Liberia ^ 



Flag and Seal of the Republic of Liberia 



The following flag and seal were adopted by the convention, 

 as the insignia of the Republic of Liberia, and ordered to be 

 employed to mark its nationality. 



Flag : Six red stripes with five white stripes alternately 

 displayed longitudinally. In the upper angle of the flag, next 

 to the spear, a square blue ground, covering in depth live 

 stripes. In the centre of the blue, one white star. 



Seal : A dove on the wing, with an open scroll in its 

 claws. A view of the ocean, with a ship under sail, the sun 

 just emerging from the waters. A palm-tree, and at its base 

 a plough and spade. Beneath the emblems, the words Republic 

 of Liberia ; and above the emblems the national motto, 'The love 

 of liberty brought us here. 



By order of the convention, 



S. Benedict, President. 



The foregoing Constitution,^ modelled a good deal on that 

 of the United States, was a sound piece of work expressed in 

 clear language and without the verboseness and oratorical 

 flourishes of the preliminary Declaration of Independence. It 

 contains, so far as I know, only one really inconvenient and 

 unworkable proposition : the President, House of Repre- 

 sentatives, and half the Senators are to be elected ■ for a term 

 of two years only. This means that every other year the 

 little republic is convulsed by political agitation, while neither 

 Executive nor Congress can initiate new legislation and set it 

 going efficiently without the paralysing check of a more or 



1 Which still remains in force unaltered, though Dr. E. W. BIyden and some 

 others attempted in 1864 to effect slight changes. In 1906 a movement has been 

 started to alter the constitution in a few particulars. 



- On the first Tuesday in May every " odd " year, to take office on January ist 

 following, 



2l8 



