The sun., 1890-01-26
Pioneers Of Civilization.

Among the many hundreds Of missionaries
at work in savage lands there is a fair and
constantly increasing proportion Of men
who can turn their hand to anything
and take a very serious interest in the
bodies as we'll as in the souls Of the ma
tives. When Mr.. STANLEY wrote the other
day that these mission societies certainly
contrive to produce extraordinary men,"
he meant men like MAoKAY Of Victoria
Nyanza, and BENTLEY and GREENFIELD Of
the Congo, who are doing their utmost
to push the practical, civilizing side
Of Christianity as well as its spirituality.
The toughest and most illiterate trader
has the highest respect for snch men because
he knows they are the best pioneers OF civil
ization. and are preparing the way in a
sensible, practical manner for trading posts,
steamboats,, and railroads. The missionary
societies really ought to enlarge more than
they do upon the purely materialistic aspects
Of their work, for this feature should enlist
the support and sympathy of all intelligent
people; and no one who is watching the de-
velopment OF savage lands, whether he be
Baptist, Catholic, or agnostic, can fail to
be deeply impressed with the great work for
1t Is indeed unfortunate that here and
there the untutored savage mind is bewil-
dered and distressed by theological diff
culties that he cannot fathom; and it
would be far better for him If he heard
only the simplest truths OF religion
and Witnessed no antagonisms and rival
ries among his teachers. When STANLEY
called for missionaries to go to Victoria
Nyanza he said they ought not to be tied
to any Church. A pathetic illustration
of the discord and unhappiness engendered
by rival theologies is shown in the letter
which the fugitive Protestant Christians
OF Uganda wrote last year to Mr.. MACKAY.
when we left Uganda" they wrote, I've
came In two crowds we and our Brothers,
the followers of the Pope. But we do not
pull well together. They are always want
ing to fight with us, though we are all in
trouble together. We want you to write a
letter to the French priests that they may
make us come to an agreement"
This is the most deplorable feature Of mis-
sion work to-day, but fortunately 1t Is seen
only In o few Of the larger fields where the
teachers OF differing faiths are laboring side
by side; and often 1t happens, as in Uganda,
that their common dangers and needs COM
pei them to large extent to work harmoni-
ously and withdraw from prominence the
matters that divide them. There was no
trouble between the Protestant and Catholic
Christians Of Uganda until the civil war de-
prived them for O season OF the influence
and counsel OF their white teachers.
STANLEY thinks il LIVINGSTONE could have
seen the spectacle he witnessed last spring,
he would have been willing like SIMEON. to
depart In peace. 1t was when the dele
CATION OF Waganda came to see him clad In
spotless cotton dresses. as well clothed. he
writes, as any OF the tidiest natives OF Zan-
zibar. Each member of the deputation."
he says. possessed a prayer book and the
Gospel Of MATTHEW printed In Kiganda;
and as soon as they retired from my
presence they went to study their books
Five Of them accompanied US for the
purpose OF pursuing their religious
studies ON the coast" These fruits OF
the labors OF English and French teachers.
numbering about thousand souls. had never
heard OF the Christians faith twelve years
ago. and they have endured the most deadly
persecution because OF their new religion.
The stake, the cord, the knife. and the bullet
were all tried to make them give up their
new faith, but they have como out OF the
fiery trial in which many OF them perished,
clinging steadfastly and resolutely to the
cause for which they suffered; and they are
not by any means the only recent proofs
that Christianity is possible In Africa.
The assertions OF some recent writer's that.
from religious point of view, the labors OF
200 missionaries In the Congo basin have as
yet shown no appreciable results are Ger
tainly based upon inadequate information.
The truth is that among the young missions
OF the Congo there are to-day many hundreds
of natives who have not only professed
Christianity, but who also show In their lives
that its teachings have made deep impress
sion upon them. There stands at Banza
Manteka. In the cataract region, chapel OF