Part 1

VOL. XXXII. No. 11.

THE

AMERICAN MISSIONARY.

* * * * *

“To the Poor the Gospel is Preached.”

* * * * *

NOVEMBER, 1878.

_CONTENTS_:

EDITORIAL.

THE ANNUAL MEETING 321 PARAGRAPHS 321, 322 MR. STANLEY’S INTEREST IN CHRISTIAN MISSIONS 322 THE INDIAN AGENTS WE NEED 325 “HAMPTON TRACTS.”—CONGREGATIONALISM IN THE SOUTH 327 SUNDRIES.—GENERAL NOTES 328

THE FREEDMEN.

ALABAMA—Florence: Rev. L. C. Anderson.—A Memphis Letter.—A New Orleans Letter.—Scholarship Letters 331–334

AFRICA.

THE MENDI MISSION: Rev. A. P. Miller 334

THE INDIANS.

FORT BERTHOLD, D. T.: Rev. C. L. HALL 337 LAKE SUPERIOR AGENCY: I. L. Mahan 339 RED LAKE AGENCY, MINN: C. P. Allen, M. D. 341

THE CHINESE.

CHINAPHOBIA: Dr. M. C. Briggs 342

THE CHILDREN’S PAGE 343

RECEIPTS 344

* * * * *

NEW YORK:

Published by the American Missionary Association,

ROOMS, 56 READE STREET.

* * * * *

Price, 50 Cents a Year, in advance.

* * * * *

A. Anderson, Printer, 23 to 27 Vandewater 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. G. 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 THACHER, 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, E. A. 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. NOVEMBER, 1878. No. 11.

* * * * *

_American Missionary Association._

* * * * *

THE ANNUAL MEETING.

We take this last opportunity to invite our friends to meet us in Taunton, Mass., October 29–31. We shall hope to see a goodly number of the old teachers and early friends of the work. Wednesday evening will be mainly in their hands. Among the speakers will be Revs. George R. Merrill, Martin L. Williston, C. M. Southgate, Svlvanus Haywood, W. S. Alexander, and O. W. Demick, Esq.

The speakers for the closing meeting on Thursday evening will be Rev. J. L. Withrow, D. D., Rev. C. D. Hartranft, D. D., and others.

Among those who will read papers on Wednesday will be Rev. M. E. Strieby, D. D., Rev. George Leon Walker, D. D., Rev. Ebenezer Cutler, D. D.

As we go to press, everything promises well for a meeting of unusual interest and power. The people of Taunton are large hearted, and will be glad to have their hospitality taxed to the utmost.

* * * * *

—The new Chinese Ambassadors are men from whose intelligence, experience and wisdom we have much to hope. Chin Lan Pin, first ambassador, is a man of deep learning, being a graduate of the Han Lin College, of the highest class, and a man of extensive travel and observation as well. In 1872, he visited this country as Chief Commissioner in charge of the Chinese students sent to be educated in the Connecticut colleges, and he subsequently visited England and Spain on similar missions. In 1874, he was one of the three Commissioners who were sent by the Chinese Government to Cuba, to investigate the condition of the Chinese laborers there. After locating the several consulates appointed for the United States, he will visit Spain and procure the recognition of a Consul for Cuba, and thence proceed to Peru for a similar purpose. He will then return to Washington and take up his abode as resident Minister.

The Vice-Minister, Yung Wing, is even better known in this country. He was graduated at Yale College with high scholastic and literary honor, receiving the degree of LL.D. He subsequently devoted himself to awakening his countrymen to the needs of reform in education, and his efforts gained official recognition. He has been Commissioner of Education and in charge of the Chinese Educational Mission in Hartford, Conn., and of the 112 Chinese students connected with it.

We have been glad to read a very clear report published in the Inverness _Courier_ of an address made by Prof. Spence, of Fisk University in that city, in Scotland. The many friends of the University and of Prof. and Mrs. Spence will be interested to know of the work they are doing in Great Britain, and that they are so fully recognized in the Scottish press. We learn from private advices, that they have been very warmly received and cordially heard, and from the places in which they have presented their cause, have reaped fair, if not large, results. What effect the recent failure of the Bank of Glasgow may have upon their future success we cannot tell, but we fear it may dry up many of the streams from which they had hoped to draw.

