New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-11

the population declaring them from tho benefit Of any
Intending to present faithfully as can true pic
paos 81 my held 40 not suppress, tse iaet though
yeals larger per centage of ihteracy among the
native white population OF the South than is to be uni
any other portion OF the Union bnt the obstacle 10
spiritual Improvement, like that oceasioned BY
s spsrs,, population, time and effort VIII
| tereets OF the South have recently received a
mhigny Impulse. Certain circumstances have aroused
TIE people reference the education OF all classes
anu they addressing themselves earnestly ~ the
great undertaking. Thousands Of planters ans
armers at the close OF adesoatlng war; even before
tey began retrieve their material losses made pro
vision for the education their for the purpose OF
securing 10 them capital which none OF the yieisstules
y, ne could depFive thom Of and by which they might
always obtain an honorable maintenance. Tney did not
aglee with Montagues father that your scholar costs
700 much" but they believed there no Investment
ol money which brought returns 30 splendid.
not only TO the individual mind illuminod and in
NgOraCed by noble learning but TO the State.
whose shattered fortunes could DO best reconstructed
" Mining 1t with young men qualified by thorough
classical and scientific training develop ito material
resources as well advance its intellectual and moral
power They knew that II the prestige long attached
10 gentle blood aud hereditary wealth could not be
alaained that the arisocraey OF talent and acquire
Inent would never lose It's influence The young men,
100 c0mprehended the stuation AID the consequences
was all the colleges aud higher schools OF the South be-
gan 70 revive even before trade and commerce revived
ana were nlled with eager ambitious young men, de
srmined to achieve whatever victories may DO won on
tue peaceful fields OF studlous letters.
In Virginia We have the advantage Of an institution
wcn is IN effect normal school 70 all other eduea-
hs IN the land ORGANIZED on system which made It
Ss Ce cSmnaaon OF tGs primary school
an AIN IN its standards yet drawing them al
& b. egreS SsD 10 % an and WIN V
supplying them with teachers and professors competent
70 apply the true principles of Instruction. Lest
hh1ud seem to speak too warmly Of our University,
with It's its elective system and independent schools
some Of them of applied Professors better
known, perhapsin Europe than nearer home may say
mat distinguished scholar OF Great Britain who re-
TENS, IN his published estimate OF our Uaivertity,
gives 1t rank higher than l have done,
familiar. there are Just beginning be introduced
into tine best institutions abroad Dr Porter author of
TOO long content with fostering her higher schools has
taken in earnest the education OF the masses, 10
easy to what impulse Will be gwen TO the
by such teachers University sending out and by
the elevated standard which it presents to all insttu
uons OF inferior grade.
But important than the removal Of ignorance
the removal Of spiritual blindness; and is with Chris
ana the preacher may together II Is the Gospel after
ALL which the OF God to the salvation OF men.
Having spoken Of obsaces,I may now enumerate some
field.
CHARACTERISTICS OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE.
One is that the people OF the South the most no
mogeneous the continent. AS yet, the foreign ee
ment comparatively small and the continental forms
OF untehef do not prevail among them. Speaking the
same language with traditions and sympathies
binding them together. of the religious teacher
obtains reader to them than where different
tongues, and creeds elements OF disntegra
ton In society.
Again: our native population Is not rest
also cleaves TO ancestral religious faith 1t not
forefathers is mingled; 1t is loyal TO the creeds
associated with the memories Of pous parents The
obiterated the old landmarks finds no welcome among
them. The on OF the South Is rather the IRE
gon of recessness OF ignorance Of passion than OF
inddelity, or OF crystallized forms Of unbeiief.
There are many communities in this land where
9e TS can ns y
OF impiety. But no nelghborhood IN the south
skeptcai sms, which spread like opidemcs IN some
quarters, were never popular there. And least OF
all people Infected by the scientific skeptical
philosophy OF the day, which asserts such unvarying
uniformity in the operation OF physical law as 10 leave
no place in the universe of God or the supernatural and
therefore denies miracle. dscredits prophecy. and
slences prayer 1t follows, therefore that when the
Christian teacher comes among us he does not nave the
double task nrs storming some outwork Of uhdelty
TO evangelical truth, and this greatly facilitates his
labors among our people.
CHRISTIAN CIVILIZATION OF THE SOUTH
am tempted to enter these details about South
characteristics because there is perhaps part Of
the world so little understood people about whom
many erroneous impressions prevail. We have few op-
portunities for correcting them. Our large cities are
few and far apart Our newspapers are for the most
part provincial. Distinguished foreigners visiting the
United States find to interest them north OF the
Potomac and seldom derive their information OF the
South fom personal observation IL we sought ior Ylh
dication however we would find IL in impartial end
ofaeisl source bearing testimony to the Christian
civilization so emphatic as 20 be worth reproducing.
One of the tables OF the United states Census Reports
gives the statistics OF paupersm and crime in all the
States OF the Union Freedom from both OF these evs
unques Onably indicates healthfu and elevated CIVIL
zaon The Southern States stand highest IN the list In
these respects contrast the statements made IN the
Census Report with regard 10 paupersm ana crime IN
the states and in the southern states not
for the purpose OF making an lnvidous eoPar N
England States are generally spoken ol as
for thrifty industry and high moral character.
D.un availz
Of the entire population In the southern states
tion. q In the native New England population te RATIO
is Al to every 10000. In the entire white pSpatloh %
10000 3. In the foreign population OF the New England
states the ratio Of paIRer o the Southern States the
T. In the limited states census tables OF criminal sta
tstics we are told that in the entire New-En-
gland population the proportion Is IL ia iTV 700
in the tb sn nav S0u,aeTn population
in every 10000 In the entire Waite p opusuon ~
the South, native and foreign t the pT o5 In
the foreign New-England population Tue PpH dprod
nSn Of nj S = 4 I'm States is about Is TO- CO.,
Another surprising revelation which these census census
l. In the New.Engsnd States there are Si2l churches
with 22O3CO7 sttings Total popHison 5so'ySni t ~
tine southern 1n states a esrsoe eso Toa population
O. Or to state In another form In NewnKsnd IneTe
church for Gas inhabitants In tine south tnere
one church for 5ls Inhabitants
THE NEGROES.
And yet there is vast work to be done for the evan
gelization OF the native population OF the South, and
still greater for the spiritual welfare Of two other very
dissmlar but most interesting races, the one In the
providence OF God nterminged with u.s. and the other
dwelling upon our border In the IL southern states
there are about $4,000 whites, and little less tina
oo Mo negroes In three OF the Southern States they
outnumber the whites. In South Carolina they have
majority OF more than l25,OOs ...,o. -.
liz will be interesting TO those whose sympatnies nave
long been enlisted In behalf OF the freedmen, ana VINO
nave had little opportunity OF learning what christian
philanthropy is attempting for their improvements 70
hear something definite with regard to the Efforts whcn
are made frat for their secular education, and, second
for their religious training , .o ooo ooo on.,.os
ONLY A gao 0oo for educational purposes Letter from
Rail