Part 1

VOL. XXXII. No. 3.

THE

AMERICAN MISSIONARY.

* * * * *

“To the Poor the Gospel is Preached.”

* * * * *

MARCH, 1878.

_CONTENTS_:

EDITORIAL.

PARAGRAPHS 65 PAYING THE DEBT 66 NEGROLOGY 67 BILLS IN CONGRESS 68 EDUCATION AMONG THE FREEDMEN 69 WHAT CAN THE WOMEN DO?—SCHOOL ITEMS 70 NEWS FROM THE CHURCHES—TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION—NEGRO NOTES 71 CHINESE NOTES 72 POETRY. “No Room in the Inn” 74

THE FREEDMEN.

GEORGIA: Atlanta University 75 GEORGIA MACON: Devotion to Study—Conversions to Christ 78 ALABAMA: Breaking Ground for New Emerson Institute Building. Prof. T. N. Chase 78 TENNESSEE: A Debt Extinguisher—The Happiest Girl in the Land. Rev. T. Cutler 79

THE INDIANS.

THE INDIAN COMMISSIONERS 80

THE CHINESE.

ADDRESS BY FUNG AFFOO 81

AFRICA.

THE MENDI MISSION 83

COMMUNICATIONS.

EDUCATION OF THE COLORED PEOPLE. Rev. J. E. Rankin, D. D. 84 FROM A LIFE MEMBER.—SLAVE AND FREE LABOR COTTON. From the N. Y. _Herald_ 85

THE CHILDREN’S PAGE 86

RECEIPTS 87

WORK, STATISTICS, WANTS, &c. 92

* * * * *

NEW YORK:

Published by the American Missionary Association,

ROOMS, 56 READE STREET.

* * * * *

Price, 50 Cents a Year, in advance.

* * * * *

A. Anderson, Printer, 28 Frankfort St.

_American Missionary Association_,

56 Reade Street, N. Y.

* * * * *

PRESIDENT.

HON. E. S. TOBEY, Boston.

VICE PRESIDENTS.

Hon. F. D. PARISH, Ohio. Rev. JONATHAN BLANCHARD, Ill. Hon. E. D. HOLTON, Wis. Hon. WILLIAM CLAFLIN, Mass. Rev. STEPHEN THURSTON, D. D., Me. Rev. SAMUEL HARRIS, D. D., Ct. Rev. SILAS MCKEEN, D. D., Vt. WM. C. CHAPIN, Esq., R. I. Rev. W. T. EUSTIS, Mass. Hon. A. C. BARSTOW, R. I. Rev. THATCHER THAYER, D. D., R. I. Rev. RAY PALMER, D. D., N. Y. Rev. J. M. STURTEVANT, D. D., Ill. Rev. W. W. PATTON, D. D., D. C. Hon. SEYMOUR STRAIGHT, La. Rev. D. M. GRAHAM, D. D., Mich. HORACE HALLOCK, Esq., Mich. Rev. CYRUS W. WALLACE, D. D., N. H. Rev. EDWARD HAWES, Ct. DOUGLAS PUTNAM, Esq., Ohio. Hon. THADDEUS FAIRBANKS, Vt. SAMUEL D. PORTER, Esq., N. Y. Rev. M. M. G. DANA, D. D., Ct. Rev. H. W. BEECHER, N. Y. Gen. O. O. HOWARD, Oregon. Rev. EDWARD L. CLARK, N. Y. Rev. G. F. MAGOUN, D. D., Iowa. Col. C. G. HAMMOND, Ill. EDWARD SPAULDING, M. D., N. H. DAVID RIPLEY, Esq., N. J. Rev. WM. M. BARBOUR, D. D., Ct. Rev. W. L. GAGE, Ct. A. S. HATCH, Esq., N. Y. Rev. J. H. FAIRCHILD, D. D., Ohio. Rev. H. A. STIMSON, Minn. Rev. J. W. STRONG, D. D., Minn. Rev. GEORGE THATCHER, LL. D., Iowa. Rev. A. L. STONE, D. D., California. Rev. G. H. ATKINSON, D. D., Oregon. Rev. J. E. RANKIN, D. D., D. C. Rev. A. L. CHAPIN, D. D., Wis. S. D. SMITH, Esq., Mass. Rev. H. M. PARSONS, N. Y. PETER SMITH, Esq., Mass. Dea. JOHN WHITING, Mass. Rev. WM. PATTON, D. D., Ct. Hon. J. B. GRINNELL, Iowa. Rev. WM. T. CARR, Ct. Rev. HORACE WINSLOW, Ct. Sir PETER COATS, Scotland. Rev. HENRY ALLON, D. D., London, Eng. WM. E. WHITING, Esq., N. Y. J. M. PINKERTON, Esq., Mass.

