Newspaper Page Text
The Christian Index.
ESTABLISHED 1521.)
CEOBCII BAPTIST NEWS.
—The C rawfordville Democrat publishes a
card signed by the Rev. Gad. 8. Johnson,
paster of the colored Baptist church, at Craw
fordville, ’warning the brethren of a colored
man who calls himself “Rev. Holt, Profes
sor,’ and claims to boa missionary. He
claims to be from Greenville, 8. C. He gives
exhibitions of a panorama. He is now on
the way to Washington or Athens.
—Rev. J. T. Smith, a graduate of Mercer
university, has been elected principal of the
Excelsior High School, to till the vacancy
caused by the resignation of Sir T H
Potter.
—Alluding to the lecture delivered last
week in Savannah, by the pastor of the Bap
tist church, Rev. Timothy Harley, for Hie
benefit of a fund to purchase a library for the
Sunday-school teachers of the church, the
Savannah News says:
Rev. Air. Harley, as our readers are well
aware, is an orator of considerable ability and
eloquence, and his subject last evening was
one , , m , which h ! s deep interest and esteem
enabled him to present in the most enter
taining manner, “ The Life of George White
fild,” the famous preacher, the friend of
Georgia and the founder of that grand charity,
jj Savannah is so justly proud, the
Bethesda Orphan Asylum, gave excellent
scope for the eloquence for which the lecturer
is noted. The career of the great evangelist
was depicted in beautiful language, and the
lecture, a most entertaining one, was listened
to throughout with marked attention. A
synopsis, such as our limited space would
permit in this issue, would mar it of its
beauty and its interest, but we hope that the
opportunity will be granted us to present it in
full at some future time, confident that it will
be perused with profit and pleasure.
—The Ellijiy Courier sayß:
At an election held at the Baptist church
in this place, Rev. N. L. Osborn was re
elected as pastor of the church for next year.
Mr. Oiborn is greatly beloved by the member*
of this church, and they are to be congratulat
ed on selecting him for another year.
—Rev. J. H Campbell of Columbus, pub
lishes a card calling upon the citizens to aid
the destitute in that city. He says ihat hun
dreds are suffering great misery for lack of
food and neuessay c!< thing.
—Mr. Reuben Biatrigh), one of the oldist
citiiens of E nannel county, died on the 11th
inst. Mr Biatright was birn in Emanuel
county on the 17th of Feb., 1794. He resided
in the county of his nativity the greater part
of his li f e. He was married twice, and waa
the father of 21 children, 13 by his first wife,
. and eight by the second. In 1846 while
butchering a beef he cut himself in the thigh,
severing the main artery, and amputation of
The limb was found necessary in order to save
his life. He united with the Baptist church
in 1836,and remained a consistent member up
to the time of his death. His last wife sur
vivea him.
The post-office of Gainesville has been ten
dered by the President to Gen. Longetreet.
He ha mt is yet sign. fled his acceptance.
—The Griffin News says:
The members of the Colored Missionary
Baptist Church, of Brooks’ Btation, have ne
gotiate! for a church building, which is to
cost $175. Rev. Augustus Dickmn, a'worthy
colored pator of this city, is taking an active
interest in getting up the nece-wary funds.
The citizens’ of Brooks ft .lion have contrib
uted fifty dollar*. The bilance is to be raig
ed by private subscription. Alany of our citi
iens, who are usually liberal in such matters,
have already contributed lt is a worthy pur
pose, and we commend Mr. D'ckson, and the
cause in which he labors to our citizens, and
trust their subicription will be liberal.
—Brother James Barrow writing from
Bowdon, 17th inst., says that the brethren of
the church there have had a good meeting
this month. The pastor, brother Scott
preaches able sermons. The Bunday School
is flourishing. Brother J. W. Beck, of Ox
ford, Alabama, has bren elected President
of Bowdon College. By request, he deliver
ed a very fine lecture to the Sunday school
oa the subject “Watch.’’ The college will
open on the third Wednesday in January.
