The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-06-01
gairllnlond Dispatth.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES l. 1900
The American baptist Home'Msss'o"
soc,ety-sts Work in the SO"ih.


The American Baptist Iome-Mission
soc,cty-,ts Work In the SO"th.
Last Thursday this Society held its ami
versary in Philadelphia. We copy the fol-
lowing from the Press Of that city:
In the evening the members OF The Amefi-
can Baptist Home.Mission society heie
mcetipc in the First Baptist church. ana
,.ere addressed on the subject OF the" Work
If The Society in the West" by Rev. T. I.
Brown of Rochester,; after which Rev. A.
= dickinson. d. D.. editor Of The Religious
Yernld Richmond, Va, spoke on the" work
among the Freedmen" OF this address the
following $, nops,S will be found OF general
interest. The speaker said:
lam asked to present some facts III refer
ercc to the colored people OF the South, and
do so the more willingly because you do
not always get the facts from those who
speak on this subject. Many who speak and
write about al airs at the South know pre-
cious little Of what Is going on in that much
misunderstood section Of the country. What
shall say will be, according to my best
Judgment, true statement of the case.
First. The four or FIVE millions of negroes
in the South present most important and
Interesting field for Christian enterprise.
What vast multitude! Put New York,
Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, Baltimore,
and Cincinnati all together, and they would
not equal in number this class OF our popu-
laton. They will likely increase. and after
few years be twice as numerous as they are
to-day. Why should they not increase?
Land is cheap at tie South, and with few
dollars they can buy few acres, from which
they may easily raise their own provisions.
md nj
tive wages They have learned 10 live CD
very little A Virginia negro can support
bis family on fifty cents day and have
something to spare for company. Fuel costs
them bat little, nor is there need Of much
clothing in that warm climate.
Even if it should be proven that the ne
groes have not gained in population since the
war, it does not follow that such state Of
things will continue For some years past
the times. North and South, have been very
peculiar, so much so that white men pos.
sessed Of millions have been impoverished,
and especially has there been a continued Sc
ries of disasters at the South. The negro
has been taught to expect bis forty acres and
mule 10 come to him from Washington. and
not from the sweat OF his Own brow. When
he learns to be less politician and more a
lsborer. why may we not hope that be will
prosper!
lice people are at our doors. To do
them good We have not TO cross oceans and
continents. They are in our workshops, on
our farms, in our families. meeting us at
every turn of life To preach them the Cos
pei we have not to spend weary years in ac-
Quirug difficult language. Our tongue is
their tongue, us our country is their coun-
try.
They are religiously inclined. They are
not DarwinanS. Instead Of having to bat
ter down prtjudiceS, the growth OF genera
lions, we tind them ready and anxious for the
pure milk of the Word. Indeed, so deep
and persuasive is their religious sentiment
that they will leave the harrcsL-Geld at any
time for prayer-meetiuS.
They are very partial to the Daptists. Pro-
badly two-thrdS Of those OF them profess
ing Christianity belong to Baptist churches.
The simplicity and impre>slVene>s OF the Or
dinanccS as administered by Us have charm
for the negro. Much has been said Of late
of the Efforts Of the Catholics to get an flu
euce over them. l have no fear Of this.
Believers baptism is more attractive to them
than all tue ecclesiastical millinery that the
pope ever dreamed of. Richmond has
Catholic Mayor and large Catholic popula-
ton, but if 1t has q Catholic negro have
never heard of him. Besides, The negro likes
our church government. He had masters
long enough, and he wants 10 do 9s he
pleases and TO he q Baptist is to Go as you
please, with no master but Jesus Christ.
This influence over the Cnlorcd people is
worth holding. They are even now an ele.
ment of power, and will likely be much
more so. They may yet pay back into your
treasury hundred fold more than y on spend
upon them. 1t may he the design OF Provi-
dencr that the millions OF Africa shall receive
the Gospel from their sable brothers OF the
South.
tSecond. Baptists of all sections Of the
country should engage in this work. SO vast
an undertaking Intimately connected with
the good of all should enlist the sympathieS,
PRAYERS, and contributions Of our whole
brotherhood. The Bapliss Of the North
having done what they could 10 give this reo-
pie their freedom and the ballot-boX, dare
not stop there. You owe it TO them and to
the white people of the South TO 20 Il step
further. aud 10 give them the Gospel, with
out which they will ruin themselves and the
country. Your money should flow like
water for this cause.
The white people Of the South should
heartily cooperate with you. IL more con-
Germs them than it does you that these PEG.
pie be made good citiztns. We have TO live
with them: they meet us at the polls and in
all the business affairs OF hf". Our HIVES, aud
property, and the Wcll-oelDg of our fam
lilies are more within their reach than are
yours. Their success is our success, and
their ruin, TO some extent, our ruin. Thus
4 wise seii-ipterest would prompt us to do
all in our power Tor their elevation. Graft
tude and Christian principle also call Tor
this. In by-gone years we enJoyed the
arals OF the culored mans labor. To it
many of US are indebted for our education
and for the little property left u. We were
nurSed by colored mammas, and colorea chill.
dren were our play mates ana companions.
In these changed relations it is impossible
for US not TO remember these things.
1t is true we have not done much since the
war ia this direction. The man that is over
board struggling with the waves Is not in a
favorable condition to help his nelghbor. Our
poverty, and the many calls 10 buld up our
own waste places, and the preJudices which
have existed, have hindered lis. But, prior
to all this, look what Robert Ryland and
hundreds Of other faithful men in the South
did. 1t was through our etlbrts that when q
few years ago your Society sent its I'll ST mis-
sionaries South they found half million
colored Baptists.
The colored people for some years have
regarded all who came to them from the
North as angels Of lighI, but siucc the Freed
meu's Bank failed, andsome other things have
come to pass, they regard you as men Of like
passions with ourselves, and soon we hope
they will be as ready to hear Us as to hear
you, aud with this era of good feeling We
shall be able TO do them great good.
Third The work before us.
!. The schools in which YOU have eight
hst~ a-nI