as they did not go
far enough in regard to this point. He the more readily admitted that
in this particular Mr. Tappan's views were right, as he was wrong in
every other point which he assumed in reference to the society. But it
was not till about 1832, that an organized opposition to the society
began to manifest itself. In 1833 the American Anti-Slavery Society
was established, one of the fundamental principles of which, and
perhaps the one they most zealously propagated, was uncompromising
hostility to the colonization scheme. In the progress of events too,
it turned out that all the friends of colonization did not see alike
on all parts of the subject. Many of them thought that the interests
involved were too important and too great to be left to a single board
of management or staked on a single series of experiments. Some
considered that one general principle of operation could not be made
broad enough for the circumstances of all the states, and hence arose
several separate societies,--as that of Maryland, organized on
peculiar principles, which have direct reference to general
emancipation; and as those of New York and Philadelphia, which have
founded a colony on principles of peace,--the temperance principle
being held equally by them and the Maryland society. The general
society at Washington assumed the ground of colonizing, on the West
coast of Africa with their own consent, persons of color from America
who were of good character, and who were free at the time of their
being sent out. The Maryland Society went a step farther. They saw
that the colonization scheme would have a reflection favorable to
emancipation; and they carried on their operations with a direct and
avowed reference to the ultimate emancipation of the slaves in that
state. The New York and Philadelphia societies were founded, as I have
above said, on the principles of temperance and peace--the former
principle being common also to the Maryland scheme. The united
societies of New York and Philadelphia first took 120 slaves who had
been manumitted by the late Dr. Hawes, of Va., and formed them into a
colony. The Parent Society's territory in Africa was called Liberia.
It was about 100 leagues in length along the coast, about 10 or 15
leagues deep, and there were 5 or 6 settlements, all under the general
control of that society. There were in them all about 4,000 colonists,
a great portion of whom were manumitted slaves. The colony of the
Ma