New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-07-20

great mass Of e1traneOub knoNIcnRc con'ctcu.
Tie teacher took occasion to remind them that
tbey. until few years ago, were in the condition
of slaves, and that il was God who had led them
al,o out 10 freedom al And children" said he,
{" did not tell YOU this morning, but do you know
"I thought il very singular that the man who
moved all the people Of this island to rise and
demand freedom, and who kept them under con-
troll till they gained il, was named Moses also T.
He then hastily related 10 them the history Of the
Instruction. Moses Bourdo was the prime agent
10 this work He visited most of the estates and
laid down the rules and appointed the time for the
rising.
Never did the story Of srselitish bondage so affect
me az when listening to it's incidents from the lips OF
these little ones" of race Of slaves scarcely yet
led bey ond the Red Sea OF their degradation. Emo
tons of sadness and shame, mingled with Others of
pride, t.iumph and majestic might gave an inde
scribsbe expression TO their faces. felt terrified
in their presence. | was awed as by the majesty
of the greatest things In their faces behell the
first fashings of that terrible lightning OF indig
papt wrath which will one day visit MI guilty
race Their accents were 10 my ear the still small
voice the low murmur Of rising storm, when the
Almighty shall shake terribly the earth and array
the black man against his oppreseors.
They were not questioned in arithmetic; but
lad WHO had left the schools followed my carrisee
one CAV, and examining hin in the ground rules
found him quite ready in mental calculations.
Tie teacher told me the parents were much
pleased with their children being thus educated
that the children themselves were Interested, and
that many who bad completed their course at the
schools came from the neghboring estates to
night school kept by him, where they were still
fa tier advanced They certainly showed no un-
usual dullness for persons Oft their AGE, aud seemed
much brighter snd independent than the Occa-
siousl black child in our District schools az home
This instruction OF the rising generations must
be good leaven TO act On the mass OF ignorance,
vice and degradation.
In tIis School / witnessed one ofthose anomalies
common among slave populations, aud often met
with in 81. Thomas. In the crowd OF boys, black
as night was a lad of the purest blonde complexion
hair, eyes skin, features all EurOpean-a white
tulip in bed of the deepest red ones and yet
blending with them perfectly In his feelings and
sympatiies The faint of the most diluted parti-
cles Of African blood was in bis veins.
As to the influence of religion, am sorry TO be
compelled to say that my impressions are not as
hopeful as those already expressed upon the work
OF EdUcation-and not only recent impressions,
but those founded upon the observations and in
auries Of a year and half's residence in the West
Indies. There is undoubtedly a general religion,
Of formal, superficial type; but OF intelligent,
spiritual personal religion, there is next 10 none
certainly Lone in the lower classes. The Gospel,
as administered by its ministers, exerts comforting
Z
is no peace-but its proper and designed work -
education and refinement of the intellect and con-
science il doe not accomplish. IL is matter OF
church connection and church observances, instead
Of the simple relation Of each individual soul TO
God. That idea and It! of religion, by long mis-
guidance, they seem utterly incapable of. . Fol
lowing their church" instead OF following Christ
in purity and freedom from guile or malice in sub
lection of their whole being TO the grand laws Of
God, constitutes their religion; they are safe by
being in tie Church, instead OF being in the favor Of
God, and union to Him by practical love.
No church has been more instrumental for this
state of Thugs than the Episcopal, which where
ever il exists, even if not IN the British Colonies
strives 10 dignity itself with the proud title of
English Church.
If the MOravians administer religion somewhat
less as matter of Churchsm, their religious
teaching lacks the power to educate the heart and
conscience up to voluntary conformity TO the
divine law. What these people need is not com
moDplsce siDg-song homilies but vigorous instruc
ton in practical rehgiOR. They need conversion by
the living power of living Truth. These in my
opinion the prevailing system of preaching and the
religious ideas uculcdted, do not give them.
/ should except however from this general
charge the Wesleyan Missions through the English
ard Dutch islands which from what learn are
doing good work in the right spirit and dlrec-
tion.
There is a vast amount Of vice in the form of
iceniousness, and there seems but an imperfect
Consciousness of its wickedness. Marriage is but
little known though there is growing desire to
live that relation. Instead of that living to-
"gether" in sort of concubinage prevails. This,
after all, is the leading vice of these people.
On the whole, there are grounds of improve
ment in their condition. Freedom put them at
once in favorng conditions. To what extent, to
what position of influence among the worlds ma
tions they may, or it is the design of Providence
they shall rise, is in my opinion stretch OF proph-
ecy not Yet revealed to human ken.
There is no sickly inclination manifested to re-
turn to the immunities from care and personal
responsibility which the patriarchal institution
boasts They cease not to rejoice in their freedom,
and to be grateful for it. asked woman whom
/ accosted day or two since by the wsysde, if
she did not sometimes wish herself slave again,
10 be taken care OF. "Oh, no, Massa when me
" slave me have no time to work for myself; me
"no licked now; now when me sick ne no have
TO work" Alienation of personal rights, extnc-
ton of personal aims, deensoless subsection 10 IN
redressed cruelty-are not these the great wrongs
of Slavery The poor ignorant woman understood
the nature of her recently acquired boon. +. W.
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NORTH WESTERN MARYLAND.