The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1873-10-15
MISSION FIELD OF THE SOUTH
aI ~ ~. MosEs D. HOaE. D. D.


T-bsns saws: "The last paper of the day, and one
which was listened to with great deal Of interest
was that by the Rev. Moses D. Hoge, D. D., Of
Richmond, Va, upon The Mission Field of the
South. '''l
Photography has illustrated the possibility Of
printing o volume as large as Homer Had, on
Sip Of paper no larger than the palm OF a man
hand. but science has discovered no method OF
enabling speaker 90 condenSe into the limits OF
tev ui1utCs the discussion OF a theme requiring as
many hours for It's proper elucidatlOn. ln attempt
ing 10 portray The Mission Field of the South,
i can only do as the painter who is compelled to
make a hurried sketch Of a vide landscape; he can
Oaly present il In outline, with few touches which
rather suggest It's salient points than depict them.
There Is tune tor filing IN, OF for minute deln-
cation. lt be cannot produce completed picture,
he must content himself with a cartoon.
Speakers and writer's vary in their enumeration
Of the States which constitute what we famil arly
cal The SOUTH / shall adopt Commodore
Naury classification, which includes iTglnla. n.
Caroloa. South Carolina, Georgia Florida Ala
hama. Mississippi. Louisiana Texas, Arkansas and
Tennessee, with the Indian Territory and New
Mexico, which are cassed with the Southern States
because thew he east Of the Rocky Mountains
south Of Sc So n latitude, and are drained by
the rivers which empty into the Gulf OF Mexico
Some of the States Just enumerated are the largest
4
extent 90 all the New England States together, and
all the Middle States besides, and perhaps pOr
oE-t5nsl 0f The Western States In addition.
The eleven Southern States together occupy an
area nearly equal 60 that of Austria, Prussia,
France, and Italy, with their combined population
OF more than 40 600 Co., Such is the extent OF
the missionary field OF which | am to speak. But
there Is no moral interest attached to mere terri
torial magnitude. The physical character OF this
D.. has a mos INN mr. 90
nectiou with what does give it peculiar interest 10
the regards OF the philanthrOpist and Christian,
for los natural advantages are such as must uit-
matgiy give It a population commensurate with ITS
vast extent One of the wonderful features OF the
Atlantic side OF the North American Continent Is
that the great basin OF the St. Lawrence Is the
only one which runs from west % east, while at
riEht anEles 70 il Is the greater basin Of the Mis-
s,siBui which with all the other principal rivers
O., tle Union, how more or less directly from north
co south, widening and deepening as they run, thus
aording increased facilities for navigation as they
approach the ocean or the Gulf Of Mexico, through
whose waters, laving our southern coast IN few
years more, almost all the commerce OF the world
viii mass. Bat the commercial interests Of the
country demand artificial lines OF canal and railway
transverse TO the natural lines valleys and rivers
Oae of these great avenues Of srade from the In
terror 90 the coast was traced by the foresight OF
Washington more than a century ago, when Observ-
Ing how the confluence OF the Missouri and Ohio
rivers with the Mississippi was midway between the
northern lakes and the Cult of Mexico, and that
the canes Of the Chesapeake Bay were midway
between Florida and Maine, he projected the grand
scheme OF connecting the James River with the
klnawha, and thus establishing communication by
water between the Mississippi, with ITS vast tr0u
tariss 10 the west, with the Atlantic Ocean on the
east. The construction Of this great national work
is now one of the most Interesting OF ali the en-
Il .erf.I a., nrfAT
completion will mark q new era 10 the commercial
prosperity of the whole country.
Such a connection between the West and East
by water communication viii be followed, or per
haps preceded, by another and greater by rail-
For the natura. laws OF climate, distance, aud pro-
dlc.'on viii compel the construction OF another
Atlantic and Pacific Railroad south OF the Both
parallel of iatitude-One which Will uOt require a
s,sasa ssuF> dsirsn b. locomotives 10 open track
throu4 formidable drlts-tha shortest, the cheap
est and least INSTRUCTED by trOSts aud storms, con-
si.uulg another of those great continental high
wavs Of commerce not only for North America,
bUt for Europe and Asia, such as M2cauay tells
Us IS always Ike a belt OF gold across any country
over which I- passes.
