The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1885-02-11

c0tiOh-cOuld he shot Though these
dumb masses, giving them light and
hope and strength, instead Of the dark
ness, the doltish indifference and weak
ness. which beSct us on every hand {?
Just here, then. we may, with eager in
quiry, look to that bright side Of cdu-
ucational progress which is to rc-illu-
mine our Souther picture, so long shad-
owed by revolutionary confusion and
diste'npercd discord. We again, then.
call DR.. Mayo to the platform in this be-
half, as follows:
But have seen bright sidc-so
bright, indeed, that it has always kent
me abovci1iscourngemcnt, and brought
me out, at the end Of four years obser-
vation, full of hope and confidence for
the future South OF our beloved land.
Beginning at the foundation, I have
seen how wonderfully God has wrought
in the history of the freedmen. Two
hundred and fifty years ago the first
slave ship landed the first cargo Of Arri-
can -s."":G.Gss :.s,sS on the beach Of old Virgin
Ia, III plain si;..c I've spot where now
rise the towers Of General 'Armstrono,s
Normal and Industrial Hampton school.
Only seventy-tive years ago slave
ships from New England and Old Eng
land were landing thousands OF the same
people in all the scaports of the South.
These people were often slaves at home.
degraded beyond the degradation of cv-
cry race we have known. But thew
were scattered among the families Of
Christian country that became a rcpub
lie nearly one hundred years ago.
They learned in their state of slavery
the three fundamental lessons in the
progress Of any race : First, the art Of
steady, profitable work second, the
language of civilized country; third,
the religion of Jesus Christ, which is
destined to break every yoke on body
or soul. and redeem every son and
daughter Of God. In this school of
bondage they multiplied like the leaves
more than six millions. and last year cy-
cry soul Of them was represented by
bale of cotton in the bountcous harvest
fields Of the Sunny South.
Never was such 4 spectacle before as
this development, so rapid from savage
life to citizenship in the worlds chief
republic. Spite Of all that is discour-
aging in the life of the freedman to day,
no such great work was ever before
wrought on SO vast a scale in the annals
Of civilized man. The colored people
Of Georgia last year represented ut least
$9,OOO,OOO OF property earned and saved
in fifteen years, and owned one-twclfth
Of the live stock Of that enterprisinc
State and those people own $1OO,OOO,-
GOO in the whole South. / have spoken
to several thousand Of these young pco-
pie within four years, gathered in the
great schools, supported by the North
ern Christian people, with occasional
aid from their State governments (?;
and when l see how easily they take to-.
good schooling in letters and manners,
and mark their slow but sure growth in
morals, have no fear Of the future of
the colored man, if he can be kept out
of the hands of his foolish, wicked
friends, and guided by the best wisdom
Of the whole American people years to
come.
have marked this, that the various
classes of the poor white people Of the
South (and there are many grades Of i'll
telligencc, character and industry COM
priscd in the several millions of this
class) still hold fast the bottom quality
Of the old British stock, and are deyel-
oping every year. in productive work, in
morale, in the desire for education, in
thoughtful attention to public offars.
We shaU d0 1ceU to PIT IN all possible
good aDOrE among the children Of the
poor achite man Of South Carolina
for the neat .ftiy gears; for he is
bound to become Il prodigious pome,
IN those States, and can be educated
up TO a mighty power. for good. Every
little white girl in the beautiful school
Of Amy Bradley, Mt Wilmington, n. c..
"o"'o ho'S Sio"h uP NIiN, 40 uhhGPt,
as helpless as that group l saw in Ala
bama, had not the Lord come by in the
form of a good school mistress. and
made Of them all such kind Of children
as we might not be ashamed to call our
own.
And I have seen as fast rs education
lays it's forming hand on these poor
children, colored or white, they begin to
draw near each other in justice, peace
and harmony. have no anticipations
Of Southern millennium but can be-
Iieve that generation of good schooling,
better churching, intelligent industry
and improved homes will, at least, en-
able these classes to dwell together in
the unity Of common citizenship in the
land we love. The war was also rcvo-
olution Of emancipation to the poor
white men Of the Sonth: and therefore,
his way is open to the summit Of Amer
lean life, and already he is beginning to
walk vigorously therein.