The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1867-01-30
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
The Action of our General Assembly
Concerning Freedmen.
Hompden S;dnev CoNeqe. Jan. 25, {

render herself Justly liable to the charge of
inconsistency Another, and in the eyes of
some, more serious objection to the extern
sion to colored men of the privilege of becom-
ing rulers and teachers in the Church of God,
lies in their supposed want, present and pros
pective, of qualifications for such work 1t
is thought by some that the curse which con-
signed the posterity of Ham to servitude, i'm
pressed upon them such character as must
forever render them unfit to assume the sacred
and awful responsibilities of the Christian
ministry. They may indeed become the sub
jects OF renewing grace, but never can they be
qualified t8tke part in the government or in
struction Of the Church.
To all this, it might be sufficiently replied
that no one desires colored men, or any other
men, if destitute of proper qualifications, to be
advanced to any Office of the Church. If
the Church therefore assert the principle we
advocate, and no colored person be found now,
or hereafter, fit for the ministry, then not one
would be ordained to the ministry, and so no
evil would result
But, not to insist on this points it certain
that the curse of Noah did stamp upon the
posterity of Ham, moral or intellectual imbe-
cility? Egypt, Phenicia, Carthage, were all
peopled by the descendants of Ham; how
many countries Of remote antiquity were made
more illustrious than these through the ener-
ergy, the intrepidity, and the intellectual en-
dowments Of their sons. Egypt was to Europe
the mother of science and art She was the
preceptless Of Greece herself. The monu-
ments of her mechanic skill and industry are
even now the wonder and reproach of modern
civilization. Tyre and Sidon-the Venice and
Genoa Of the old world-made tributary to
their commerce the most distant lands known
to the ancients Their mariners were beyond
| all question or competition, the boldest, the
most skilful, and the most successful naviga-
tors of antiquity BY learned men they are
supposed indeed to have anticipated some
splendid maritime discoveries which illustrated
the earlier annals of modern history Car
thage, who for so many years contended for
the mastery with proud Rome herself, pro-
duced perhaps the most splendid military
genius the world has ever seen. Now if such
were some of the children of Ham, can it be
supposed that the curse of Noah entailed i'm
potence and frivolity over the whole race so
that not one of that family, though the subject
of the blessed influences of Gods spirit, can
ever be worthy place in the ministry Of the
! Presbyterian Church?
| There can indeed be no reasonable doubt
that many illustrious, preachers and divines in
the nnris,. Church were persons of Hamitic de-
s.-ssas. css ass ss.,susiss Liz great
seats of Theological learning and influence
were in Egypt and North Africa we know
that the bishops of those countries numbered
many hundreds, and when there was not the
slightest trace Of the inclination to exclude
men from any Office in the Church on the
ground Of descent, it can hardly be doubted
that very many of African blood were distin-
guished teachers and rulers of the Church.
But it may be said that though children of
Ham, none of the persons to whom reference
has been made were negroes, and that their
possession of tho highest qualities of mind or
become fit depository of ministerial author
ity This plea evidently involves the relin-
punishment of the ground that the curse of
Noah produced the alleged incapacity of the
negro. Why should that curse fall more heav-
lily upon him than upon others of the race of
Ham Why especially should curse which
was pronounced Immediately against Canaan
inhictimbecility upon the negro whom no one
pretends to be descendant of Canaan, when
such high qualities were exhibited by the
Phoenicians and Carthagenians, who were his
offspring.
Nor, when we call to mind the circumstances
in which the negro has hitherto been placed,
does there appear anything in his present
condition, mental or moral, to forbid the hope
that in time he may be qualified to exercise
the functions of Christian minister. Re-
member his state of savagery when brought to
these shores; see how great his progress in
civilization, and recollect how for thirty, aye,
for forty years, that progress has been impeded
by restrictions-ma of them necessarily con-
sequent on the efforts Of his false friends to
make him disconnected with his situation, and
to SOW discord between himself and his master
With all these drawbacks the progress of the
negroes has been wonderful, and to-day they
are better people than some from whom our
missionaries do not hesitate to recruit the
ranks of the Christian ministry. Learn the
particulars of the life and character of Jack
Stuart, of Nottoway county,-(the Uncle Jack
of Dr. Whites little work, or of Elk Presi-
dent Roberts of Liberia, and ask yourself if
the people from whom they sprang are SO in
ferior in character to Hindoos or South Sea
Islanders that they must be excluded from a
ministry to which these latter may be pre-
ferred
And in the future, the American negro may
attain an elevation far superior to any that his
race has ever reached. Enlightened selfinter-
est, to mention no nobler motive, ought I'M
doubtedly to lead the people of the South to
favor his improvement, We cannot bear to
have him hanging a moral corpse about the
neck Of our community-a burden and an of.
tense. For our own sakes we must Undue him
with right principles, train him to correct hab-
its, and enlighten his intellect by suitable in
struction As>iar as we can, we must give
him the life of knowledge, and of moral and
religious principle. Now in these views the
best and most enlightened men at the South
are rapidly uniting. They declare their desire
that the negro be educated not merely that
he be taught to read, but that he receive as
thorough and extensive an education as cir
cumstapces will permit to be given him. We
find, for example, Governor Orr, of South
Corolino 4b,- raoonomnpdinor tho wool IL A.,