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY.

REV. M. E. STRIEBY, _56 Reade Street, N. Y._

DISTRICT SECRETARIES.

REV. C. L. WOODWORTH, _Boston_. REV. G. D. PIKE, _New York_. REV. JAS. POWELL, _Chicago, Ill._

EDGAR KETCHUM, ESQ., _Treasurer, N. Y._ H. W. HUBBARD, ESQ., _Assistant Treasurer, N. Y._ REV. M. E. STRIEBY, _Recording Secretary_.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

ALONZO S. BALL, A. S. BARNES, EDWARD BEECHER, GEO. M. BOYNTON, WM. B. BROWN, CLINTON B. FISK, A. P. FOSTER, AUGUSTUS E. GRAVES, S. B. HALLIDAY, SAM’L HOLMES, S. S. JOCELYN, ANDREW LESTER, CHAS. L. MEAD, JOHN H. WASHBURN, G. B. WILLCOX.

COMMUNICATIONS

relating to the business of the Association may be addressed to either of the Secretaries as above.

DONATIONS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS

may be sent to H. W. Hubbard, 56 Reade Street, New York, or, when more convenient, to either of the branch offices, 21 Congregational House, Boston, Mass., 112 West Washington Street, Chicago, Ill. Drafts or checks sent to Mr. Hubbard should be made payable to his order as _Assistant Treasurer_.

A payment of thirty dollars at one time constitutes a Life Member.

Correspondents are specially requested to place at the head of each letter the name of their Post Office, and the County and State in which it is located.

* * * * *

THE

AMERICAN MISSIONARY.

* * * * *

VOL. XXXII. MARCH, 1878. No. 3.

* * * * *

_American Missionary Association._

* * * * *

By the brief extracts, given on another page, from recent letters of our African missionaries, it appears that they were at last accounts in good health and heart, and hard at work re-organizing the church and schools, repairing buildings, and laying foundations for future work. The death of Rev. Barnabas Root had left the mission without a minister, so that its higher work had been greatly interrupted. To keep the numbers good, and the working force equal to the necessities of the case, it has seemed both to those recently sent out, and to the Executive Committee, that there should be a speedy addition to the Missionary band. It has been the experience of other organizations as well as our own, that missionary work suffers by nothing more than by having too few workers in a place. We hope, therefore, before this number of our Magazine reaches its readers, that two more good men, with their wives, will be on their way to join the Mendi Mission. Albert Miller and Andrew Jackson have offered themselves, in response to a general call read at the Fisk University by Prof. Spence. The former is a preacher who has nearly completed the collegiate course, the latter a teacher just finishing the normal course, and each will be accompanied by a good wife, able to sing and teach: (one of them was formerly with the Jubilee Singers.)

Thus strengthened by the addition of these four “fellow-helpers in the gospel,” we look for good tidings from month to month from Africa, and have less fear that the force already on the field will over-work themselves in that warm and trying climate.

* * * * *

General Charles H. Howard, of the _Advance_, owing to a recent attack of pneumonia, will, under the advice of his physician, spend the remainder of the winter, and the spring months, at the South. It was natural for General Howard, from his former connection with the American Missionary Association as its Western Secretary, to take a special interest in its work at the South. He has planned, with our hearty cooperation, to visit a number of the institutions and churches under our charge, and to inform himself and the readers of the _Advance_ as to the condition and progress of our work among the freedmen. The Association heartily welcomes all such friendly observation and criticism. General Howard is now at Savannah, Ga., and, after a trip to Florida, will return to visit our institutions farther West in the spring. He will publish letters on the condition of Southern society, and the colored population especially, with whose uplifting he feels the warmest sympathy.

