Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-03-31
Correspondence Of the New York Herald.
The New Missionary Field.

n
labys among The Negroes Their Attempts to
Instruct the Negroes and Run Cotton Pianta
CONGRATULATIONS Scenes at Beaufort. South
Carolina.
Huron hEAD, s. O.. March Is.
The military, civil, political, phlanthropic and
Abolition circles hereabouts were deeply agitated
last week by the announcement of the arrival of
forty or fifty missionaries from as far east AS
Boston, and from the wicked city of New York.
The truth of some of the various rumors was
soon established by the testimony of various wit
nesses, who had fortunately boarded the Atlantic
at an early hour and had seen and conyersed with
the novel Importation from the North. If any
doubted them their doubts were soon removed by
the appearance shore of several light haired,
long whiskered, specialized individuals, with UNI
brellas in one hand and mysteriously covered
package suggestive of tracts in the other, follow
ed by several ladies. prim and antiquated, and OF
general Bostonian style, such as are observed
in William Lloyd Garrison soirees or at Wendell
Phillips reunions. These began to preambu-
late the island and attracted very general at
tenton. The fact of the arrival Of the mis-
sionaries being conclusvely settled, conjecture
was at once rife as to what they were TO do here
/ The better informed suggested that they were
missionaries to the contrabands in this quarter
large, and, it seems, influential class of peo-
pie, whose demoralized and barbarous state had
lately become known to the philanthropists of
| Boston and New York, and whose welfare was
near their hearts. 1t soon became generally
known that there were sixty of these missionaries
on the Atlantic, twelve or fifteen of whom were
ladies, and the remainder gentlemen of large ex-
pectations and liberal ideas Among them are
men of all trades and professions, as well cacu-
lated for anything except successful pursuit of
agriculture and contrabands. The ladies are
from Boston and New York, and propose to con-
duct an industrial school. and teach the young
| contrabands' ideas how TO shoot and their fingers
the art of plain sewing. The entire institution
was gotten up by and is under the direction of
Mr.. Edward L. Pierce, the Government agent
This much of their plans.
| The day after the Atlantic's arrival the mis-
sionaries, with that fine appreciation of the COM
forts of this life which has always characterized
them, transferred themselves bag and baggage
| to the village of Beaufort-known to them by
reputation as the Newport of the Southland
then, with a rare forethought, selected the finest
mansions in the village, and straigbtway settled
down to their task.
The landing of the Pilgrims on Plymouth Rock
could not have occasioned more surprise and as
constituent to the innocent natives of that region
than did the advent of our missionary friends to
the sold ers and contrabands in Beaufort. Sew
era affecting scenes occurred but describe but
one. Mrs. French leading lady, whose regard
end veneration for the contrabands had been
greatly intensified by the speeches of Rev. Mr..
French and Mr.. Pierce at post prondial meetings
on the Atlantic coming out, and by the resolu-
tons passed at the same in which it was resolved
that the negroes should be addressed as brothers
and sisters and considered in that light-Mrs
French, becoming thoroughly imbued with the
abolition and loving ideas, which were advanced
always after hearty dinner. was fully prepared
to meet the contrabands in a sisterly spirit
by the time that the missionaries were ready to
land.
Arriving at Beaufort the party stepped ashore.
ana<soo came across the peculiar institution in
full feather. Mrs French rushed toward and
embraced a colored female, who startled not
little by the peculiar style of the salute and, in
the words of the resolutions, exclaimed: "You
are my sister, fCloser embrace.) You are no
longer slave; you are free-free as / am. You
are my equal, and you my sister," This,
with other sweet converse, did she her time be-
guile, and after charming interview of this
friendly character with the negro woman, whose
eyes protruded from fear ana pleasure, Mrs.
French moved ON with the missionaries to green
fields and pastures new. That was one of the in
cidents that marked the arrival of the missionaries
in the field of their labors. There are Others
equally disgusting and novel, if | would but
write them The above will suffice, however, as
it shows the drift Of the missionary movement.
missionaries are rabid Abolitionsts of the Gar
rison school, and the leaders-Mr. Pierce and the
Rev. Mr.. French-are a trife ahead OF their fell
i, lows in their fanaticism.
They teach the negroes that they are free now;
that they the equals of the whites in every
spect; that they not be compelled to labor for
another; that they are entitled TO all the rights
and privileges of the whites, and, in short, are
brothers and sisters in the same family, and emit
IL a. .o1l -
they must defend themselves against any attempt
by their masters again to enslave them. While
coming out they had their meetings whenever
they could, and passed series after series of
lupons, all recognizing the freedom of the slave
and the abolition of slavery Their speeches and
remarks were of the most ultra character, such
as you would expect in an Abolition meeting
from theorists; but here we have those theories
about to be reduced to practice The missiona-
ries having selected the best houses in Beaufort
aud had them nicely furnished from the furniture
selected from tie various unoccuped houses in
the village, are now living in gay and festive
style, amply supplied with help from their broth
ers and sisters. and are prepared to summer in a
delightful way.
One of the most interesting parts of the grand
plan to be carried out by the missionaries is that
which relates to the cultivation of abandoned
plantations about here. Three fourths of the
party are to go to these plantations as superin
tendents to direct the abors of their brothers and
sisters in cotton culture, and raising cereals and
vegetables fosrtheir own support and for the
army's use. The idea is singuarly brilliant
And as nearly all the superintendent have had
more less experience in selling tape AID Calico
in dealing out groceries or Epson salts and like
occupations. which fit them so admirably for the
kindred work of experimenting large cotton
plantation with fifty hundred negroes, not a
/. shadow of doubt can exist in the mind of any
reasonable man of their full and complete sue
. cess. If a comprehensive knowledge and wide
and varied experience in this branch of agricul-
cure can insure success, why should they not at
tain IL?
From the best authority, indirectly, hear with
pain that there are already feuds and schisms
among the missionaries, that have resulted in the
secession Of several members, both male and fe-
, male, from the main body. How extensive the
. breach is | am unable 10 say; but understand
that several ladies and one or two gentlemen
turn by the Atlantic tomorrow, Disguised with
the ultra doctrines aud practices of the great body
of the missionaries relating 10 the negroes, as
/ they not conscentiously carry their doctrines
so far as the leaders would wish. Then, too,
there is a jealousy existing between the Boston
and Few York ladies'. One of the Boston ladies
who secedes assumes that some of the New York
: ladies were formerly millners or tended shops on
Canal street, and that of course is perfectly hor
rible and justifes secession. 1t is an absurd
son, as we fail to see any disgrace in gaining an
honest livelihood in the millinery trade; and it
can only appear so in the eyes of the sboddy aris
tocracy or people of that iIk But the contest
RACES and it is rapidly approaching crisis. The
lquestion has assumed the form of Boston us Ca
nal street. and the friends Of the cause are quite
apprehcnsive that the issue will gain so many adj
herents from the civilians and soldiers that the