The American Missionary — Volume 37, No. 7, July, 1883Various
Religion
The American Missionary — Volume 37, No. 7, July, 1883
Various
Congregational churches -- Missions -- Periodicals; Home missions -- Periodicals
“The whole entertainment was a revelation to me,” remarked an old
planter. “I attended the exhibition out of pure curiosity, never
dreaming that it would impress me as it has done. I have always
scouted the idea of negro education, and I may say I have been
its enemy. I am perfectly willing to give way now, however. But I
have one lingering fear—that it will take a wrong direction and
have a tendency to create an idle class and deplete the ranks of
labor, farm labor especially. If those who have the training of
the negro will keep this danger before them and guard against it,
then the result of their labor will be good; but if they fail and
allow their pupils to think labor is degrading; to think that man’s
only province is to cultivate his mind, then the result will be
deplorable. This I notice, however, has already been seen, and
I cannot say I have any fears on that score from the Le Moyne
Institute.”
Perhaps no subject has been more discussed than this since the
exhibition last Monday night.
* * * * *
THE INDIANS.
* * * * *
CATHOLIC MISSIONS.—RECENT CHANGES.
REV. MYRON EELLS, S’KOKOMISH, W.T.
About 30 years ago a Catholic priest came here, taught the people,
baptized some of them, made a few Indian priests, and left, so that
for many years previous to the assignment of the Agency to the
American Missionary Association they had received little religious
instruction. Intermarriage with some of the tribes where the
Catholics have had teachers has kept up remembrance of those early
times. One Indian especially, who has been among the very worst,
belongs to this class. Having failed to conquer the agent, he gave
up, but when he returned seemed determined if he failed in one way
to try another, and so began to revive the old Catholic religion,
and he has held such services frequently for a number of years.
About two years ago an Indian before his death saw several strange
visions, which combined some truth with much of the old Indian
superstition. This man leaned toward the Catholics, partly because
I did not believe these revelations to be of as much value as
the Bible, and partly because his relations favored the Catholic
religion. A few of them set up regular services, partly Catholic
and partly after their own revelations. At funerals they sometimes
wished me to officiate in company with them, but in most cases they
have given up and let me have the whole service.
Last fall another Indian who had moved away and taken a homestead
about 20 miles from here apparently died, but after six and a half
hours revived and told of wonderful things which he had seen. He
has since been baptized by the Catholics, built a church and become
a priest.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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