Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-01-17
Pastoral Letter to the Clergy and Laify o.
the Diocese Of mississippi.


mediately claims our attention than that Of
contributing orr help towards the moral
and intellectual improvement OF the c0lorcd
Ioopulation now III our midst, You will re
Lmember that in my address to our last Di-
ocesan Convention. l expressed in brief
but very decided terms my views on this
subject: and the journals Of the Diocese
will show that even as far back as 1853 or
1854, [ recommended moderate and judi
cious course of elementary instruction as
reward for such slaves rs were distinguish
ing themselves for good behavior.
BY the recent revolution in our political
world, this unhappy class is presented be
| fore us in new aspect, not as formerly, on
the reciprocal dependence and attachment
of master and slave, but on the cold, com
pulsOry and unsympathetic relation OF hire
| ling and employer. An inscrutable provi-
dence has SO ordered thai the slave who
once stood in an almost tilial relation to US,
aud looked to orr hands, nor looked Ill
vain, for food and clothing and shelter, and
nursing, care and instruction in the things
Of God. is now without preparation for his
untried state, thrown upon his own resouI-
ces. and with the helplessness Of childhood,
left to provide as far rs lie can, for the ne
cessities of both body and soul.
This change has literally been forced
upon them for happier race of laborers
was never known upon the face OF the earth,
nor any who were in general SO kindly treat
ed, so moderately tasked, or SO amply re-
warded for the work of their hands. That
they were content with their condition and
strongly attached to their owners, their
conduct throughout the late war-w!Ien our
wives and children, and our aged parents
were entirely at their mercy-will album
dainty testify. Before the intermeddliug
hand of blind fanaticism saw fit to SOW dis
content among them, thereby r1veting the
chains which they thought to break, a grad
ual but marked improvement was going on
| in both their moral and intellectual condl-
ton. A more general sympathy was feltln
| their behalf the strong ann of the law was
extended frequently in their defence; no
| barrier was interpOsed to prevent an honest
and trustworthy servant from learning to
read his Bible ; and thousands upon thou
sands might have been seen uniting III
prayer and kneeling at the same altar with
their masters and mistresses. In my ANN
al rounds it was my delight to give to them
the afternoon of each Lords day, and to
receive q considerable number into the folds
of the church. Now those once happy con
gregations are broken up; not one negro
has approached me on the subject OF reli
gion since their emancipation, they love to
go where their animal feelings can be most
strongly excited, and in the country, where
there is no longer kind mistress to cate
chise them, they are relapsing into the lows
est kind of superstition which their fathers
brought with them from the shores of Afri-
ca. The distinction of caste lin the right
meaning of the term which was before I'M
known and unthought of, is now forced
upon us. To replace him in his former
state, however desirable on his own ac-
count, not ours, is now beyond the power
of those who know him best, and feel for
him most deeply. We are compelled, there
! fore, to look around and see In what man
ner we can best repay him for his past IL
deity, and acquit ourselves of the claims
which his ignorance, improvidence and
helplessness impose upon us. TO treat him
with kindness in our daily, unavoidable in
| tercourse with him, to be fair and even gen
erous in making contracts with him, to be
punctual in the fulfllment of our engage
ments, and to make all due allowance for
his shortcomings, are duties SO plainly bind
| ing upon us that / pass at once to thai
other, and / may say, no less important Oh
| legation of providing suitable measure OF
| instruction for him, especially for his CHI
dren. To this duty We are called by every
motive of self-intereSt as we'll as OF graf!
tude and humanity, ii this race, oar
equals, if not superiors, in numbers, arc to
remain in the midst of us, IL sound policy,
no less than christian charity demands that
we should do all in Our power to elevate
| them to the scale of social being, and make
| them more worthy of the political StnitS that
| has been thrust upon them. This end Can
in no way be more eifectually accomplished
than by establishing schools for their in
structiOn, on the various plantations and iii
country neighborhoods, as well as III our
towns, and by employing suitable teaches
to take them in charge. rude, but com
| Portable school hOuse might be erected ~
two or more ueighboring planters, and tie
burthen of providing books and teacher J.,
| thus divided among them. YhroU CHA p.o
vision of Congress, Il liberal allowance ha,
| been made for the rent of each school
house which rent may fairly he appropIi-
ated by the planter towards the payment o.
| the teacher.
In carrying out this object 1 am happy
to inform you that every facility within li~
power will be afforded by Gen. Thomaa J.
Wood, Commissioner of the Freedmen
Bureau, whose headquarters are at Wick
burg. \ personal acquaintance with that
| gentleman prompts me to say that, Whilst
scrupulous in the performance OF his dott
us an officer of the General Government.
he warmly feels for the depressed cOndi-
| ton OF our Southern country, and deslrN
| to hold III equal balance the interests "'
both the whites and blacks He will take
| pleasure in giving all necessary intorm@-
ton and instruction to any one disposed +"
engage in this good work
Let me, therefore, dear brethren, carile5;~
ly commend to your serious and prompt ii
tention the intellectua and moral improve
ment of those who were lately our faithful
slaves. To my brethren Of the Clergy
trust nothing more need he said than to &C.
mind them that within their respective
spheres, they are bound to do all the @ood
they can to all men without distinction Of
grade or color. To my brethren Of the ia!.
ty, especially those who are planters, otn,'
motives besides those of Christian charity
address themselves for they must know
that that man will be most likely to pro
cure as many hirelings as he wants, ana |"
keep them obedienta and contented through
out their contract, who gives them the rs
surance that he will provide for the instra"-
ton of their children. Let us each, then
in our several stations, and according /"
our ability give ourselves to this necessary
work Looking To the CIiyar of all Grace, bOth