Читать книгу: «The American Missionary. Volume 42, No. 07, July, 1888», страница 2

MR. CABLE'S PAMPHLET

A COLORED MAN'S VIEW OF IT

Mr. Cable's Pamphlet, "The Negro Question," was sent to an educated Christian colored man in the South. We make some brief extracts from his letter acknowledging the receipt of the pamphlet. He says:

I have read "The Negro Question," by Geo. W. Cable, and appreciate it highly. It is the ablest treatment of the subject intellectually, morally and judicially that I ever saw. Mr. Cable has dealt with that great question with the insight of a statesman and a thinker, and the candor of a true Christian. Oh, how I am vexed and do smart when I think of the wicked treatment I and my people are subjected to on account of the God-given color, and by a people claiming and professing to be Christians! I can hardly believe that any other people ever bore the names freemen and citizens, and at the same time were shut out from so many of their rights and liberties as we are. Our manhood is outraged, our civil and political rights are abused, our women are robbed of their womanhood and their chastity is insulted, our aspirations are banded and proscription is held up to our eyes wherever we go, and enforced against us with Egyptian exactness and Spartan severity, and the most vexatious and grievous fact of all is, that the strong arm of the law of the land loses its power when it comes our turn to receive justice. The law either plays truant, or openly acknowledges that it has no power to defend us. But the God of law and justice, who broke down one form of slavery, will break down this, too. Still, there is a part for us to do. On this line, as on others, the man who needs help must help himself while he asks for help.

MRS. WARE

We honor the memory of the early and self-denying workers among the Freedmen. They were ostracised at the South, and were scarcely appreciated at the North. Many of them have laid down their lives in the service, others were compelled to return home on account of ill-health, but others still are toiling on, seeing the fruits of their labors in the new impulse given to the Negro in his great race struggle. Among the earliest and most efficient of these workers was President Ware, of Atlanta, now gone to his reward. Mrs. Ware is still at the post of duty, and, though in feeble health, clings with undiminished interest to her chosen life-work.

At the recent anniversary of the Atlanta University, the meeting of the Alumni, (May 28th), was made pleasant and memorable by the presentation to Mrs. Ware of a large portrait of herself. It was wholly unexpected to her, and her impromptu acknowledgment of the gift was made in the vein of her characteristic vivacity and kindness. Among the addresses made at the presentation, was one by Mrs. Chase, herself one of our earliest and most honored laborers. From this address we are permitted to make a few extracts.

It is very significant that at any time during these twenty years of your life here, it would have been just as delightful to meet and say the pleasant words that leap to our lips, as it is to say them to-day. You, whom we delight to honor this afternoon, have held the same post of honor all these years, but many of us do not know how delightfully you hold that place, so I, who have known you so long, am asked to explain, and if this hasty sketch seems too flattering to be given in your presence, I fear you alone are responsible. If you had put less into your life for us to admire, we could put less into our expression of admiration.

We know how you lost early a good mother, and that your father was taken when you were only eighteen; but the missionary spirit of that father was repeated in the daughter. We know of your being discouraged by a missionary Board because applying so young, but of your being finally accepted, and going to Hampton, reaching that now famous school even before the veteran—General Armstrong.

Then came the year of teaching at Charleston, a year so full of privations in those pioneer days, that though repeated calls came to you from Florida and Georgia, as well as the old fields, you shrank from farther hardships and decided to remain at home, till one Sunday morning in Connecticut, twenty years ago, these words were unfolded in a sermon, "Simon, Son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my Lambs." How easy it is for us now to see the beautiful Providence of those wonderful words finding a swift response in your heart and bringing you at once to Atlanta. There are those before me now that greeted you then in Storrs School. How much we might say of that eventful year when you worked beyond your strength to fit the "A" class for Atlanta University. We can hardly see how it could have been otherwise than that the next year you should come to us, the bride of our beloved President. But position brought no exemption from hard work to either of you royal workers.

We shall never forget what hosts of friends have been won for the school by your ready pen and stirring words. And during those sixteen memorable foundation years of our school, which are so rapidly passing into history, who can ever know how much of their grand success was due to you for your devotion to him who created Atlanta University, and made it what it is? We may know in that "day when He makes up his jewels."

