—“There is no teacher so wholesome as personal necessity. In South Carolina a few men and many women cling absolutely to the past, learning nothing, forgetting nothing. But the bulk of thinking men see that the old Southern society is as absolutely annihilated as the feudal system, and that there is no other form of society now possible except such as prevails at the North and West. The dream of re-enslaving the negro, if it ever existed, is like the negro’s dream, if he ever had it, of five acres and a mule from the government. Both races have long since come down to the stern reality of self-support. No sane Southerner would now take back as slaves, were they offered, a race of men who have been for a dozen years freemen and voters.”—Col. Higginson in the Atlantic.
Africa.
—The barque Azor, which sailed April 21st for Africa, arrived at Sierra Leone, May 19th. There were several cases of measles before the sailing, and this malady spread rapidly. The ship fever, which came from overcrowding, was worse, however, and increased by scantiness of water and lack of proper medical attendance. Twenty-three of the emigrants died on the way. The barque was towed to Monrovia by an English steamer.
—A despatch to the Herald represents the emigrants as being almost destitute of money, some of them holding notes of the Exodus Association, which is said to be unable to meet its obligations.
—Another ship load of freedmen are waiting at Charleston to take passage as soon as the Azor returns. She is probably on her way before this date.
—It is a gratifying fact to the friends of the American Colonization Society that in sending over 160 expeditions to Liberia, no serious casualty has happened either to vessel or emigrants. Special care has been taken to make their passage safe and comfortable, and kind Providence has given prosperity. The last expedition of the society left New York, June 19, with sixty-nine emigrants on board the barque Liberia from Virginia, North Carolina and Florida. When four days out, in a heavy fog, she collided with an Austrian vessel, and, losing her bowsprit, put back for repairs. She left again, Monday, July 1st.
—France has just appropriated 100,000 francs for a scientific expedition to Central Africa, under M. L’Abbé Debaize. He is a young man of thirty-three, of fine education and attainments, familiar with Arabic, Coptic and some East African languages; and having passed special courses in divinity, astronomy and natural history, much is anticipated from his investigations. He sailed from Marseilles about two months ago, and is now probably at Zanzibar, fitting out for the proposed journey across Equatorial Africa.