prominent position in the history of Li-lightning-his servant also was severely beria; and succeeding generations will gratefully cherish the remembrance of his deeds of valor. scorched; his two favorite hounds killed, and his house seriously injured. It was a fearful death, and long to be remembered. Mr. Harris was one of our most esteemed fellow citizens, and his death will prove a severe loss to the community. We hope in our next number to be able to give an obituary notice of this enter Melancholy death.-We are pained to have to record the death of the Hon. Sion Harris, a member of the House of Representatives. Between the hours of 12 and 1 o'clock of the night of the 25th ultimo., while in bed, he was killed by a stroke of il prising Liberian. Death of Chief Justice Benedict. From a letter from the Rev. J. W. Horne, Principal of the Monrovia Seminary, to the Corresponding Secretary of the Missionary Somety of the M. E. Church, we learn that the Hon. SAMUEL BENEDICT, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Liberia, died at Monrovia the 25th February last. Judge Benedict emigrated from Savannah, Ga., in 1835. On the establishment of the Republic, in 1847, he was placed by President Roberts in the honorable and responsible position of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; which he filled with credit and ability to the time of his death. At the election in May, 1853, he was the regularly nominated anti-administration candidate for the Presidency, but was defeated by his more popular opponent, whose services a majority of the people were unwilling to dispense with. His last illness was protracted and painful, but, as Mr. Horne writes, "he appeared submissive and patient, and fully aware of his approaching dissolution. He died in the faith and hope, I trust, of the gospel." [From the National Intelligencer, July 10.] COLONIZATION ROOMS, A distinguished gentleman in Alabama has written me a letter highly approving of the endeavor to raise $100,000 to establish regular communication by steam with Liberia, and he makes the following proposal: "Now, cannot one thousand persons be found in the United States to give $100 each, or five hundred persons to give $200 each? I will be one on either condition$100 to be paid say 1st of August and the other $100 six months thereafter. In the mean time I enclose $100 now, and should the proposition be made and succeed the other hundred shall be forthcoming in due time." Since the receipt of this proposition two members of our Executive Committee have agreed to be two of the one thousand, and to give $100 each. Who will follow? The work is a great one. It is indispensable to the progress of colonization. We hope our friends will please send in their names without delay. W. MCLAIN, Papers will please copy. P. S. Since the foregoing appeared in the Intelligencer, a friend to the cause in Alexandria, Va., one in Baltimore, and two in Gainesville, Ala., have responded to the proposition. African Colonization. Few enterprises of the present day are more important, as relates to the temporal and spiritual welfare of mankind, than the project of colonizing colored emigrants from this country on the shores of Africa. It holds out almost the only hope for dispelling the moral and spiritual darkness of a great continent. It contemplates an agency more potent than the ordinary missionary operations. It combines within itself the appliance of Foreign Missions, and the powerful influence of an enlightened Christian nation. Instead of sending here and there a missionary laborer, this enterprise transports to the midst of heathenism, ministers, churches, and Christians engaged in every walk of life, and in such numbers that they are at once a power which must be felt and respected. That the colony planted on the shores of Africa is to become a numerous and great nation, we have no doubt. In common with other colonial enterprises, it has been encompassed with formidable difficulties, but these are no greater than attended the settlers of our own country; and most of them have already been vanquished. Liberia is no longer a mere dependence of a society of philanthropists in America; much as it still needs their fostering aid, it now stands forth as an independent republic. France and England, two of the greatest of the world's powers, have recognized it as such. We trust the same fraternal hand will be soon stretched forth by our own Government. No more significant indications of the importance of Liberia could be given, than is afforded in the eagerness of the British government to form commercial relations with it. A line of steamers, just now established between England and Liberia, argues that the British Lion has seen in the present and prospective commerce of those sable republicans, something worth taking trouble for, in order to entice it into his lair. Viewed in a mere commercial aspect, it is of the highest importance that the United States should not be behind Britain, in arrangements for securing the stores of wealth that sooner or later must find their way into the pockets of the merchants in either the one country or the other. Africa is a great treasure house, which has yet to be unlocked. The key seems, at present, to be in the hands of Liberia, and whoever forms the closest commercial bonds with her will reap the largest share of profits. Any one who