* * * * *

MR. STANLEY’S INTEREST IN CHRISTIAN MISSIONS.

It was a remark of Dr. Livingstone’s, that “the end of the geographical feat is the beginning of the missionary endeavor.” And, although all African explorers are not animated with the missionary idea, yet it is easy to believe that an over-ruling Providence uses their efforts for missionary ends.

Mr. Stanley asserts, that the object of his desperate journey was, “To flash a torch of light across the western half of the Dark Continent.” “If the natives allow us a peaceful passage, so much the better; if not, our duty says, go on.” “We are always under the eye of God.” “The one God has written that this year the river [Lualaba] shall be known throughout its length. ‘Think,’ he says, to Frank Pocock, ‘what a benefit our journey will be to Africa.’”

From these different quotations, taken from Mr. Stanley’s recent book, we have a right to infer, that the interests of missions were prominent in his mind throughout his journey. Indeed, his book indicates that he was not only governed by a desire to complete the explorations commenced by Dr. Livingstone, but also to further the missionary endeavors of that godly man. This was evidenced first on his arrival at Uganda on the shores of the Victoria Nyanza, where he wrote the following: “A barbarous man is a pure materialist, he is full of cravings for possessing something that he cannot describe. My experience and study of the pagan, prove to me, that if a missionary can show the poor materialist that religion is allied with substantial benefits and improvement of his degraded condition, the task will be rendered comparatively easy. The African, once brought in contact with the European, becomes docile and imbued with a vague hope that he may also rise in time to the level of this superior being who has challenged his admiration. He comes to him with a desire to be taught, and, seized with an ambition to aspire to a higher life, becomes docile and tractable.” “I find them,” he says, elsewhere, “capable of great love and affection, and possessed of gratitude and other traits of human nature. I know, too, that they can be made good, obedient, industrious, enterprising, true and moral—that they are in short, equal to any other race or color on the face of the globe in all the attributes of manhood.”

King Mtesa, the despotic ruler over 2,000,000 of people, appeared to Mr. Stanley the most desirable object for his first efforts. “Mtesa has impressed me,” he says, “as being an intelligent and distinguished prince, who, if aided by philanthropists, will do more for Central Africa than fifty years of gospel teaching, unaided by such authority, can do. I think I see in him the light that shall lighten the darkness of this benighted region. In this man I see the possible fruition of Livingstone’s hopes, for with his aid the civilization of equatorial Africa becomes feasible.” Mr. Stanley further informs us how he followed up his convictions: “Since the 5th of April, I had enjoyed ten interviews with Mtesa, and during all, I had taken occasion to introduce topics which would lead up to the subject of Christianity. Nothing occurred in my presence, but I contrived to turn it towards effecting that which had become an object to me, viz., his conversion. There was no attempt made to confuse him with the details of any particular doctrine. I simply drew for him the image of the Son of God humbling himself for the good of all mankind, white and black, and told him how, while He was in man’s disguise, He was seized and crucified by wicked people who scorned his divinity, and yet, out of His great love for them, while yet suffering on the cross, He asked His great Father to forgive them. I had also begun to translate to him the Ten Commandments, and Idi, the Emperor’s writer, transcribed in Kiganda the words of the Law, as given to him in choice Swahili by Robert Feruzi, one of my boat’s crew, and a pupil of the Universities’ Mission at Zanzibar.”

“The religious conversations which I had begun with Mtesa, were maintained in the presence of M. Linant de Bellefonds, who, fortunately for the cause I had in view, was a Protestant. For, when questioned by Mtesa, about the facts which I had uttered, and which had been faithfully transcribed, M. Linant, to Mtesa’s astonishment, employed nearly the same words, and delivered the same responses. The remarkable fact that two white men, who had never met before, one having arrived from the south-east, the other having emerged from the north, should nevertheless both know the same things, and respond in the same words, charmed the popular mind without the burzah as a wonder, and was treasured in Mtesa’s memory as being miraculous. As the result of these conversations, Mtesa, who can read Arabic, caused the Ten Commandments of Moses to be written on a board for his daily perusal, as well as the Lord’s Prayer and the command of the Saviour, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’”

