The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-19

We are favored with a letter from worth!
colored clergyman. the Rev. H. A. GRANT. o
the African Methodist Episcopal Church a
Philipsburg, Penn. In which a curious ques
tion Is presented:
II feel at liberty to ask you to give some In for
nation in reply to the question: Why is H. at the pres
ent time while there are two hundred and nftl
millions OF AfricAns that handful OF European
| can take their country from them."
This inquiry Of Brother GRANT Is deserv
Ing OF study. under the light Of history anC
science and the news by cable.
! We may say at once in reply to the col.
ored minister. that We do not believe TINT
| the Africans Of this time suffer on account
| OF the curse which NOAH. when he awoke
from his wine. pronounced upon CANAAN as
punishment for the sin OF his father HAM
There Is no Scriptural reason for thinking
that the dread curse put on record by MOSES
was applicable to HAMS or CANAAN's pos
terlty for all ages. though the old-time
clerical upholders OF negro slavery used to
argue that it was. Besides. there is not any
ground for supposing that tho curse pro-
nounced by NOAH Immediately after he had
been drunk, was confirmed by the Almighty,
or was In accord with the Divine will.
We can say further. that we do not be-
lieve that the Africans suffer by reason of
lack OF courage. The people of all the
races In Africa are brave. and hundreds OF
battles have been fought In which death
defying acts of valor were performed by
the negro tribes Of the west and south, by
the Moors OF the north. by the Abys-
sinians OF the east. by the followers
OF the warlike Mahdi. and by the jewellers
around the great lakes. Mere deeds Of
savagery." say the whites. who themselves
perpetrate deeds of like savagery. The
English can tell how the Zulus and the
Ashantees fight: the French can tell how
the Dahomeyans and the Algerines fight /;
the Portuguese eau tell how the tribes OF
Angola fight: the Germans and the Dutch
can tell Of the fighting OF the blacks whose
lands they have seized. 1t Is not on account
Of cowardice that the black races have been
eubjugated. or that nearly the whole OF
Africa has been divided up among the Euro
pean powers.
We are sure that the Intelligent colored
minister by whom we are questioned will
not dissent from these remarks. Let US
now try to give more direct answer to our
reverend correspondent question.
We believe that the European people
have been able to subiugate the African
people because the European brain is more
highly developed than tho African brain; be-
cailse the European races possess a genius
for government far superior to that of the
black races OF Africa: because Europe 10 d.
vided into few powerful countries con
talning a dense population. while there Ia
not In all Africa any ono important or
popuOls country: because Europe Is much
further advanced in civilization and free
dom than Africa because European ma
tions keep up formidable military and naval
establishments. tho like OF which do not
exist among the Africans: because these
European establishments make use OF war
like appliances and mechanical agencies of
destruction unknown to tho natives Of any
part Of Africa; because Europe is incalcu-
lably Weather than Africa: because the
moraliznton Of Europe is SUI
perior to that OF Africa; and. finally. be-
cause Europe is III tho temperate zone.
while Africa ia in the torrid.
We cannot here enlarge upon these sew
eral propositions; but we are very sure
that IL the Rev. Dr. GRANT Will give his
mind to the study OF each Of them. and oil
of them, he will not fail to perceive how his
question may be satisfactorily answered.
Let him take any one OF tho propositions rs
a theme OF thought. At this time. for ex-
ample. take that one OF them which relates
to the superior equipment OF the foreign
military forces in Africa. aud consider it
while perusing the dispatches which we
print daily about British operations against
the blacks OF Matabelc Land In that
massacre OF which We had news a fow days
ago. and which has been brought to the
notice OF Parliament by Mr.. LABoucHERE.
the native lighters. probably more than two
thousand OF them. or almost the entire
force Oh the field. were killed or wound
ed by the Maxim machine guns of tho
British before they could get within fifty
yards OF the British line. Their bravery
avaied them not: they rushed to the at
tack as rushed tho Scotch at Bannockburn
or the French at Waterloo: but they fell in
the proportion Of thousand men to every
one man Of the invaders Of their homes
and kraals. The Europeans had the de-
structive mechanism OF modern warfare
tho Africans had but rude and worthless
Lot Pastor GRANT draw the OBJ
vious inference from these facts; and let
him not lose sight OF tho relation OF tho
facts to civilization and to all its clements.
Or to the enduring conflict between Europe
and Africa.
We must now correct two errors into
which the pastor has fallen. There are not
25O. ooO.O 900 people in Africa. BY the most &C.
ceptable estimate, the population Of the
whole continent is not over 100000 900: and
In this estimate areincluded the Egyptians.
the Moors. the Abyssinians. aud the Afri-
ienders of the south. 1t is doubtful whether
Ill the Africans. belonging to the various
types OF the negro race. number more than
ons-third as many as tho pastor supposss.
Again, Pastor GRANT 10 In error when he