The southern States, stretching down from the
Potomac and Ohio Rivers, early chilled by
autumu8l irosts, TO the Florida Islands, within
one degree Of the tOrrld zone, from the days
eff their colonial history have been the producers
OF the great staples whose importance to the
commerce Of the world rendered them especially
Invaluable to this country, because the time came,
and was not long ago, when they furnished three
tyugths OF ITS entire domestic exports lie Is true
che ~ Stem OF labor which produced these results
has been changed, but the climate and sol, cannot
Be changed by revolution, and therefore the capac-
Bag Foe production Is undimlalShed.
Bu, ia addition 10 the cotton, sugar, and other
great staples, no States surpass the Southern in
r.rnr Of fhnfr alrnq
ducts To say nothing OF the vast grain fields Of
Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, the Int
te ,a1dg State Of 5. Carolina, as long ago as the
year 1850, produced 600 600 bushels of corn more
than aH the New England States together; while
Nr-i0ia, North Carolina, and tennessee produced
800 600 bushels Of corn In excess Of all that was
grown in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
Oaio, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont. Massa-
clusetts, Connecticut, to say nothing OF Rhode Is
land. The development OF the mineral resources
90 the South has Just commenced, but 50 rich and
in-Xhaustibe are they. that they now attracting
tue attention OF capitalists from every country rep
resented IN this Alliance.
I DO not speak vauntingly of these physical
characteristics OF the Southern States, for there is
no merit and nothing to be proud of 10 the posses
sion 90 these natural advantages, especially as We
have nos improved them as We ought aud | only
enumerate some of them to show how vast a pop
ulauCn may be supported by section of country
so favored by nature, and how important it (nOW
tha, the overthrow Of slavery has removed the
greatest obstacle TO emigraJlOn TO make every pos
sib.e preparation for the spiritual good OF the mil
hons who are so soon to crowd our South land aud
render It the most popular part Of the Union.
Coming now 20 a more important division of my
subject, / remark that there Is some hndrauceS to
the progress Of the Gospel among our people, some
OF which cannot be Immediately removed The
sparseuess of the population, compared with the
territorial extent of most OF the Southern States,
is serious obstacle to the establishment either Of
schools or churches Living upon large panta-
tons as many OF their inhabitants DO, necessarily
remote from each other, not YET recovered from
the Impeachment OF unsuccessful war, 1t Is often
imp0s bic 90 unite IN sufficient numbers for the
maintenance of the ordinances of religion. There
Is q partial remedy for this hindraDce 10 the eff
forts Of the Mission Boards OF different denomiua-
tons to supply people so situated with evangeiStc
labor and With healthy religious reading. But an
other hiudrauce 20 the spiritual Improvement
from that source is found 10 the ignorance Of a
large class ct the population, debarrlng them irOu
the benei, Of any teaching that is not oral.
Intending to present as faithfully as I can a true
picture Of mY b5d ] DO not suppress the fact
though Dc pains me TO admit it, that the United
States Census reveals larger per centage OF ilit-
crlcv, even among the native white population Of
the u-h than Is 20 be found II any other portion
OF the Dnion. But this obstacle to spiritual im
provoueut, Ike that occasiOned By sparse pOpula
non. Gme aud effort viii speedily remove. Indeed,
the educational interests OF the South have recent
ly received a mighty impulse. Certain cireum
stances have aroused the people in reference to the
education ot an classes aud they are addressing
themselves earnestly 20 the great undertaking.
Thousands oi our planters aud farmers at the close
Ct a deso.atiog war, even before they began to re-
treve their material losses, made provision for the
education Of their sons for the purpose of securing
N rnam aanl-a- which nome of The veissitndes of