The Washington bee., 1888-12-01


look upon you, says Mr.. Park, as
a set of formidable heathens. Now,
10 refute the statement and the
idea which it conveyed. Sixty mil
lions of educated, unbiased and
manly followers of Mohamet just
about that time, when the sun
goes down. assemble at the mos
que in quiet devotion. Reverent-
ly and saint-like these professors
wend their way to the sacred tenn
Pile; in silent order and without
confusion they convene, and, as the
last clause Of the adhan is sounded,
prayer begins all devoutly bowling;
hence we can safely say from our
experience among the two great
classes of people, all Africa in peace
with their fellow man retires in
quiet sleep.
If we examine history closely we
will find that Christianity was car
ried to Africa, or even there, many
years before the enslavement of her
children. In the fifteenth century
there were several mission stations
erected. The Romish church had a
few. But uow you ask, how is it
they did not succeed? Is Christi.
anity inconsistant with the customs
and constitutions of the Africans? !?
or, in other words, is the natural
tendency of the African in direct
opposition TO the principles OF
Christianity? In those days the
climate was an insurmOuntable bar
rier to the dlffusing OF the most
holy faith. The white man lacking
constitutions! adoption could not
live there, many of them died and
lose who survived had to return
home. Therefore, when the Amer
ican Colonization Society, in 1921,
first settled the colony, now Liberr
la, they furnished the means where
by to effect the Christianization of
the entire continent. The syste-
matte christian government of the
Republic promotes the growth and
development of the heathern with
in her limits; they have access to
her schools and departments of
! government, and are represented
in all her councils. Now, to return
by referring to one of the obstacles
which we said lay in the way Of
the missionaries III disseminating
the christian religion, we find that
it is utterly impossible for him to
succeed if he live separate and
apart from the black man. To H.
lustrate our point. We find stud
ent can, with reverence and love,
acquire more readily by feeling
himself to be humanity on the same
footing wi b his instructor, and that
he will by judicious application
make like useful man, or, in other
words, he must be in position to
understand, irrespective Of the wild
theories which run rife in she cau~
casian world, that he is man, and
that a man means the highest and
noblest being upon the face of the
earth. The African understands
himself to be thus. But these eau.
casian missionaries, with their
sanctimonious pretencies, try to
place the Africans in position to
deprecate their own personal char
acteristics, which they will not al
low ahd hence do not adhere to
their teachings, knowing they are
! devoid of the fundamental princi.
Piles upon which Christianity is
built. This class of people may we'll
bear in mind that the African has
the power of scrutinizing, SO what
ever may be their doctrines and
theological dOgmas set forth to
comfound the pIainest truth, they
must be carried where they can
take root in better prepared soil.
The first proper step towards mis-.
sionary work in Africa is to leave
prejudice in America or Europe,
else he who contemplates such
work will be wholly disappointed.
The subject of slavery, perhaps,
would have been in order under
Paganism, but for it's length and
principally for it's having been
once an institution of a civilized
government we have placed and
Will discuss it under a separate
head. BY way of passing on We
had better remark that with the
Africans serville blood is no bar.
rier to the standing Of the unfortu.
nate. Islam receives into her en-
brace the slave, considers him free
and sends him out among the
heather with the Koran as his
guide to impart the principles of
the religion. Taking up the history
of mankind we find the whole
world has passed through the try.
ing ordeal of slavery. Javan Tubal
and Meshech; they were thy mer.
chants "they traded the persons
of men and vessels of brass i'm thy