The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the Colored People of the United StatesDelany, Martin Robison
History
The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the Colored People of the United States
Delany, Martin Robison
African Americans
The Board of Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the United
States has five missionaries at four stations in Liberia. The first
is at Monrovia, under the care of the Rev. Harrison W. Ellis, well
known as "the Learned Black Blacksmith." While a slave in Alabama,
and working at his trade as a blacksmith, he acquired all the
education, in English, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Theology, which is
required for ordination as a Presbyterian minister. The
Presbyterians of that region then bought him, and sent him out as a
missionary. His assistant, Mr. B.V.R. James, a colored man, was for
some years a printer in the service of the American Board at their
mission at Cape Palmas and the Gaboon River. He first went to
Liberia as a teacher, supported by a society of ladies in New York.
In the Presbyterian Church under the care of Mr. Ellis are 39
communicants. During the year, 24 had been added, and 8 had been
dismissed to form a new church in another place. Mr. Ellis also has
charge of the "Alexander High School," which is intended mainly for
teaching the rudiments of a classical education. This institution
has an excellent iron school-house, given by a wealthy citizen of
New York, at the cost of one thousand dollars, and a library and
philosophical apparatus, which cost six hundred dollars, given by a
gentleman in one of the southern States. The library contains a
supply of classical works, probably equal to the wants of the
school for some years. The land needed for the accommodation of the
school was given by the government of Liberia. The number of
scholars appears to be between twenty and thirty, a part of whom
support themselves by their daily labor. The English High School
under the care of Mr. James, had, according to the last Annual
Report, 52 scholars. At a later date, the number in both schools
was 78. Mr. James has also a large Sabbath school; but the number
of pupils is not given.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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