The prospect* of the college under its new
president are most excellent.
—The Forest (Jefferson) News, of Decem
ber 21st., says: Rev. Mr. Ilaygood held
services in the Baptist church on last Sun
day night for the last time.
—Rev. J. O. Harris, a Baptist minister
living in Madison county. Florida, recently
paid a visit to Quitman, his former place of
residence.
—llev. C. M. Irwin preached last Sab
bath and Saturday before, at Hickoiy Head
Baptist church, as we learn from the Quit
man Reporter.
—The subscriptions to aid in building a
Baptist house of worship at Waynesboro, ar*
coming in encouragingly. It is hojed that
the work will soon begin. The Expositor of
last week says:
“The people of Hephzibih are noted for
their generous liberality. We are informed
that they have subscribed over six hundred
dollars towards building the Baptist church
at this place. Such kindness is heartily ap
preciated by the citizens of our community.”
—The Albany Newsmjs: “Talking about the
institutions of Albany, the Ladies’ Association
of the Baptist church is one of the noblest and
most unselfish, not only in the city, but in the
State-”
—The Augi s:a A’eim, of the 19 h says: “Rev.
W. W. Landrum, pator of the First Baptist
Cbur;h of lh : a city, will deliver a lecture in
Macon 10-dfcrrow evening on “Southern Pro
vincialism.” Our Macon friends may expect
somt thing unusually good on the occasion*
In this city, where the reverend gcntlcm n is
so well known, bis popularity as a minister
and sneaker is almost unbounded.”
Rev. A. J. Beck has accepted cilia to
serve the Tennille Baptist chu’ch and Jack
son’s church during the next year.
—The Convention of fertilizer manufacturers
and dealers called to meet in Augusta on the
18th inst., was called to put the business on a
sounder basis. The Savannah Aetna says:
Fertilizers in the cotton States are mostly
sold on what is known as the cotton option ;
that is, a ton of fertilizers is sold for so many
dollars, but the planter can discharge the debt
by paying so many pounds of middling cotton,
and as manufacturers based their prices ex
pecting to realize ten cents per pound for the
cotton and received about seven and a half
cents, tlie hoped for profit lias been converted
into a serious loss. We learn the stock of some
of the companies lias declined from forty to
fifty cents on the dollir.
THECHRISTiM INDEX
Publication Room*—27*nd29 South-Broad Street
Editorials.
AT lIIK CLOSE.
The sense of duty—the conviction that we
are responsible creatures, of whom an account
of our stewardship of earthly affairs, with
refereucc both to time and eternity, will some'
time be demanded, is ever present in the heart.
We cannot get away from the feeling, any more
than we can get away from the sight of the
sky above our heads, or from the shadow cast
by our own body. Its demands are inexorable.
As Longfellow says:
“ Labor with what zeal we will.
Something still remains undone,
Something uncompleted still
Waits the rising of the sun.”
At the close of the year this feeling is ex
ceptionally strong, and the time presses the
sentiment of the quoted lines with peculiar
force upon our attention. There is so much
to do, and we have done so little. How many
opportunities we now remember to have had!
but we neglected them ; they lingered a mo
ment, but we refused or neglected to grasp
them, and they flew on swift wings away—
away into the unrecoverable past.
To do good, to live for God and for man
kind, to be a true soldier, steadfast at
of duty; to pray, to watch ; to be pure, Christ-*
like, helpful, to love and practice virtue, to
hate aud avoid vice—have toe done so? have
ire boon so ? The conviction ofdireliction in all
of these particulars presses upon the soul with
an almost insupportable weight, and we loth
ourselves for our weakness in matters essential
to our happiness, here and hereafter. Were it
not for the all sustaining grace of God, for the
merciful influence of the spirit of Christ, for
tlie blessed hope that, star-like, shines through
tlie gloom which our self-accusing soul gath
ers around our life, de-perate indeed would be
our condition.
