The American Missionary — Volume 37, No. 9, September, 1883Various
Religion
The American Missionary — Volume 37, No. 9, September, 1883
Various
Congregational churches -- Missions -- Periodicals; Home missions -- Periodicals
The Negro in America came up for a full share of attention at a
morning session. A goodly number of colored bishops, doctors of
divinity and professors in educational institutions were present.
Their zeal for bringing about reform had been heightened by the
fact, that in so good and moral a community as Ocean Grove,
they were requested to occupy a dining-room by themselves, near
the kitchen, in the house where they were entertained. There
was no color-line drawn, however, at the meeting. Dr. Rust, who
presided, claimed that as the Africans came to this country as
invited guests, that as we even sent our ships for them, they were
entitled to more respect than ordinary foreigners. That respect
was certainly accorded them on this occasion. Dr. Ward, of the
_Independent_, led off with a clear-cut address on the Danger-Line
in Negro Education, setting forth the folly of those who hold that
education unfits men for useful labor. The gist of this topic he
gave in a sentence: “We must educate or we perish.” Rev. J. C.
Price (colored) of North Carolina, urged that the Negro must solve
his problem by his own impressibility. So fitting and eloquent were
his words, that when his limited time had expired, the audience,
with prolonged applause, refused to allow the next speaker to be
called, and it was only when the Chairman assured them that Mr.
Price was but one colored orator among the many he had to bring
forward and announced Bishop Campbell that the speakers were
allowed to proceed. Dr. Tanner, also colored, read a paper on “The
Color-Line,” taking the ground that in this country there must be
no class distinction, but that we must be one people. A new code
of ethics, he said, was proposed, a code not known in any other
nation. It was that equals may associate with equals, if they are
of the same color. The session, which had been participated in by
two white speakers, was brought to a close by Bishop Campbell,
whose good-natured appearance brought freshly to mind the anecdote
that had just been told by Rev. J. W. Hamilton, of Boston, the pith
of which was the reply of the black man, that if the negro had no
soul, religion made his body feel mighty happy.
An evening was given for a public reception of missionaries,
teachers and preachers who have labored in the South from the North
since the war, about 150 of whom were present. Gen. John Eaton
presided over the immense gathering assembled to welcome them.
Pres. Braden, of Nashville, Tenn., Sup’t Salisbury, of the A. M. A.,
Gen. S. C. Armstrong, and others, made addresses.
All the meetings were full of interest, and the managers will
publish a report of the proceedings in pamphlet form.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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