The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-03-14

In considering this phase of our sub
ject, we must keep in mind the condi-
ton of the Negro when be reached our
shores and the condition 10 which those
remain who were left behind him in bis
native land
One of our religious newspapers said
recently;
The progress of the negro under
the tutelage Of slavery, and especially
znder the more difficult tutelage of
freedom is a sublime prophecy of the
future good of the race. There is
progress all along the line: in self
management, in education, in personal
aud church life. Many of their
preachers have developed great power
and the number of capable teachers
among them is increasing at rapid
rate. believe that no one who will
acquaiut himself with the facts, can
take anything but hopeful view of the
future Of these people
These are the words Of a Southern
man. Another Southerner, Dr.. Land
rum, of Richmond, preached sermon,
few weeks ago, along this same line.
which created quite an impression.
He emphasized the uuity of the human
race, and said the Negro is not mere
animal. savage nor a barbarian. To
call him such would be a SANDER 90
every Christian master or mistress who
sought through years to lift up the
race. and a slander upon Stonewall
jackson who taught a Negro Sunday
School, aud upon Lee who advocated
his enlistment in the Southern army.
He said there are two thousand Negro
teachers 10 Virginia, aud eight hun
dred physicians and nearly three
hundred lawyers in the United States
The Negroes are catching up with
the white people in elementary educa,
ton. | presume it may safely be
estimated that forty per cent of the
younger generation of them can now
read and write. The white people have
thousand years of civilization behind
them and yet only seventy per cent. of
them can read aud write.
The white man has owned the
property. and paid by far the larger
portion of the taxes: but the money
spent on the Negro out of the taxes
has brought in better returns than that
spent upon the white man. No one
denies that much remains to be done
among them. 10 the way of building
up character aud purifying their homes;
but they have given US every ground
to hope for their future, and to be
willing to expeod more money in their
behalf. tbink it is our duty to seek
to teach them just at this juncture that
they are likely to remain at stand
still for some time to come until they
learn to slough of the impure aud
ostracize the filthy. There are Negro
men in this community who have been
to the peni,entiary once or oftener for
stealing. and yet they occupy about the
same place socially that they occupied
before they went to Jail Progress in
this line is sadly needed, and until they
have determined to draw line between
the upright aad thief and vagaboud,
they will always fud themselves occu-
pying low place 10 the scale Of mao-
kiud.
6. The Negroes peculiar character
isttcs.
He brought those with him from the
land Of his fathers, and this long-iubred
disposition must be eradicated before be
can ever climb up to any place of stand
iug worth occupying among men.
He is painfully superstitious A large
part Of his faith is based upon supersti-
ton, and this is the noxious element in
his religious life. He is easily moved
BY fear-more easily than BY love, aud
the God of wrath has more influence
over him than the God Of mercy
But he is naturally of religious
inclination. No people on the earth
are more open to the gospel. They
love the church. and wherever man
will seek to teach them about God and
the Bible, they are willing to listen
aad receive his teaching. Their
generosity to their church surpasses
that Of the white man, and in proper
ton to wealth and numbers. they
give more than we do. They are
easily influenced. and, unfortunately,
they are willing to follow the wrong
man as readily as the right man.
A bad preacher among them can soou
corrupt the whole aock that wait
upon his ministry. As rule, they
are not sincere. This is shown by
the fact that they are usually unwilling
to trust each other. 4 Negro
merchant is much more careful in his