New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-07-12

I
know that some fifteen minutes afterward found
myself leaning against pine tree some three hun
dred yards from the hotel, that walked about
twenty miles up the bay in time for a late break
fast, and that Gen. Smedes has my hat as the only
| reward fer his hospitality.
--~s- S,-----
bishop Elliott financial tion and the
Religious Instruction OF Freedmen
| We find in late number of the Church Journal
| copious extracts from the recent address of the
| Bishop of Georgia to the convention, We copy
! the following interesting passage on the subject
above mentioned
| The emancipation of the slaves, which has prac-
| tically taken place since last meeting, has
placed the diocese of Georgia under no new obi
CATIONS it has rather freed her from fearful re-
| sponsibty. The church in cur diocese needed no
| instruction from abroad upon her duty to the
| slaves within her border. She had always Colsid-
| cred slavery as a trust committed to her by God
a sacred trust to be held by her until taken out of
her hands by permission of the same power
| who placed it there. Slavery was no insti-
| tuition of her making Georgia protested
| against its introduction into her limits
| again and again, but it was thrust upon her
| by English and New England eupidity. When
thas forced upon her, without her desire, its de-
scent from father to son, and its rapid increase
make no difference in its guilt, if guilt there was
That still rested upon those who brought it here
| following after them to Judgment where it will
/ one Gay meet Jneln. Inc QQLY OF the cAlrG1 was
to act under certain circumstances in which she
found Notwithstanding not created by her
self but permitted to exist for the trial of her
faith and zeal. And wonderfully has she per
formed her work. Never, in the history Of the
world, has there been such rapid and effective
missionary work as the christian church has per
formed in this land in connection with slavery.
For we must remember that the slaves, when
brought here, up to period as late as 1903, were
the same sayages as our missionaries are now
combating with, to very little effect, upon the
coast Of Africa: were the same savages as are
cutting each others throats day after day, and
perpetFating enormities which disgrace humanity,
upon their own sell, even in the very sight of
missionary operations And yet, within the period
of two centuries, there has been made out Of these
sayages Christian people, having clear discern
| ment of right and wrong, understanding very dis
tinetly the system of religion, having educated
teachers of their own color and their own race,
gentle, kind and until meddled with, faithful and
atfectionate. The number of communicates in the
various churches Of the South far exceeded in
proportion to population that OF the whites. They
had churches of their own in all the large cities,
managed by themselves, containing thousands of
Communicates and in the rural districts they were
visited by missionaries appointed specially for
their benefit, or they mingled in the same religious
instruction with their owners, eating of the same
consecrated bread and drinking of the same CON
secrated wine. Their behavior during the long
fierce war which is now terminated, is the sub
FINEST Vindication OF the institution of slave
ry, as it existed among us, which could
have been offered to the world. with years
of preliminary agitation about the rights of
the slaves and the cruelty and harbarism
of the masters-With hordes of deceitful fanatics
scattered through the Southern country, some in
the guise of teachers, some of peddlers, some Of
book agents, some of mechanics, and all alike tam
pering with the slaves--with war which required
the absence of all the ablehodied and the warlike
from home-with proclamation of emancipation
sounded in their ears as early as 1862, and sum
moning them virtually to strike for their rights
with large armies of those who called themselves
their friends traversing the country and laundering
at their very doors-these people never once
lifted their hands or their voices voluntarily
against their owners, but with nobody to coeree
and restrain them save weak women and 1nfrm
men and boys too young for military purposes,
they remained quiet doeile industrious, obedient
exhibiting in no case, that have ever heard of,
characterization or disorder. ANY cruelty they may
have since exhibited they have learned from other
teaching than ours--any barbarlsm into which they
may have since lapsed, they have fallen into after
they had passed from under ourintluence. Where in
the worlds history has there been case like this
of forbearance and quietness where an inferior
race has been oppressed by superior, and had
the means given it of vengeance? Our own times
furnish us two instances in fearful contrast-the
one of the ferociy of the French in their terrible
overthrow of the church, the monarchy and the
aristoeracY, and that of the negroes of st. Domn-
go, who have furnished to this age name for
everything inhuman and barbarous. One of two
things is therefore clear, either that these people
suffered no oppression worth the name, or that
slavery has produced Christian virtues through its
teaching and discipline, of the most rare and strik
ing character.
THIS aspect Of things leads to two important
practical results. First, it vindcates the Christian
Church in the South from the obloquy that has
been poured upon it, as if it was winking at a
barbarous and unehristian system, and doing moth
! ing to ameliorate tia vindcation which it ought
to have. and which now lay humbiy upon its
altar NO people have ever labored more faith
NyiSb .a1r 10, so1
have Southern Christians to do their best for the
slaves committed to their trust. Very many have
] known who have given up their lives for their
religious instruction; many who have impoverished
themselves that their slaves might be comfortable
or free. Almost every minister for half century
past has devoted some of his time to these poorer
members of his hoek,l and very many more would
have kneeed at our affairs, had they not preferred
q more exciting worship and a more enthusiastic
exhibition of their feelings than we allowed. |
say without fear of rightful contradiction that ii
slave did not relieve religious instruction it was
because he did not care about it, or because he
wasin some remote position, where the whites
we're as badly of as himself.
The other practical point is that we have no
need to change our system of instruction because
OF this emancipation, or to call ia any foreign help
to our assistance. The church in Georgia has al
ways taught the oolored race, so far as the num-
Der Of her oleTgymen and the rivalry of the other
denominations would permit her. We must sim
| ply carry on the same plan in the future. We have
Always had sunday schools for them-let us con-
| tinue the same. We have ALWAYS welcomed them
70 our churches and altars-let us continue the
same. We have always permitted them to organ
churches for themselyes-they have been free as
ar a., upon this Point-let us continue the same. If
those churches are organized as Episcopal
churches, we shall be glad to assist and cheer
them, and lead them in the way Of true godliness
! see no necessity to change our course for Inc
present, nor do ! see that we need any help from
abroad In their religious culture. We have Chris.
4 E0n and Christian in OH
among us, who will undertake any work
for. the church. Organize them in your
| various parishes, and they will do the
work more efficiently than any others can.
| None understand the colored race as we'll as we
do-none have its confidence as fully as We have
My sincere conviction is that If any future good or
home growth it must be the continuation of the
same kindly feeling between the races which has
heretofore existed. Every person imported from
abroad to instruct or teach these people is an infu
ence, Internationally perhaps, but really, widen
ing the breach between the races. This work