Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-07-02
Foreign Missions.

The Rev. DIR. LAFoN, a returned missionary from
the Sandwich Islands, where he spent some six years.
gave us three highly interesting lectures last Sabbath
and another on Monday evening, on the subject of
missions in general, ard the Sandwich Islands mis-
sion in particular 1t is well known to the public that
DR.. l.. was dismissed from the service Of the Board
some four or five years since, at his own request by
reason, among other things, of the Boards connection
with slavery. He urges, and think clearly demon
straes that oppression constitutes The great obstacle to
the progress of the gospel. This is illustrated by the
history of MISSIONS back to the time of the apos
ties. The gospel, in the hands Of Paul and Peter,
made astonishing progress among the refined and phi
osophic ldoators, who had long enjoyed freedom,
where they labored; while most of the other apostles
whose fields of labor are known to have been where
rigorous oppression had long prevailed, had little or
success, of which record is made. DR.. Lalon re-
CARDS ioatry, when standing upon its own merits, dis
connected from oppression, as no obstacle, compare
avey, to the progress of the gospel that is, the his
tory of missions clearly shows that idolary, when eX
istng simply as the religion of the people, has gener
ally fallen before the first faithful proclamation of the
SOoPClI NHlC luolully5 COlliCCICu Will OPplCooIOi
as in India, where the deyoons of the mass are made
a source of enormous gain to the oppressive rulers,
after more than century of missionary labor,
lifts its bloody head, and Juggernout brushes its vic
TINS in defiance of the power of the gospel
The Sandwich Islands mission has been established
more than % years, and out of about 100000 nhabt
ants, more than 10000 have professedy embraced
christianity larger proportion than in the United
States schools have been established, books printed
and the means of civilization and refinement brought
within the reach of all and yet the great mass Of the
people are mserably degraded, half-fed and half
clothed, and lying, theft and Righteousness still
common vices among them. The common people,
generally speaking, still deporaby stupid, and it
is with the greatest difficulty that those at all advanc-
ed in life can be made to comprehend the clearest
propositions. The children sprghtly and intelec
tua while they feel not the blighting influence of OPP
pression and is acknowledged fact that the Chiefs
as a Glass; mentally decidedly superior to the poo
pie Out of the more than 10000 professed christians
there is only native preacher of the gospel. And
the time appears to be Just far in the future when
the mission first established, when the institutions
of christianity may be safely committed to the hands of
native teachers How can this be accounted for? Dr.
Iaon reasons, and we think correctly, that there has
been fundamental error in the policy of the Amer-
can Board, and in the practice of missionaries under
their direction, in connving at and cOunenancing OPP
presson In the Sandwich Islands, the worst forms of
oppression, ofslavehoding, have been welcomed, I'M
ebuked to the church, and in this way the missionaries
have found favor with the oppressive chiefs, by whose
nstrumentolity multitudes of the people have found
their way into the church. And although in 1889 the
system of oppression which prevailed in these Islands
was somewhat modified and the burdens of the people
partially removed, yet it political movement en-
tircly, and not urged by the missionaries as chris
tan obligation.
We lack both time and space to speak more il de-
tail upon this subject at present. DIR. Lafon evidently
desires to treat the subject in a candid, Christian
ner and while he believes the policy ofthe Board and
its missionaries in connivng at and fellowshipping
the various forms of human oppression which prevail
in the world, for the sake of temporary success have
shorn the gospel of its strength and rendered it pow
erless to renovate the world still he denounces no one
and impugns no ones motives very large amount
of labor in every department of their operations has
been performed by the missionaries; and the only rea-
son that can be given why it has not accomplished
more in renovang the lives and elevatng the charac-
tiers of the people, is, the REFRESHING influence which
oppression exerts against such efforts 1t is conceded
that it is with the best intentions that missionaries have
connived at oppression and made the gospel the
handmaid of its support, by taking the oppressor into
the church; but the correctness of the policy is never
! theless questioned.
lip DIR. Lafon is to remain in the State for some
time. and will labor in behalf of the Union Missionary
Society wherever his services are desired