Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/384

 Society, and of the state societies, had forseen the necessity of a union, and a committee met at Washington City and drew up a common constitution for the colonies. Elisha Whittlesey moved, and the motion was adopted, that no white man should become a landholder in Liberia, and that full rights of citizenship should be enjoyed only by colored men. The American Colonization Society retained the right to veto the acts of the colonial legislature.

In April, 1839, Governor Buchanan landed with the new constitution, which was approved by the Monrovians, and subsequently by the state colonies. He arrived with a large supply of guns and ammunition, furnished by the navy department, and a quantity of agricultural implements and machinery, including a sugar mill.

Governor Buchanan seems to have been indefatigable in his efforts to diminish the slave-trade. His appeals and strong-handed measures had their effect in calling the attention of our government to the abuse of the American flag. He armed the colonists and marched to attack the slave-factories on the coast. He captured the slavers, and liberated the slaves from the barracoons. One of the native tribes attacked an outpost of the colony; they were driven off, and Governor Buchanan promptly marshaled his forces to "carry the war into Africa." For this purpose a force of two hundred effective men, with a fieldpiece and a body of followers, assembled at Millsburg, on the St. Paul's river. About thirty miles from this, by the air-line, in the swampy depths of the forest, was the point aimed at. Many careful arrangements were necessary to baffle spies, and keep the disaffected at bay during this desperate incursion, which the governor was about to make into the heart of the enemy's country. The fine conception had this redeeming characteristic, that it was quite beyond the enemy's understanding.

" The force left Millsburg on Friday, 27th of March. Swamps and thickets soon obliged him to leave the gun behind. Through heavy rains, drenched and weary, they made their way, without any other resistance, to a bivouac in an old deserted town. Starting at daylight next morning, they forced their way through flooded streams and ponds, 'in mud up to their knees, and water up to the waist.' After a halt at ten o'clock, and three hours' march subsequently, they learnt that the enemy had become aware of their movements, and was watching them. About six miles from their destination, after floundering through the mud of a deep ravine, followed by a weary pull up a long hill, a sharp turn brought them in front of a rude barricade of felled trees. A fire of musketry from it brought to the ground Captain Snetter, of the riflemen, who was in advance of his men. The men made a dash on the enemy so suddenly that soon no body was in front of them. The line moved on without stopping, and met only a straggling fire here and there, as they threaded their narrow path through the bushes in single file. A few men were wounded in this disheartening march. At length those in advance came to a halt before the fortress, and the rear closed up. There the line was extended, and the party advanced in two divisions. The place was a kind of square, palisaded