Thank God, for the new year ! In its train,
led by the sober spirit of R-flsction, we find
stern-eyed Resolution, determined to make
amends for our shortcomings during the past
year; Charity, with her celestial features illu
mined with loving smiles for the whole world ;
crooned with the royi'l grace of her
ministry; Love, with its garlands of imperial)’
able 11 iwers, and her heavenly aongß ; Truth,
with her brow radiant as the sun, and her form
of peerless majesty ; Hope, with her tongue of
golden eloquence and her cheerful laughter,
and fairer than all, Faith, in her robeofglorv,
her eyes fixed with unuttersb’e longing upon
the Cross and the Crown, the emblem oLDeath
and the Resurrection !
In ruch blessed company it is well to j in
with earnes l , grateful and reverent heart.
They come with the new year, and offer to ac
compiny us in oir pilgrimage to the grave.
It is wisdom to accept the gentle invitation
It is Eternal Life never to part from this c iml
-
BEACONSFIFLU.
The genius ol' Lord Beaconsfield has sur
rounded the present government of Great
Britain with a halo of glory, which dazzles
the eye of the populace, and which serves to
hide, in the convenient glare, many of tlie
dark defects of his foreign policy. Presum
ing upon the high position he has achieved
in the estimation of a majority of the Eng
lish people for the astute and brilliant man
ner with which he managed British interests
at the Berlin Conference, he looks upon
himself as the infallible representative of tbe
British Empire, as the soul < f its policy, and
the arbitf rof its fa’e. His inordinate ambi
tion, big disregard of the opinion of even the
most exalted of his contemporaries, his im
perious demands, and despotic denuncia
tion of any who may dare to cross his path,
or question either his power or his presumed
infallibility in S'ate-craft, are the qualit'es
that have called a stern, relentless and pow
erful opposition, which is making itself felt
everywhere-
Aware that something decisive had to be
done to keep the splendor of bis administra
tion up to tbe standard set by bis ambition,
Beacon-field, by an admirable stroke of
piolicy, diverted the attention of the people
from himself to distant Afghanistan. Un
duly impugning the motives of Russia, and
exaggerating the situation of affairs in India,
and invoking the spirit ot conquests inher
ent in the Anglo Saxon race, he managed to
precipitate the country into a war on the
Indian frontier, whose results can, at beat,
be of small value to England as a matter of
territorial aggrandizement, and which may
result disastrously to British interests here
after, should England, .in consequence of
Beaconslield’s vindictive and selfish policy,
became involved in dangerous difficulties
with European powers.
A phase of the Beaconsfteld policy in refer
ence to Oriental affairs is quite disreputable,
and that is the suppression or unwarranta
ble garbling of the trutli in tlie government
dispatches and communications as given to
the public. This has called forth severe
censure in Parliament, the press, excepting
the organs under the control of Beaconsfteld
an 1 bis adherents, have not been slow in
denouncing the trickery. An effective an
tidote to this bad method of manufacturing
public opinion, is fouud, also, in the enter
prise and integrity of such metropolitan
journals 89 the News, and Standard, who
Literature -—Secular Editorials - Cuireni Notes and News.
ATLANTA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1878.
have reliable correspondents in those regions,
and who are not afraid to publish what they
write. Thanks to the freedom of the Press!
The prestige which Beaconsfteld has ac
quired, and which he is now holding With
desperate tenacity, and by all means, good
or bad, depends solely upon a brilliant and
rapid campaign, without the slightest check
or reverse to the arms of Great Britain. In
the blaze of illuminated towns the becloud
ed sun of the Premier may regain its wonted
lustre for a_ time; the triumphal roar of
cannon may drown the murmurs cf discon
tent, and tlie warning voice of the opposi
tion. But it is a dangerous expedient, nev
ertheless. “The English nation,” says a
well-informed English writer, “is just now
in a cynically defiant mood, in which it
laughß at justice or honor, and admires
bluster and blood. But it is doubtful how
far and how long it would be safe to pnsu ne
on the continuance of this humor. Such a
democracy as that to which Lord Beacons
field’s cabinet has appealed may be easily
converted from a sneering scepticism in truth
and humanity, to an embittered and revolu
tionary distrust in Lord Beaconsfleld’s cabi
net itself. Nor will matters be mended for
the government when the fact is fairly real
ized that this cabinet, which now protests
against the idea of falling a dupe to Russian
machinations in anything, really acquiesced
in, aud connived, at Russian intrigue iu
, Afghanistan six months ago.
