Year: 1877

Eds. Tel;-Letters from the Rev. D. L..
Hickok, now of Talladega, Ala, put US in
possession of tidings from our old Pastor.
He says-''We feel all the strangeness of
children just born into the world. We
can sympathize with The little fellows who
have everything to learn. We have been cast
into the depths Of sea of ignorance and
degradation, but with faith, we may walk
on the water and by Gods grace we may
lift up the Sinking Peter.


The whole black race are perishimg in
their degradation and ignorance and they
need those who have faith to walk on this
mighty sea and lift them up and rebuke their
want Of faith. This institution is a little
green SPOT where all aronnd is dessolation
etc. A great change comes over the blacks
as soon as they begin to go to school, at
tend church, etc.-a change apparent to a.
who meet them. The change refer to is
outward to be seen but it is change that
is real and step towards civilization and
christianity. You can tell a young man
that has been to the school by his manner
and bearing. They Immediately drop their
boorish and uncultivated ways and become
very afable and polite.


There are now between two and three
| hundred in the school and as fine a set ol
students as you will find anywhere. Some
of them are good scholars and are learning
very fast. I have an sppreciative congre-
| cation on the Sabbath house full of ca
| ger listeners, but we must remember this is
the fountain head of Christian influence in
the whole State. If we go out a little way
from the Institution We plunge into the
darkness and degregredation. The stu
dents that go out from here are like rays OF
light to penetrate the darkness. A young
man few years ago came to this school
from a county where there was not a man
who could read or write and the records of
the county were kept in an adjoining coun-
ty. This young man could not read OF
write. He stayed here few weeks and
learned to read easy lessons in.the-first and
second reader. Then he went home and
started a school and taught others. Then
the young man came back here and finished
his course Of study and has now returned
to carry on the educational work in his
own county. he is now the learned man
of that county and his scholars are the
educators of the county and all the en-
lightenment Of that region can be traced to
this one man. This thing is being repeat.
ed again and again in various parts of the
State. Only a day or two ago two young
men came here from hundred miles dis
tant-coming all the way on foot, that they
might get an education. OF course, the
great masses of the young people are indif
ferent in regard to sducation-bnt here and
there young men are moved bv some infiu.
ence to better their condition and become
intelligent. They yearn for an education
and are willing to make any sacrifice to Sc.
cure it. This class Of young men are con.
stantly coming here SO that our school is
made up of the better and more hopeful
class Of the young people of the State.


They have ambition to rise and as soor
as they are educated they Immediately step
into places of power and influence among
their own people. The work which north
ern- benevolence is doing for the eolored
people OF the South is vastly important and
even necessary for the welfare Of the coun,
try. The South can never take rank will
the North till her colored people are edu.
Gated. Then again there are two distinct
classes among the whites. The poor white.
and the aristocracy-we can hardly resliz,
this class distinction till we come in con.
tact with'it. The poor whites are even
more degraded than the negro, because the
negro is more intimately associated with
the aristocrscy.as their laborers and SER
wants so that they come into more intimate
contact with what intelligence there is thar
the poor white. This miserable class dis
tinction can never be done away with ex
cept by universal education and the difu
sion OF the gospel of Christ. The very sal
vation OF this part of our country depends
upon the education and christianization Of
the eolored race. About twenty of the
young men are studying for the ministry.
They go out each Sabbath to preach and
] hold Sabbath Schools, also that "they al