No. 205.
Mr. Turner
to Mr. Evarts.
Monrovia, Liberia , June 7, 1877. (Received July 23.)
Sir: From the slowness and uncertainty with which election-returns and, indeed, reports of every nature involving the use of figures, are made, there are few things in Liberia requiring greater exercise of patience. There being no horses or other beasts of burden in Liberia (and if such animals were here the country possesses no roads except the mere “trail” or “bridle-paths” worn by the foot-travel of native Africans), it is necessary to convey the internal mails, through which election-returns must reach the capital, by men who travel on foot. The above fact is offered in explanation of my seeming delay in reporting to the Department the regular biennial election for President and Vice-President and members of the Legislature of Liberia. The Presidential election was held throughout the republic on the first Tuesday in May, the day fixed for that purpose by the constitution of Liberia. The gentlemen who had the distinction of being candidates for the Presidency are the same two gentlemen who were the nominees for that post of high trust at the Presidential election held in May, A. D. 1875, viz, his excellency James S. Payne, President of Liberia, and the honorable Anthony W. Gardner, ex-vice-president, the only person now living of those who had the honor of signing the declaration of independence of Liberia. My dispatch of date the 30th May, 1875, and numbered 168, treats in part of the distinguished candidates for the Presidency of the republic; and as I should not engage the attention of the Department unnecessarily, I will not write now of their individual qualities.
At this writing the returns have reached Monrovia from every district of the country; and the election of Mr. Gardner to the Presidency is, agreeably with what I have been able to learn, conceded by President Payne and by the political supporters of that gentleman. The principal significance which this result of the Presidential election will probably [Page 370] have is doubtless couched in the circumstance that Mr. Gardner was regarded in the campaign as the champion of those prejudices and laws in Liberia which in many instances tend to exclude foreign residents from the enjoyment of privileges which would seem essential to their comfort and contentment in the country, and in others to confine the business transactions of such persons absolutely to the designated “ports of entry” situated immediately upon the sea-coast. No doubt the Department is informed, through my former dispatches, that the administration of President Payne has shown inclination to construe such laws as bear upon the interests of foreigners resident in Liberia as liberally as the text thereof and public opinion would allow. By that course the present administration has fallen into outspoken and pronounced disfavor with a large majority of the citizens of Liberia. The Legislature of 1875–’76 submitted to be voted upon by the people at the election of which I write certain propositions to amend the constitution, with the view to abrogate in favor of foreigners certain exclusive and restrictive provisions of that instrument. This proposal to amend the constitution of Liberia was so unpopular as to meet with the almost unanimous opposition of the voters, and there were polled in all the republic in favor of the adoption of the amendments to the constitution only twenty-nine votes. The defeat of President Payne is said to be the most overwhelming of any gentleman who was heretofore a candidate for the Presidency. It is thought that the friends of Mr. Gardner will, on a two-thirds vote, compose a majority of the next Legislature. I have been at some pains to collect the figures from which to prepare the accompanying table, marked Inclosure No. 1, showing the vote for President and Vice-President in the elections held May, 1875, and May, 1877. It would seem from the circumstances and results of this election that this spirit of unfriendliness toward the interests of foreigners is in some sense fixed. Owing to the general absence of schools and a well-conducted press (there is not one newspaper published in Liberia), the political affairs of this country are perhaps too completely at the mercy of a few men, whose designs, whether for the weal or for the woe of their country, are not easily interrupted. It is for the best interests of Liberia to be sincerely hoped that the few patriots who advocate the extension of equitable privileges and rights to foreigners who may resort to Liberia for the investment of their capital may succeed in that advocacy. I am of opinion that the legislation of Lycurgus interdicting the importation of gold and the other precious metals into Sparta could not have operated more effectually upon the Spartans than tends this spirit of Unfriendliness to excite the timidity of foreign capitalists engaged in agricultural or commercial pursuits in Liberia.
I have, &c.,