The African Dream Come True (original) (raw)
INTRODUCTION:
The defining moment in Martin Delany's life was returning to Africa and it was his ultimate loss to not return again in old age, opting instead to practice medicine and provide money to support his children who were studying at Wilberforce College in Ohio. His entire life experience bore out his worst fears to the end, confirming seemingly every step of the way that the vast majority of the persons in the dominant white society and surprisingly to some, a large number of his black brothers and sisters, did not support a return to Africa by capable African Americans.
In his Niger Report, (p. 8), MRD wrote: "In the winter of 1831, I formed a design of going to Africa, the land of my ancestry. . .When in the succeeding winter I entered into a solemn promise with the Rev. Molliston Madison Clark, then a student at Jefferson College at Cannonsburg, Pa, Washington County, 17 miles from Pittsburgh. . . .During these vacations of about seven weeks each, Mr. Clark was of great advantage to me on my studies. . . . These designs I never abandoned. In 1859, I fully matured a plan.
While tediously chasing down fund raising leads in New York City, living in a small apartment and feverishly writing in a month his breakthrough book, "The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the Colored People of the United States," Delany finally stood on May 24, 1859 on the deck of the "Mendi," a bark owned by three Liberian blacks, as it set sail for Africa.
MRD wrote later in his report of the expedition of the Niger Valley:
"I sailed from New York May 24th in the fine barque Mendi, Captain McIntyre, vessel and cargo owned by Johnson, Turpin, and Dunbar, three enterprising colored gentlemen of Morovia, Liberia, all formerly of New York City.
As the weeks at sea crawled by and his thoughts intensified of Africa ahead, and wife and children back in America, he also thought about his just finished book, "Blake," which was being serialized during this expedition by the publication, "The Anglo African." In that book his protagonist, an insurrectionist returned to Africa on a ship called "The Vulture."
One of Delany's poems included in that novel contained the words: "Farewell to the land of the bloodhound and chain, my path is away over the fetterless main!"
Cape Palmas
Then finally on July 10th, they sighted land. MRD's heart overflowed with long buried longings and hopes. In the Niger Report (p. 27), he wrote: "The first sight and impressions of the coast of Africa (Cape Palmas) are always inspiring, producing the most pleasant emotions. These pleasing sensations continue for several days, more or less, until they gradually merge into feelings of almost intense excitement, not only mentally, but the entire physical system share largely in it, so that it might be termed a hilarity of feeling almost akin to approaching intoxication; or as I imagine, like the sensation produced by the beverage of champagne wine. Never having enjoyed the taste of it, I cannot say from experience."
He goes on: "There is one most remarkable, as almost (and I think quite) a necessary affection, attendant upon the acclimation at this incipient stage:a feeling of regret that you left your native country for a strange one, an almost frantic desire to see friends and nativity, a despondency and loss of the hope of ever seeing those you love at home again. . . These feelings of course must be resisted, and regarded as a mere morbid affection of the mind at the time. . .When the entire recovery takes place, the love of Africa is most ardent and abiding."
His colleague, Robert Campbell, who wrote of the expedition in his own book, "Pilgrimmage to My Motherland," observed MRD after they met some weeks later in Abbeokuta: ". . . the Doctor spent half the night wandering over the least inhabited portions of the city, wet to the skin, and rain all the time pouring. He had been but a few days at Abbeokuta, and of course knew nothing of the language. Coming to a native compound, he essayed to attract attention by the use of the two or three words, the pronunciation (not the meaning) of which he knew indifferently. With a loud voice (the Doctor is a second Stentor) he cried acushe! (a term of salutation to the industrious). The natives were astonished and instantly extinguishing their lights, they fled to the recesses of their dwelling, and although the Doctor exhausted his whole vocabulary to the effort, he could not induce them to stir." (Ullman, p. 227).
(ED. NOTE. The journey had deeply personal significance in that MRD hoped he could obtain information on the whereabouts and demise of his royal born, maternal grandfather, Shango Peace, who upon proving his royal heritage actually succeeded in persuading a Virginia planter and lawman in allowing him to return alone to West Africa. "Shango" was one of the deities of Yoruba religion who embodies thunderbolt like creativity and the qualities of a lion. He told his biographer Frances Rollin Whipper that he found evidence from conversations in Africa that his grandfather had lived to a ripe old age in his homeland before his death.
(Niger Report, p. 16, "I land on the beach of Grand Cape Mount Robertsport, the natives met us with joyous acclamation. . ."
Martin Delany had come home, at least in his heart and mind, having a life dream at his feet soon to be feasted upon.
The Liberian newspaper, "The Herald," wrote: "The arrival of Martin Robison Delany in Liberia is an era in the history of African emigration, an event doubtless that will long be remembered by hundreds and thousands of Africa's exiled children.
"Persons from all parts of the country came to Monrovia to see this great man. . . .The regeneration of the African race can only be effected by its own efforts, the efforts of its own self and whatever aid may come from other sources; and it must in this venture succeed, as God leads the movement and His hand guides the way."
The entire expedition was pulled off on a budget of just one hundred pounds (1860 pounds) and considerable in kind support.
On December 27, 1859, Delany's party completed a treaty with a king and seven chiefs at Abbeokuta, which basically allowed black settlers from the United States to move there in exchange for contributing their skills as tradesmen and entrepreneurs.
It was Delany's hope for an economic solution to American slavery: If freed blacks could grow cotton in Africa that could compete with American cotton in world markets, a point and a profit would be simultaneously made.
At first, the prospects for success seemed ripe and rosy.
But John Brown's raid at Harper's Ferry during MRD's absence pushed the slavery debate passed the boundaries of reasonable approaches.
On April 10, 1860, Delany and his party set sail from Lagos en route for London.
