Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1865-11-03

think there are men who are willing to de-
vote their time to this work.
For tie American.
Mr.. Editor:-
have been accustomed to hear plead
the cause of the heather of the countries
of Asia, in churches and sabbath schools
FROM the timc | was mere child. but
seldom if ever has the henighted condition
0f the object of our ovn land been men
toned as proper subject of christian sym-
patti, and labor. 1t was not undi had
visited the sacred soil Of Virginia. the
llxnyiant state of Louisina and the sallics
of the Cumberland and Trnncss e. that
became acquainted with the total absence
of Intellectual cultivation. Of more than
four millions of our own people.
It is true that had heard of the ignor-
ant MASSES Of the South, but IA often did
northern print, aver that the most polished
sections Of car noble eouatry lay south of
.Masoa's and Dixon's Line" Tho enobl-
ag influences and protecting system of
slavery, notwithstanding Uncle Toln'>
Cabin" a mere novel. was by many abe
statesmen, ; il II be u great blessing to
tie eolercl ueu, and that to them. lay this
system. was insured happiness aud CON
forts aad blessings of christianity beyond
that e3tieted by tie lahofers Of NY own
state We mistr@s.ed the truth o: these
statements froa people north and south.
hu. 10: mil We visited them did we half
conceive Of the balhafity Of slavery, the
ignorance Of the culored man, or his NJ
; acquaintance with the principles Of virtue
and religion, The system OF constant
Labor served to prevent the most awful
effects Of vice ana abandonment, mere
4 universal titan in BGrnah, while the direct
effects. too loath.anle to be narrated were
/ obscrrld from observation IN the same
way.
Bat we lil fnd there people more
/ ignorant than H.ndoos, more deprayed
+ tti1H : illlIf'Ht Nbl ui!t Ia a lilpuSdth AMY
to real; and the laws pronounced death
OF hncS upna one attempting to teach
then, Plunged in superstition and moral
darkness, if not worshipins gods of their
own fashioning, because ignorant of the
existence Gam immortal soul or the i'm
mortal God.
True churches had been frequently
planted among them, but the awful de-
formity of slavery stood between them
ana the gate of heaven. No disciple OF
Him who went about opening the eyes OF
the blind and unstoping the deaf carr
could proclaim the freedom Of the eros,
with gospel liberty to those, morally deaf
and blind.
Had slavery not existed, how long would
these people have lived on the soil of oar
American Republic and none have learned
to read the bible, How many years oI
the nineteenth centnry would have rolled
on. and no free school have been establish
ed among then, How many bibles woulJ
have been printed in the north and cir
culatcd gratuitously even among thu
islands of the sea; how many eolporteur'
would have spread our western prairie.
with books and tracts how many transla.
tions Of scripture would have been pre-
pared for Indian tribes, nearly extinct be
fore one of these slaves OF our own lane
would have been taught to read. or on,
co!porteuf would have administered u
their mental requirements
Before visit these heather of our OWL
: land, and before they have visited one
sabbath school, our various religions pa
pers contain new appeals of the foreign
Missionary Socictry for the instruction Of
the hosts in China. BY means of the
partial revolutions in that land and the in
terpostion of the English government
that land so long sealed, is opened for tho
work, alike of the merchant and the
missionary. But few months elapse
after months of war aud boodshed
before our land. no longer ruled by thu
slave driver with his lash, become free
Free as the wave that beats our coast
No longer is the e"lporteuf denied access
to all classes. Schools can now he opened
the Freemon eau he instructed the grea
south is opened to plilanthropists and TIN
} world, no longer are those laws enforced
which deny her laboring classes the IN
estimable privalcge of education. Schools
are already being established. The writer
of this article has seen school in progress
under his own care and supervision. Tw,
, hundred and twenty ight scholars, sc
recently slaves smarting under the lash
now free, rush together the day that per
mission is given them, aal eagerly gasl