Mississippi had last year 154,430 colored scholars. It employed 3,124 colored teachers who receive an average of $28.73 per month. North Carolina enrolled, in 1886, 117,562 colored pupils, employed 2,016 teachers of the same race, paying them about the same as its white teachers, $23.38 per month. The colored school population of Tennessee numbers 158,450, of whom 84,624 are enrolled in her 1,563 common schools, which are taught by 1,621 teachers of the same nationality. A county superintendent voluntarily adds: "I should do our colored teachers an injustice not to speak of them. Most of them are earnest, zealous workers, doing all in their power for their race."
Turning now to Texas we find that this State has nearly doubled its enrollment of colored pupils in three years, which now number 62,040, with 1,696 licensed colored teachers who receive on an average, $41.73 per month. Virginia has 111,114 out of a school population of 265,249 with 1,734 colored teachers who receive $28.65 per month.
That is, in eight representative States there are eight hundred thousand colored pupils who are now being trained by over fifteen thousand teachers of the same race. Now the simple but grave question that every Christian patriot ought to ask himself is, "What kind of teachers are these, and where are they to come from in the future?" I asked that question of a gentleman who of all others ought to be able to answer it correctly and he replied, "Nine-tenths of these teachers come from the missionary schools, and of these nine-tenths, more than one-half come from the institutions of the American Missionary Association." Now we can understand the truthfulness of the testimony of the Rev. J.L.M. Curry, D.D., the distinguished agent of the Peabody Fund, who says: "The most that has been done at the South fcr the education of the negroes has been done by the Congregationalists. The American Missionary Association and those allied to it have been the chief agency, so far as benevolent effort is concerned, in diffusing right notions of religion, and in carrying education to the darkened mind of the negro."
Here is the large door that God has opened for us, and through which we are reaching this people, and in a still larger degree may carry the truths of the Kingdom of God to them. What they need most of all is light. Give them that and the question of rights will take care of itself. When I was in New Orleans last May, President Hitchcock, of Straight University, pointed out to me in his office a pile of letters, which, he said, were applications for teachers for these public schools, and those which he showed me represented the number of applications which he was not able to fill. And yet he is compelled every term to turn away scores of young men and young women seeking to fit themselves for just this work, because there is not room for them and because there are not funds to care for them.
As to this new movement in the South, I do not conclude that more than the first step has been taken, exceedingly important as that step is. Many of the schools as yet are in a wretched condition. The buildings in the rural districts are small and rudely built, and many of them are positively unfit to be used as school houses. There are neither maps, nor charts or other appliances for the teacher's use in his work, and in fact everything about these school houses is of the most primitive type. The school year often does not exceed four months, and many of these teachers are altogether unfit for their tasks.
Are we to think the time has come to withhold our support and our prayers from this great work? Was there ever such an opportunity offered to any land as this which is presented to the Christian philanthropy of our own?
I might tell of the needs of the cabin home life as I have seen them in these States, how the scholars from Christian schools are the leaven that is slowly transforming this, the greatest of all human institutions; how while from one-quarter to one-half of the colored population is progressing, gaining in education, property and character, there is another large part of the race that is either stationary or sinking into more miserable conditions. Are we seeking for paganism to battle with? Here it is in our own proud land. Do we want the opportunity of Christianizing a nation? Here it is; and with possibilities just as marked as those of any people that ever ascended the scale of intelligence and Christian morality.
The problem of the New South is not merely one of successful railroads, of busy factories or of paying plantations, but much more is it one of upright, wise, Christian manhood and womanhood. This is the work to which we are most truly called of the Eternal Father.
Nobly has the American Missionary Association entered into these labors; but believe me, there is a larger work before it than it has yet accomplished.
THE SOUTH
LETTER FROM AN EVANGELIST
After my return from England for another winter's service in Gospel work among the people of the South, I began at
WASHINGTON, D.C.
I had promised Rev. G.W. Moore last winter, before sailing for my home in England, to assist him in special religious effort. From the very commencement of the meetings a good spirit was manifest, which deepened day by day until forty or more persons professed faith in Christ, young and old being reached by the power of the gospel. One man sixty-one years of age surrendered to the overtures of God's love and received Christ as his Saviour. Another of seventy-five years was pointed out to me as a hardened sinner. When approached he was full of self and reason, "I don't believe in mourner's benches and such like; do you think my going there will make me a Christian or do me any good?" "No, but it will show the people you are intending to make a start for Heaven, and it will enlist their sympathy and prayers," I replied.
Finally he knelt with me in the aisle with his head bowed on the end of the seat while I prayed. Soon the big tears were dropping from his eyes and he went home that night under conviction. The following night he returned. He was again prayed for, but went away undecided. The next night as soon as inquirers were given an opportunity to present themselves for prayers he was the first to respond, and the sinful man of seventy-five years had yielded his heart to Christ, and could sing from his heart "Happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away." His wife, who was present, rushed forward, and tears of joy ran down their cheeks. Scarcely a dry eye was to be seen, while above all there was joy in Heaven over another sinner saved. Deacon R. came to me afterwards and said, "Why, did you ever see what a change in the man in three days, and at last how he 'caved in.'"