The encouragement given to Mr. Stanley by his success with Mtesa, caused him to send forth his famous appeal, resulting in the establishment of a mission station at Uganda by the Church Missionary Society of London. He seems, also, to have pursued his work during his stay of several months with Mtesa. Meanwhile, an opportunity was afforded him of testing the genuineness of Mtesa’s conversion. The Wavuma were waging fearful warfare upon Mtesa, during which, his scouts succeeded in capturing one of their principal chiefs. Mtesa was in high glee, and caused to be gathered a large quantity of fagots with which to burn his prisoner. “Now, Stamlee,” he said, “you shall see how a chief of Uvuma dies. He is about to be burnt. The Wavuma will tremble when they hear the manner of his death.” “Ah! Mtesa,” I said, “have you forgotten the words of the good Book, which I have read to you so often—If thy brother offend thee, thou shalt forgive him many times,—Love thy enemies,—Do good to them that hate you?” “Shall this man not die, Stamlee? Shall I not have blood for him, Stamlee?”—“No, Mtesa, no more blood; you must stop this pagan way of thinking. It is not Mtesa the good. It is not Mtesa the Christian. It is the savage; I know you now.” “Stamlee, Stamlee, wait a short time and you shall see.” “An hour afterward, I was summoned by a page to his presence, and Mtesa said: ‘Stamlee will not say Mtesa is bad now, for he has forgiven the Mvuma Chief, and will not hurt him.’”

Mr. Stanley, however, though he had translated for Mtesa the Gospel of St. Luke entire, prepared for him an abridged Bible, selected a site for a church, and detailed the boy Dallington—a pupil of the Universities’ Mission at Zanzibar—to remain at Uganda and serve as a missionary, did not feel that he had provided sufficiently for the spiritual wants of his convert. “A few months’ talk,” he says, “about Christ and His blessed work on earth, though sufficiently attractive to Mtesa, is not enough to eradicate the evils which thirty-five years of brutal, sensuous indulgence have stamped on the mind. This, only the unflagging zeal, the untiring devotion to duty, and the paternal watchfulness of a sincerely pious pastor, can effect. And it is because I am conscious of the insufficiency of my work, and his strong evil propensities, that I have not hesitated to describe the real character of my ‘convert.’ The grand redeeming feature of Mtesa, though founded only on self-interest, is his admiration for white men. By his remarks, he proved he had a very retentive memory, and was tolerably well posted in his articles of belief. At night I left him, with an earnest adjuration to hold fast to the new faith, and to have recourse to prayer to God, to give him strength to withstand all temptations that should tend to violate the Commandments written in the Bible.”

Mr. Stanley’s long intercourse with the tribes of the interior enabled him to discover many traits of character that indicate the aptitude of the negro to receive religious truth. On one occasion, he had dwelt a long while in giving account of great works of art and science, commerce, agriculture, and material wealth; when he turned to the discussion of the grand themes of Scripture and Divinity, the interest in the latter subject was so intense that Mr. Stanley determined to devote himself, with renewed energy, to the promulgation of the doctrines of the Christian faith, discovering—what others had learned before—that the negro has a remarkable appreciation of the things of religion. He gives an incident, which occurred at Mowa Falls, on the Livingstone River, that displayed a quality of heart very suggestive to those interested in the salvation of the pagan.

Uledi, the faithful coxswain who had dared every danger, and proved dutiful and faithful for years and months, having robbed the Expedition of a quantity of beads, a council of chiefs was called, and the question was submitted as to what his punishment should be. One of the most reliable and steady men replied, “Well, master, it is a hard question. Uledi is like our elder brother, and to give our voice for punishing him, would be like asking you to punish ourselves; yet, master, for our sakes beat him only just a little.” Mr. Stanley then inquired of Shumari, who was Uledi’s brother, what punishment he should meet to the thief. “Ah, dear master,” Shumari said, “it is true Uledi has stolen, and I have scolded him often for it. I have never stolen. I am but a boy. Uledi is my elder. But please, master, as the chiefs say he must be flogged, give me half of it, and, knowing it is for Uledi’s sake, I shall not feel it.” “Now, Saywa, you are his cousin. What do you say?” Young Saywa advanced and said, “The master is wise. All things that happen he writes in a book. Perhaps, if the master will look in his book, he may see something in it about Uledi—how he has saved many men, whose names I cannot remember, from the river; how he worked harder on the canoes than any three men; how he has been the first to listen to your voice always. Uledi is my cousin. If, as the chiefs say, Uledi should be punished, Shumari says he will take half of the punishment; then, give Saywa the other half, and set Uledi free. Saywa has spoken.” It would seem that persons with such instincts as these indicated above, would readily come to appreciate and accept the sacrifice of Him by whose stripes we are healed.

