Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-08-10
TESTIMONY BEFORE THE COMMIT
TEE ON RECONSTRUCTION-BRO-
ZEN DOSES.
='OICES FROM ALEXANDRIA,.
CHAPTER

1ssii2,s0ay Of Rcc ROBERT McNURDY
taLm Feb. 10, lS66.-I CONCLUDED
Question. 10 return to the Episcopal clergy
arc the Episcopal church in Virginia, how do
they feel in reference to the education of the
freedmen?
answer The convention of the diocese of
Iirginia, embracing the clergy of the diocese,
7hich met on the 10th Of September, unani-
racrsly adopted resolutions, the purport Of which
L:Gs rs follows:
81 iPesolred, That, as diocese of the church,
Y'e gecognze the relations which we now sustain
C tie coored people, and that we call on our
Se25le everywhere to Go their full duty
2G. Rcsolced, That to that end our parishes
nc clergy be requested and urged at the ear
lest possible moment to organize sunday schools
10. chem, aud parochial schools, that they may
ra taught to read, and that churches be organ
led for their benefit everywhere. The resolu-
;;oils we're full, going as far as could be wished
also know the fact that Bishop Johns is very
favorable to the education Of the colored peo-
pie. So was Bishop Meade, bis predecessor.
Gr. sparrow, of the seminary, rejoices in the
abolition of slavery, although he is strong
southern man. The churches are, however, so
Door that they are incapable at present, and
will be so perhaps for years, to do anything for
The coored people, / ought also 60 state that
!, 5 impossible to induce the colored people at
Dlescnt to ut themselves under the tuition Of
inc churches of their former masters. Bishop
Gregg remarked to me that it was the same in
,2exaa. The entire Episcopal church of the
United States, in general convention assembled,
nave resolved themselves unanimously into a
freedmen's commission, 50 that they have their
foreign missions their domestic missions, and
,,l,o, So1 ,EIn
mems commission, in which the whole church
ta-es part This, however, may be perhaps an
ecclesiastical idea an idea that there is no class
O: people who may not como under the foster.
i1g care Of the church, especially the poor,
neither white or black. 1t has nothing to do
With the questions that have grown up lately
: You speak Of the indisposition OF the
feedmen to submit themselves to the instruc-
.ioa Of the church do you mean Of the Episco-
5al church particularly? ~
L.. No, sir; not particularly.
=. What does that indjspostion arise from?
J.. Suppose it is a prejudice created in their
minds by the previous state of things. They
co uot think that these churches and bodies
la7e voluntarily and earnestly gone into the ad-
-'ocacy of their rights. They suppose it is sim
D-y s matter growing out OF church ideas, and
rol growing out of Il heartfelt desire to advance
rel: interests, beyond their interests in reli-
Gic!.s point of view, and poor people are cspc-
cl&lly disposed to regard their minds and souls
it,,cugh the body.
g. Eou think that the colored people rather
2.ecl to have their oHn churches and their own
religious instructors?
I3,While think they do so at present. think
tas g IS disposition to advance. [ have ser
"ic2 myself on Friday nights for colored people,
special service Tor them, although they are
T?eaonle to my church at all times, and | have
me- With some encouragement OnSunday at
!e.:loon at o'clock | 60 out occasionally to the
5olcierS' Rest, in connexion with agents sent
t:on the north, and address the colored people,
enc always find them very much disposed to
!eerc, docile and remarkably anxious to do
tl5At. / have seen great disposition on their
OcYt improve. -
J.. You have have always lived in the midst
o. blacks, have you not?
i. | nave, sir, for nearly thirty years.
=. And, OF course. you have observed them
Ii I'll their comlngs and doings?
l.. -es | was in the empire OF Brazil for
tSC years, | have also been in the West India
!2I: I.G9, and in the south.
y. lOu have endeavored to notice what
S:!9unE Of capacity they possess for the acqui-
SAc2 OF knowledge generally have you given
eS3acai attention to that?
:. / have had more or less to do with cdu-
ceiioG all my life.
). SO that you are able to present some
Comparison between the capacity OF blacks and
LAT or whites Tor the acquisition of knowledge?
:. Possibly so.
!: =: wish you to state your ideas on that sub
jee..?
!. n regard to pursuits where imitation is
c0aeained the blacks excel the whites.
!. Eou think so?
i. .es; most unquestonably. They learn
10 :ead more rapidly, they learn to write more
iiGDldH, and they make better writer's. They
ac%qrlre everything more rapidly than whites
;;;he:e imitativeness is brought into requisitou
E;Et where ratiocination is concerned, where
ne powers of logic OF the powers OF induction
a;e concerned, where reasoning is concerned,
mere mathematics come in, and not mere
SSElatnmetlc they are very inferior to the whites
TGeFe mere arithmetic is concerned, adding
more rapidly, substracting, and simple opera.
Hso9s, taey perform them more accurately than
lie Whites, and their results are more reliable,
OSV are less so where there is compleXty and
t'l5ie the logical powers OF mind are brought 10
:S1;. The sllghter association is vastly superior
i: the black, but the so0crer association is vast
iylnterios
-. And the result in your opinion would be
-htt they are probably not SO tar-seeing as the
( 4 No; certainly not.
- Are they as provident in their nature? i
,ra ~. NO. sir necessarily not of course they
sns. Srs not; the blacks are docilc John Wesley,
1rppeaklng of the blacks in connexion with sla-
ba bbI1y sad that, were it not for their rcnarka
Tbo; 9;oclity: they could not be kept in slavery.
o.. uell very physical succession, the circumstan