The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1888-01-18
&c Unwise TalkD

most heartily endorse. 1t said last week ::
The colored people within the bounds Of the
Presbytery of Baltimore number $50 600, of
whom only 10 068 are under the influence of the
Presbyterian churches and Ssbbath-schools
Rev. William II. Weaver. pastor of the Madison
Street (colored) church, at late meeting OF that
Presbytery, expressed the opinion that the
Freedmen Board had better be abolished and
its work handed over to the Board OF Home
Missions Yet at that same meeting it was
stated that at the late Presbyterian Union
Thanksgiving services in East Baltimore the
colored Presbyterlans were not asked to partici-
pate. And it is we'll known that the Home
Mission churches and missionaries in the South
can do little or nothing in the way of fraterniz-
ing with or helping enthusiastically the colored
people. One of the most successful OF the South
ern District missionaries of that Board told us
that public opinion made it necessary for our
churches and ministers there to keep more
aloof from the colored people than do the South
ern white churches and missionaries.
Talk such as that, in which Mr.. Weaver III
dulged, dscourages the best friends of the col
ored people, and tends to close the hands of the
most liberal against Them. Mr.. Weaver and a
few others are the greatest impediments in the
way of the Christianization and education of the
colored people, And what is very strange u.s.
that it is only in the Presbyterian Church that
the opinion set forth by Mr.. Weaver is ex
pressed. All other churches that are doing any
thing for the colored people have separate or
CARNATIONS for this work. One denomination
that abandoned the separate organization for
time FASTENED to return to IT, For it is admit
ted by all who are acquainted with what has
been done by all denominations for the colored
people, that In proportion to the money contrib
uted our Church, through the Board for Freed
men. has done the best and largest work And
not single church or individual that contrib
utes literally in behalf of the colored people
has expressed an opinion such as that uttered by
Mr.. Weaver.
This opinion of Mr.. Weaver was ex.
pressed by several colored Presbyteries
three years ago, and by one year ago !;
and it vas done by action asking the
General Assembly to transfer the Freed
mems Board to the Home Board. The
Assemblies of 1885 and 1887 refused to
take such action, and now we hear it
again. Such things discourage and dis
please the friends of the colored people,
and can have no other effect but to di-
minish the offerings to the cause, which
have been growing heretofore. If lead
ing colored ministers are not willing for
our Church to carry on a special work for
them, with special supervision and spe-
cial collections, they had better set up for
themselves. 1t Is the only way we can
do them much good, or raise money for
them. 1t is to be hoped that Mr.. Weaver
is not and has not been a beneficiary of
the Freedmens Board Such an one, it
would be supposed, would be slow to turn
his hand against his foster-mother. The
trouble with the restless grumblers-and
We rejoice they are mit.ority-is' that
they want to get their help from the same
treasury with the white missionaries. 1t
is the color line that troubles them. On
the other hand, they begin 70 raise a cry,
not very consistently, IN iaSor OF eoiored
teachers in their schools and colleges
This will be all right In the fullness of
time, but it is question for the Freed
mems Board, and not for its benefciaries
! The colored ministers have much to learn,
that other home missionaries know and
! do. This is not to be wondered at when
it is remembered that they have been in
bondage and that the standard of minis
terial preparation has been lowered in
their behalf A gentleman of large OBJ
servation and experience said to ug nearly
two years ago Our colored ministers
have everything to learn. With few ex-
captions, they are not economical and
thrifty. They do not try to get homes
and have gardens, COWS, chickens and
pigs, and 80 make as much of their living
as white home missionaries do, and many
are unwilling to be advised We bore
this remark In mind, and inquired in re-
gard to it of many persons when travel.
ing In the South last winter and the past
autumn. The testimony was that it was
true, as rule. to which there are some
exceptions. AS we have learned, the
Board will say the same. If our mission
airy work for the colored people can not
be advised and supervised with their full
acquiescence, then they forfeit the bounty
of the Church, and the work will fail.
We lament the unpleasant things the
Freedmen suffer from the color line, and
the embarrassment In our way thereby,
but neither we nor they can wait for
them to pass away, under the influence
of education and religion. Our missions
for white and colored must go on under
all Disadvantages We might as well
abolish Zenana work until the wrongs
are righted that women suffer in the for
eign field. We have initiated our work
on the basis of separate Board, separate
schools and separate churches, and time
has proved its wisdom. To-day it is
more important than ever, when the
question of evangelizing the whites in the
South is upon US, with or without union
with the Southern Church, If such men
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