The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-05-16
The .Mnn and Brother'' in the Southern
Baptist Convention.

The "Mnn and Brother'' in the Southern
Baptist Convention.
We take from the Macon Journal and
Messenger the following report of an inte-
resting debate upon the religious education
of the negro, which occurred in the South
ern Baptist Convention, on Saturday last:
Rev. Dr. Fuller, of Baltimore, from the
Special Committee on Missions. to whom
was re-referred the report of said commit
tee. SO far as relates to the colored people,
submitted his report upon the report, which
was received and taken up.
The report is embodied in the following
resolutions:
Resolred, 1. That God has directly COM
mitted to the Baptists at the South the high
and sacred duty of giving pure Gospel and
an enlightened colored ministry to our bre-
thren and fellow citizens of African descent,
now living among us.
Resolced, 2. That a new department of
the Mission Board be created, which shall
be styled the "Freedmen's Board Depart
ment, F." which shall adopt such measures for
the religious education of the colored peo-
pie III our midst as the exigencies of the
case may require.
Rev. DIR. Fuller, on submitting the re-
port, remarked that the South had yet
power by which she could rise to position
OF higher Importance than any she had ever
occupied; that power was her spindles. Ma
poleon once said that it was not the armies
of England that had conquered him, but her
spindles. So might the South, by her
spindles, rise to great Importance and
power. He referred to the very profitable
investments in factories made in Augusta,
Ga, and in Mississippi. Some of these
factories were paying twenty-five per cent.
on the capital invested. Tie Doctor said
he intended to clear his conscience The
stable prejudice in the South had not been
exhnguished. 1t had been overcome. he
thought, to a greater extent in Georgia and
South Carolina than in some of the border
States. Before the colored man could occupy
the place for which the Saviour designed
him, he must be made to feel that in Christ
Jesus there is neither male nor female, Jew
nor GENTLE, African nor American. The
colored churches must be admitted to repre-
sentation in Baptist associations. In Mary
land, this was already the case, though not
the case in Virginia; and in the associations
OF Maryland, some of the very best speeches
were sometimes made by colored preachers.
These colored brethren had sense of what
is power, and when they entered the associa-
tion would take their places together, and
not attempt social equality, which he said
was thing impossible. Would not the
Burman, if he were here, be admitted into
the associations? Why, then, should the
African, who is scarcely hne darker, be
excluded? Not long since, in Baltimore, he
admitted a Burman into his pulpit, and
some thought it was q colored man with
q turban on his head. The carpet Dagger
Baal, having got what he came for, was
asleep, or on his journey to Congress, and
now was the time for Southern Christians
to work for the spiritual welfare of the
colored people.
Rev. DIR. Poindexter, of Virginia, replied
to the remarks of DIR. Fuller. He might
be in error, and if he were, he should be
glad to get out of it, but as social equality
was thing impossible, it would operate as
bar to the admission of colored ministers
into the associations. The idea of admit
ting them into associations as delegates in
yolved the idea of social equality. The
Bible never intended, when it said that we
are all one in Christ, to abolish social dis
tinotions. DIR. p. did not regret that the
discussion had arisen, as it would give an
opportunity for full discussion of the sub
ject. He thought that there was nothing
that SO protected the colored man, and gave
him such great opportunity for elevation, as
the bars existing to their social equality
with the white man. If you would admit
them as representatives in associations. Won
would have also to admit them to your
houses, to your tables and lay them upon
your beds.
Rev. Jesse FL. Campbell, Georgia, very
heartily endorsed the sentiments of the
brother who had just spoken. When were
we ever to be done with discussions about
the colored man? The report recommend
ed that department. be opened in the Do
mestic Mission Board for the theological
education of colored ministers; the Domes-
tic Mission Board was in debt already, and
if that was attempted the Board would, in