Liberia «^ 



but at the same time it was stated that Benson, the Liberian, 

 was suspected of shipping slaves to America. Nevertheless, the 

 Government of Sierra Leone seems to have invited Governor 

 Roberts to state a case for Liberia which would have the 

 attention of Her Majesty's Government, 



The Liberians at this time were a prey to great anxiety. 

 Six months had elapsed without direct news from America, 

 and the French were beginning to annex places on the Ivory 

 Coast in addition to their paper claims to Cape Mount, Grand 

 Basa, and points on the Kru coast. The seizure of the "John 

 Seyes^ however, decided the United States Government to ap- 

 proach the British Ministry with the desire for an explanation. 

 The reply was that Great Britain could not recognise the 

 sovereign powers of Liberia, which it regarded as the commercial 

 experiment of a philanthropic society. It was alleged that 

 Captain Dring by residence had prior rights at Basa Cove to 

 those of the Liberian colonists. Lord Aberdeen, then Foreign 

 Minister, wrote to Mr. Everett, the American Ambassador at 

 the Court of St. James, stating that " Her Majesty's naval 

 commanders would afford efficient protection to British trade 

 against improper assumption of power on the part of the 

 Liberian authorities " (referring presumably to the levying of 

 Customs duties and harbour dues). The United States did not 

 follow up their intervention very energetically. Their Minister 

 in Great Britain replied that his country had no intention of 

 " presuming to settle differences arising between Liberian and 

 British subjects, the Liberians being responsible for their own 

 acts." Throughout this correspondence it was plain that the 

 United States had no intention of claiming for Liberia the status 

 of an American colony; in fact, that it was desirous of re- 

 linquishing any responsibility entailed on it by the creation of 

 this Negro settlement. 



194 



