DEATH OF THE REV. LYMAN BEECHER, D. D.

This great divine died recently at the house of his son, the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, in Brooklyn, N. Y., aged 87, and his funeral discourse was preached to an immense audience, by the Rev. Dr. Bacon, of New Haven, (Conn.) A discriminating view was presented by the preacher of his history, and of his powerful influence during his long distinguished and eventful life. He was a man of great genius and eloquence, an active advocate of all benevolent institutions, an early friend to Africa, and all her children. The following is the conclusion of Dr. Beecher's address, delivered at a Colonization meeting in Cincinnati, in 1834:

We

In this view of the subject, who would take, willingly, the responsibility of opposing the Colonization of Africa; and what friend of Africa will falter or desert her cause? Who that has ever given will not give more than ever; and who that has plead her cause, will not plead with renewed importunity? We oppose not the emancipation or elevation of the colored race. desire it sooner than it can come, we fear, by the means relied on by many. We have only to say to our brethren, hinder us not. Commend your cause to public confidence in your own way, and we will do the same with ours, and let the people judge; but let there be no controversy between us. But if, after all, the abandonment of Colonization is demanded, as the only condition of peace, then we have made our election. If it be possible, as much as in us lieth, we will live peaceably, but we cannot abandon the one hundred millions of Africa. The bones of Mills would send groans from the bosom of the deep-his spirit sigh from Heaven, deeper darkness settle down upon ill-fated Africa. The fires of war would rage on, and her captive bands drag their chains from the interior to the shore, to wail and die amid the horrors of the middle passage, or to drag out a miserable life amid stripes, servitude and blood. If I forget thee, O Africa, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not plead thy cause, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth.

·000

MR. JOHN ANDERSON

Sailed for the Republic of Liberia, in the Armenia, Royal African mail steamer, on the 26th of December. Anderson was accompanied as far as Liverpool by his late preceptor, Mr. John Pool, of the British Training Institution, Corby, near Thrapston, Northamptonshire ; and amongst his fellowpassengers was the Rev. Alexander Crummell, M. A., the distinguished scholar, who fills the office of Professor in the College of Liberia. Mr. William Tweedie will shortly publish the "Story of the Life of John Anderson," which will contain full particulars as to his career. On the evening previous to his departure, he was entertained at a farewell soiree, held at Shirley's Temperance Hotel. The company assembled on the occasion, consisted chiefly of members of the committee, who assumed the responsibility of his education during the period of his residence in this country. Resolutions were passed expressing the earnest desire of the meeting for the prosperity of John Anderson, and wishing success to the Republic of Liberia ; also thanking Mr. Twelvetrees, the Hon. Arthur Kinnaird, Mr. Gerard Ralston, the consul general for Liberia, and others, for the trouble they have taken on Anderson's behalf.-London paper.

RECEIPTS OF THE AMERICAN COLONIZATION SOCIETY,

From the 20th of January to the 20th of February, 1863.

FOR REPOSITORY.

687 39 MAINE-Bangor-Dr. Thos.

THE

AFRICAN REPOSITORY.

Vol. xxxix.] WASHINGTON, APRIL, 1863.

[No. 4.

LIBERIA AND THE LIBERATED AFRICANS.

The Hon. J. P. Usher, Acting Secretary of the Interior, on the 7th of January, 1863, sent to the Hon. G. A. Grow, Speaker of the House of Representatives, a correspondence between that Department and the Rev. John Seys, Agent of the United States for recaptured Africans on the coast of Africa. The first in this series of letters from Mr. Seys is addressed to the Hon. Jacob Thompson, then Secretary of the Interior, and bears date Monrovia, October 31, 1860, in which the writer says: "It affords me much pleasure to have the honor of informing you that the recaptives of the notorious Echo, brought here by the Niagara, in November, 1858, are, with a few exceptions, alive and well, making rapid improvement in the arts of civilized life, and many of them regular attendants on the worship of God, and members of the Christian churches." Mr. Seys also refutes in this letter an unfounded slander, set afloat by a correspondent of Key West, that some of these recaptives had been taken back to Congo, and sold again, which is pronounced as notorious a falsehood as this correspondent ever invented.