PAYING THE DEBT.

We are rejoiced to be able to report cheering progress in the payment of our debt. Our last statement, in the December number of the MISSIONARY, announced the payment of $30,416, thus bringing the debt down from $93,232.99 in 1876, to $62,816.90, as reported at the Annual Meeting in 1877. It also gave a list of pledges of $5,000, reducing the balance to $57,816.90. Pledges and payments have been made since that date, which reduce the amount to a little below $50,000.

The spirit manifested by our friends in this movement, may be gathered from extracts from the letters we have received. A liberal friend in New England writes: “I have thought for a long time of your Society, and of its just call upon me for aid, additional to what I do when I send you our church collection. * * I will soon send you my check for $1,000” [it has been received] “for your debt, and I will add another thousand during 1878, conditioned upon the total wiping out of the debt in 1878.”

A friend in Hartford, Ct. says: “I have from time to time received reports of the doings and wants of your Association with much interest. You may count me in as one of twenty-five, for a thousand dollars for liquidating your debt, and I hope the full number may soon appear.”

Another Connecticut friend writes: “After getting through with the very busy month, and inspecting the balance sheets, I conclude to anticipate a little on the strength of my hopes, and promise you five hundred dollars toward the debt. I wish I could see my way clear to do more.”

A gentleman in Springfield, Mass., whose “Unabridged” contributions we have often had occasion to acknowledge, sends us his check for $500. “A worshipper at Indian Orchard,” remits $500.

One of our liberal and constant patrons at the West, tells his experience thus: “I could not see where the funds were to come from to aid you, but yesterday, to my great joy, the inclosed three hundred dollars dropped into my hands, and as a faithful and favored steward, I take great pleasure in handing it over to you, to aid in extinguishing the debt of the Association.”

Many expressions of regret come to us from those whose hearts are with us in this effort, but whose means will not permit them just now to help. We wish to express our earnest hope that an effort, so well begun, will not be suffered to fail. It will be seen that some of the pledges are made on condition that the whole sum be raised in a specified time—an additional reason for promptness on the part of those who desire to aid in the movement. We have avoided thus far, the expense of collecting agents, and we trust that the friends of the Association will continue to forward their contributions, and thus save us from any such outlay. It will be a triumph of economy, as well as of liberality.

* * * * *

Rev. Peter J. Gulick, a veteran missionary of the A. B. C. F. M., died at Kobe, Japan, Dec. 8th, 1877. We record his death with affectionate regret, remembering his annual contributions sent to us for many years, accompanied with expressions of his deep interest, in the uplifting to Christian citizenship of the destitute and despised people of his native land.

* * * * *

_The Council Fire_ is the title of a new Monthly Journal, of 16 pages, devoted to the history, character, social life, religious traditions, government, current legends, etc., of the American Indian, including also discussions of our relations to him as a people and a Government. The fact that it is under the editorial management of Col. A. B. Meacham, formerly Indian Superintendent and Peace Commissioner, is a guarantee of its character and value. It gives the current history of Indian affairs in all parts of the country.

NEGROLOGY.[A]

The political calm in the Southern States has apparently given leisure for a somewhat wide discussion of the negro: what he is in himself, and what he may be in the State. It is largely a discussion by Southern men, and from a more or less distinctively Southern standpoint.

_Mr. Stetson_ gives a series of answers to questions, representing the negro as he is, morally, socially and politically: the sum of it all being, what might be anticipated for a race of tropical origin, held for generations in slavery, and suddenly endowed with political equality. Sensual and emotional by nature, lazy and thievish by training, clannish and easily misled as a voter, his salvation will depend on his receiving education, but not by a forcing process, and on his coming gradually to the independent exercise of his civil rights.