“Honesty is tlie best policy” in the high
est as well as in the most mercenary sense
of these words. A home spun truth is more
than a match for tlie most brilliant lie. A
government can inspire confidence and com
mand the world’s respect only when it makes
the laws of God, and the divine principles ol
humanity, the rule of action iu small as well
as in great affairs. Under its present adminis
tration E 'gland, wo fear, has not successful
ly followed a policy such as honesty aud
true wisdom can approve.
GEORGIA NEWS.
—Snow fell to the depth of two inches at
Lafayette, Walker county, Monday night, the
9th inst.
—An attempt was recently made by two
negroes to plunder the bank at Fort Valley.
They were discovered, but managed to escape
—CThe puWi< library irvKortw alley is in a
very flourishing condition. '♦
—Mayor E. G. Wilkins, of Columbus, has
refused to accept ot the increase cf salary
tendered by the City Council.
—Governor Colquitt has approved the
Brunswick and Albany railioadact.
—William Allen, of Jackson county, is the
oldest of thirteen brothers, all of whom were
in tbe war, and met from different sections of
the South on dress parade at Richmond, Vir
ginia, at one time. Four only survived tlie
conflict. Mr. Allen is now tbe father of
fourteen children, all F ring—eleven sons and
three daughters.
—Mr. J. R. Wiklehas been appointed po-t
--inaster at Cartersville, Ga., and Mr. A. A.
Fletcher at Marietta.
—The Governor has re-appointed the old
Board of Trustee* of the Lunatic Asylum for
the ensuing two years.
—Mr. John K. Seliecut is going to publish a
new paper in Madison.
Work lias been commenced on the new
union passenger depot, in Augusta. It is to
occupy the site of the old one, and will be one
of the finest in the South.
—The Montezuma Weekly says that appli
cation will be made, very soon, for a charter
for the “ Flint River Steam Navigation Com
pany.”
—The-e are many wil l cats in Gilmer
county.
Proceedings have already commenced to
contest the municipal ehetion in Macon. Able
practitioners have drawn the bill of injunction
re-training the new Mayor, Aldermen and
City Treasurer from going into i ffice. It em
braces twenty specifications, such as fraud, ir
regularities in registration, appointment of
managers, non-payment of taxes, illegal reg
istration, nnn-naturalisa ion, and others.
Judge Grice gran'eJ the temporary injunction
and the case will be argued on it* merits, and
it will doubtless be carried to the Supreme
Court.
—Dr. McFerrin raised four thousand and
fi'ty dollars for the publishing bouse at the
South Georgia Conference.
—Dr. Grten has been elected Mayor of
Gsloesville.
—The most important bill of the recent
eeesiort of the Legislature and which has been
signed by the Governor, was in relation to the
iarue of a half m 1 lion ot four |>er cent, bonds.
