Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-21
WORK In THE SOUTH.
Great Progress of Intelligence in the
Past Quarter of a Century.
THOUSANDS OF COLORED STUDENTS
Under the Care of the Freedmen'S Aid and
Southern Education Society.
MUCH MORE MONEY NECESSARY


giving instruction to the iIliterate popula
tion of the South, both white and black, wa:
in session yesterday in celebration of the
quarter centennial jubilee of the exist
ence of the society. The organiza
tion has become one of the
most potent adjuncts of the Methodist
Church. 1t was begun in 1866, just at the
close of the war, with the express object OF
bringing the newly-made citizens into a
condition of enlightenment. During the
past % wears it has succeeded in establish
ing academies, colleges and other institu-
tions of learning all over what were formerly
the slave States. Some of the best men OF
the Methodist Church have been, and are
at present, engaged in this work. While
the society, as is indicated by its name, aims
particularly at educating the negro, it has
also several thousand white children under
its care.
Work of the Morning Session.
Yesterday mornings session opened in the
Christ Church. Penn avenue and Eighth
street, at 10 o'clock, Rev. J. W. Miles, D.
D., presiding. Devotional exercises were
conducted for half an hour. Rev. j. c.
troduced and spoke on "Our Work In the
South-Its Present Outlook"
AT the close of the war" said he, "a
vast nation was thrown upon its own re-
sources, groveiing in darkness and Hitter
acy. The Methodist Church had money
and it was decided to send men
into the South to teach these peo-
pie how to become useful citizens
A few figures will suffice to show what the
society has accomplished. AT the close of
the war our church mad $4,000 white and
80, 200 colored members south of Mason and
Dixon's line. To-day in 16 Southern States
we have a membership of 253. 600 whites and
237, 200 colored people, which is one-f tn OF
the entire membership of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. Other churches are
doing their share but there are still 5000, 900
people to be reached, and the good work
must 60 on with redoubled energy.
Great Present Need of Money.
What we need just now more than any,
thing else is money. OF all the schools IN
der the control of the Methodist Episcopal
Church one-third is dependent upon the
Freedmen's Aid and Southern Education
Society. We have 315 teachers and a vast
army of scholars to care for. A generous
contribution from cur Northern friends is
necessary to keep these institutions up."
Rev. c. w. Smith, D. D., spoke next on
the subject He said: "The colored people
are naturally religious. While they need
preachers and missionaries, what they need
more are preachers. They need education;
they want leaders. This is what the Freed
mems Aid Society is striving to give them.
Colored physicians, colored teachers, col
ored leaders, both men and women, are
needed"
He was followed by Rev. ]. n. Boyle,
D. D., and Hon. j. L. Dravo, who spoke in
a similar strain.
At the afternoon session, Rev. z. L.
Prenuss, D. D., of Knoxville, Tenn, made
an address on Our White Work in
the Southern States" He said: 1.-THE
white work in the South began just as soon
as it did in the North. When the church
divided in 1874 and the NJ. L. Church
South started of for itself there were hopes
OF a reunion at some time, but now it is inl-
possible. The Southern church will! never
affiliate with US while we admit the black man
into our ranks and allow him the same
privileges in our organization as the white.
But we are independent and do as we
please. They are willing to allow us to go
ahead and educate the blatc man, but they
object to our efforts among the whites,
claiming that we ought to stay in our own
territory.
No Boundaries to Its Wofk.
1.-THE Methodist Episcopal Church, how
ever, recognizes no boundaries to its work.
In nearly all the slave States we have a
conference. In seven we are near in num-
Der aud equal in wealth with the Church
South, so the work in the South is pro-
crossing as well as anywhere else. Preiu-
dice is fast dying away, however, but, for the
reason stated, there never will be a union
of the two branches of the church.
There are now $50 900 Methodists in the
South, with conferences growing rapidly.
in the schools are some of the best teach
ers in the country, and the work of instruc-
fion isin every way satisfactory. Soeager are
some of the students to learn at school L
visited, they are satisfied to live on the
mere pittance of 90 cents a week. Of our
43 schools in the South 81 are for whites"
The Rev. Mr.. Printiss was followed in a
very instructive and entertaining address
by Rev. +. L. Allen, D. D., Corresponding
Secretary of the Presbyterian Board of Mis-
sions 10 Freedmen, on industrial Educa-
zion in Christian Schools" DR.. Allen is
an old man in the service. His father and
grandfather were both owners of large
plantations in the South and Shareholders
before the war. He prefaced his remarks
by saying that he has been in personal con-
tact with the black men all his life and that
which God had given him was to be used
for the amelioration OF the colored mans
condition.
THAT was a grand doxology," be said,
(which was my privilege to hear on the
morning the emancipation proclamation was
read to throng of 5000 negroes at a place
where l was stopping at the time 1 never
witnessed anything so grand and imposing
in my life. But one great mistake was
made. The Government should have pre-
pared the colored man for citizenship when
he was freed. There is no negro problem.
Give them the Bible and the spelling book,
aud the country will have nothing to fear.
We have more TO fear from the hordes of
immigrants that are now coming to our
shores than we have of the negro.
Good Citizen and Soldier.
''The colored man makes a good citizen
and fearless soldier; 3S,742 OF them were
killed on Southern battle fields. They as a
people will never consent to be taken to
Africa. South America or Mexico, as has
been proposed. There are not ships enough
TO carry them away, and they are being born
faster Than ships could be built TO hold
them.
Some day these men all will vote and
what power is in their handsl There are
over g. 600, 600 of them. The negro needs
character. Educate his head, his hand and
his heart, and the work will be blessing to
him. The girls, too, must be saved if ihe
freedmen must be saved.
Iwenty-six years ago the negroes did not
even own the clothes they wore. AT present
5S3, 600 acres of land in Georgia are owned by
colored men, and 374, 900 acres in South
Carolina, while in the Freedmen's Bank
over Sl2,OOOOOO is on deposit. This is a
great record, considering the opposition
against whlcn the negro has labored.
L.