_The South Carolinian_ gives an apparently frank representation of the situation as it appears to the native people of that State. The present shows more honesty and less crime, a renewed interest of the whites, and the banishment of the blacks from politics. No party will be tolerated “which aggressively, and in real earnest, advocates negro rights.” He says: “The whites regard the negro as an inferior animal, admirably adapted to work and to wait, and look on him, ‘in his proper place,’ with a curious mixture of amusement, contempt and affection. It is when he aspires to participate in politics, or otherwise claim privileges, that their hatred becomes intense.” In regard to Education, he writes: “There is great prejudice in this State against free schools for any color; nor have the airs put on by colored-school children contributed to remove it. Policy, however, and past promises will probably impel the maintenance of a free-school system for some time, at least, but on a less extensive scale. It is proper to add that some cultured Southerners are in favor of educating and elevating the negro, as the best way to solve our race difficulties. But it is doubtful if their views will prevail against inherited prejudice.”

But _The Louisianian_ takes stronger ground. The Southern question germinated when a slave was first introduced into the American colonies. The institution of slavery made all the difference; giving rise in the South to a “domineering and proscriptive aristocracy,” with regard to all of the African race, and putting all whites—poor or rich, ignorant or educated—on a footing of equality. “There was a nobility in the white skin, more sacred and more respected than the one derived from the letters patent of kings;” more even, apparently, than that based on intelligence or virtue. Slavery made of the Southern planters, “high barons in reality, although not in name.” In the North and West, on the contrary, there was a democracy politically, but a social aristocracy, not recognizing the equality of the white skin. The writer says: “The aristocrats of the South were the real ones; those of the North were spurious. The Southern question used to be, that of the maintenance of this supremacy over the whole land by these real aristocrats.”

Now “mediocrity is enthroned,” and the Southern question is the free negro question; a reversal has been made—the body politic has had its feet up and its head down. The author seems to see nothing but the race question: the law of animal life, where the strong destroy the weak, is the highest law he can think of for its solution; where a weak race comes in contact with a stronger, it must merge into it, or “subserve its interests and prejudices,” or be wiped out of existence, and Providence so orders it. “There will never be peace and prosperity in the Southern States, as long as Caucasian supremacy shall be opposed there;” but, “we intend to control the negro vote by superior intelligence, by persuasion, and not by violence.”

Equal opportunity for education should, he thinks, be given to the blacks; but they should be discouraged from all “aspirations and efforts which will end in disappointment,” [and this is the sentiment, also, of so earnest a worker as Col. Preston of Va.]; “and hasten a more active and deadly struggle.”

It will be a surprise, we doubt not, and a disappointment to many of our Northern friends, to find that such views, especially those of the admirably-written article in the _North American Review_, still constitute the substratum of thought among the cultivated classes of the Southern States. For what such men as this accomplished writer think in their bed-chambers, finds very different and much grosser expression among men of coarser fibre and ruder touch. We do remember that the last two writers quoted, are from the two longest and most sorely troubled States, where sentiment is probably more extreme than elsewhere in the South; and we hope, indeed, to some extent we know, that there are many of the natives of these States, who are not represented by these views, but who have freed themselves from the dominion of the old ideas of race-rule and caste prejudice. But we are glad to see these free discussions, and from these varying standpoints.

We are pleased to see that education is still not absolutely denied in them, though the motives for its acquirement are largely taken away. But we suggest to our co-workers in this field that, even though the various States in which these freedmen live, are, and have been, extending the advantages of their public schools to children of the blacks, yet, with such sentiments deep-seated in the minds of the educated, and so the influential class, this provision is uncertain, and may be at any time diminished or withdrawn. The substantial foundation for the permanent and patient work of the education of the negro, must be in the minds and hearts of those who believe in his manhood and in his education, for some sufficient use.

In regard to the general question, we believe it a law of God that, as intellectual attainment and moral character are in themselves of far more consequence than complexion or race, those who are equal in these higher spheres easily overlook the differences in things below. If we understand it at all, the Christian idea is not that the strong should destroy the weak, but “laboring, should support” them. The noblest sight on earth is when a superior race, or family, or individual—we care not which—reaches down to an inferior race, or family, or individual, to lift them up toilfully and patiently to its own higher level. The aristocracy of Christ’s kingdom is an aristocracy of service. And, in its accomplished peace, the lion does not eat the lamb, but they lie down together. It may be worth our while to practice a little here.

