of colour, and manumission cease to be what it now is, an injury to the slave, and a curse to the country. Your memorialists have noticed this topic, not merely because they believe it calculated to recommend the Society, but because from a misconception of it, has arisen the objection before adverted to, namely, that under a plausible pretext, the Society was covertly seeking to impair the rights of private property.

Believing, therefore, that the American Colonization Society is a patriotic and benevolent institution; that all its plans are within the compass of reasonable human exertions; that its invaluable blessings are not confined to the white population of this country, but extend themselves to the free people of colour, and to Africa herself; your memorialists have ventured again to bring it to the notice of the Legislature. In the discharge of this pleasing duty, they are animated by the reflection, that the plan of colonizing the free people of colour, in some place beyond the limits of the United States, originated in the Legislature of Virginia, more than twenty years ago, when several important resolutions were passed upon this subject. Though the efforts, then made for this purpose, proved abortive, and the subject seemed for some time to be forgotten, yet after the lapse of twelve years, it again forced itself by its intrinsic importance, upon the attention of the Legislature, and gave rise to the resolution of 1816; a resolution, which passed the House of Delegates with only seven dissenting voices, and the Senate with only one. To this resolution, passed with great unanimity, by both branches of the General Assembly, may be traced the origin of the American Colonization Society. To the Legislature, then, the friends of the Society, in Virginia, encouraged by the past, appeal with confidence, for aid to enable them successfully to prosecute its scheme, and to rear to full maturity, the Colony which has been planted under its auspices. Never, at any time since its formation, has the Society more needed assistance. than at present, though it may be truly said, that never at any time have its friends been more numerous, or more active. Upwards of five hundred free people of colour, one-fifth at least of whom are residents of Virginia, have, during the past year, made application to the Society to take them to Liberia, and are now not only ready, but full of eagerness to depart.

Your memorialists do not presume to point out the mode in which legislative aid should be afforded, and far less the quantum of that aid. What they ask more particularly, is, that the whole subject of African Colonization be brought fully before the Legislature; that it be deliberately and minutely examined in all its bearings, and decided on according to its merits. "Acting above disguise, they seek investigation." The cause in which they have embarked, is one of no ordinary magnitude, Talents, and influence, and wealth, are enlisted in its behalf. Numerous and powerful Auxiliaries are urging it forward. Its course is onward. Its consequences to society must, therefore, be injurious or beneficial. In either case, it demands investigation, that, if injurious, the wisdom of the Legislature may devise some means to arrest its progress, and if beneficial, that the resources of the State may be applied to accelerate its march, and to bring upon the country, the blessings which it promises to bestow. And, as in duty bound, your memorialists will ever pray, &c.

Signed in behalf of the Society,

JOHN B. TINSLEY, Secretary.

JAMES CLARKE, President.

Swiss Missionaries in Liberia.

From the second of the following letters, it appears, that those devoted servants of the Redeemer, have been visited with severe afflictions. But they are not discouraged. Confiding in that eternal Being, who hath promised to bless the faithful efforts of his ministers, they endure as seeing his invisible hand in every dark as well as joyous dispensation. It will be seen, by the very interesting communication from the Rev. Dr. Blumhardt, that the Missionary Society of Switzerland, propose to send out additional Missionaries to this station, and we hope they will not despair of final success in their pious labours, because of the trials and sufferings of those who have nobly taken the lead in the glorious work, of instructing the poor Africans in the Gospel of Christ.

Letter from Rev. Dr. Blumhardt.

REV. AND DEAR SIR:

Missionary Institution at Basle, Jan. 22, 1829.

We feel much obliged to you for your kind letter of the 23d of October last, as well as for the transmission of your reports, and the numbers of your monthly journal accompanying it, and beg leave to offer our thanks for the same, to your Board of Managers. They are of a double interest to us, as well from their affording us so many proofs of the blessing God causes to rest upon your benevolent undertakings, as in particular, because the welfare of your Colony is so nearly connected with that of our Missionaries stationed there. It was, therefore, with the deepest concern, that we heard of the wound God, in his infinite wisdom, has inflicted upon your Colony, and it is our hearty prayer, that He may heal it again, by directing the choice of a new Agent, and by Himself fitting out that man with the spirit of love to the souls, as well as to the bodies of the poor lost Africans. We doubt not, but that the interest the late Mr. Ashmun has taken in the establishment of a Mission on the coast of Liberia, the important aid he lent to the Missionaries, when arrived there, and particularly the kindness and benevolence with which he remembered them, even in his death, will encourage his successor to follow in his footsteps; and the concern, which you, dear sir, feel in the loss we also are making, in the removal of that excellent man, and of which your kind letter is so expressive, gives us the consoling hope, that you will not fail to recommend our dear Missionaries to the kind care, and benevolent assistance of the gentleman who is to fill up his place. The legacy of the Mission house, will not only prove a great help towards the furtherance of our work in evangelizing the heathen nations on the coast, but also a dear testimony of the Christian benevolence and kindness of that excellent man. Our Committee beg leave to request you, to transmit to them also, a copy of the will of Mr. Ashmun, as far as it concerns this legacy.

