Now, my friends, the higher institutions of learning in the midst of these great original forces all about us in the new communities are that product of inventive ingenuity which turns these forces to account, giving them direction and transmuting them from the lower to the higher. The local church cannot do it. Individual labor cannot do it. The institution of higher learning is the only thing that can accomplish it. More than this, not only does this higher institution planted in new fields turn to account the force which already existed, but it has the power of enlarging this force and creating new forces, and after creating, transmuting them and turning them to the account of the kingdom of God. The institutions of this Association in the South not only create an enthusiasm and desire for learning, but they are turning the money acquired and the material prosperity attained by our colored brethren into those higher influences which effect the upbuilding of the kingdom of God. That is what these colleges are for. It is impossible now to amplify the thought, but I wish in connection with it to name three particulars. And first, it is entirely possible for us, in heeding the Scripture admonition to preach the gospel to every creature, to neglect those great and overwhelming forces in new communities which are sweeping the youth away. I read in a Providence paper last Saturday evening that there are no infidel books published in the Welsh language. I know those Welsh people well. This statement may be true; but meanwhile, forces outside of them which they cannot control are threatening to sweep their youth away into the gulf of materialism and atheism in the new communities. The children speak English, and are thus led into the outside drift. The second point is this: It is wise to put our directive force where the power is. It is utterly impossible to build institutions in the State of Massachusetts or in New England that will answer the purpose for the South. The children of this world build their water-wheel where their water-power is. The children of light sometimes build their water-wheel where the power is not, or where it has already been appropriated. We must put healthy, strong institutions into the South. They are worth even more than the local churches we are planting. They stand in need of support. The local churches give them character.