The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1888-03-09
FACTS FOR MISSIONARIES TO STUDY

y
States consider the following facts.
Let them consider and give heed, for
upon them rests, not only the responsible
ity, as Christians, of sending the Gospel to
those who ''sit in darkness, but also, as
citizens, to compel the cessation of our
National Governments criminal conduct
in its foreign relations. Here is the first
fact:
Captain Cook, the discoverer of the
Sandwich Islands, in 177S found there four
hundred thousand souls, and left there the
diseases of civilization. The diseases
were depopulating the island, when, about
fifty years ago, Titus Coan, of the United
States, went there as a missionary. He
found only one hundred and thirty thous-
and left of the four hundred thousand of
sixty years before. The prohibition of in
Gospel, and medical skill was then able to
turn back the tide of syphilitic leprosy;
the death rate rapidly declined, and the
ultimate saving of the race was made
possibility. But, alas the government of
the same country which had sent her mis-
sionaries-our vernment--compelled the
unwilling government of the islands, in
the interest of American manufacturers of
alcoholic drinks, to admit intoxicants into
the country.
The return of alcoholic drinks so aggla-
vated the national disease that medical
skill was baffled. From the hour of its re-
turn, the death-rate steadily increased.
There are left to-day but fifty thousand,
and it is the testimony of all who know
the facts that two generations more will
work the utter determination, in the most
loathsome manner, of the entire original
population.
Another fact. Listen to the story of
Madagascar story which Mr.. W. H.
Little, once a missionary there, says sis
without parallel, for pathos and consum-
ing interest, in the history of the world. y
Ninety years ago the natives of the island
were idoators. English missionaries have
made them Christians. Strong ties of love
and gratitude bound them to their English
friends who had brought to them all the
blessings of the Christian religion.
'sTne nations that sat in darkness had
seen great light ssThe island Mauri-
titus was found to be sHgar-produclng
colony, and rum was made from the refuse
of the sugar mills. -
This was not taken to European markets
but upon Madagascar, civilized and Chris
tianzed by European efforts, this vile curse
was forced, in spite of the prohibition
which had been established at the triumph
of Christianity. "The crime of the island
rose in one short year by leaps and bounds
to a height too fearful to record" The
government Of Madagascar rose up in ter
ror, and the king, Radama l., ordered
every cask of liquor to be destroyed.
But what did England do?
Mauritian merchants complained, and
England interiered to protect commerce,
and left unprotected the country her mis-
sionaries had sacrificed SO much to save.
The island has been filled with misery and
crime and the Christian religion, unsup-
ported by Christian law, has not availed to
stopthe evil.
The young and promising son of the
courageous king became a criminal maniac
under the influence of this degrading stuff,
and was assassinated by the order of his
own privy council, having reigned only
nine months.
What can Christian missionaries do for
Madagascar in the face of such an un-
Christian public policy on the part of the
very country which sends the mission
aries? What right has England or Amcri-
ca to say, eve send you the light of life,
By the hand of our self-saeriicing Chris
tian workers" when at the same time they
force upon her the darkness of death, and
put to naught every effort of those they
send? Worse than this, actually leave the
island civilized with civilization worse,
a thousand times, than the most benighted
barbarism
But this is not all. We have heard of
the Dark Continent. We have rejoiced
that land Of darkness, cursed by all the
evils OF slavery and ignorance, was, at
last, thrown open to the ciyilizing infiu-
ence of the Christian world But of what
use to send the enlightenment of our Christ
ian religion. while we send side by side
its darkest. dead.iest enemy
And all this we do in the name of Amer
lean commerce.
Slavery was cruel and degrading curse
to the Dark Continent, but it was a curse
which was almost blessing IN comparison
with the CHASTITY and horrible curse of the
drink traffic.
Here are the woids of Sir Richard Bur
ton in his book on ''Abeokuta:"
'1t is my sincere belief that if the slave
trade we're revived with all its horrors, and
Africa could get rid of the white man with
the gunpowder and rum which he has in
trodneed, Africa would be gamer in hap
piness by the exchange"
And again, the Rev. James johnson, a
native pastor of Lagos, went to England
to plead the cause of his people before Par
lament. .'He would rather" he said,
'his country were in slavery and kept
away from the drink, than that the drink