New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-05-29
COLORED CLERGYMEN.

We have TO face all manner Of music in these dis
tracted days. Ii may be rather notifying to have
Wholesale missionary operations-conyerslon, not TO
paint too finely of domestic heathen-going on I'M
der our own civilized noses-not the Greeks (as
John Randolph screamed) but the Potawotamies, the
Ises of the Sealanders, the Patagonians. the Daho-
meys at our very front door hot struggling, single
suppcans but heahens by the million calling loudly
for clergymen to come and help them Whether it
is the Southern cash or the Southern conscience
which has suddenly given out, We do not take upon
ourselves to decide; but very pressing demands are
now made upon Northern pockets FOX the pur-
pose of evangelizing the Southern inhabit-
ants of whatever cuticular shade As single
item, we may mention that 1900 meetinghouses
were destroyed during the war, valued at
s.. 900, O00 Most of these, sooner or later, the
North in one way or another, will be called upon to
rebuild. The Baptists recently held grand conven-
ton in Boston, and it really seemed as if nobody
could think or talk of anything but the desolate con-
dition of the Southern churches, and the magnificent
field of labor which Emancipation had opened. Other
denominations are not behndhand. The Methodists
are making mighty preparations for sporadic incur
sion. The EpiscopalianS are wde-awake, If we may
say so without irreyerence. The Unitarians, not
wlthsandng their dreadful snubbing in Charleston,
are still kind forgving land generous. Most Of the
sects interested at all are specially in tho work
of education for the ministry of colored preach
ers Ethiopia is not only to stretch forth
her hands, but she is to be furnished
with Hebrew Bibles and Greek chrestomathies and
Latin versions, with bodies of divinity and treatises
on pulpit eloquence, and all the usual outfit Of d.
vinity-school graduate Ethiopia, held heretofore to
be but obviously human at BEST under the ancient
ban of God special and interchangeable, Ito be invited
to seek salvation. Ethiopia Is to be forgiven her facial
angle and her disreputabe shnbone. Ethiopia, hereto
fore held to be lucky if she permitted to rank her
self with the sheep, now and then furnishing from her
black flock simple and untutored shepherd is to
have shepherds now Of her own race trained sedu-
lousy for the work. and not wanting in any point of
essential theological condition. Ethiopia really seems
to be in luck in these her latter days.
1t was held to be one of the strongest points of the
Shareholders that they took particularly good care of
the souls of their sers that u.s. that they allowed certain
slaves to preach once week to certain other slaves,
a proper number of White men being by to look out
for heresy and ncendiary" appeals not having the
lower regions for their special topic. But now, when
the gates of this Zion opened and we can 60 in
and freely inspect the premises, we do not somehow
find the beautiful temple which were assured ex
listed for high and low alike and alike for bond and
free. 1t turns out to have been a sort OF sacred
Spanish castle. What religious apparatus the slaves
had, they owed to their own provision If they had
humble Westinghouse, it was the work of
their own hands after weary hours of unrequited
toll. They sold their chickens and their
pigs to pay their pastor, it, hapy, he was paid
at all. If they had White clergyman
he was always harping upon that well-known text
Servants, be obedient to your masters" IL they
had Bibles they kept them as charmsi for by few or
none-by none legally-could the sacred volume be
read The Black, rich in religious genius, with moth
ing to cling to but religious hope, with nothing to
assuage his wretchedness but religious consolation,
was pointed out as particularly happy because be did
not hang his harp upon the willows, and did ind
heart to sing the songs Of the Lord in strange land
though in minor key and with tears in the most ex-
infant strains. We know what Shareholders
took of the body Of chateat best, the care which
good-tempered and prudent turiman takes oil the
horse which be has selected to win for him the sweep