Mr. Seys to Mr. Seward
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that nothing has transpired here worthy of official correspondence since my despatch No. 15, save the regular biennial presidential election.
His excellency President Warner having long since declined continuing as a candidate for the office, three other distinguished citizens were nominated by their respective parties.
The Hon. E. J. Roye, chief justice of this republic, was first in the field.
Judge Roye is from Ohio, educated in one of the colleges of that State; came to Liberia as a merchant in 1846, and is one of the wealthiest men in the nation. Rev. J. S. Payne, of the Methodist Episcopal church, but a supernumerary, and without any parochial charge, is another candidate for the presidency. Mr. Payne came to Liberia with his parents when quite a little boy, grew up here, became a man of letters under the care and tuition of the mission schools of the Methodist Episcopal church, and is the author of a treatise on “Political Economy,” said to be unsurpassed even by judges in the United States.
Dr. James Moore, the third aspirant for the office, emigrated from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1852, where he had some practice among persons of color, and continued that practice here. He was afterwards appointed judge of the court of quarterly sessions for this county, in which he served many years, and then retired to the farming country up the St. Paul’s river, and engaged in large agricultural pursuits.
The election came off on Tuesday last. The returns from the leeward counties are not in, and will not be before the mail closes this afternoon. From the present returns there is ground to believe that there will be no majority of vote for any one candidate, in which case the whole matter of selecting from the three will devolve on a joint ballot of both houses of the legislature, to be held in December.
It is matter of deep regret to the better class of citizens that during the election in this city on Tuesday there was much of drunkenness, many fights, several persons badly injured, and already one death. These were chiefly among the recaptured and liberated Congoes, now naturalized citizens of the republic, and possessing the elective franchise.
I have the honor to add, in conclusion, that my health is most excellent and likely to continue so; and that I am with the utmost respect,
Your obedient and humble servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.