Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1907-03-27
CHRISTIAN sNDEAvOR.


According to the census of 1900. there
IRE in round numbers 10,0U0,000 At
B-Americans in our country 100000
"a the south. mostly the descendants
u former slaves, and 100000 in the
north. The number of this race in our
End emphasizes the great problem
that presents itself in their presence
here This is especially true of the
race problem in the south, which is be
eoming more serious as time passes by.
the negro question once endangered
Hhe life of the nation, and it is still so
FERROUS a problem as to enlist the inter
&st and assistance of all who have the
welfare of the nation at heart as well
as the interests of humanity and the
progress of the kingdom of God. The
soul of negro in America is as well
Morth saving as one in Africa, and,
Ehile we should send missionaries to
Africa. we are not to neglect the Afro
Americans The American nation is
In debt to the negroes of our land.
Ehey came here not of their own ac-
Cord, but were forcibly brought and
for over two centuries lived as bonds
men and slaves. But God has loosed
their bonds' He has set them free.
But freedom was not their only need.
1t was the first step in real progress.
But it is not the last, and in this work
christian missions must bear an i'm
lortant part.
That there is need of progress among
Che freedmen is not to be wondered at,
1he descendants of Africans, held for
aver 200 years in slavery. could not be
6pected to have attained to high
Ekandards along any lines. We are
lot, therefore. surprised that at the
Elnse of the war they were in most
fiable condition and needed a help
lug hand if they were to be blessing
hfher than a curse to our land. The
egro character is a strange mixture.
Is mild, yet often ferocious; inno-
ant and again most vicious; strong in
atural religious tendencies, yet large
~ devoid of the great essential of true
;, eligion, stability of moral character.
: IN addition, the average negro is shift
ess, lazy and lmprovident. The negro
D very literal in mot caring for the
IL
aaced a great problem before church
Ind state when 100000 such PEG
? DIE by the stroke of a pen passed from
@avery to freedom. They We're more
8ke children than full grown men
md women and needed careful train
ing, and this Is still more so today.
since the 100000 in the southland
have increased to 100000.
But the God who loosed the bonds of
The freedmen has blessed them. They
have made and are making progress
And in this work of development the
J. church of Christ has taken and still
must take prominent part They are
( khe greatest in numbers of our eXcep-
6onal populations. next to the foreign
pers in our land, and they must be led
To higher ground along all important
lines
r The needs of the negro indicate the
Hines along which he has progressed
and should continue to do so. The
three most important of these are in
dnstrial. intellectual and religious.
And in all three they have made prog
less. ID The negro is progressing in
: 6ustrially. This is the special feature
6f the work of Booker T. Washington
e Tuskegee. But years before our
mission schools We're doing the same
Ind of work. Negro boys were being
Eaught all kinds of trades and negro
aris the domestic arts. The results
be most satisfactory, and still greater
butts will be reaped in the future. e,
he negro is progressing intellectually.
The work of education is being rapid
" pushed The purpose of an educa-
Hon is also being better understood
u used to be supposed that all edtl
heted negroes should be ministers o.
politicians, but today the educated ne
ro is not above manual labor, is en-
Nefing all the professions, and, above
al, many are giving their service To-
email remuneration for the educatio:'
md betterment of their own race
Girls graduating in our mission schools
20 back to their homes and teach th
children of their own race, many Of
them at great personal sacrifice. e.
The negro is progressing religiously
Character is the essential need of this
people The development of head and
hand is not enough. The heart also
must be reached. The negroes religion
consisted formerly largely in emotion
Morality had practically no place in it.
But under the influence of a better
class of missionaries and ministers
the negro is coming to understand that
character is an important part of re-
igion.
But, while progress has been made,
there is still great work to be done,
and as Christian and American citi-
zens we should be intensely interested
in this work No race or sectional
prejudice should Interfere with interest
In this problem. II Is gigantic enc.
but with God all things are possible"
Let us therefore do all in our power to