Ten persons made profession of their faith, in January. Two of these were teachers in the public schools. There were four conversions in one family. Since these meetings, many extra services have been held, with fruitful results. There are family altars where none before existed. The work in Washington under Mr. Moore is very hopeful. My next point was
SELMA, ALA.
which I entered full of hopes as to successful meetings, and was not disappointed. During my stay there, lasting three weeks, sixty professed to be converted. Most of these, through the efforts of Rev. C.B. Curtis and his wife, were formed into a "Children's Band," while others joined the churches. This is a most important feature in pastoral work, where the majority of the converts are children. They need to have something that will help them in their spiritual and new life and which may be instrumental in preserving them from temptations, snares and pitfalls, laid to entrap them by the enemy of their souls.
I never before realized how easily people are led away by false teachers, nor saw so manifestly brought out the fulfillment of the Scriptures, [2 Pet. ii, 1] "But there were false prophets among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of."
A man calling himself a "prophet" and a "faith doctor" had been for some time experimenting upon people, both white and black, and professed to cure them of all their ailments. He had been holding meetings in a cottage weekly, and had gathered many followers, who were, alas, for the most part professing Christians. He announced that on the following Sunday he would hold the passover feast, burn the Bible, and, in plain words, would do wonders, the like of which had not been heard of for years. Accordingly, on Sunday morning, with a few of his followers, he came to the house of a Negro, and during the ceremony commanded a white woman to place her head on the table and offer herself as a sacrifice. She refused, upon which a Negro woman laid her head upon the table. He immediately raised an old cavalry sword and, with one blow, nearly severed her head from her body, and then commanded that they should "drag her out at once and put her with her feet towards the East and she will rise after three days."
Soon there was a cry of murder raised; the false prophet was arrested after a struggle, and he, with a number of his followers, was safely lodged in the penitentiary, where it is to be hoped he will at least be kept from cutting off any more women's heads. Oh, how great the need of faithful men to lift up their voices like a trumpet, and spare them not, and show to these needy people, so religiously inclined, the way of truth!
TALLADEGA COLLEGE
was the next place visited. Beginning the New Year, which is usually the "week of prayer," for two weeks the "old, old story" was told on every night among the resident students and scholars. At other times, services would be held in the Cassidy school in the morning, or in the afternoon, as school duties would permit. The Theological class, as well as the teachers and faculty, interested themselves greatly in seeking to win the unsaved to Jesus. Following out the teaching of the New Testament, the students went out two and two in the surrounding neighborhood, calling at the homes of the people, conversing and praying in the family. They often returned with great joy to tell of the success and kindness they had met wherever they went. I am thankful to our blessed Lord to be able to report that not only forty or more of the young people were converted but also that professing Christians were strengthened in faith, all promising to do what God had required of them and to go to their respective homes, some of them hundreds of miles away, to make known a Saviour's love and to carry light as far as possible in the surrounding darkness. While here the Macedonian cry was heard from
JENIFER.
I went there for a brief service. The first night the church was full, although the weather was stormy. The spirit of God brooded over the meeting and five came forward for prayer. The next night still was unpleasant, yet some of the congregation came several miles, and at the close eleven inquirers asked for prayers. A brother in the congregation rose, and, in pleading terms, his voice faltering, begged, "Oh, brodder, please do stop wid us; see de mourners; see de work de Lord is doing; please you brodder don't go away and leab us." After such heartfelt words I could but stay all the week, when sixteen professed to have accepted Christ, or, as they put it, to have "found religion."
Miss Smith, at her home for motherless girls, is doing a noble work here. Rev. J.B. Grant is highly respected by all in the village and has a good name, which is worth more than great riches.
IRONATON
was the next place visited. It was exceedingly muddy and dark, yet the people came out well. At the close of the first meeting the congregation arose en masse and asked that I would remain a day longer, which I did.
MARION, ALA.
I went to Marion with some doubts upon my mind as to the results. The first evening after my arrival I was very sick and threatened with a severe attack of chills and fever, but I was helped to strength enough to preach with difficulty. Twenty-five inquirers asked for prayers. Some that night became "new creatures in Christ Jesus," and every night as the meetings progressed the interest deepened and spread, until other churches were reached by the influence and their services given up that their members might come to our church and share in the work and blessing. Every night large numbers of seekers came to Christ. On one night twelve expressed their faith in a new life. Among the many inquirers was one who for twelve years had been an anxiety to her friends on account of her state of mind, and her conversion caused great joy in the church.
Short morning meetings were held in the various schools in the town, and in a town-school seventeen seekers found the Lord Jesus precious to their souls. Up to this time, during two weeks, more than one hundred profess to have been converted.
I am happy to report that now, with the exception of two or three of the students, all in the new A.M.A. school have been reached by the gospel and are rejoicing that God's love has been shed abroad in their hearts. This blessing can be traced in a great measure to the faithful Scriptural teaching which Rev. A.W. Curtis and his devoted wife had been giving previous to my coming among them, prayer meetings having been held in the church for some time beforehand, and women's meetings at the pastor's home, led by Mrs. Curtis, thus preparing the way for the nightly preaching of the gospel. I go next to Mobile.
JAMES WHARTON, Evangelist.