The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1905-06-23
THE NEGRO.

Missionary Society held at the home of
Mr.. and Mrs. ID. Mckenzie, ST.
The Negro population of our country,
numbering now perhaps eight millions
of souls, is much more widely distribut-
ed than formerly, but the masses of
them are to be found in what is known
as the Black Belt of the South. 1t is a
misapprehension, however, TO suppose
that the Black Belt takes its name
from the negro population. The Black
Belt consists Of a strip of rich black
loamy soil, running transversely across
several of the Southern States, especial
| ly Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana,
| Arkansas, which is peculiarly adapted
for the cultivation of cotton, and for
that reason more than any other, has
become the home of the negro.
This country is divided into large
plantations, consisting often of many
thousands of acres of land in one body,
and upon these plantations the negroes
are found in great number. Within
ten miles of the city of Selma, Ala.
one gentleman has upon his plantation
LOO negroes, another 800 and another
800, and these are but specimens of a
state of things by no means unusual.
1t is the rule, and not the exception, to
find one white family (the owners of
the land) surrounded by several hun
dred negroes. 1t is of course we'll
known that the negroes are a religious
people, and they are not without religi-
Gus advantages The plantations are
well supplied with churches, and the
churches are well attended. There are
many preachers among them, mostly
iliterate, often immoral, upon whom
the people are dependent for religious
instruction. They are very fond of
protracted meetings, which are conduct
ed with much noisy emotion, and bodily
exercise, which profiteth little. Good
evidence can be produced to show that
meetings which were begun enduring
of de way have been prOtracted, with
out interruption until the present time.
Much missionary work is being done
by Christians of different denomina-
tions among the Negroes, but principal
ly in the cities and towns. AS a c0nse-
quence a higher degree of intelligent
spiritual life and morality prevails
among them, than among those upon
the plantations. They have better
churches and Sunday schools; they have
more intelligent preachers, and men of
higher character; more of them can
read and write, and more of their
homes are furnished with Bibles and
otIer literature. Among the country
negroes, it has been ascertained, Bibles
are very scarce. Recently a careful
canvass was made upon one of the
large plantations near Selma, for the
purpose of discovering how many fami-
lies were supplied with the scriptures.
This plantation may be taken as a fair
specimen, no worse than others, possibly
l.1NN NfnfF cd nTaa
hundred cabins, and the canvasser was
directed to visit every cabin. AS re-
suit of his labours he ascertained that
only thirty one of the hundred contain
ed Bible, and out of that number,
twenty-nine had one copy each, of the
scriptures, one had two copies, and one
had six. Sixty-nine cabins on that one
plantation do not possess one copy of
the Bible. This is an appalling state
of affairs, and pleads eloquently to
Gods people for redress.
will read here short story by the
Rev. Geo. French of the Negroes eager
ness for the Bible. "Some time ago,
while stopping for the night at South
ern hotel, and busy writing til near
midnight, trying to catch up with my
accumulated correspondence, my atten
ton was attracted and / was half an
noyed by the monotonOus humble,
humble of a human voice, emanating
from a small unused luggage room near
by. AS / wrote and listened, my
nervousness and curiosity got the bet
ter of my manners, and / strolled by
the open door to ascertain what it
meant. As L peered in, | saw an old
man, nearly eighty years old, as black
rs jet, his sparse wool as white as snow,
with the open Bible on his knees, slow
ly and painfully spelling out his even
ing lesson before retiring. / joined |
him, finished his lesson for him, and
from his own lips heard his story. He |
was born "De slav ob one oh de best OBJ |
mastah's," and when freedom came, |
though poor, with a large family. to |
support, he had labored painfully for
months, if not for years that he might |
little" The kind landlord gave him |
his board, the old man said, for ode |
commidation OBJ de guess" and he man
aged to pick up his clothes and church |
money, by blacking shoes, peddling |
peanuts, and small fruits at the depots,
and from the tips from the guests at
the hotel. He had remained up till |
the last guest had retired, and his shoes
had been nicely polished, and at that
late hour would not sleep, until he had
got his message from the Word of God"
This is not the only case, that illustrates
the earnestness and eagerness with
which the colored people long for the
Word of God
The negro race in America are
Americans; they have practically all
been born in this country; they are the
most purely American of all who dwell
in this land. What they are, they have
been made out of their barbarism,
under our civilization and laws. Those
who are here, are UNNECESSARILY better
off in every way than were their ancest-
ors in Africa, or than any Negroes else
where in the world. The Negroes are
here to stay. They were brought here
without their consent but they cannot
be taken away without their consent.
They have no disposition to emigrate-
they will never be deported. For good
or evil, they are here to stay. There
are no precedents to guide us in the
Cor. haf hao |