FOOTNOTE:

[A] “The Southern Negro as He Is”: a Pamphlet, by George R. Stetson, Boston, Mass. “The Result in South Carolina”: _Atlantic Monthly_, by a South Carolinian. “The Southern Question”: _North American Review_, by Charles Gayarré, of Louisiana.

* * * * *

—A variety of bills have been introduced into Congress affecting the interests of the red man. One to organize a territorial government, to secure land to individuals, to missions and to Church societies, the residue of land to be forfeited to the United States. Another granting right of way to two railroads, and still another for “a military and post-road bisecting the territory from North to South”; taking for it a strip five miles wide, some 300 to 1,000 square miles. Our large army could certainly travel it without elbowing one another. Another still is arranged, to make Indians having an organized government citizens by wholesale.

Unfortunately, most, if not all, these bills indicate by their origin, as well as by their contents, that they are in the interest of those ambitious to get possession of the lands set apart by treaty to the Indians, and that they involve an utter disregard of the plighted faith and the sworn promises of the nation.

EDUCATION AMONG THE FREEDMEN.

Under this title appears a valuable article in the _Methodist Quarterly Review_, for January, by S. G. Arnold, Esq., of Washington, D. C. As an early testimony to the capacity of the African race, he cites a letter written by Thomas Jefferson in 1791, to Benjamin Banneker, a free negro of Maryland, who had shown remarkable inventive and constructive genius, and acquired a thorough astronomical knowledge. Mr. Jefferson says:

“Nobody wishes more than I do to see such proofs as you exhibit, that nature has given to our black brethren talents equal to those of the other colors of men, and that the appearance of the want of them, is owing only to the degraded condition of their existence, both in Africa and America. * * * * I have taken the liberty to send your Almanac to M. de Condorset, Secretary of the Academy of Sciences at Paris, and member of the Philanthropic Society, because I consider it a document to which your whole color has a right, for their justification against the doubts which have been entertained of them.”

The writer then gives a graphic picture of the active efforts of the Christian world, to educate and enlighten this needy and neglected class, as soon as the Emancipation Act had given access to them. From 1863 to 1866, the work in the Freedmen’s camps around Washington was, perhaps, the most conspicuous of all; so that in this latter year, 42 regular day-schools, with 71 teachers, were caring for 3,930 pupils. These were sustained from New England and the Middle States, and by Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Friends, Congregational, and various undenominational agencies.

Then came the era of the Freedmen’s Bureau, which expended some thirteen millions of dollars, and the free-school law for the District of Columbia. The history of the Normal school, established with much self-denying effort, and against great obstacles, by Miss Mytilla Miner, is given quite at length, and a full and appreciative sketch of the beginning and development of the work of the A. M. A. The story of Fisk University and the work of the Jubilee Singers is told at length. We quote from the closing paragraphs of Mr. Arnold, this impressive comparison:

“At the Declaration of Independence, in 1776, the whole population of the United States was not very different in point of numbers, from that of the colored population now residing in the Southern States. The country had then been settled for more than 200 years, and there were large interests of production and commerce and government, which would seem to demand very liberal provisions for higher institutions of learning. But it may be doubted whether the advantages for education were not inferior to those now possessed by the colored population of the South, after a probation in freedom of scarcely more than a dozen years. The only colleges which appeared to have been in existence at that time are in existence still, and can be told by the number of your fingers. We have seen that there are now in the South, for the benefit of the negro, between 30 and 40 institutions for higher education, with an annual catalogue of nearly 5,000 students; and although they do not, as yet, graduate annually through all the higher departments of learning as many scholars as were graduated from the 10 colleges that were in operation prior to the Revolutionary War, because the training is not for scholarship, but for special work, it seems probable that the educational power is greater and exerts a wider influence.