In his second letter addressed to the then Secretary of the Navy, the Hon. Isaac Toucey, Mr. Seys states that:

In many instances a praiseworthy rivalry seems to exist as to whose recaptives shall look better and appear better dressed. In several families, and on some farms, care is taken to teach them to read. Girls are taught to sew; and I have already become cognizant of the fact, that some are making rapid improvement in these arts of civilized life; in one case a girl from the Erie has made her own dress. I may not at the same time forget to state that some have been ill

used, and I had to take them away and put them in other and better hands. These, be it said to the honor of the people of Liberia, are rare, exceedingly rare instances. Among the most pleasing and affecting events of interest connected with the providential capture of these hundreds of poor exiles from home and friends are the cases of recognition of relatives; brothers and sisters discover each other in the different cargoes that arrive, rush to each other's arms, and beg not to be separated. A husband finds a wife whom he had been torn from, and little imagined she would so soon follow him to a land of freedom and comfort.

I conclude by saying that it is the fervent prayer of the Christians of Liberia, and all its well-informed citizens, that success may continue to attend the efforts of the American squadron on this coast, until every slaver shall be caught and the brutal traffic abandoned.

In letter third addressed to Mr. Thompson, Secretary of the Interior, February 19, 1861, Mr. Seys states:

I have the honor to inform you that a contract having been formed between the Colonization Society, through their special Commissioner, Dr. James Hall, of Baltimore, and the Liberian Government, virtually makes over to the latter all the privileges, immunities, and appropriations secured to that Society by the United States Government.

I have the honor to enclose a list of the number of recaptives thus put under the care of the Liberian Government, and in conformity with my instructions, shall continue the inspection of their condition, and report from time to time accordingly.

I beg leave to inform the honorable Secretary of the Interior that the amount of my drafts to November 27, 1860, was $11,150 134; that I have drawn up to January 31, 1861, for $20,676 81; making a total of $31,826 942, the entire amount of expenditures for liberated Africans to the close of the year 1860.

I have the honor to be, with great respect,
Your most obedient servant,

JOHN SEYS,

United States Agent for Liberated Africans.

Hon. JACOB THOMPSON,

Secretary of the Interior, United States.

List of Liberated Africans transferred to the Liberian Govern

ment, January 1, 1861.

It would not be easy to do justice to the following letters of Mr. Seys by printing a mere summary or abridgement. We, therefore, give them entire as they appear in the Executive Document, No. 28:

UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR LIBERATED AFRICANS,

Monrovia, October 31, 1860.

SIR: I have the honor to inform you that the hermaphrodite brig Bonito, a prize to the United States steam frigate San Jacinto, came into this port on Saturday evening last, the 27, with 617 recaptured Africans, under the command of Lieut. Foster, United States navy, aided by Lieut. Broome, of the United States marine corps. So soon as official report was made to me, I immediately began to make arrangements for landing them on the following Monday morning, with the exception of the sick, who required medical aid, and more room. These I had landed very early on Sunday morning, and put under the care of Dr. H. J. Roberts. I am happy to say there were but twenty of these; the rest, as reported, being in good condition. On Monday, by 11 P. M., the whole 616 were landed and safely housed in the large and commodious receptacle of the American Colonization Society One boy was taken ill, and died before he could land; his remains were, nevertheless, landed and interred. Lieuts. Foster and Broome have exhibited a degree of care and watchfulness over these unfortunate creatures, which is deservable of praise. For sixteen nights during the passage from the Congo river to this place, these humane and energetic young officers were deprived of rest and sleep, in constant attendance on the poor Africans. Their care and nursing were rewarded, in that only six died. Two committed suicide by refusing all nutriment whatever. Neither persuasion nor force could make them take food. Two died of disease, one fell down the hatch and broke his neck, and one died in the harbor, as before mentioned. I have prepared receipts in triplicate for these liberated slaves, and shall make every possible effort to dispatch the Bonito to-morrow. I must here call the attention of the honorable Secretary of the Navy to the startling, fact that this immense and overwhelming influx of naked and homeless savages among a small community, where neither food nor raiment can be found in sufficient quantities for their immediute care and comfort, is a matter calling for serious consideration. The people of the Cora had been as judiciously distributed as an advisory committee of several gentlemen, who sat with me for several days, could effect. Twenty only were left when the Bonito came in, and the applications from the citizens of Liberia for this latter importation are numerous; but it is to be feared that, however wisely they may be distributed, and however ample the sum I give per capita to those who take them, the larger portion of the people of Liberia cannot furnish in advance the food and clothing for such a large addition to their households, and I cannot supply them, for neither money nor clothing can be had for drafts.