Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-04-05

in this city. They left US yesterday morning for
Petersburg, where hope they will be proper
ly Appreciated They certainly possess talent
of high order and astonishing cultivation
Their approximations ofcharacter are perfectly
original and very happy. They carry with them
our best wishes for their success, and We hope
it will not be long before they favor city with
another visit.
We surrender the most of this column to day
to the following communication relative to the
African Sabbath School of this city.
COMMUNICATED.
Lynchbufg African Sabbath School.
MEssRs. EDlroRs A political paper seems
hardly the proper channel through which to make
n religious appeal, but, in this place, we have
left the alternative Of fore3 oing lis publication
altogether, | am sure you will waive its appa-
rent appropriateness, and lay before your rea-
ders, for their satisfaction these brief statements
with regard to the formation, condition, manage
ment, and wants of the AFRICAN Sunday school,
and the accompanying suggestions in its behalf
for their serious consideration.
Its formation supernduced by the knowl-
edge of limited number of ladies and gentle.
towns, and that wherever they have been formed
the most beneficial results have been the invari-
able consequence. These, encouraged by such
data and long impressed with the importance
not to say necessity. of such exertions among
our own slaves, met and organized, about five
months since, school for their religious instruc-
ton and, since that timo have continued their
lnbors full of hope aud encouragement. Its CON
diton at this time is highly prosperous. With u
beginning of from 30 to 10 children, this number
is now far more than doubcd,is steadily growing
&,if rot already trebled, wll,at the present rate
of increase, comprising boys girls and adults
inevitably be in few weeks. This alone speaks
volumes for the interest the pupils feel, did the
tcachers themselves not testify to it in the most
nattrrng terms. Its management we wish to be
distinctly understood inasmuah as suspicious
whispers to its propriety have been heard Its
instructors, who are Southerners, have, do now
aud will ever turn Indignantly from aught that
oven savers Of the slightest violation of the laws
of this State. No book has ever been placed in
the hands of any pupil, nor ever will be not one
letter of the ali habet has been taught any of
them. 1t is the heart we seek to fill with pions
impressions the head with nothing save a
knowledge of the duties owed to God and man;
with such Scriptural teachings. and such hymns
aud prayers us can be instillcd orally in the mem
CRY. The most jealous and wary Southron can,
we are confident, see nothing here worthy of con
domination. The conduct of the school Is not
sectarian, and consequently not exclusively for
the servants of church rs pupils and their own
! ers teachers, although such AN impression
may perhaps have been produced from the fact
of its meeting in the basement of st. Paul's
! church, We wish distinctly to affirm, that it is
not an organization for the teaching of church
doctrine, hut of purely evangelical religious prin-
clples. lis 'rdntS are unlike those of other be-
neyoent societies. Tho place Of resort is fur
nished gratuitously, and no books are used by
the pupils no pecunary aid is asked or needed;
but the school is in great need of discreet and
faithful teachers. Their number has not grown
with the growth of the school-in fact it has been
diminished by sickness and other causes One
OF the most Jealous and efficient members has
just been snatched from their midst by the hand
of death, and the inconsiderable number now left
is rendered by its paucity almost Ineffective
Some have largely over dozen children commit
ted to their charge, whereas they are sensible
that not more than six or eight, at farthest, can
meet with proper attention at the hands of any
one instructor. 1t has been even found necessa-
ry to entrust classes to the teaching of mere
boys to prevent the abandonment of the school
by some of the pupils-a circumstance which the
corps regret, but are unable to remedy.
We will close with one or two thought
This school Is important in our town. None will
be SO bold as to gainsay the usefulness of such
for white children. Why, in the name of reason.
or of Christian duty, are they less so for our
slaves They guilty of the same. OF even
more proclamation of the Sabbath, and a greater
disregard of moral duty and yet they have the
same immortal souls to save or ruin. We
holders are tearfully responsible for the lack of
spiritual training evident in our slave population
They are here among us, in this land of Bibles
we verify believe, that the seeds of that RELIGION
we SO widely profess and reverence may be sown
deep IN their hearts, and woe to us if we be
found wanting in our duty. The supply of the
wants alluded to is emnently practicable. Who
among the young communicates Of the churches
cannot spare an hour on Sunday afternoon
| Who among them cannot withdraw from nm in
sipid conversational curtal an evening walk for
the sake of AN immortal soul The parents of
these coorcd children, ignorant, need in
struction, in themselves, and are thus incapaci.
tated to impart it; their masters have their own
children to instruct, and ifthe young refuse TO
1t is work in which both master and slave will