credits the word of God, must believe that, ultimately, this dark continent is to emerge from the heavy clouds which have so long enveloped it. There is a glorious future in store even for Africa. Fleets of swift steamers shall plough the waters of the Niger, the Congo, and the Senegal; railroads shall thrust their long grasping arms through the Guineas, and even into the "Unknown Regions." The wheat, cotton, coffee, sugar, dyewoods, ivory, gold, and varied fruits, riches like to what the Queen of Sheba brought from her realms, as an offering to King Solomon, dark visaged Africa is yet to rise and bring, as her contribution to the commerce and wealth of the world. Her capacious bosom shall be opened by the plough-share, and made to yield sustenance to a countless population; her sunny skies duplicating the ordinary harvests of other realms, shall radiate prosperity over her boundless territory; the wild savage will be a civilized, Christianized man tending the products of his fields, driving his busy trade, or, like his distant ancestry to his far north,|| cultivating the elegant arts, or pursuing reco dite science. As sure as prophecy speaks truth, when the Gospel shall have shed its meridian light across her broad territory, some such things as these shall be, cities, villages, farm-houses, wide acres covered with harvests, or with herds, and all the din and bustie of industry and busy commerce, shill spread over this great quarter of the globe. Christianity, and civilization, with all the interests which make up the aggregate of a people's true prosperity, go hand in hand, and Ethiopia is to stretch forch her hands unto God. Transformed from the grossest barbarism to civilization, from the lowest species of idolaters, to enlightened sonship in the household of God, she shall stand forth disenthralled and renovated, by the grace which is in Christ Jesus. Amid the mighty wonders with which God is now shaking the nations and astonishing mankind, who can say that the long delayed hour for Africa's redemption may not be at hand? Within this present generation a Christian nation has burst from the bosom of the Pacific; within some five years or more a great State has leaped into the manhood of its being on our far western coast; at this present time, China, with its one-third of the world's family, is filling her rivers with her cast-off idols, imbibing the progress ive ideas of the age, and acknowledging the divine claims of the religion of Christ; whilst the old world, from its centre to its circumference, is trembling beneath the footsteps of coming events, which are to change the whole aspect of its ancient empires. In the midst of these extraordinary phenomena, which are making the earth at this day as a theatre of the most stupendous marvels, would it be any wonder, if poor, desolate, sorrowful, almost hopeless Africa, should at last awake to the consciousness that even for her there is the dawning of a better day. In ushering in such a morning after her long night, who knows but that the little embryo nation, as yet but clinging as a bit of fringe to her wide garment, shall be the foremost of God's chosen instruments. Judging simply a priori, such a result would seem extremely probable. America owes a great debt to Africa, and it would accord with what has been witnessed of God's methods of educing good out of evil, to enable America to pay that debt, and at the same time enjoy signal honor, in being made the instrument of compensating Africa for the temporal things she has reaped from the bone and sinew of her sons, by giving to her in return, erilization and a pure Christianity. The providences of God seem also to be declaring that the same race who were brought hence to be the bondmen of our soil, shall be the chosen vessels to carry liberty and religion back to their fatherland. Terrible diseases, with edges keen as the two-edged sword of the cherubim, have stood sentinels at the gates of entrance to a large portion of that continent, and have said in language too plain to be misunderstood, that death is the penalty which inevitably awaits the white man who shall enter there. God has as much as said to us in so many words, "To her own sons shall Africa owe her redemption." we Under these circumstances cannot but regard with great interest whatever may tend to bring that continent and our own more closely together. Commerce, in these modern days, has become the handmaid of religion. She builds railroads and steamships, and religion sends upon their swift wings the ministers and institutions of the gospel. Steam has become a great revolutionizer and moral agent, by bringing the ends of the earth into contiguity, so that on the principle that the weak must give place to the stronger, Paganism must go down when brought into contact with the superior power of Christianity, and thus, by gathering the world into one neighborhood, hastening the era when Satan's kingdom shall give place to that of God's dear Son. We greatly desire, therefore, that whilst England is binding Liberia to herself by strong commercial bonds, our own Government, which more naturally should be the friend, ally and patron of this infant republic, should also take such steps as would enable us to avail ourselves of the opening that is afforded into that great continent. To all friends of missions, as well as to all lovers of their race, the efforts to develop a free christian nation on the shores of Africa, especially commend themselves.