The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-12-22


have had hard struggle to help themselves-to
meet the expense of schooling and religious in
structon for their own families. ~ 1t is doubt
less true that they are now and always have been,
very far below the measure of their duty towards
the negroes New York, we believe, reports ap-
paling facts concerning the physical and moral
degradation of large proportion of its population.
Christians there are all able to lift up holy hands
before God in this matter-are they? And those
pure hands are Just the things to throw stones out
of at Christians in the South-are they? Has
this accuser ever taken the least pains to ascertain
any facts touching the matter OF which he speaks?
Does he know, or does be care to know, what
Christian Churches in the South have really done,
and are now doing to bring these poor sons of Al
RIGA to Christ and teach them more respect for the
commandments of God 1.-THE ninth not excepted
than some other people observe? Is he aware that
before the war the whole number of communicates
in the various Christian Churches in the Southern
States was about two millions2 OF these the
number of white COMMITMENTS was about one mil
lion, FIVE hundred thousand-a little more than
one-third of the whole adult population. Does ne
know that the number of negro COMMITMENTS was
about five hundred thousand-that is to say about
one, fourth Of their adult population? Has the IN
terestng fact ever come to his knowledge that with
all our sins and shortcomings it pleased the Head
of the Church to own our Southern Churches, and
bless them in gathering into his visible fold, from
these children of Africa more than t,oice the NUM-
Der no,0 reported as church members from all the
Protestant missions throughout the heather toortdY
So much for the past
But Dr. Hatfield speaks of the present-of what
we are doing. He says we are doing "but It,
tie" for them. Now, there are two facts which to
any candid, rejecting mind must instantly refute
this allegation One is the number of negroes yetin
communion with denominations called Southern,
compared with those in communion with the North
ern; the whole number of Southern ministers
preaching more or less to them; the whole num-
Der of Sabbath Schools specially organized for
their bsneft and taught by white people. The
other is this-that the vast body Of these negroes
are now, as formerly, employed by the whites A
Embellishments in the aggregate-must be ne.
cessariy still mingling as domestics with Chris
tian families in the South. No doubt many neg
lect to do what they might for them. DR.. Hat
field, we will suppose, has always done his own
full duty to all servants that were ever numbered
with his household. 1--WE beg pardon for saying
servants; no such word is known in the " free
land" 1t should have been helps which the
Apostle, it will be remembered, puts just before
governments. ~ But is he satisfied that all
/ M IN
to his godly exampleP Is the "help' always in
at family Worship Are they carefully instructed
and cared for? Are they invited to the family
pe,o on the Sabbath? But we forbear, and dis
miss this point by remarking that whoever will re-
feet for single moment on all the circumstances
of the case, will see that from its very nature there
must be a.thousand times more now done for the
instruction of the negro population by the families
formerly owning them as slaves than has been or
can be done, eve will not say by the immortal
nine" and the lone hundred teachers to help,
butt by all that the whole of the Northern church.
es put together ever have done, or will do. And
we have no doubt, when the constant private char
tiles are considered that innumerable white people
here are in sympathy and kindness, dealing out
to those living with them and around them-many
of them lifelong acquaintance and friends-that
this remark applies also to food, and clothing and
to money ITSELF 1t is not in accordance with
Christian charity lightly to impeach any man
motives; and to accuse the late Stated Clerk of
downright ignorance, might be thought unhand-
some Perhaps then-all things considered
may be best to set it down as the performance of
mind highly Imaginative.
1t would be comfort to stop at this pointer
the task of refuting such accusations however
easy, is not one to be coveted But another re
mains which cannot be omitted. DR.. Hatfield,
speaking of the former condition of the negroes,
says:
"TRe holy oracles, Gods blessed Word-ths
message Of the Eternal Father to has errmg chil-
dren-they loere strictly forbidden to read" On
what authority is this assertion made2 None that
we can imagine, except that of an old SANDER oft
repeated and as often refuted for the last forty
years. By the laws Of many of the late slave
holding States, slaves were not allowed to be
taught in public schools. Our impression is that
even this was not generally prohibited till the rise
of the Abolition agitation, and that in some States
it never took place. However this may be, we
never heard of any law anywhere prohibiting the
owner of slaves to establish a school, if he saw fit,
| for his own slaves, on his own premises, or have
them taught privately to read the word Of God, in
any other way. That it was not done to the ex-
tent it ought to have been, we sincerely regret !;
but that it was, in multitude of cases, every per-
son in the South knows and that it would have
been in far greater, had no malign outside infu-
ence sprung up, there can be no doubt There
were, of course, at all times unknd masters among
us" unreasonable and wicked men, who did not
wish their slaves taught to read the Bible, and who
would have forbidden the minister of Christ to
speak to the negro that he might be saved But
are all people in New York and the regions farther
on, in favor of the gospel? Do no parents treat
their own children cruelty and neglect their spirit
ual interests in that enlightened country? In
particular, all the wives and mothers in that free
land" are entirely free-are they2-from every
faint suspicion, and rumor, charging them with a
species of dabolical infant-murder, and to an ex-
tent at which humanity to say nothing of religion,
stands aghast. If Dr. Hatfield were asked whether
his own land the other Northern) General Assem-
bly, did not feel impeed to make solemn record of
this hideous crime, and whether he could not furn-
ish the Evangelist an authentic copy of the minute,
what would he reply?
But, aside from all this, the writer pretty effec-
tually refutes himself If his statement about
these millions of negroes is correct, that they are
so very Industrious, provident, piously disposed,
and withal amazingly eager for knowledge, highly
approaching the advantages of an education, how
did they become SOP 1t must have been begotten
in their state of slavery. These, VIGOROUSLY, were