Our Committee being resolved to send out some more of their pupils to Liberia, in the course of this year; we are at a loss what way to forward them thither, the way by Sierra Leone causing many difficulties on account of the few opportunities thence to Liberia. The Committee, therefore, apply to you for your experienced counsel, whether it would not be preferable to send them by way of America, and whether this would not prove also, the best way to forward thither, the supplies of their necessities. Should your answer prove affirmative, we beg leave to request you to mention to us, the direction of a christian merchant, in a port from which the vessels commonly set sail for Liberia, who from love to the Missionary cause, would take upon him, the trouble of making our Board acquainted with the time, when it is probable that a vessel is to sail thither, of lending our Missionaries the necessary assistance on their arrival in America, and of forwarding to them their supplies, when arrived in Africa.

I must excuse myself, dear sir, for the trouble I am causing to you. The interest you are kindly taking in the proceedings of our Mission in Africa, and your knowledge of affairs will apologise for my taking this liberty.

I beg leave to entreat you to continue the transmission of your excellent monthly Repository, by the care of Messrs. De Rham, Iselin and Moore, New York. Those gentlemen will be so kind, to pay the usual price of it, and so put it on my account.

Your faithful friend and Brother in the Lord,
THEOPHILUS BLUMHARDT.

REV. MR. GURLEY, Secretary to the Col. Society.

Liberia, Monrovia, Jan. 7th, 1829.

VERY DEAR SIR:

I take this opportunity to answer your, to me very comforting and valuable letter, which I received the 4th of January, in good health; though in other respects, this present time is very distressing to myself and the rest of my brethren. A short statement will not be uninteresting to you. Last November, when the rainy season was over, I, with Mr. Hegele, started for Grand Bassa, the country which Mr. Ashmun recommended to our Society, as most fit and profitable in every respect. Our dear brother Handz, as we thought, ought to have accompanied us; but to our grief, before we left, he declared himself, that he could not go with us, that he must go alone, without all those stores and comforts, so necessary in Africa, and with which we were but seantily supplied. We remonstrated with him in love earnestly, not to leave us, nor the service of our Mission. All, however, was in vain. Brainard, whose life he read, he made for his pattern, and him, he thought, he must follow. With his knapsack on his back, he partly walked up the beach to Cape Mount, where he intended to succeed the school-master, whom Mr. Cary supported there, at 20 dollars per month, but who now, since his death, returned to the Colony, because nobody else could afford to give him that money. Mr. Handz is well, and keeps school. He is not lost for the African Mission in general, but he is lost for our Society's Mission, which grieved us very much. He is the first loss, but not the last. It was the will of our good and wise Lord, that my dear companion, Mr. Hegele, should be struck by the sun, in going down to Grand Bassa, insomuch, that he became constantly delirious to this moment. I had him carried back with the same boat; and so I was left alone to lay the foundation, with the help and grace of our Lord, of a first Mission in Grand Bassa; and I thank God, he assisted me more than I could expect; and I was just going to build a house on a fine spot of the first king Joseph Harris's land, who is exceedingly glad at my coming, and sitting down with him; when a man from the Cape came, who brought me a letter, the contents of which is, that one of my most gifted friends, the Rev. Mr. Wolff, departed this life last week, and that I must come up

speedily, in order to attend upon my at the same time two remaining sick brethren, besides settling some other business. I followed the call reluctantly, but as from the Lord, and found on my arrival, Sunday, Jan. 4th, one of my friends recovering, but Mr. Hegele so weak, and still in the same delirious state, that I am, according to the Doctor's advice, obliged to convey him by the next opportunity, to Sierra Leone, where one of our German friends, who is returning for some time to Germany, will have the kindness to take him along with him-This is shortly the state of our Mission here. Out of five, remain only two in the service of our Society's Mission in Africa. So is the Lord's will, and he cannot err. His ways are often incomprehensible, but wise; chastening and afflicting, full of love towards us, and we can, therefore, do nothing, but praise him for all his goodness and loving kindness, with which he has guided us in our difficult race.

but just and

We are not at all discouraged. On the contrary, our hope and faith waxes strong, and we are full of confidence, that our Lord has a great people here, that shall come to his knowledge, and bow their knees before him. I am very much obliged to you for your statement respecting Mr. Ashmun's state of mind and death. I shall send a copy of your letter, together with Mr. Ashmun's testament respecting our Mission house, to Mr. Blumhardt; and I hope you will excuse my liberty in so doing, when I tell you, that our Society feels the greatest regard, and esteem for your Board, as well as for that great man, Mr. Ashmun.

The Mission house was delivered to us, according to Mr. Ashmun's will; but it is still very deficient, for want of materials. I shall, however, now do all in my power, to have it done as soon as possible; that we may have a resting place, having been obliged and forced since, to move with our things from house to house, and sometimes to very unhealthy ones.

The articles sent to us by your kindness, arrived partly. The Captain made a trip to another place; on his return we shall, I hope, receive the rest. Our very dear Governor, Doctor Randall, and Doctor Mechlin, with the rest of the passengers, are yet in very good health, and our prayer to the Lord is, that he might be gracious to preserve such valuable lives in this needy Colony. I shall, my dear sir, in any case, command your services, because you so generously offered them to me, and feel therefore my self under great obligations towards you. My sincere salutations to yourself, to the Board of the American Colonization Society, and to all those pious men, that take a lively interest in the conversion and civilization of poor African heathen. I remain, my dear Sir and brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, your respectful Servant,

T. F. SESSING.