-Presbyterian. [From the Christian Mirror, Portland Me.] Too little is said, too little printed, and much too little is done, in our "Dirigo" State for this noble enterprize. Individuals have remembered it, and annual collections were formerly made in some towns to aid the Society in its momentous work. But we are not sure that any associated effort to supply funds has been made and continued to the present time, without intermitting a single year, in any place in Maine, except in the town and city of Bath. While others have been negligent or fitful, Bath has had constant friends, helpful friends to the cause of African Colonization. as we remember, passed through our hands to the Society's treasury; and this we suppose to have been only a small part of what was given in the State. But causes soon began to operate to weaken this interest in Colonization, and to withdraw contributions. It is needless to recapitulate them. The Society has encountered great hostility from extreme men at both North and South; for in this, as in many other cases, extremes have met. Still the good work has gone forward, and the results have been such as any humane and patriotic heart must rejoice in. During our early connection with A well-ordered Christian Republic this paper, and we suppose wholly has been founded in Africa; and in consequence of our connection still another State is in the process with it, contributions to this cause of formation; and before the present were entrusted to our care to be re- century shall have elapsed, those mitted, from distant portions of the living may see the whole western State; and this was easily done, coast flourishing under Christian with little trouble and no expense, governments; and holding a busy so long as the U. S. Bank existed. and remunerative commerce with It was only to step across the street, all the civilized nations of the deposite the money, and take a world; their youth training up for draft from the Cashier of the Bank usefulness in the schools; and the here, on the parent Bank at Wash-church-bell summoning them to the ington. On year more than $500, house of God on the Sabbath. We have occasion to know, that a revived interest is springing up, in behalf of Colonization, in different parts of the State. Individuals are strongly moved to do something to the purpose. They are desirous to see a general movement which shalt effect something worthy of the ob ject. We hope their wisdem will devise some plan, which shall secure the approbation of the wise and good; that their zeal will soon bring it forward for general adoption; and that every friend of Africa and her children will hold himself ready to co-operate. [From the Buffalo Christian Advocate.] THE American Nation owes an immense debt to Africa and her children a debt incurred by centuries of wrong and cruelty, a moral and political debt, which oceans of tears and billions of treasures can never repay. For more than two centuries have we despoiled their villages to build up our own, robbed her of her children and forced them || to provide bread for our own. We have turned the hand of every man against his brother, that our hand might be turned against every man. Their sweat and blood have enriched our soil, while their sighs and tears have formed an unceasing lamentation over their utter desolation. The degraded condition of Africa and the miserable condition of the African, appeal to us as freemen, as christians and as men, to do something to improve her condition and elevate her offspring. Never was there a time in our history, when the humanity of our nation was appealed to in such stirring tones, by the tears, and sighs, and lamentations of all Africa, as at the present. See those floods of tears coursing, like burning lava, down the sable cheeks of one hundred and fifty millions of beings. Behold their throbbing bosoms, like the tossings of the troubled ocean, when the storm spirit rages over it. Listen to their deep-drawn sighs, swelling like thunder in its loudest mood, and learn that these are the voice of God, calling to us through them-pleading and beseeching us through them. God beseeching Americans to move in behalf of Africa! Shall we hear the voice and refuse to obey? God forbid! Every heart should respond to every appeal for Africa. And now that the door of Africa is open-now that her millions can be reached by her own children or their descendants, how mighty and manful should be the efforts of christians and philanthropists? The door of Africa-the most effectual door through which alone she can now be reached- Liberia ; the means of reaching her the only effectual means, the colonizing of the African from our own land. Other doors and means may ultimately be opened and employed, but Liberia is the only door, and colonization the only means apparent, through which Africa can be most effectually reached and benefitted. Already has the colonizing of a few thousand of Africans from this country, most of whom were slaves, liberated for the purpose, and the balance, chiefly from the lower classes of the free colored people, resulted in the formation of towns, cities, and an empire, whose citizens are civilized and christianized; and who while developing the wonderful fertility and resources of their country, are sur |