THREE COMMENCEMENTS

BY A VISITOR

It has been my privilege to attend in succession the anniversary exercises at Hampton, Va., Atlanta, Ga., and Howard University, Washington, D.C. Hampton, as usual, welcomed a crowd of visitors, and among these a number of distinguished men—Governor Lee of Virginia, and Senator Dawes, being those most widely known. The visitor sees here the magical touch of genius in these large and commodious buildings, the schools, the shops, the houses, the cottages, and, crowning all, the stately chapel. The plat of the village in which these are congregated realizes the words,

"A mighty maze and not without a plan."

The effect of the whole, threaded by winding roads, shaded by trees, and interspersed with gardens and shrubs, is picturesque and practically convenient. The main value of Hampton, however, is found in what is done within these buildings—the teaching, the industries, the making of character.

The graduating exercises were the great attraction. The addresses and papers of the pupils did not, perhaps, as a whole, quite come up to what we have heard in other years, but all were good and some of them of great excellence. One is always impressed at Hampton with the tone and local coloring of the addresses. They are tinged and touched by the work done here, and the races for and by whom it is done. The titles of some of the pieces show this: "What is expected of a Hampton Graduate." "Hampton Girls." "Mission Work in Tennessee." "Way down in Georgia." "Progress of the Oneidas." Of the same sort was the closing tableau, "The Great Father and his Children," a representation by Indian students, with the implements or products of the industries they have learned, applying to the Great Father for admission to his country. The exercises were closed by eloquent addresses, given by Rev. Dr. Parkhurst, of New York, one of the Trustees, Governor Lee, of Virginia, and Senator Dawes.

Atlanta University now welcomes its visitors to its beautiful green lawns and fields, which were once red clay washed into deep gullies. The buildings are convenient and well-kept. The Baccalaureate sermon, delivered by Professor Francis, was very appropriate and touching. The commencement exercises were held on Monday, May 28th, and were attended by a vast concourse of people, many going away because the building, though large, could not give them room. The aisles were crowded through all the services. The audiences were, as usual, made up mostly of colored people. Heretofore, at times, the dignitaries of the State and city have graced the platform, but Governor Gordon was out of town, and, perhaps, if he had been at home, he would not have attended. The recent excitement about the Glenn Bill, and the withdrawal of the $8,000, the annual grant of the State, have left the relations somewhat strained. There is, however, no excitement on that subject. The State authorities have not yet decided what to do with the fund, and in the meantime, the University goes quietly forward with its work. Prof. Bumstead has just succeeded in raising the $16,000 necessary to meet the current expenses of the year.

At the anniversary exercises there were no graduates from the college department this year. Thirteen pupils, all girls, from the normal department, read their essays and received their certificates of graduation. The number of the class is supposed to be unfortunate, but there was nothing amiss in the quality of the essays they read. They were all good, but the absence of any male voice left the class somewhat in the condition of a choir without a baas. There was a noticeable difference in one respect between the essays on this occasion and those at Hampton. Here there was no local or race tone. If I had closed my eyes, I might have thought myself at the anniversary of a Ladies' Seminary at the North. Scarcely a word or allusion indicated that these girls belonged to the colored race, and for that matter their faces scarcely showed it, for the white blood largely preponderated in most of them. I can well understand why these pupils should prefer to stand forth not as a distinct race, but as American and Christian girls. Perhaps that is the higher wisdom, but it makes the anniversary less distinctive, and inspires less sympathy and enthusiasm. These girls were plainly dressed, and in that respect would differ greatly from the graduating class in a Northern Female Seminary, but they would have no occasion to shrink from a comparison with their Northern sisters, if propriety of deportment, and excellence and force of writing were considered.

At the Howard University, we had the opportunity of attending only the exercises of the graduating class in college. This institution has a good claim to its title as a University, for it has collegiate, medical, theological, law and normal departments. The anniversaries of the theological and medical departments had been held a few days previously in churches down in the city, and were attended, as we understand, by large audiences. The college anniversary, on the other hand, was held in the college chapel, which, while it was well filled, contained a relatively small audience, and this was made up mostly of colored people. We hardly appreciate this discrimination as to the places of holding these anniversaries, for the orations in the chapel were of a high order, and might well have attracted the attention of members of Congress and of the numerous visitors in the crowded city. The graduating class consisted of six persons, one being a lady and she the only one of the class without apparent admixture of white blood. The addresses were all orations, and resembled somewhat the essays in the Atlanta school in presenting almost no touch or tone of race or local surroundings, the lady's being almost the only exception. I could not avoid the conviction, that if these well-trained minds had thrown themselves into topics more nearly related to their own life and race struggle, there would have been more fervor in the oratory. But some of these graduates will yet be heard from as useful laborers in some fields of active Christian work.