Legislature was its precursor. Bushrod Washington, a slave breeder and vender and holder, presided at its first meeting, and became its first president. Henry Clay, proclaimed in England by Elliot Cresson, as its champion; Henry Clay, who, after declaring, that "of all descriptions" of the population of the United States, "and of either portion of the African race, the free persons of color, are by far, the most corrupt, depraved and abandoned;" (African Repository VI. 12.) goes on in the same speech, to affirm, that "the Society proposes to send out, not one or two pious members of christianity into a foreign land, but to transport annually, for an indefinite number of years, in one view of its scheme six thousand, in another fifty-six thousand missionaries, of the descendants of Africa itself, to communicate the benefits of our religion and the arts." African Repos. VI. 24. I know not how, thorough infatuation, on a particular subject, could be more strikingly exhibited, than by a man of Henry Clay's giant grasp of mind, demurely thus reasoning, and then being applauded as their hero, by the Society's agent! Evangelizing and civilizing Africa, by yearly deluges of the most corrupt, depraved and abandoned people of the United States. What sanity! What benevolence!! Of seventeen vice-presidents only five were selected from the free states—and "the whole of the twelve managers, as far as I can learn, were slave holders.
Such were the materials which founded Liberia. Since its foundation, better men have added their names; and its list still contains many of them—some, in other respects, not surpassed on earth. The heart which loves its Saviour and his holy cause, and is not in bondage to the same delusion, can only bleed over the fact; but is comforted by remembering that deep as the noblest minds may fall at times, if true to God, they shall rise again, and only shine the more brightly, from the depth of their past eclipse.
Light and darkness could as easily have become homogeneous as Granville Sharp, could have united with such a company. The portrait of Bushrod Washington taken to England by Elliot Cresson to be placed beside that of Wm.
