Mr. Seys to Mr. Seward
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that a letter addressed to the “Liberian minister at Washington,” and enclosed to me by the State Department, reached me by the last British mail.
As there is no such representative at Washington, and not wishing to return it to Mr. Schieffelin, the Liberian chargé d’affaires at New York, with the consent of the authorities here it was opened, and proves to be a letter of some import.
A Mr. Purman, of Marianna, Jackson county, Florida, an intelligent colored man representing a population of 5,000 freedmen, wishes information about Liberia, its resources, climate, and the means of getting here, with a view to immigrating to this country. From a great deal of intercourse with thousands of people of color in Charleston, South Carolina, and much conversation with gentlemen of intelligence, worth, and sterling integrity and devotion to our great country, our country as a whole, “one and undivided,” I am persuaded that the tide of immigration is setting toward Liberia with increasing momentum, and that the noble scheme of African colonization, resulting as it has already done, in the rearing up of this interesting republic, this negro nationality developing the immense internal resources of this rich country, and blessing thousands of heathen people with the light of civilization and Christianity, is yet but in its incipient stage of great and glorious success. That the United States government rather favors, than otherwise, the immigration to Liberia of such colored persons as think they can better their condition by coming here, is no more to be doubted than that they favor the emigration of Europeans to the United States. Proof of this patronage of the enterprise on the part of our government has been given from the beginning down to the very last company of emigrants by the Golconda.
With gratitude did the estimable and very efficient corresponding secretary of the American Colonization Society receive the timely supply from the United States government of nearly one hundred barrels of meats and breadstuffs, and the free transportation, with efficient officers to protect them, of his various companies of emigrants from Knoxville, Tennessee, Macon, Georgia, Columbia and Newberry, South Carolina.
If the United States government still favors even now, since all are free to choose their homes, the removal to their father land of such of the freedmen in our country as prefer to leave America for Africa, I take the liberty of submitting whether a regular systematic method of favoring such immigration would not be wise as well as philanthropic and humane.
The American Colonization Society will find it exceedingly difficult to keep [Page 328] pace, by the voluntary contributions of even its numerous friends, with the thousands of applications for passages to Liberia and help while here. They must either fail in their work, refuse such applicants, or be assisted from some other source.
I have the honor to submit that this matter be taken into consideration by the United States government, and a law passed making an appropriation, as in the case of the thousands of liberated Africans sent to my care in 1860–’61, of one dollar per capita for every freedman who voluntarily chooses to leave the United States and settle in liberia, and that such appropriation, upon proper representation on the part of the American Colonization Society, be paid into the treasury of said society, to be strictly accounted for by them.
I have the honor to be, sir, with the utmost respect, your most obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.