Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-04

seemed to convey the meaning that it we
regarded a greater crime to steal from
white man than from a black man; or, il
other words. the men were being punished
or crime committed against white mar
and not tor crime against the law.
NO REFINED SENTIMENTS.
One of the characteristics of the mind
worthy of mention here is that of the lack
of feeling; both physical and mental. They
undergo great pain as shown by many in.
stances, but the more important act is thai
the feelings of love, gratitude and sympathy
seem to be almost wanting in the average
native. Men who have spent years among
them say they have never seen man show
any affection for a woman or vice versa, no
matter what the relations might be. Cases
Of affection being manifested by parents for
children are almost unknown. l have seen
parents NOUN for children and children for
parents and in each case it was a matter OF
form without any real feeling whatever.
The ceremony consists of the dancing and
wailing OF the female relatives who along
with the male relatives have their faces
decorated with a white and red powder.
l once went among some natives who were
mourning the death of child and chanced to
have Colt repeating rifle. In a few
minutes l was surrounded by very curious
crowd of men, women and children, in
cluding the parents of the deceased, who
were intent upon examining the rifle. 1t
was especially puzzling to them to see q
rifle that would carry so many cartridges.
All mourning had been forgotten and re-
placed by an intense curiosity to see TIVE
rife.
The question as to the future of the Angola
natives is difficult one to treat That
African natives cannot civilize themselves
is certain; that contact with white men has
powerful influence either for good or bad
is also certain. am sorry to believe that
the influence of the whites upon the natives
of Angola has in many respects been bad
WORK OF THE MISSIONARIES.
I certainly saw no natives who were
"thirsting ior Christianity" as stated in a
missionary journal, but did see most all
thirsting for rum. One gets very different
idea OF missionary work by going upon the
ground than he does from missionary talks
or printed reports. 1t may be, however,
that lar to the interior of Angola the natives
do really desire Christianity and civiliza-
ton. l inquired at a mission station ON the
coast as to the success OF their work, and
was informed that very good success marked
the results of their work, especially at the
older stations. The station in question has
been in existence for five years, 1 believe. 1
asked to be told of any natives who had be-
come thoroughly converted and civilized,
and was told of but one man who went about
clad in an old coffee sack only.
The missionaries of Angola certainly have
much against them. 1 met no whites,
Portuguese or English, who were not in one
way or another opposed to their work. The
objections were of various kinds Many
have no desire to see the condition of the
natives improved as they have more to gain
pecuniarilv if they are not civilized. Others
object to the persons sent to do the work and
to their methods. The objections of these
latter people alone are worthy of considera-
ton. Their objections seem to be based
upon good grounds, for tits we'll known that
any person "who feels called upon" is sent
to labor among the heathen to do a work
that ought to require a trained mind, one
that can see the practical side OF things and
one that is not so hampered by religious be-
lief, as not to be able to pursue a course
which will be the best and most practical
under given circumstances. 1t is true so
far as my observation and information go
that many missionaries belong to the class
unsuited for such work. There methods are
wrong.
ANOTHER PLAN PROPOSED.
The problem is a most difficult one and
probably not fully appreciated by the aver
age missionary. Would you endeavor to
remove the superstitions by replacing them
with system of religion many of the
teachings of which are beyond the compre-
hension o the savage mind and which seems
to him to embody superstitions as gross as
those to be removed? For example, thou
sands of the African natives firmly believe
that the spirits of their ancestors interfere
with their daily affairs, so they are very
cautious about their actions. How shall we
attempt to overthrow his belief BY the doc
trine of the immortality of the soul in any
form, however simple? To teach a native
that the spirit OF his ancestors cannot inter-
fere with his affairs, and then teach him
that his ancestors still live and will forever
live in another world, to my thinking only
tend to strengthen his conviction that
his ancestors, if they still lived, would
surely take part in his affairs. Instead of
employing such method, would
it not be wiser to begin by educating the
mind, and thus train the faculties so the su-
Derstitions would become gradually under
mined and finally fall because the had
nothing on which to rest, and then give the
religious instruction afterward, if 1t is to be
given at all? In short, why not begin by
ed ucating the native mind, and leave relig-
ious instruction until the mind is prepared
to receive it? CLAIRE A. ORR.
STREETS graded. walks laid, treea plant
ed. See page IA, to-day's Dispatch.