nd used for the purpose 26,000 tons less of
shipping.[445] And yet these countries were recognized as independent
republics, while Haiti was denied that right.

European countries were not as slow as the United States in granting
recognition to Haiti. England formally acknowledged the Republic in
1825, and sent a Consul-General.[446] An imperfect recognition was
granted by Charles X of France, by sending Baron Mackau as his
representative.[447] Its independence was recognized fully in 1838,
after thirty-four years of independence. Two treaties were negotiated,
one of them political, by which the independence of the republic was
recognized; the other financial, by which the claims of the French
colonists were reduced to sixty million francs.[448] This debt made
Haiti almost a dependency of France for over sixty years.[39] Before
1860, all important countries had representatives in Haiti. Great
Britain, Spain, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Portugal, Sweden, Hanover
and Austria were all duly chronicled in the Almanach de Gotha.[449] In
the language of Frederick Douglass: "After Haiti had shaken off the
fetters of bondage, and long after her freedom and independence had
been recognized by all other civilized nations, we continued to
refuse to acknowledge the fact and treated her as outside the
sisterhood of nations."

By act of Congress in 1819, the colony of Liberia was established.
During the years following, groups of colonists left America for this
shore.[450] The decade after 1832 was marked by the action of the
independent State colonization societies. In 1847, the people of
Liberia undertook self-government, which was adopted by popular vote.
A later convention drew up a declaration of independence, and a new
constitution modeled on that of the United States was adopted, July
26, 1847. In September, it was ratified by the people, and President
Roberts took office, January 3, 1848.[451]

President Roberts set out on a voyage to the foreign countries with
the intention of seeking favor for his country. In many countries, he
was welcomed and his efforts were successful. In England, for example,
not only was recognition secured, but also an armed vessel of small
tonnage and a few guns were given him.[452] In the United States, not
even the formal recognition of Liberia was obtained. This was due, in
some measure, to the slavery question and the contention which was
always aroused when any subject even remotely related th