The-e bond-", to be known as the Garrard
bonds, from the name of the author, will be in
denominations of $5 to SIOO. They are in
tended to give the maa?es of the people a
chance for a rate, local, lucrative investment,
that can be nude with tbe weekly ssvings ot
laborers, clerks, etc. Their idzs will be a
n ivel feature. They will be precisely the size
of a five dollar greenback bill, with the cou
pons tiny aod snug on the lower edge of the
bond. The smallnesg of theu size anddenom
ina'ion will cause them lo be largely used in
commercial transactions, and will thus enlarge
the State currency without inflating it. The
bonds will run aix year* and cannot be sold at
leas than par. This is the first attempt of a
Southern Slate to float bonds at as low a rate
as four per cent.; but it is already a-certained
that these bonda will go rapidly. Nearly the
whole loan has already been bespoken. They
will be issued in the month of January, lo
meet the Nutting bonds, wlocli will fall due
on February 1. It is notable that these bonda
will uupplant a s-Tiea of eight per cents , thus
saving just one-half of the interest arcount. If
this issue ol half a million is promptly taken
at par, the L‘gialaiure will issue another half
million iu July to retire seven per cenls
with. It iB the opinion of the Treasurer,
bankersand finance committees, that the iu
terest of the Stale debt of over $9,000,000,
now averaging a triflle over seven jier cent.,
can be reduced to four per ctnt. Of course
not a dollar of increase will lie made to the
bonded debt. The bonds issued will be ee.-d
exclusively in retiring falling due binlq or
purchasing outstanding bond-.
Htti !>i|ljti*tloß of the South.
Among the many excellent ariicles in re
cent issues of The Index, not one has elicited
more general 'atrifaetion than that growing
out of the pc-", lion of the New York Examiner
and Chronicle in regard to political matters in
the South. 4 rong and temperato in tone,
and exhaustive in both induction and deduc
tion, it is ptg'n and pointed. The reply of
the Examiner and Chronicle, covering seven
lines, which, from charity, I forbear to quote,
i* suggestive- The most casual leader must
now he peraueded that our Northern brethren
will die in ignorance. The.-e several arlie'es
suggest the above caption. Two things con
tradict the declaration so common on South
ern lips iiSSsfSJiately after the surrender of
our arm'es- that we were not conquered but
over-run. The fir.-t of these facta is the eager
ness witli wh ch our people have sought after
Northern approval, and the easy spiiit with
which they -have accepted the mouldings of
our customs and institutions according to
Nor.hern models. The second, the extreme
anxiety with which we have sought to dis
abuse the Ki nds of that people of errone
ous impressions about the condition of things
among us. These two things have resulted in
a tone of patronage on their pait toward us,
and ot judicial amhori y, utterly incunpatib'e
i h the relations of equals. The desire to
improve always prompts a thoughtful consid
eration of ihe condition of o'hem as an incen
tive and guide to the attainment of that desire,
and to accpt, with such readiness as is consis
tent with dignity, their oflered help. A rea
sonable re pact for the good opinion of others,
always prompt* to the c ireA Uon of misrepre
sentHttsiw, and misapprehensions. But more
than tbV®wiiicopffstent with se’f-respect and
indicative of subjugation. We are not abso
luh ly dependent upon the North, though our
oonduot would indicate that we feel so. It
will be a foitunate day fir our entire country
when the people and press shall de'ermine to
maintain unbroken silence toward iliem on
hose joints in which we have been so per it
emly tn art-presented. Let us imitate the ex
arnp'e otour Savior and Lord, Jesu* Christ
“And he auswered him to never a word inso
much that tl.e Governor marvelled.” Matt.
27:14. C. D. Campbell.
We iiave Rome little fear that the above
letter !be misconstrued by rome who may
pomibly read it, but our lespeet an 1 great af
ire ion f r the writer forbid that we s' ou'd
withhold anything from the pubFc that he
may desire to say. lie is cerla nly right in
saying that the Southern jicople generally
have anxiously sought for Nothern approval.
Why should they not ? We should be glad to
make rnrse've* so good a peop'e ai to secure
llic-.j- vatjnfit only ot those who live North
of u, i®. of we wb-ler world. He is right
too, in saying that we have been, an 1 are ex
tremely anxious to disabuse the minds of our
neighbors of false impressions, which they
entertain concerning in. We see no harm in
this. No man likes to he misrepresented,and if
a whole community is slandered, we do not
see why the community ahould not repel tl e
slander. We are believed by many to be a
c Humanity of cut-throats; the wildest of those
who are thus misled, will admit that we are
uot af! villains aud murderers, but still insist
that the spirit of the Southern people, as a
whole, is what they call the “ spirit of the
bludgeon and the shotgun.” Of course we
know, that human life is as safe here as it is
anywhere on this continent; but some people
who live a long way off know (as they say)
that this is not the case. We are sorry that
they should hold us in such low esteem. They
will probably live and die entertaining their
present opinions. We are sorry for that also.
