-^ The Loan and its Consequences 



as not a few contemporary presidents of South American 

 republics had done, in arrogating to himself supreme and 

 uncontrolled power. 



An attempt on the part of Roye's supporters to seize a 

 building in Monrovia used as a bank by an industrial society 

 of the St, Paul's River settlements was the last straw that 

 broke the camel's back. The people of Monrovia rose against 

 him in the first — and, let us hope, the last — of Liberian in- 

 surrections. They soon overpowered the armed resistance of 

 Roye's followers, though several lives were lost on both sides. ^ 

 The President's house was sacked by an angry crowd hunting 

 everywhere for him, and with one of his sons he was caught 

 and imprisoned. 



The Senate and House of Representatives then met in a 

 hurriedly summoned congress and issued a most temperately 

 worded manifesto. In this the "sovereign people of the Re- 

 public of Liberia" declared on October 26th, 1871, that the 

 President, E. J. Roye, was deposed from his office ; the Govern- 

 ment was to be provisionally carried on by an executive 

 committee of three members until constitutional measures had 

 been taken for the election of a new President. The proclama- 

 tion ended with an expression of thanks to God that this 

 uprising had been attended with so little bloodshed. The three 

 personages appointed to be members of the executive committee 

 were Charles B. Dunbar, General R. A. Sherman, and Amos 

 Herring. The Secretary of State, H. R. W. Johnson, still re- 

 mained in office. 



Ex-President Roye was then brought to trial before the 

 Supreme Court of Justice, but during the night he managed, 



• It is said that Roye commenced the actual fighting by going into the street 

 and flinging hand grenades at the crowd. The populace soon retorted by sending 

 a cannon-ball through the President's house. 



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