Liberia: Description, History, ProblemsStarr, Frederick
History
Liberia: Description, History, Problems
Starr, Frederick
Liberia
soldiers and Government representatives through their territories; it
is they who must supply the soldiers for the Frontier Force.
It is clear, then, that the “natives” present no simple problem. There
are many questions to be considered in laying out a native policy. The
matter has by no means been neglected by Liberian rulers; one or another
of them has grappled with it. Of President Barclay’s native policy
Gerard says: “Among many other subjects of preoccupation, Barclay
attaches an entirely particular importance to the native policy. At the
beginning of his administration, he brought together a great number of
native chiefs, notably of the Gola, Kondo, and Pessy tribes; he convoked
likewise a crowd of Kru and Grebo notabilities; he sent special missions
along the Cavalla River up to two hundred kilometers from its mouth, and
others up the St. Paul’s. This innovation was so much the more
appreciated by the natives, and aided so much more powerfully toward the
development of mercantile relations of the coast district with the
interior, because theretofore the repatriated negroes had been
considered by their subjugated congeners only as unjust conquerors and
pillagers, or as merchants who were equally tricky and dishonest.”
President Howard also realizes the importance of conciliating the native
populations; he designs to carry out an active policy; in his inaugural
address he says: “We are aware of the oft-repeated charges of ill
treatment toward this portion of our citizenship, made by foreigners
against the officers of the Government, also of the fact that some of
our people feel that these uncivilized citizens have but few rights
which should be respected or accorded to them. But the responsible
citizens recognize that in order for us to obtain that position of
independence, power, and wealth, which we should obtain, it must be
accomplished by the united efforts of all citizens, civilized and
uncivilized, male and female. The denial of equal rights to the
‘natives’ has never been the intention or purpose of the Government. We
will not disallow that much wrong has been done to that portion of our
citizen body, but it is equally true that much of the deception and
misunderstanding of the past have been due to machinations and
subterfuges of some unscrupulous aliens, among whom had been some
missionaries who have done all in their power to make and widen the
breach between the two elements of our citizenship. We are very
optimistic, however, in our belief that the dangers of such
exploitations and false pretensions of friendships are drawing to a
close.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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