Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-07-29

LANCASTER, PA, July 30, 1889.
A Timely Charity.

Miss Kate Drexel's munificent gift of
81. 900 to found church and college for
colored people in Philadelphia and the
promise of as much more as may be
needed to put them in good working
order, is timely dispensing of charity.
The education of the colored people OF
the country rests on us a. moral re-
sponsibility. Transplanied TO foreign
shore without any motion on their part;
subjected to slavery for many years
against their will; citizenship thrust
upon them without preparation, II Is
high time their present deplorable con-
dition attract attention. The obligation
to christianize this unfortunate race Is
upon the people of the North as well as
upon the white population of the south,
among whom the great body of blacks
live and it is eminently proper that the
Christian churches should take up this
special work.
This is the only solution of tire race ques-
ton, If that puzzling problem is suscepti-
bic Of any solution at all. In their pres
ent ignorant condition they are unreas-
enable and intractable. Not knowingof
appreciating their tights ms citizens, they
are entirely incapable of properly excr-
cising them. Bewildered by the multi
plicity of social duties and obligations
that rest on them as component part
of our social organism, they have for
twenty-five years floundered in our body
polite. Dwelling in the midst of a
white population of intelligence and re-
finement, they have always been social
outcasts. With little cohesion in their
nature, they have either scattered them
selves throughout the tropical sections
of our land regardless Of the laws that
regulate such migrations ; or else, with
no knowledge or conception of the rules
of social intercourse, they have huddled
themselves into inert masses in the midst
Of a foreign life and people. They have
been dwelling in society Of which they
were no ingredient part, and subject to
the laws and rules Of conduct which
they do not even remotely comprehend.
There can never be such comming-
ling of the white and black people in
this country rs will annihilate their
differences. There ought not TO be in
termarriage, for that only weakens
what is best in both. On the other hand
there ought to he u proper recognition
of the rights Of the negro on the part of
the whites. They are here among us
and we cannot get away from the fact
that they will always remain among us.
And the question that now prescuts il
self to the consideration of the best
minds of our nation is how to deal with
them. We must recognize the fact that
they are human beings. We dare not
treat them as mere beasts of burden.
We have rashly given them the full
rights of citizenship which cannot he
taken from them.
Our duty now Is to educate the negro
toa proper conception Of these rights
Let the churches move in this matter, ms
they have DONE and they will be sup
ported by the best Of people of our coun
try. Christianity and education go han,
In hand in this civilizing pro
cess. They are the two prm,
forces which break down tn,
barriers that hedge in barbarou,
nation, or hold in captivity blighte,
people. The church and the college
therefore, must rise up together, ant
when that work is begun the first steI
will have been taken towards releasing
the negro from his worse than slavery
the thraldom of ignorance and supersti
tion.
We cannot restrain u word O
commentator TO the noble woman
whose munificent gift has thus made tn
start In this work. 1t is not the first q
her charities, and will hardly he th
last. But it is the first gift of consider
able sum for the benefit of the colore,
people. Let her example be emulated b,
those who are blest or cursed with super
fluous riches, and who have near 4
their loyal hearts the permanent wei
fare Of our social and political life.