The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-10-14

SCCtiOn 0l country SO laSOIcu Dg hatoi03
and how important it is (now that the over
throw Of slavery has removed the greatest
obstacle to cmigration) to make every posi-
BILE preparation for the spiritual good OF the
millions who are SO soou to crowd our South
land and render it the most populous part OF
the Union.
Coming now to n more important division
of nv subject, remark that there are some
hindranccs TO the progress Of the Gospel
among our people, some of which cannot be
Immediately removed. The sparsencss OF
the population, compared with the tcrrlto-
ria! extent of most Of the southern States, is
Il serious obstacle TO the establishment either
Of schools or churches. Living upon large
plantations, rs many Of their inhabitants
Go, necessarily remote from each other, not
vet recovered from the imporcrShment OF I'M
successful war, it is often Impossible to unite
in sufficient numbers for the maintenance of
The ordinances Of religion. There Is 4 partial
remedy for this hindrancc in the efforts Of
the Mission Boards Of different dcnomina-
tionS 10 supply people So situated with evan.
gcIiS:ic labor and with healthy religious read
Ing. But another hindrance 10 the spiritual
Improvement from that source is found i'll
the ignorance Of large class OF the poplla-
ton. dcbarring them from the benefit OF any
teaching that is not oral.
Intending to present as faithfully as I can
true picture Of my field, do not suppress
the fact. though it pains me to admit it. that
the United States census reveals larger per-
ccntagc OF i!!itcracy even among the native
white population Of the South than is to be
found in any other portion Of the Union.
But the obstacle to spiritual Improvement,
like thai occa>oncd by sparse population.
time and effort will speedily remove. In
decd. the educational interests of the South
have recently received Il mighty impulse.
Certain circumstances have aroused the pc0-
rlc IN reference to the education OF ali classes,
ana they are addressing themselves carr
c>tly to the great undertaking. Thousands
Of our planters and farmers at the
close of 4 dcSolatio@ war, even before
they BEGAN to retrieve their material losses,
made provision for the education OF their
sons for the purpose OF securing 10 them
capital which none Of the viciSstudes OF
life could deprive them of, and by which
they might always obtain an honorable main-
tenance. They did not agree with Monta-
gue'S father. that "yOur scholar costs too
much" but they believed there was no in
vestment Of money which brought returns
50 splendid not only to the individual mind
hbu w iopiS iSNi hhhS3
but TO the State, whose shattered fortunes
could be best reconstructed by filling it with
young men qualified by thorough classical
and scientific training to develop its material
resources as well rs advance its intellectual
and moral power. They knew that if the
prestige so long attached to gentle blood
and hereditary wealth could not be main-
tanned that the aristocracy Of talent and ac-
quircment would never lose its influence.
The young men, too, comprehended the
situation; and the consequence was, all the
colleges and higher schools Of the South be-
gan 10 revive. even before trade and COM
merce revived. and were filled with eager,
ambitious young men determined to achieve
whatever victories may be won on the peace
full fields Of Studious letters.
In Virginia we have the advantage OF an
institution which is in effect Il normal school
to all other educational institutions. The
University Of Virginia was the irSt in the
land organized on 4 system Which made 1t
the true elimination Of the primary school,
the academy, and the college, above them
all in its standards, yet drawing them all
upward by degrees to an approximation
with itself by furnishing them with pro-
per ideal. and by supplying them with
teachers and professors competent 10 ap-
ply the true principles OF instruction. Lest
should seem TO speak too warmly Of our
University with its elective system and
independent schoolS-somc Of them OF
applied Scence-and professors better
known, perhaps, in Europe than nearer
home. | may say that distinguish
ed scholar of great Britain who re.
Gently visited this country to study its edit
catonal systems, in his published estimate of
our University. gives it Il rank higher than
have done, and says some OF its methods Of
instruction. long familiar there. are just be.
ginning to be introduced into the best inst.
lutions abroad. [Dr. Porter, author of
u" Giant Cities of BaslIan," &c.] And now
that Virginia, too long content with toster-
ing her higher schools, has taken up i'll earn
est the education OF the masses, it IS easy TO
see what IN impulse will be given TO the
cause by such teachers Us the University Is
sending out, and by the elevated standard
which it presents to all institutions OF in
ierior grade.
But more important than the removal of
Ignorance is the removal of spiritual blind.
ness: and it is with Christian as with
heather countries that, though the teacher
and the preacher may 90 together, 1t Is the
Gospel after all which is the power of God
TO the salvation of men. ...
Having spoken of obstacles, | may now
en,,merate some facilities to the progress OF
the Gospel in the southern field.
CHARACTERISTICS OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE.
One is. that the people of the South are the
most homogeneous on the continent. AS
vet the foreign element is comparatively
small. and the continental forms of unbellef
do not prevail among them. Speaking the
SAN, language, with common traditions ana
sympatbies binding them together, of course
the religious teacher obtains reader access to
them than where different races, tongues, and
creeds are clements of disintegratlon IN socl'
| city.
Again: Our native population is not rest
| less. 1t cliugs to the old ancestral home /; II
| also cleaycs to ancestral religious faith. IL
| not only abides by the soii iu which the dust
of noble toret;thers is mingled, it is loyal to
| the creeds associated with the memories OF
pious parents. The novel and specious forms
| of error, which elsewhere have obliterated
| the old landmarks, find no welcome among
them. The irreligion Of the South Is rather
the irreligion OF reckleSsness, of Ignorance,
Of passion, than OF lnhdellty or OF crystal
! lied forms of unaeliet. There ire many
communities in this land where The truth
! can scarcely penetrate, SO crusted over are
they and neassd BY ha SoS G
is inaccessible because OF entrenched lnl-
delity. Sceptical isms, which spread like
enidemics in some quarters, were never pop
nIar there. And least of all are our people
injected by the scientific sceptical philoso-
ply of the day, which asserts such ah un-
varying uniformity in The operation OIL phy'
steal law as to leave no place in the universe
! of God for the supernatural, and therefore
d.,;oc ,,;rocIa nisrredits prophecy, and