The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-07-08
BISHOP TURNER BACK
He TELLS AN INTERESTING STORY
OFHIS TRIP TO AFRICA.
The Down of Civilization is Fast Breaking
Upon the bark Continent-Churches
Are Being Established.


race He made quite extended trip into
Lib, ria and thoroughly inspected the prog
ress that civilization and religion nave
made in the dark continent. He was I'M
pressed with the fact that more teachers
and preachers are needed and will at once
start movement to secure the assistance
necessary.
Bishop Turner is the leader of his race in
the south and ranks high among the ne
groes of the entire civilized world. His rep
utltion minister is national and every
whore he has ever gone he has been well
received and many courtesies shown him.
He brings back with him an interesting
story of his trip.
Il left Atlanta" said he, ION the 18th OF
February; stopped over few days in Wash
ington city and had an interview with Pres
ident Cleveland and the secretaries OF state
and the interior, in connection with the
republic of Liberia. i delivered several lee
lures in Harrisburg, Carlisle and Philadel-
phia, and in New York city,
Il remained in England and France near
ly three weeks, while / was having mon
ument constructed TO carry with me to Ii
IBERIA to commemor lite the final resting
place of Rev. Il. r.. Geda, who accompanied
me to Africa some years ago, and assisted
in organizing the Sierra Leone and Liberia
conferences OF the African Methodist Epis-
coral church. The work being completed /
again took shipping at Liverpool and pro-
ceeded to Sierra Leone, hating at a few
points. chiefly the Canary islands. L reach
ed Free Town, the capital of Sierra Leone
colony about the middle of April.
While In Free Town l presided over the
ScrraLcone conference, readjustei muCh or
cur missionary work in that colony, ordain-
ed few preachers, preached several times
and delivered several lectures on Temper
ance,' The Future of Africa The Posi-
bilities Of the Black Man. and The Errors
of the So-called Bible Chronology which
limits the creation of man to 1900 years be-
fore the birth of Christ. l had as my audi
ence the culture of the city, especially
TWO occasions, consisting of white and
black. Free Town is a city OF about $4,000
population with ninety-odd whites, chiefly
Europeans. Who aye there as ministers, pro-
fessors few Merchants, military officers
and a few governmental officials. Many AT
ricans are highly educated and fiji positions
of every grade with the exception of COM
missioncd officers in the standing army
which the British government keeps there.
Most of the ablest lawyers and the most
skiilful doctors are said to be native Afri-
cans, several of whom We're educated in
england ana graduated with high honors
from some of her celebrated colleges.
Il next visited Liberia, about three hun
dred miles southwark. and disembarked at
Monrovia, the capital of the republic. But
the conference met at Arlington, about
thirty miles interiorward
Liberia, as you are aware is a repIblic
modelled after the United States. and was
founded by colored people from the United
states, but the territory OF Liberia was pro-
cured III November. 1921 by Commodore
STOCKTON Of the United States navy The
first colony. however. to be selected. was
established up the Sherbro bay i'm 1916 I'M
der the auspices of Henry Clay. while presi-
dant of the American Colonization Society.
"I'ch remained under the supervision OF
ihe rpIpi N Ion sooi.ty anil about 1873
"nen they d,clared their Independence ana
assumed th= status OF 4 nation ana have
been 50 regarded by the civilized nations of
the world from that time until the present.
More Preachers Needed.
Our conference business was transacted
intellgently, and moved along smoothly.
4 ordained nine ministers in the two con-
ferences. Our missions there are on the
Increase, and If had money to render a
little more assistance and more preachers
to supply the demand. congregations on
the African coast would spring up as by
magic. The African, both civilized and
heather, wants the church. They be-
lieve that in addition to the spiritual good
of which it is productive. that the church
is a great civilizer.
81 saw several emigrants who went over
to Liberia on the steamship Horsa, which
left Savannah in March reached
Liberia some eleven or twelve days after
the ship had started on her return to the
United States. Several of the emigrants
expressed themselves as highly pleased.
The most of them were well when 1 left
Liberia about the middle of May. Some
had contracted little fever; two very
old people had died, one of whom they
thought would hardly reach Liberia
when he left Savannah. One man
and his wife, however. started back
to this country while l was in Liberia. 1
am told the chief reason for their return
was they did not see enough white peo-
pie there"
do you stin believe that it is to the
interest of the negro IN this country to
return 10 Africa was asked.
Not en- masse. Millions of them are not
prepared. They need somebody to tell
them what to do, and now To az It. But
there are a couple of millions in this coun-
try who are self-rcliant, able 10 piah'
devise and projeC& and who wish every
privilege enjoyed by the WHITES VINO
ought TO 20 and help to build up that IN
FAINT republic and demonstrate to the world
that they are able to grapple with respon-
sibilitv in every form known to clVlllza-
ton. You know that the world will never
respect the negro as long as ne pays the
scullion and acts the mendlcaht. NoIhlhs
less than black scholars. statesmen, phI-
osophers, scientists, poets, PROFESSIONS OF
every kind bankers generals and every
thing known to the sphere of advanced
civilization is going to command the re-
spect of mankind: and we can never at
tain il as long as we are so greatly over
Swallowed by you white people
No BnrhnrIsm in the Future.
"Ara YOU not fearful that II the colored
people were to return to Africa they would
also return TO barbar.sm!
mo sir, a thousand times no. Inc
wheels Of progress do not run backward.
I DO not believe there IS an instance upon
record where a negro or an African mas
ever returned to heathen.sm. Take the
Liberians who have been going from TINS
country from time to time ever since 1916.
and have been mingling with the heather
daily-they have in no instance returned to
| hc1thenism. But to the contrary, they
have brought thousands of heathens to
civilization and many of their most intel
Ieent business men are the children and
grandchildren of heather parents who once
roamed around in a state of nudity.
Liberia at the Exposition.
az bargained for a few hundred dollars
worth of exhibits to be sent over to me
to be placed on exhibition at the EXPOSE
ton and they viii De shipped to me here.
The president sad that owing to the war
department being burned, the magazine de
-oH nd OIL of the n