from his reserved and elevated
position, and made as common as a common policeman to head every little
petty affair among the people. The town was once, by the wisdom of some
legislators, chartered into a city, and Dr. T. F. M'Gill (ex-governor)
chosen mayor, who, by his high intelligence and fitness for the office,
had commenced the most useful and commendable improvements; but the
wisdom of other legislators, after a year's duration, in consequence of
the heavy expenses incurred to "make Monrovia, where big folks lived, a
fine place," repealed the act, degrading their Capital to a town. That
is the same as declaring that a court shall not have a judge--the nation
a President or Executive, or there shall be no head at all; hence, to
reduce the judge to the grade of a lawyer, the lawyer to that of the
clerk of the court, the President of the nation to that of the county
magistrate, and the county magistrate to that of a constable. How much
respect would a people be entitled to who would act thus? They must
understand that nothing is greater than its head, and the people of a
nation cannot rise above the level of the head of their nation any more
than the body of the individual in its natural position can be raised
above the head. It is just so with a town population. A villager is a
villager, a citizen is a citizen, and a metropolitan is a
metropolitan--each of which is always expected to have a standing
commensurate with his opportunities.

Self-Reliance, Ways and Means

One word as a suggestion in political economy to the young politician of
Liberia: Always bear in mind, that the fundamental principle of every
nation is _self-reliance_, with the _ability to create their own ways
and means_: without this, there is no capacity for _self-government_. In
this short review of public affairs, it is done neither to disparage nor
under-rate the gentlemen of Liberia with whom, from the acquaintance I
have made with them in the great stride for black nationality, I can
make common cause, and hesitate not to regard them, in unison with
ourselves, a noble band of brothers.

Executive Munificence

There has been much progress made in the various industrial vocations
within a few years past by the munificence of President Benson, aided by
the wisdom of the Legislature, through the agency of a national
agricultural fair, with liberal premiums on samples exhibited in a
spacious receptacle prepared each season for the purpose,