The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1943-12-11
CHAPTER XIX

the Guardian editors -a~lsf q
CHAPTER XIX
THE FAMOUS JUBILEE SINGERS
FISK UNIVERSITY
The he chose was wild and sad
Now shrin voice the notes prolong;
Nov wild chorus swels the song.
Oft have listened and stood still
As it softened up the hill
Sir walter Scott
7" in brief might give faint of what it utterly
impossible depict would adopt three words SOFT s
simple
The Jubilee Singers London Rock
The dark cloud Of human slavery which for over two
hundred years had hung incubus-like over the
American nation, had happily passed away The bright
sunshine Of emancipaon glorious day shone over race
at last provdentiay rescued from the worst fate record
ed in all the worlds dark history. Up of the house
Of bondage where had reigned the most terrible wrongs
where had been sfed the higher aspirations Of manhood
where genius had been crushed, nay more, where at
tepts had been made to annihate even all human in.
stncfrom this Accusing region, this eharnelhouse Of
human the latter-day children of Israel the
American freedmen.
How much like the ancient story was their history!
The American nation Pharaohke had long and steadily
refused to obey the voice Of Him who said between every
returning plague Let people co." and, after long
waiting. he sent the avengng scourge Of civil strife
compel obedience The great Of the Rebellion lit
should be called the of retbution) with its stream
Of human blood became the Red Sea through which these
long-suerng with aching, trembling limbs with
hearts possessed half with fear and half with hope hth
long deferred passed into the promised land Of
blessed liberty.
Slavery then. ended, the first duty to repair
possible its immense devastaons made upon the
minds of those who had long been its victims. The
freedmen were to be educated and fitted for the enjoy
ment Of their positions.
In this place may not do more than merely touch
upon the benehcent work Of those noble and
who the close of the late quickly sped to the South
and there as teachers Of the freedmen suffered the great
est hardshps and rsked imminent death from the hands
of those who opposed the order Of things nay many
Of them actually violent death while carrying through
that Iongbenghted land the torch of learning Not now
can We more than half appreciate the grandeur OF their
Heayen-nspired work In afer-times the historian the
orator and the poet shall find their heroic deeds themes
for the most elevated discourse while the then generally
cultured survivors Of for whose elevation these
truehearted educators did much will gratefully hailoW
their memories.
Among the organizations Il cannot mention indiyld-
ua names their number is too great that early sought
to build up the waste places Of the South and TO carry
there higher religion and much-needed education
was the American Missionary Association. This society
has led all others in this greatly benevolent work having
reared no less than seven colleges and normal schools
various centres Of the South The work Of education to
be done there is vast certainly but what very food OF
light will these institutions throw that land so long
involved in moral and intellectual darkness!
The principal one Of these schools is Fisk University
located at Nashville Tenn; the mention Of which brings
US 10 the immediate consideration of the famous Jubilee
Singers" and perhaps the most picturesque achieve
ment in all our history since the Indeed do not
believe that anywhere in the history of the world can
there be found an achievement like that made by these
singers for the institution just named, which has cost
thus far nearly hundred thousand dollars. has been
built By the money which these former bondpeope have
earned since 1871 in an American and European cam
psign Of song.
ITO be continued next week.