Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-04-08

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minister and baptizes by immersion. Mr.,
Smith went to see the man. There were
no means of immersing him at hand. He
called for basin of water, and baptized
the man by affusion, the Catholic sisters
assisting in the ceremony. Now was not
| that good common sense? What if Mr..
| Smith had said 81 can't baptize him by
! any other way than immersion?" Mr..
! Beecher also related soI1e other incidents
! of the same tenor which had occurred dur
ing his lifetime, and said he thought they
we're good arguments toward proving that
every man had right to have his own
idea Of baptism.
Who are the Malagassy ENJOYS of whom
! the papers just now are saying so much?
They appear to bs devout Christians, and
representatives of harvest of missionary
labor on the island of Madagascar,o of which
few people in this part of the world have
had any knowledge. If the reports made
are reliable, it is the most fruit-bear-
ing field of missionary efforts on
any part of the globe. All the leading
sects have missionaries stationed there.
Religious literature, Bibles, Testaments,
sermons, magazines and books, such as
Bakers Saints Rest" 'Pilgrim's Pro-
gress,' and the like, abounds. The Lon
don Missionary society prints 10000 books
month in the Malagassy language, for
the Madagascar market, and four or five
other missionary organizations are
said to be hardly less prolific
in their publications. The capital
town is called TanariVo, and so saturated
with religion is it that the American con-
sui there says it ''beats Brooklyn for
churches; there is one for every corner"
For all this rosy hue of results accom-
plished by missionary Christian labor,
there is a darker shade. With all their al
legged Christian attainments and enlighten-
ment, they remain wholly ignorant of the
great world and its ways; are destitute of
any true knowledge of national
civil repcirocity; have no just senee
of the rights of man, real Christian hu-
mainly, but remain esse ntiaIly barbarian
in the midst of the multitude of Christian
churches. and in their vast number OF mis-
sionary publications. missionary work
that produces no better effects than this, is
simply skin deep Ii does not really at
feet the heart, healthfully .enlighteR the
intellect, and improve and purify the
morals OF the people. In the midst of all
this boosted Christian work and advance
ment, this people are welded to their great
idol, slavery, at which none of this extrav-
agantly, Wanted religious work has yet
struck single blow, nor attempted it.
According to a statement of Mr.. Robinson,
tas American consul, ''nine-tenths Of the
natives are slaves" and of course the
other tenth are their owners. Mr.. Rob
inson, ike the missionaries, does not an
tagonize the holding of slaves, but fully
assents to it, and in justification uses the
old ante-bellUm arguments, put forth by
shareholders and their apologists when the
Southern states we're reeking IN human
oppression. Consul Robinson is an apollo
gist for slavery ia Madagascar. he says:
1T would be impossible to carry Oh any
kind Of business or occupation IN NADIA
gascar without using slave labor. No for
Signer ever thinks o. walking q mile in
Madagascar. The heat and the mud pre-
vent. He must be carried IL Q palaquin by
slaves. AL fleight is carried by slaves; in
fact no foreigner can perform any man
uaI Is5Or except under shelter from sun
and rain" These are the OIL sine
faliacious ana false arguments, SO familiar
tn American readers v1rir- "a tina raballiOF,
of 1851, the force Of which the rebellion in
it's results have dissi pated. Bus why are
shese christian" ENJOYS from far away
Madagascar mere? They are accompanied
by Consul Robinson, and their OBJ
jeot is to get the United States
government to ratify treaty nego-
tated by Mr.. Robinson with
the government Of Madagascar. This
treaty contains two remarkable stipula-
tions. One is, that American citizens shall
be permitted to employ slave labor in
Madagascar; that is TO say, become lessees
or owners OF slaves. 1t gives the moral
support OF the American government to
the holding of slaves and the per
petaation of slavery. But will the
American government go back on
its great emancipation proclamation
and ratify q treaty which commits it
to sanction of human bondage, crime
which it has itself wiped out in the best
blood of the nation? We should discount
largely that type of Christianity inculcated
by missions that tolerate human slavery.