Liberia ^ 



On May 24th, 1823, Dr. Eli Ayres came back as agent 

 for the Colonisation Society. Soon after his arrival he 

 attempted to appease local dissensions by allotting to each 

 colonist a definite share of the land on the Mesurado peninsula. 

 His allotment, however, did not give satisfaction, and led to 

 further bickerings. Ayres soon left Liberia, and returned 

 for the last time to America, while Ashmun resumed work as 

 Director of the Colony. In February, 1 824, the Cyrus 

 brought one hundred and five fresh colonists from Virginia. 

 Soon after this Ashmun, whose health had suffered most 

 severely, went away for a rest and change of scene to the Cape 

 Verde Islands. Here he met the Rev. Robert Gurley, after- 

 wards his biographer, who had been entrusted both by the 

 Colonisation Society and by the American Government with 

 the task of drawing up for the little colony at Mesurado a 

 provisional constitution. He was proceeding to the Grain 

 Coast on the American warship Porpoise. At his request 

 Ashmun accompanied him. Gurley had the wisdom to ap- 

 preciate the full merits of Ashmun's work, and he succeeded 

 in bringing home to the grumbling colonists their indebtedness 

 to this man's talents and devotion. He definitely installed him 

 as the principal agent of the American Colonisation Society, 

 in fact, as the practical Governor of the settlement. 



With Ashmun, Gurley drew up a kind of constitution, 

 and about the middle of August he endowed the little colony 

 with its name, " Liberia," at the same time christening the 

 settlement on the Mesurado plateau with the name of Monrovia, 

 after Monroe, then President of the United States.^ Both 

 these names, it is said, were the invention and suggestion of 

 Robert Goodlowe Harper of Baltimore, who had interested 



' Ashmun had at first called the settlement on Cape Mesurado " Christopolis," 

 but afterwards felt the name to be a little unsuitable. 



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