The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-20
SAVING SOULS FROM SIN.
WORK OF THE PRESBYTERIANS
AMONG THE NEGROES.

Splendid Progress Made In the Past
Twenty-Five Years The Colored
Population of Georgia Increasing
Rapidly in Numbers and Prosperity.
The Money Spent In the Cause.
SARATOGA, N. Y, May 19.-In the Pres
byterian general assembly to-day fra
ternal greeting was read from the general
assembly of the Southern Presbyterian
church, in session at Asheville. N. G.
The board of missions for freedmen made
its twenty-fifth annual report through Rev.
E. d. Morris of Cincinnati. who said
that twenty-five yeats ago we had
no church, school, educated colored preacher
or teacher, while to-day finds us with 245
churches, rs schools, III oolored preachers
and 1873 colored teachers. The churches are
included in two synods, the Atlantic, with
six, and the Catawba, with four presby-
teries. The receipts of the board during
the year were size, 325, gain over last year
of 1874.
CoLoRED CONTRIBUTIONS.
The freedmen themselves have given to-
ward the support of their own churches
aud schools, and for scholarships in Scotia
and Mary Allen seminaries, $40, 200 Seven
thousand, seven hundred and forty-five dol
lars, which they gave for these scholarships,
are not included in the total receipts of the
board. Nine new churches have been Or
ganized. In the Carolinas the emigration
of negroes TO the west has depleted many of
our churches. In Georgia the colored
population is increasing rapidly, and
is now about 100000 and in no state
except, perhaps, Texas are negroes getting
property so fast. There is similar progress
in Arkansas, where many Of those who have
left the seaboard are settling. Added to the
membership of the churches during the
year was l 200 on profession and 272 by cer-
ti6cate. The negroes as whole are multi
plying far faster than the means
of educating them. If all were
provided for now, year hencs
250,000 would be destitute of schools, but 10
the regions where our schools are illiteracy
wanes. The parochial schools are especially
helpful
INDUSTRIAL TRAINING.
In all our seminaries and academies in
dustrial training is given prom inent place.
AT Branoid institute nearly every building
needed, including large three-story DOR
up the students. We have built
this year at Carthage, N. c.,
Abbeville and Aiken. s. c.; Rogersville,
Tenn; Augusta, Cotton Plant and Pine
Bluff, Ark. and Mary Ellen Seminary,
Texas, and in the Indian territory. During
the year we have had 3l6 missionaries, 252
of them colored, 26 more than last year
The whole number of conmunicants is
16,502; of scholars, 1872. In our 7S
schools are TO- 069 scholars and I'll teachers.
THOSE WHO LEND A HAND.
To our funds 2,945 churches and 206 Sun
day schools and 905 societies contribute,
rroi Ia obi nHea a not hatr
been specially helpful this year, raising
$29, 800. We have SAG, $50 of invested funds
1t was recommended that the salaries of
the secretary, treasurer and clerks be re-
duced to sum not exceeding IS, 500
Rev. r. II. Allen, d. d., secretary Of
the board, followed in earnest advocacy of
larger giving and interest for the elevation
of is race. He said there was serious
trouble ahead unless this was done. Six
hundred negro children are born in the
south every day and ships cannot be built
every day to carry negroes to Africa. In
less than ten years they will be in majori
ty in these states, and their votes before
long will be cast and counted.
GRAVITY OF THE ISSUE.
This is Gods official notice that the hand
that holds that ballot must be guided by
intelligence and conscience. There is no
more serious question before us than this
The 3,500,00 at emancipation have grown
to S,000,000 Forty-five dollars will support
a glrl in Scotia Seminary.
Henry Day of New York spoke of the
rapid increase Of the negroes, as shown by
the census now being taken, and of their
power in the near future to control national
as we'll as local politics. The church alone
can save us from this peril. 1t is question
of loyalty to American institutions. We
must have $3.50, 900. for these heather at our
doors are more easily reached than any
other heather.
Rev. Alexander (colored) of the Cape
Fear, N. c., presbytery. thought Presby-
terian policy peculiarly adapted to the
work that must be done for the negroes.
No other church is square on the color line,
not even the Congregationalist, that this
year has gone back on its grand record.
Rev. Hunt (colored) OF South Carolina
spoke by special request of Secretary Allen.
He thought there was no more negro
problem, the Presbyterian church having
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