Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1896-06-26
THE CHRISTIAN AND THE
HOTTENTOT.

| From the American Quarterly Register,
conducted by b. B. Edwards, Record,
ing Secretary of the American Educa-
ton Society, Boston, Mass. 1888.
| THE Conclusion OF Article Published June 81
The foregoing bit OF history,
copied from a report of Christian
missions in South Africa, pub
llshed more than sixty years ago,
illustrates the usual methods, SO
far as practicable, by which Chris
tian nations deal with the occu-
pants of countries they invade for
the purpose Of plunder and con
quest. The methods described
seem also to be strictly in accord
with those employed by the Jews,
under direction of their Jehovah,
as recorded in the Jewish Chris
tian bible (see Mum. XXI, HIS;
Deut. vii, 1-3; Sam. XIV, So The
only remarkable matter in the
above recital is, perhaps, that the
Hottentots inhabitants of South
Africa, as found in the early part
Of the seventeenth century, were
! honest to an extraordinary degree,
no theft having been known
among them for more than fifty
years. No historian would for a
moment think of risking his repu-
tation by making like statement
concerning any other race OF the
human family. And behold,
these people were without a god,
without bible, and without a
system Of religion. For centuries
all other nations have held that
these were necessary to make man
Just, human and moral.
Priest and eacher alik have
confessed through the pulpit, the
platform and the press that were
it not for the fear of an angry God
they would wreck!essly plunge
into viciousness and crime. Even
women of apparent refinement,
culture, and education have un-
blushingly declared that were
they without fear of future punish
ment, there was no crime they
would not cheerful commit. Yet
on the shores of Africa dwelt a
people without hope of a future
reward, and without fear of a
future punishment, who, in the
excellence of their morals, sur
passed all nations Of the earth.
Peace and prosperity reigned; no
no wealthy class was supported in
idleness by the toiling poor; no
dens OF infamy, no saloons, and
no churches. Alas that his
tory must record tue fact that the
people of nations owning a god,
a religion, and a bible, invaded
country Of ''the good men,
seized their lands, stole Their
goods and chattels, and either
massacred or enslayed men, wo-
men, and children.
1t has frequently been asserted
that the civilization OF the black
man was due to the accident OF
slavery; in other words, the Afri
can being compelled to live in
company with the men who robbed
him, he had, as a result, become
civilized; which means, perhaps,
simply that he now believes in the
Christian religion, often gets
drunk, often commits crime, after
the example of his white Christian
| brother.
But the facts should not be
overlooked, as recorded in the
above named missionary report,
that it was nearly fifty years after
| Christian settlements were formed
on the lands Of "the good men
that the first criminal was found
amonk the Hottentot inhabitants
| l70O). And if common school
history states facts, it was in 1926
that the first ship load of black
people were brought as slaves tc
the United States by the notorious
Dutch trader.
| When the white men of the
south, almost to man, fed to the
seat of war in defense Of their be
loved institution Of slavery, leav-
ing their families-.thei mothers,
wives, sisters, and daughters tic
the sole care of the colored man,
\ I IL.