The Association, with its Superintendent continually in the field, reporting every fact to the Secretaries at the office, who in turn report to the churches, is certainly much better prepared to direct the gifts of the benevolent in ways that shall not be unwise or irresponsible. As these circulars and letters of appeal are often referred by those who receive them to the Secretaries, it is but their duty to say that all funds diverted from our treasury to schools or churches in the South, under no watch and care, would without doubt go further and help the great work more to which the A.M.A. is consecrated, if they should be sent through the channel which the churches have ordained, and which has not only this justification for its existence and work, but also the justification of long experience and success. If the friends of the American Missionary Association, upon receiving appeals from colored pastors or people in the South, or from independent schools, would remember _that their own ordained agency_ can open and supervise as many schools and churches as they will make possible with their contributions, no doubt less money would be diverted and far greater efficiency secured. Schools in the North without supervision or superintendence, are usually inferior. Much more are these irresponsible, unadvised and independent schools in the South. * * * * * SHALL CHRIST OR MOHAMMED WIN AFRICA? Ultimately Christ will, as we know by the sure word of prophecy; immediately, Mohammed gains most rapidly, as present facts seem to indicate. The rapid strides of Mohammedanism in Africa have been noticed by nearly all recent explorers and travelers, but the full statement of the fact has been brought forth more vividly in a remarkable book written by a remarkable man. The book is entitled, "_Christianity, Islam and the Negro Race_." The author is Edward W. Blyden, LL.D., of whom it is said by a competent witness--and our own personal acquaintance with him confirms the testimony, so far as we are competent to judge--that he is a great traveler and an accomplished linguist, equally familiar with Hebrew and Arabic, with Greek and Latin, with five European and with several African languages, and, had he been born a European, might fill and adorn almost any public post. Dr. Blyden was born a full-blooded Negro in the Danish Island of St. Thomas, emigrated in his seventeenth year to Liberia, entered an American missionary school and rose to the head of it, became in 1862 Professor in the College of Liberia, and, two years later, Secretary of State in the African Republic. In 1877, he represented Liberia at the Court of St. James, as Minister Plenipotentiary, and has been abundantly decorated with honorary degrees.