The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1865-07-19
Christian Teacher.

Christian Teachers.
No business in which Christians are engaged
yields such mesgre return for the capital in.
vested in it a. the foreign missionary business.
The sum expended annually in converting the
heather Is immense; the amount Of genuine
conversion accomplished is comparatively in.
hnitessimal. Not long ago there was an ex,en.
sive massacre OF Christians in Madagascar; the
DIuses OF Syria made a regular battue of the
soepettauSit population few years ago; the
befs Of Dahomey and Ashantee continue to
sell men into slavery. offer up wholesale human
sacrfces. and use the skulls Of their foes rs
drinking cups, according to the custom of their
ioretathers' and 'stewed preacher is still favor.
ite frstcouise dish at Nootka Sound Millions
upon millions OF dollars have been expended in
the attempt to bring black and tawny infidels
out OF darkness into light, and yet the number
that has ever reached the twilight stage of CHI
lightenment Is disoouragingly small. 1t has
been said that every convert made by the self.
sacrificing and earnest men and women who
have devoted their lives to the saving of heather
souls has cost the Christian world from five
thousand to ten thousand dollars. Let US hope
that this is An exaggerated estimate. Be that
as it may, there is good reason to believe that
the work may be better done than at present,
and on much more economical plan. Almost
any sIavetrading savage tribe or nation will
sell its prisoners taken in war at yerv low
figure. The King Of Dahomey, for example.
after successful raid, will dispose OF his cap.
tives almost for song. A gun. warranted to
burst on the first discharge. will purchase, say a
brace Or leash OF human beings, who. if not
thus dickered of. are sure to be put to death
Why not buy them by the thousand at the rate
OF fifty % guns per hundred, and take them to
some healthy climate where they could be con.
ven'ently christianized and made to pay cx.
penses by their labor at one and the same time.
When civilized and sanctifed they might be
sent back to their native land, EARNED and we'll
upin military tactics) to convert their barbarian
brethren. We think they would do it, esps.
cially if they had repeating rifles Of most iu,.
proved pattern in their hands, as we'll as Bibles
in their knapsacks. No end of money mishs
be saved, it seems to us, BY propagating true
religion on this principle!
We believe the great drawback TO missionary
success is Christian trade. The preachers tell
the black heather that they can, OF he Chris
tans unless they do anto others as they would
Others should do unto them, and in the mean
time the white Christian traders fleece the
heather Systematically and SatanicaVy. The
miserable pagans, finding that Christian precept
and Christian Practice are as opposite as light
and darkness, become disgusted and turn their
backs on the good men in white chokers who
exhort them to fee from the wrath to come
The result is that Ephraim is joined to his idols
and sticks to them closer than ever. 1t has
always been thus. The Indians OF Pennsyl.
vania were much pleased with the Quaker
colonists under William Penn. But finally
they got it into their feathered heads that
monthly meetings were pow-wows got up for
the purpose Of cheating them in the price Of
beaver. and from that time forth their faith in
Friends" and their doctrines dec!iped.-Sun.
day Times