The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-04-05
Stop a Little.

At the present time brisk discussion
has sprung up In some quarters about
the propriety of our Church entering
upon work among the white people of
the South as a mission field. 1t is evil
dent at the very start that those who are
advocating this measure know but little
of the actual condition of the South and
are forgetful of the needs of the North.
In the South, the Baptist, Southern
Methodist, Disciples, and Episcopal
Churches, and a number of smaller de-
nominations occupy the ground along
with the Presbyterians. The first three
denominations are very large, and the
fourth is by no means insignificant, while
the Southern Presbyterian Church is a
compact and active body doing its work
we'll. The present white population of
the South is, to say the least, as well
supplied with means of grace in proper
ton to it's members, as are the people of
the North. At the same time that part
OF our country is receiving hardly any of
the immense immigration from Europe
which is flooding the North 1t is true
that few years ago there was a great
rush of Germans to parts of Texas but
this has in a great measure stopped.
From time to time our Board of Home
Missions declares itself utterly unable to
get either the money or the men required
Tor It's work in the North, and is pointing
to the hundreds of thousands of arrivals
from abroad, to the vast fields of desti-
tuition in New Mexico, on the Pacific
Coast, among the Rocky Mountains,
along the line of the Northern Pacific
Railroad, in Alaska, and to the myriads
crowding around our great manufactur-
ing centres. And we cannot be too ear
nest In our endeavors to carry the COS
pei to all these. The demands are so
many and so pressing that they must be
needed, and they will probably be in
creaslng for many years. Our brethren
OF the Southern Church may not be
able to occupy all the territory open to
them, but that is precisely our condition
here.
1t is plain then that so long as separa-
ton continues each Church has great
work to do in its own region. It was
well enough for our Church to enter
Texas, as that State is SO large, and SO
many people from the North will pro-
badly seek homes there but even in that
State trouble has been encountered which
would be immeasurably augmented in
the older States of the South where a.
very little experience would demon
strate the impracticability. of our en-
trance In the present state of things. But
there is one field open to us in the South
to which we are welcomed, where won
derful success has been achieved, and
which IS the most promising missionary
ground in the world, the Freedmen. 1t
is by working this that we can aid our
brethren and advance education and re,
hgion throughout that entire region.
Let us give the money necessary to es-
tablish schools and colleges, which will
train teachers and preachers on the
ground, no others will accomplish much
and we can confidently look for results
which will gladden. all Christians and
phllanthropists. Discussions lust now
on the platform and articles in the news
papers about reunion and the Board Of
Home Missions beginning operations
among the white people in the South, are
not only useless, but positively injurious:
let no one be misled by Pre8Jy-
terrain Banner.