1856
PROVINCIAL FREEMAN
Chatham, Canada West

Mr. Larwill in the Assembly,

The member for Kent, is, judging from the Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly, dated May 2nd, "turning over a new leaf" in his parliamentary career. He seems to have taken the "colored population" under his particular protection and to the exclusion of other people.
Mr. Larwill - On Monday next - ADDRESS His Excellency the Governor General praying him to cause to be laid before this House a List of all appointments which may have been made by Her Majesty's Government, of Her Majesty's Government, of Her Majesty's Negro or Colored population in this Province, to situations of Military or Civil employment either ornamental or profitable.
Mr. Larwill - On Monday next - ADDRESS to His Excellency the Governor General, praying him to cause to be laid before this House, Copies of all Correspondence between Her Majesty's Negro or Colored population in this Province, to situations of Military or Civil employment either ornamental or profitable.
Mr. Larwill - On Monday next - ADDRESS to His Excellency the Governor General, praying him to cause to be laid before this House, Copies of all Correspondence between Her Majesty's Negro or Colored subjects and the Provincial Government, as to their continued absence from the Jury Lists; and why, and wherefore, with equal property and intelligence, they are debarred from the exercise of those Civil Rights which their pale brethren possess.

Who will be permitted to say henceforth, that Mr. Larwill has not a peculiar affection for the sable race? His friskyness appears to be tinkering at their business with breathless alacrity. We do not pretend to know the motive for these "addresses," any more than does the Honorable member himself; but it is very certain, that it is not from any new-born zeal for their welfare, that his ferreting peculiarities are thus brought into practice. This continued playing one tune, indicates to us, lack of capacity for our department of legislative duties; but as the gentleman has shown such qualifications for this, why not vote him member of the Congress of << Liberia>> at once? there he would find all of the varieties among his colored relations he seeks and a few not dreamed of by him. We have heretofore regarded the Canadian parliament as the most dignified and honorable, legislative body on this continent; but this worse than king's fool in parliamentary quackery, will bring the place into contempt. It would be well for the considerative party, were it represented in this section by a different sort of person.