The Denison review., 1899-09-15

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who cannot read. One third Of the
population Of the south unable to read
intelligently the Lords prayer The
Freedmen's Aid and Southern Educa-
tional Society has undertaken to lift the
dark pail Of ignorance off the mind Of
the south. Bancroft has said. s.Ycn
cannot disassociate q nations greatness
from its religious teachers 2 Guizot
said, Luther made Germany" Choate
said. The Swiss republic could never
have been what it was had it not been
for Calvin" All the springs Of English
literature are found in King James
translation Of the Bible
Wake up mans taste and he paints
you picture, wake up mans reason
and he writes you book. Wake up
his conscience and he works reform in
himself. Wake up his justice and he
cleanses city from it's impurities.
Law, liberty, literature, as well as all
the forces Of nature are marshalled and
hurled by the mind of man. The Grim
inal negro of the south is not the edu-
Gated negro. Education does not make
criminals. We are letting in the light
on darkest Africa in America. AS
Bishop Taylor says, the greatest Mis-
sion field of the world"
Here on this platform tonight is one.
Our beloved Dr.. Mason, product of
this society. sample of the work done
by our schools. He will speak to you,
much to your edifcation and delight.
We must educate the black man of the
south and give him by the ministry of
the church and the school fair chance.
Then there shall be q changed condition
Of the south. The anvil will be warmer
under the hammer, the plow brighter
in the furrow, the temple aglow with
holier fire and the whole south under q
sense Of greater security to capital will
soon be the regenerated and sacred
south. \ y
The second speaker Of the evening
was DR.. N. B. G. Mason. q acolored man, @
the corresponding secretary Of the
Freedmen's Aid and Southern 'Educa
tional Society, of Cincinnati, Ohio. He
is perfect scholar. polished gentle
man and great orator. His address,
which follows perfectly captured the
audience and owing to the applause he
was stopped many times in his address.
He said
The Methodist Episcopal church from
the very beginning of her history was
cosmopolitan in her membership and
has since grown to be world wide in its
jurisdiction. In the field Of ecclesiac-
ticism she has never been a negative
but always q positive factor. She has
never been so much protest against
other forms Of church organization as
rather positive declaration for q
christianity that was essentially Christ's
in life and spirit. Her going into the
south therefore at the close of the war
was but the legitimate outcome of her
history, the natural result Of the posi-
ton which for more than three. fourths
Of century she had maintained as the
most conspicuous leader in every re-
ligious and moral reform. Standing
here as we do tonight to review with
you some of the results Of this move
ment, the facts in the case warrant me
in the assertion that notwithstanding
the difficulties with which we have had
to contend, the obstacles which we
have overcome and the victories which
we have won, stand without parallel
in the history Of christian missions in
this or or any other age Continuing
DIR. Mason said: The success which we
have won on the building of churches
and in the conversion Of the people and
thus leading them to higher and purer
lives is the foundation for our work Of
christian education.
In all these schools industrial trades
are taught. At Claflin University at
Orangeburg, South Carolina, we teach
as many as thirty two different trades,
carpentry, boot and shoemaking, ma
sonry, wood and iron working, painting,
printing, etc. At Clark university at
Atlanta, Ga. is another greatindustrial
center and in many of our schools no
pupil can graduate until he has in ad-
dition to regular studies, learned q
trade. In speaking of the great work
of educating christian teachers for the
highways and neglected country places
in the SOUTH the DIR. said, our Freed
mems Aid Society has educated 1929
young colored men and women and
nearly 5000 from among the poorer
class Of white people in the south. All
these have been sent forth as christian
teachers and are helping to make peace
and prosperity. In conclusion DR.. Ma
son said: No greater work has the So.
ciety done than in the preparation of