We contradict their damaging statements, not
with any view of changing their minds, for we
know that to be impossible, but simply to
place ourselves right on tlie record. We
think our correspondent is wrong, in saying
that “we have accepted the moulding of our
customs and institutions according to North
ern Models.” We have seen nothing of this.
On the contrary our observation is, that when
Northern people come here to live they almost
invariably, adopt our customs. Some few
very extreme men hold out for awhile, but
they will be obliged to succumb eventually ;
or, at least, if they do not their children will.
It is our opinion that if the whole population
of the North and South could exchange
places, and forget their traditions, it would
be fund in course of a generation or two,
that they had mutually exchanged customs
and character. Our circumstances have made
us what we are, and would make any other
people of the same blood just wliat we are.
If our Northern neighbors wish to make us
exactly like themselves, they must change
the sky above us, and the ground beneath us,
and the air around us ; they must change the
climate, and nuke it exactly like theirs ; they
must change the soil, and its productions, and
all our surroundings. This will require great
study of climatology, gfoiogy, mineralogy,
meteorology and other sciences. While they
arc mastering these various branches of knowl
edge, we shall go on just as we are, and we
have not the least fear of being subjugated.
On the contrary, we should be glad to have
some thousands of our Northern friends take
up their residence in our glorious Southern
land, for we well know they would soon be
come good Southerners live ourselves. The
circumstances above referred to, would soon
subjugate them. Tlie causes which produce
difference of customs and character, grow out
of the nature of things. These causes will
continue to operate, and these differences to
exist, probably until the end of time. Shall
we quarrel about it ?
—The Georgia House of Representatives, at
tlie se sion just t<rminated, spent thrie thous
and two hun Ired dollars for clerical service,
against between eleven and twelve thousand
dollars spent for the sane service of the last
session before.
SPIRIT OFOCR MAGAZINE LITERATURE.
—The extreme depression in the commer
cial and financial circles of Great Britain,
acts injuriously upon current literature, and
English publishers and booksellers are loud
iu their complaints.
—lt is stated that Bret Ilarte’s “Heathen
Chinee,” which first brought his peculiar
genius into notice, wag -.furnished by the
author while acting as editor of the Overland
Monthly, to supply the foreman’s unexpected
demands fbr “more copy,” to fill one or two
pages magazine. To meet editorial
emergencies of this kind some of the'most
brilliant effusions of the day have been in
voked, by the pen of the journalistic “ready
writer,”
—Euglish critics, with an unpleasant
amount of trull), charge Americans with an
undue and toadyish admiration for foreign
literature, to the evident injury of our own.
Wo buy the works of English, French and
German writers, praise and imitate their
style, aud make up our libraries from them,
while some of the best of American authors
are entirely overlooked, and oftentimes per
mitted to die unnoticed. Has America no
literary pride ?
—Chatlerton recorded in a book which he
took with him from Bristol to London, that
for nine months’ labor in London he re
ceived from the booksellers, for whom he
wrote, $24.00 For the “Consuliad,” a poem
of over 270 lines, he got $2.60, and Mr.
Hamilton, owner of a magazine, gave him
for two contributions, 50 cents, and for six
teen songs which he published, $2.00
—ln a recent number of the Stationary
Trade Journal we find a brief yet graphic
dissertation on the Spanish language, the
purest, best preserved of all the Latin ton
gues. It is unrivalled in the pliancy with
which it.adapts itself to the expression of
the finest shades of feeling, and in its musi
calness. It is au almost perfect instrument for
the purposes of prose and poetry. Sentiment
and passion can call upon its resources, and
will find them inexhaustible. Like the
Troubadours of southern France and north
ern Italy, and the “Minnesingers” of Ger
many, the romancercs, or ballad-singers, of
Spain in the middle ages enriched the liter
ature ot their sunny land with the rarest ore
of the native muse. They were the bards of
the people, the interpreters of the spirit dom
inant in castle and cot. They sang ot every
thing, a romance of religion or love, a rustic
madrigal, a heroic deed, a version of politi
cal or civil history, of noble ladies, of right
and wrong, of liberty. They drew their
themes from the heart, the head and the
hand.
