Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-02-14


The census published by the Danish Govern
ment shows that from 1555 to 1860, he
illegitimate births were between 90 and G6 per
cent of the whole number Of births in St Croi1,
and in St. Thomas and s. Johns, the proportion
was but slightly less. II Is not to he inferred
that this enormous amount of LEGITIMACY occurs
chiefly among the laborers on the estates The
towns have to account for their fun share Of IT,
The great number of individuals of all ages, Of
mixed blood, which are seen on every hand in
the towns determines that point conclusiyely and
the frequency Of very light sha'les of color indi
/ Gates plainly the color of the fathers IF
there is any law afilzing penalty 90 such ire
gularities Of ife-I presume there is none-it
practically amounts to nothing. A petty thelt
is punished quickly enough hut man may
live in open concubinage with black or colored
woman all his days, and be unmeddlcd with for
it. Such instances not unfrequent, and 50
far as the business relations Of life are conccru-
ed, man who lives in that way, hardly, if at
all, loses standing among his fellow-citzeus on
that account Such practices interfere consider
ably, however, with the social intercourse Of
families Among the residents Of decided moral
principles and delicaey Of feeling, the evil
felt to be great one-endurable simply becauss
they see no way to prevent it.
There are churches Of four religious deno1ni-
nations in St. Croix, riS, Lutheran, Morayiau,
English Episcopal and Roman Catholic. The
Lutheran-popularly called on the island the
Danish chureh,-is established by government
the clergymen are appointed and paid by gov
ernment. There are two Of these churches, one
in each of the towns. The officers Of govern
ment chiefly, if not wholly are attached to these
churches, also a good many others Of all classes
Of the population. The entire number set down
in the census Of 1860, as belonging to the Lu-
theran denomination, is 1925. The English
Episcopal churches-one in each Of the towns
have set down for their entire number in the
census 7,442. The Morayians have three
churches, one in each Of the towns, and one near
the centre Of the island Their entire number
is set down in the census at ,5s3. The Roman
Catholics have also two churches one in each #
the towns, and their number is e. down in the
census at {, 30
The Morayians-or United Brethren, as they
are often caIel-are essentially religious or
ganization for missionary work among the heath
en-. Their earliest attempts To establish mission
AIRY work for the slaves on the Danish islands
met with great opposition, and even persecution
from the planters and it was not till about A.
D. 1740 that they obtained fun protection from
the Crown of Denmark. They were then en-
couraged in their work. and the instruction of
slave children was committed to their charge
This charge remains with them for the children
Of the estate laborers, to this day
To a large extent the Morayian congregations
in St. Croix are made up Of blacks and persons
Of mixed blood At Frederickste,l, saw scarce
" any others present At Christiansted, pure
whites, some of them Of the highest classes on
the island, were often to be seen. did not at
tend worship st either of the Danish or Roman
Catholic churches. and therefore can not speak
Of those congregations. 4; the English Episco-
pal and Moravian churches the attendance WAS
good, the congregations most orderly and atten-
tive, even the poorest laborers from the estates
always appeared neatly dressed. The preachers
were able evangelical men, preaching good doc
trine in a direct and earnest manner-eyidently
being men who had the spiritual good Of all to
whom they spoke a subject of deep interest in
their own hearts.
In one Of my letters from the island, 1 spoke
Of the system of schools maintained at the public
expense for the instruction Of the laborers child
ren on the estates. Subsequent personal vista
ton Of several Of them, and conversations with
those having them in charge, enable me to speak
more definitely concerning their practical opera
ton than could before. saw good evidence
Of fahfulness and ability on the part ofteachers,
and Of a fair aptitude to learn among the pupils
Yet on the whole the amount of attainment fell
much short of what it could have been if the at
tendance Of the children had been regular, IS
the school ordinance requires. The Superinten-
dent and the teachers all complained that the
detriment from irregular attendance was very
great. The laws require from the teachers ex-
act records, according to printed forms, Of all
delinquencies, to be kept, and official returns to
be made to the proper civil officers. Parents
keeping their children from school, while Of
school age, without good reason, are liable to
fine, and managers or owners causing unjustih-
able absence are liable by law to he fined severe
ly The evil of the case is, as l was told, that
the civil officers to whom these reports are made,
allow almost any nominal excuse to pass for
sufficient one. The schools are kept only for
hslr Of the day. A large portion of the manag-
ers are men Of small knowledge, and of large
prejudice against the laborers learning anything
For that matter they fall not a whit behind many
Of the planters, in believing that the ignor-
ant the laborers are, the better II will he for
those who employ them
This cannot be said Of all. for heard, in one
or two instances, at least, directly opposite
sentiment expressed. Many, however, do not
hesitate to express their oIen dislike to tbs
schools and l suspect that if majority Of them
could have their own way they would gladly see
the country school-houses leveIled to the ground
1t is no wonder therefore, that the civil officers
show remissness in the performance oftheir duty,
and that the schools suffer continually for lack
of that fostering care which they ought to receive.
In this, as in other matters, slavery, though
dead in St Croix, has left baleful and endur-
ing influence behind it. G. W.B.
\ COUNTRY LAwYER.-An attorney in an
interior New York town announces bis plan
of doing business in an advertisement, of
which the following is Iart
Believing that caste slavery of village lawyers
should be-like chattel bondage Of cOlor-abol-
ishe1 and supuosinp that nm economical Iivali-