h this view he
entered into negotiations with the Sierra Leone Company in this
country, to receive into their colony free people of color from
America; and he also had applied to the Portuguese government, at that
time a large African proprietor, for a place where the free blacks
might be allowed to colonize themselves. Whether these efforts, which
were applauded and aided by many wise and good men, deserved to be
praised or blamed, was not the topic to be taken up at present; but
they showed that the scheme was one which could not be called a new
scheme. This proposal of colonizing the free blacks of America on the
West coast of Africa had obtained the approbation of nine tenths of
all those throughout America who took any interest in the fate of the
black race: for even the great bulk of those who were now in favor of
"abolitionism," were at one time the friends of colonization. Whether
they had good or bad reasons for the change which had taken place in
their opinions, would be more apparent, perhaps, when they arrived at
the end of the discussion. It was in the course of the years 1822 or
1823 that the first colonists were sent out from America. He might not
be perfectly accurate in his dates, as he gave them from memory, but
the present argument did not depend on exact accuracy in that respect.
The society for promoting the colonization scheme was organized some
years before the date stated above, when an expedition was sent out to
explore the coast of Africa with a view to establishing the colony;
and afterwards another to purchase territory; and then the colonists
were sent out, which he believed took place for the first time after
1820. The society continued to pursue the scheme for a period of 9 or
10 years, and met with no opposition except from some parties in the
extreme South; but had the concurrence of almost all the wise, the
good, and the benevolent in America. It was not till about 1830 that
any very violent opposition was made to the society's operations; and
he believed Mr. Garrison was among the first who opposed it, on the
ground that its operations were injurious to the interests of the
colored race in America. Mr. Arthur Tappan also seceded from the
society about the same time, but upon different grounds from Garrison.
His opposition arose from the society's not taking up his ground in
reference to Temperance. He had no hesitation in saying that Mr.
Tappan was right, and that the society was wrong;