Since then, Spanish literature has declined
wofully, as the whole land has declined in
art, in science, and political influence. But
still its language remains, grand, beautiful,
and full of power of the highest kind.
The article alluded to has a practical sug
gestion in regard to the Spanish language,
worthy ol the serious reflection of American
students, in the fact, namely, that it c im
petus with the English for the mastery of
the New World. With tlie single exception
of Brazil, the language ol the South Ameri
can States is also the dominant language of
the Webt ladies, Central America and Mex
ico. These are our neighbors, and they fur
nish the nearest markets for our mi-plus
goods, as well as the sources of many of our
importations. Every year draws the com
mercial ties between us more closely, and
every year makes a knowledge of Spanish
speech more and more valuable to our man
ufacturers and merchants.
—JamesParton, in The North American Re
view for November—December, has a reada
ble paper on “Antipathy to the Negro.” It
is, on account of its brevity, necessarily
sketchy in treatment, and, though neither
profound nor philosophical, it is suggestive
reading, non-partisan and timely. The
writer touches upon the opinion held by
some of the fathers of the Republic, and emi
nent American statesmen of the past, rela
tive to the mental, social and political con
dition of the negro in this country. Wash
ington’s thought of freeing the slaves without
removing them ; Jefferson’s amiable and im
possible project of educating the slaves in
science, ai t and industry, and sending them
gradually away to some “convenient” part
of the earth, to shift for themselves, the re
turning vcbsels to be filled with first-class
white immigrants to supply their places ;
Madison’s Utopian project to settle the
Western wilderness with them, purchasing
them from their masters for six hundred
millions of dollars, to be paid out of the
United States Treasury, etc.
The writer sketches the intense and uni
versal antipathy to Ihe negro prevailing
North and South, forty years ago, giving
several amusing anecdotes in illustration of
this feeling, and an account of the very ser
ious and outrageous proceedings of the in
habitants of a Connecticutt town who, en
masse rose against a colored Female Board
ing School, which had been established there
by Miss Crandall, destroying it, root and
branch, with bludgeon and fire. This was
A. D. 1832.
The writer then enters into a discussion
of the subject of race antipathy and color
repugnance, declaring them superffcial and
ungenuine, and yielding to the influence of
better knowledge and juster human rela
tion:’.
I $2.60 A YEAR IN ADVANCE
He readily admits the mental inferiority
of the black race. Glancing over their mod
ern history in this particular, Parton shy ;•
"To the’present hour the negro Jias contrib
uted nothing to the intellectual resourced ot
man.” But the negro is, what the Indian is
not —namely, capable of improvement.
“The negro,” he says, “takes readily to the
hoe and the spelling book. He clings to the
soil that boro. him. He improved under
slavery from generation to generation, and
nowhere so rapidly as in the Southern States,
for nowhere else was he treated so well as
there The South is most happy
in possessing hinf, for it is through his as
sistance that there will be the grand agricul
ture in the which cannot
flourish unless there is a class to labor and
individuals to contrive. The Northern far
mer is sourrounded by conditions not favor
able to his improvement, for his task is ex
cessively hard. Nature Is not gracious to
him, and efficient aid is beyond his means.
The Southern farmer, by the black man’s
help, can be a “scholar and a gentleman,’'
and at the same time secure aud elevate the
black man’s life."