A thorough perusal of Mr. Stanley’s “Through the Dark Continent” can hardly fail to arouse in the hearts of those yearning to heal “that open sore of the world,” sympathy and fellowship with him. He had his imperfections, and met with obstacles which brought them sharply into view; but the good he accomplished will be the longest remembered. His noble self-denial, after reaching the West Coast, as seen in his fidelity to his pagan followers, indicates characteristics worthy of profound admiration. Instead of leaving their conduct round the Cape of Good Hope to Zanzibar to the charge of others, and rushing on himself, to receive the plaudits of the proudest courts of the civilized world, he quietly and patiently cared for all their wants, for weary months, returning them to their homes and friends, and rewarding them with the liberality of a father’s affection, which will be lovingly remembered among the tribes from whence his servants came, long after his rich and costly gifts of material things have perished.

All this will be worth something yet to the cause of missions. “When we were gliding,” he says, “through the broad portals [of the Congo] into the ocean, turning to take a farewell glance at the mighty river, I felt my heart suffused with the purest gratitude to Him whose hand had protected us, and who had enabled us to pierce the Dark Continent from east to west, and to trace its mightiest river to its ocean bourn.” That gratitude, we believe, is shared by a mighty host of the followers of Him who shall have dominion from sea to sea—who are already echoing the last words of Mr. Stanley’s book—_Laus Deo, Laus Deo_.

* * * * *

THE INDIAN AGENTS WE NEED.

The vacancy in the Indian Agency, referred to in the last number of the MISSIONARY, has been filled; but, as other vacancies are likely to occur from time to time, applications, with proper credentials, may be forwarded to this office.

As to the qualifications necessary, we can state nothing more clearly than we find it given in an article, which we republish below, from the Springfield _Republican_, written by a gentleman who seems thoroughly familiar with Indian affairs. We will only repeat that an Indian Agency is no sinecure, and should be undertaken by no man who is not thoroughly competent and self-sacrificing:

A residence of two years at an agency in Dakota gave the writer unusual opportunities for observation of the requirements of this service. The popular impression seems to be that this office is a sinecure, affording retirement for decayed politicians and inefficient goodies, whereas the service is, when faithfully performed, an arduous one, requiring exceptional and diversified ability.

The agent must have executive capacity, together with that rare selective faculty that recognizes at sight a competent man for a given place. The character of the agency force of employés, and the quality of their work, reflects the personality of the agent. The progress of the Indians in the schools, and in learning to work for their own support, is in proportion to the efficiency of the agent as an executive. A vigorous, capable man infuses his spirit into his subordinates, and, in a more limited degree, into the natives.

The agent needs judicial knowledge. No laws are in force on Indian reservations, with a few exceptions, but the treaties with the Government. The administration of justice and the punishment of crime are left to the agent, with such coöperation as he can secure from the Indian chiefs. He settles family quarrels, neighborhood disputes, complaints against Indians by neighboring whites, questions of the boundary of lands and the ownership of property. He receives acknowledgments of deeds, executes contracts, administers estates and takes depositions. Crimes of all degrees, from petty theft to murder or arson, come under his jurisdiction, and he is often compelled to administer punishment almost as arbitrarily as the captain of a man-of-war. He is even called upon sometimes to prepare a code of laws for a tribe in an advanced state of civilization.

Business ability and experience are indispensable qualifications. The agent has to purchase miscellaneous supplies amounting to from $5,000 to $50,000 annually, on contract or in open market. The opening of bids and awarding contracts on sample requires actual acquaintance with the market, and experience in judging of the quality of goods of every variety. He needs the experience and judgment of a first-class country merchant. If the agent is an incompetent buyer, contractors and merchants are quick to discover the fact and profit by it. A knowledge of accounts is essential. Accurate returns of every item of cash and property received and expended, are required by law, and are subjected to most rigid scrutiny. Absolute correctness, in both matter and form, is required, and ignorance of methods is not admitted as an excuse for errors.