[Footnote 1:  Karnga, 28.]

Stephen Allen Benson (four terms, 1856-1863) was forced to meet in one way or another almost all of the difficulties that have since played a part in the life of the Liberian people.  He had come to the country in 1822 at the age of six and had developed into a practical and efficient merchant.  To his high office he brought the same principles of sobriety and good sense that had characterized him in business.  On February 28, 1857, the independent colony of Maryland formally became a part of the republic.  This action followed immediately upon the struggle with the Greboes in the vicinity of Cape Palmas in which assistance was rendered by the Liberians under Ex-President Roberts.  In 1858 an incident that threatened complications with France but that was soon happily closed arose from the fact that a French vessel which sought to carry away some Kru laborers to the West Indies was attacked by these men when they had reason to fear that they might be sold into slavery and not have to work simply along the coast, as they at first supposed.  The ship was seized and all but one of the crew, the physician, were killed.  Trouble meanwhile continued with British smugglers in the West, and to this whole matter we shall have to give further and special attention.  In 1858 and a year or two thereafter the numerous arrivals from America, especially of Congo men captured on the high seas, were such as to present a serious social problem.  Flagrant violation by the South of the laws against the slave-trade led to the seizure by the United States Government of many Africans.  Hundreds of these people were detained at a time at such a port as Key West.  The Government then adopted the policy of ordering commanders who seized slave-ships at sea to land the Africans directly upon the coast of Liberia without first bringing them to America, and appropriated $250,000 for the removal and care of those at Key West.  The suffering of many of these people is one of the most tragic stories in the history of slavery.  To Liberia came at one time 619, at another 867, and within two months as many as 4000.  There was very naturally consternation on the part of the people at this sudden immigration, especially as many of the Africans arrived cramped or paralyzed or otherwise ill from the conditions under which they had been forced to travel.  President Benson stated the problem to the American Government; the United States sent some money to Liberia, the people of the Republic helped in every way they could, and the whole situation was finally adjusted without any permanently bad effects, though it is well for students to remember just what Liberia had to face at this time.  Important toward the close of Benson’s terms was the completion of the building of the Liberia College, of which Joseph Jenkin Roberts became the first president.