We quote the closing paragraph of the
article entire:
The cruelest stroke ever dealt the negro,
since the time when he was torn from his
native land, was hurling him unprepared into
politics. If this was designed as revenge
upon the master, it was a master-piece of
malign policy. This it is that keeps antipa
thy alive, and postpones the day when white
man and black man, equals before the law,
shall loyally co-operate in extracting wealth
and welfare from the Southern soil. Happi
ly, we have not the choice whether gross
ignorance shall be put out of politics, but
ODly whether it shall be done by artifice, by
violence, or by law; our fellow-citizens of
the South, being unanimously resolved not
to submit to Tweedian government which is
knavery upheld by ignorance. Perhaps,
through their resolute and tempernte opposi
tion, we too, may rise to the he'ght of suppress
ing the scallawag, and placing at the head of
our cities and States their natural chiefs.
When, in some fair and’rational manner,
undeveloped races and immature individuals
have been withdrawn from the reach of the
politician, with tlie glad consent of the in
dus'riotts poor man, whose life has been
made well-nigh insupportable by their con
junction, we shall soon cease to hear of a
color-line; and, it any kind of antipathy re
mains, it wi'l only be that which tends to
the purity and dignity of both the races.
Attention All! —We most earnestly re
quest our brethren to read the article in -
other column, with the title “State Mission
Board,” and signed by our brother J. H.
DeVotie. It contains in small space a large
amount of information of the greatest interest,
and which will be news to most of our readers.
It a most cheering exhibit, and no Baptist can
read it without thanking God that our denom
ination has been able to accomplish so much
valuable work during the year.
Oun Cuami’ion. —During the last few
months we know, and how much longer we do
not know, our brother J. H. DeVotie has
brought more new subscribers to the Index
than any other man in the State; and what is
more, he utterly refuses to take commissions
or to receive compensation for his services, in
any way wli itever. Every dollar and every
cent paid into li is hands for the Index, goes
straight to the Index. His labor is alwolutely
a labor of love. We and our brother may
forget this, but tlie Lord will not
Representative Glover, Chairman of the
Committee on Expenditures in the United
States Treasury, reports that the public and
Congress have been grossly deceived in the
expenditures. The bureau figures are totally
unreliable, and there lias been needless ex
penditures and extravagance in the Bank Note
Printing department wiiliin the past fiscal
year to the extent of over $130,000. The ex
penditures of the Bureau have never been
known since 1874, and it would tike a corps
of clerks six months to ascertain the state of
the accounts.
• - -•
Tlie select committee of the Senate and
House of Representatives will act conjointly
in their investigation of the causes and effects
of the late yellow fever epidemic. Proper ex
perts will be appointed to attend the commit
tees throughout the Southern tour. It is gen
erally agreed that Dr. Woodworth, Superin
tendent of the Marine Hospital Service, and
Drs. Barnes and Cochrane will be placed on
the list. Experts in addition will be selected
—one prominent physician from Philadelphia
and one from New York.
The Christmas holiday number of St.
Nicholas is superb iu its contributions and
illustrations. It contains strongly charac
teristic contributions from John G. Whittier,
Charles Dudley Warner, Julian Hawthorne,
Theodore Winthrop. Frances Hodgson Bur
nett (author of “That Lass o’ Lowrie’s),
Mary Mapes Dodge, Celia Thaxter, Susan
Coolidge, Ilezekiah Buiterwortb, (editor of
“Youth’s Companion’’), Frank R. Stockton
and Olive Thorne.
Among the aitists who contribute the
three score and more pictures of the nulnber
are Frederick Dielman, Alfred Fredericks,
James E. Kelly Alfred ICappes, Addie Led
yard, Fidelia Bridges, Granville Perkins,
Jessie Curtis, Sol Eytinge, .Tr., Kate Green
away, of London, F. 8. Ciurcb, and R.
Sayre.
Michael Connors, a wholesale dealer in
counterfeit national bank notes and trade dol
lars, and the head of a notorious gang of coun
terfeiters, has been convicted in the United
States Circuit Court in New York, and re
manded for sentence.