The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-01-27

was deluged with Northern aSents U
every hue and stripe, the great mass O.
whom seemed to regard themselves az
heaven commissioned to fill the minds O
the negroes with hatred and animoslty
toward their former owners. 1t is utterly
untrue to say there was any marked bit
terness between the whites and blacks
of the South, either before or subsequent
to the war, save what was called into ex
istence by the class of persons just re
ferred to. Furthermo e, doubt very
much whether any considerable number
of our colored church members woulC
have been drawn away from US, if it had
not been either from the expectation Of
certain secular benefits that they sup,
posed you would confer on them, or from
a foolish ambition on the part of many
Of them to exercise functionsin the Church
of Christ for which they are utterly un
fit. At the same time, there is mani
fest and growing disposition among these
people generally to return to the whites Of
the South as their best friends and wisest
counsellors; and | have no doubt this
would be the case with the great body OF
those who have left our Church conneX
ions, if God should be pleased to restore
peace and prosperity to our PROSTATE and
afflicted country
In relation to what has been accom-
plished throug h the agency of your Com
mittee in promoting the cause of educa-
ton among the freedmen, | am not pre-
pared to speak with confidence, not
having had the opportunity for extended
observation. 1t is presumed, however,
that much good has been effected; and
in this we all feel sincere pleasure.
These people need intellectual as we'll as
spiritual training, We are without the
means of doing much for the promotion
of their education, except through the
instrumentality of Sabbath schools, of
which we have large number that we
consider to be in a very hourishing con-
dition. We cannot even educate our own
children as we would like to do. Should
prosperity ever revisit our Southern
land, our people, l feel assured, will be
behind no other in extending the advan-
tages of education to the colored people.
In relation to the organization of
churches and gathering converts into
them, I apprehend that you will find,
upon close examination, that much of the
good claimed to have been effected is
more in. appearance than in reality. You
will find, for example, that the FIVE thous-
and who have been added to your newly
formed churches are only so many alb
stracted from ours. The number of new
converts will at least form but small
and unimportant element in the body OF
any of your churches. Whether any
real advantage will accrue to the Church
at large, or to this particular people, from
this change in their ecclesiastical rela-
tions. is to my mind more than doubtful.
Let us single out but one particular case
for the purpose of illustration. take
the one denominated in your report as
the Goodwill church. | am not only
personally and particularly acquainted
with the circumstances attending the or
ganization of this church, but also with
the condition and history of the Salem
or Brick Church, from which the mem
bership of the Goodwill Church has been
almost entirely drawn. l was present al
the meeting of the session of the Brick
Church at the time when application was
made by more than hundred of it;
colored members for their dismission tC
form the Goodwill Church. have since
learned that about one hundred and fifty
of its members have been received to the
Goodwill Church, constituting at least
1 suppose, nine-tenths of its present
membership. Now, what advantages have
resulted to this people by this change il
their ecclesiastical relations?
The Brick Church, previous to thi
period, had not only been noted for th'
numbers of its colored members, but fol
the untiring efforts that had been made
by the pastor ard people to promote thei
spiritual welfare. The gallery, from time
immemorial, had been appropriated tt
their exclusive use, and was in all impor
tant respects quite as comfortable as th'
lower part of the building. They no
only Joined in the general worship of th'
congregation, but special sermon had
been preached to them by the successiv,
pastors of the church almost every Sab
bath fora period of more than forty years
A large number of them had been taugh
to read, and were in the habit of usn!
their hymn books in public Worship
privilege that they all might have en-
joyed, if they had been so disposed
Their children were as asregularly and care
fully instructed in a Sabbath school pro
vided for them as were the children of tn
white congregation. No complaints wer
Il .:..Aa &C IL no,nn.o ~. Il g.