The free citizen. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-03-20
a Present Duty to the Freedmen.

The. Civil Rights Act having re-
moved certain of the more intolerahle
grievances which devolved upon the
colored people from their former con-
dition Of scrvitudr, the time is favora-
bic for q united effort, on the part of
every patriotic Christian, TO further
the elevation Of those Of the Freed
mon whose mental and spiritual train
ing had been neglected. 1t must be
remembered that equality Of civil
rights implies greater responsibilities
and higher duties. In order that the
newly conferred privileges may be
thoroughly and rightly enjoyed and
exercised by the colored people, they
must he cducatctl-thcir moral and
intellectual faculties must be trained
and directed. If they are allowed TO
remain in ignorance they will become
the tools Of unscrupulous politicians,
who will take the earliest opportuni.
" to contract the enlarged liberty so
lardly obtained. The mental and
moral advancement Of the colored la
borcrs Of the South will win for them
the respect Of those who may now de-
spise them rs belonging to an infcri-
or race. Caste prejudice will subsidc
to the influence Of culture and Chris
Lianity-thc source Of the highest
culture.
In this great and pressing work Of
developing the faculties and enobling
Tie life of the colored population Of
the South, the more favored pastors
and people Of the same race in the
North should at once bcstir them
selves with greater energy and zeal.
Every evangelical denomination in
both sections of our common country
should unite in bringing the Gospel
ana the means Of education within
.'c reac'I u ,hoaG wAp Lave beer long
Hithhcld from The priceless h(essirgs
>,.nieh 1rn" h"ntow. The Protest ant
Episcopal Church is stretching out It's
hanus TO hu.p an6 raise those who,
ever since slavery was ah~lisl.cd, have
been growing more and more desir.
Gus of aid To attain q higher plane Of
being and that denomination has
met with gratifying success. Upon
the Methodist Episcopal Church and
Baptist denomination the negro Of the
south has strong claims, and they
have already done much. May they
use their facilities to the utmost in
his behalf. Protestant churches
should now begin to place among tue
colnred race evangelical and cduca-
tlonal agencies more in number and
greater in efficiency than ever before.
We have on another occasion shown
how the Church Of Rome is striving
to convert the negroes of the South
into subjects Of the Vatican, who will
be held III her thraldom with iron
grasp, and who will be employed for
her political purposes in this country,
by voting as she may dictate. If the
present time, i'll every way SO fa"ora-
BILE for the mission and the school in
the South, is allowed TO pass by un-
improved by the descendants Of chose
who formed institutions to preserve
political and religious liberty, they
may be accounted unworthy Of these
signal advantages.
BY education and by Christianity
the cofored people can Also be quail
fed to discharge those high functions
OF government to which they are
called as citizens of this great repub-
lie. II is the manhood which is at
tained by these means which will &C.
cure to them their rights and their
privileges, make them valuable aids to
national progress, and fit them, more
over, for an entrance into that king
dom which is prepared for those
whom Christ has made free.-Ne,u
York Witness.