The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-02-24
Address Delivered at Winnsboro S. Co. Part Of the
Centennial Exercises, November TO- 1908 by Rev. f. B.
Kennedy, Of Barlow, Fla.
rAssoeiate Reformed Presbyterian

formed church discussed the founding
of a theological seminary. In lSO
the Rev. John M. Mason was sen
to Great Britain and Ireland to 80
licit donations for seminary aDd au
thorized to purchase with the funds
collected books for the library. After
fifteen months he returned having
collected ebout five thousand dollars
the most Of which was spent for the
library. In 1904 the Rev. John Ma.
son, one of the ablest men aud fore.
most preachers of America, was cho-
sen Professor of Divinity, and the city
of New York fixed as the place for the
seminary. This was the second theo-
logical seminary established In Amer
lea: Twelve years before the Asso-
ciate ,Presbytery had established the
first in Beaver county, Pa.
After the Synods of Scioto and the
Carolinas had withdrawn from
General Synod of the Associate Re-
formed church, a portion of the re-
naming part united with the Pres
byterian church, and managed to con-
solidate the theological seminary at
New York with that at Princeton and
transfer the library from the former to
the latter place. At the suggestion of
the Associate Reformed Synod of the
South delegates from. the Synods of
the South, the West, and New York
met in convention to take steps to re-
cover this library and re-established
the seminary. After long years OF
litigation the library was restored to
the Synod of New York.
ORIGIN OF COLLEGE AND SEMINARY.
But while it is interesting to note
the active part our fathers took in the
early educational work of the Asso-
ciate Reformed church, eur chief In
terest lies in the work done among the
people of our Synod since its organi-
cation in 1903. To meet the require
ments for the ministry in the early
days of the Synod, our young men
were dependent on the old field
schools, few, inefficient and of un.
certain continuance, on the very few
academies, and on the still fewer col.
leges.
In a paper read before the State
Teachers Association, at Spartanburg
in 1894, Prof. Morrison of Clemson
College quotes from various sources
showing that the educational condition
of the South in the last quarter of the
eighteenth century and the first quar-
ter of the nineteenth century was
primitive and pathetic.
General McCrady, who gave the
most favorable account of colonial
education in South Carolina, could
enumerate only twenty two scholars
of all kinds in the entire State at the
close of the Revolutionary war.
An eye witness ofa scene on Sulli.
vans Island the day after the battle o1
Fort Sumter writes: "And indeed to
see the looks of our poor soldiers,
when those great ladies, all glittering
in silks and Jewels, and powdered and
perfumed so nice, would come up to
them, in faces like angels, sparkling
and smiling so sweet, as if they would
kiss them; say to ace the looks o
our poor fellows, their awkward bows
and broad grins, and other droll capert
they cut, no human being could have
refrained from laughing" When
Gov. Rutledge presented his sword to
Sergeant Jasper and offered him 8
commission, the gallant officer replied
II am greatly obliged to you, Governor
but had rather not have q commits
sion. As I am, pass very we'll will
such company as poor sergeant ha
any right to keep. If were to get
commission, I would be forced to keel
higher company; and then, as 1 dom
know how to read, should only b.
throwing myself in a way to b
laughed at"
Ex-Governor Perry in an addres
delivered in 1878 said: "Thirty year
ago I rode all day through the coun
ties of Oconee, Pickens, Anderson
Abbeville, and Greenville, taking tn
testimony Of very aged witnesses in
great lawsuit then pending in the cit
of Mobile, involving several hundre
thousand dollars and the legitimac
of a highly respectable family of youn
ladies. The witnesses who appeared
before me were mostly born before o
during the Revolutionary War.
was greatly surprised and not littl
shocked to find that almost all of th
old ladies examined were unable I
write their names, and had to max
their marks to their deposition
They were in good circumstances an
mothers of prominent men in the
counties"
Prof. Morrison states that he hi
! frequently asked ex-Confederate of
officers, mainly from the upper coul
= ties of South Carolina, show man
, men in their commands were unab
3 to write home, or read the letters r
e ceived, and the answers usually give
! were one fourth or one fifth.
= Such being the condition of educ
/. tion among these masses, the minist
f as finished classical scholar ar
9 thorough theologian" was not ina
q propriately called the parson, beiI
g easily chief person.
: At the beginning of the last cent
4 ry the public school system had n
r been established in the territory of Il
r Associate Reformed church, and '
;. may believe that the first education