Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-06-27
THE RELaGIGUs ELEMENT IN HU.
MAN NATuRE.

MAN NATURE
Mr.. John Pope Hennessy recently deliy-
cred before the London Society Of Arts an
admirable lecture on .sthe British Settle
nents in Western Africs, y of which he has
been Colonial Governor. Being q gentle
man of character, and some years resi-
dent In Sierra Leone, bis statements not
only do not come Secondhand, but have a
weight of authority not often found in mat
,sseers relating to Africans in their own coun-
try. 1t has been the syoEed policy yof the
British Government to train the natives to
habits of self-coatrol so that they may be
suffered to govern the country themselves.
As in the q nited States, education Is the
main reliance to develop in the negro
brain both intellect and morals sufficient to
make a good local government, and run it
in way beneficial to its subjects, and not
annoy anybody outside Of its proper juris-
diction. This philanthropic purpose, back
ed by the richest government in the world,
and strong public sentiment in Great
Britain, has been in active force about as
long as slavery has been abolished in ia
maica (some forty years ago., and we will
let the ex-governor tell with what re ults.
Long experience and observation satisfied
Mr.. Hennessy that the system in use was
can Incentive to the formation of a
thoughtless, idle and INDECENT character"
In 1872, the government chaplain calls
loudly for compulsory education, because
be cannot induce the scholars to attend to
then duties. On Governor Hennessy's
second visit to Lago, "Kipg Docemo told
him that Sll bis chiefs and principal people
were most DESTROYS of having their children
educated, but they did not want their reli-
gious ideas to be interfered with" "The
kings own son was obliged TO quit school
under English control, being unwilling to
believe IN the teachers mission to enlightf u
the natives in matters of religion" "AI
the chiefs and captains Of companies at
CAPE Coast, assured Gov. Hennessy that
they would give any thing for a good edu-
cation, but their religion must not be in
terfered with."1hese citations are sufficient
for our purpose without occupying space by
superfous evidence, 81 owing the strength
and apparent universally of the religious
element in human nature. We think it
would not be difficult to find thousands of
colored people ia this christian land, who
are an average of two or three generations
from Africa, yet1oVe their hereditary religion
far more than education, or what it teaches.
This deep seated religious element is tre-
mendous p1ver in human society and it
is not too much to say that it has never re-
ceived that close, searching scientific analy-
sis which its paramount Importance de-
mands. Education can do great deal, but
it is incapable of changing the laws of
Nature. Now, it so happens that a very
large majority of the educators Of mankind
in its childhood and youth, have yet to study
carefuIly4he laws of Nature, and learn the
lessons which they should teach to their be-
lieving pupils. We have shown how re-
ligious dogmas operate to perpetuate men
tai ar d moral darkness in African minds.
The lesson hiss wide application, but we
will be content by pointing to its Darwinian
bearing: evolution makes humanity spring
either from a microscopic uniCell, like
mother 10 vinegar, or gas bubble rising on
8 pool Of sinking water. Assuming that
vitality from its first and lowest manifesto.
ton, rises in heightened time and space to
its highest evolution in man, at Whist time
in this development Of organic life, and
from 1oBH source, does this extraneous re
hgious element come in?