-^ Independence 



less immediate appeal to the people. The electors are thus 

 often called upon to pronounce a verdict on new measures which 

 have had no fair trial. The term of office of Executive and 

 people's representatives alike should be enlarged to four years, 

 the term of the senators perhaps to eight. 



The franchise is to be exercised (apparently only in towns) 

 by " every male citizen of twenty-one years possessing real 

 estate." The Constitution did not define the relations which 

 were to exist between the (American) colonists and the 

 indigenous Negroes. The real natives of Liberia, indeed, are 

 only alluded to in Section 15 of Article V.^ No doubt for 

 some time to come the position of native " kings " and chiefs 

 must continue to be recognised, but as the component parts of 

 the repubHc are welded together the Constitution will have 

 to be enlarged so as to admit of a reasonable extension of the 

 franchise to all Africans who are Liberian citizens, and who 

 acknowledge the central Government at Monrovia. 



The flag which was adopted under the Constitution for 

 the Republic of Liberia was copied from the flag of the 

 United States. The United States of America had dis- 

 played no originality in selecting its own national colours. 

 It had copied without reflection the red, white, and blue of 

 Great Britain,^ Without consideration, therefore, the new 

 State of Liberia adopted the colours of the United States 

 and a modification of the same design — alternate red and 

 white stripes, with a white star on a blue ground in the left- 

 hand corner. 



No combination of colours has been done to death in the 

 same way amongst the nations of the world as red, white, 



' And in Section 14 of the same article, wherein the natives' right to their 

 own land is somewhat obscurely safeguarded. 



" Our own colours being derived from the red and white of England and 

 Scotland combined with the blue and white of Ireland (St. Patrick's colours), 



219 



