Various

“ There is a growing desire of the white people, as you will find, for your welfare. They are anxious that you should have the best in social life, the best in intellectual life, and in moral life, to which you can attain. The State is benefited by good citizens, and God is glorified by true manhood. I have looked upon these exercises with great interest as a fellow citizen, expecting to live with you and to come into contact with you in a thousand ways. ”

“ How for want of room and accommodations we have, during the year, had to turn away over fifty pupils who applied in person for admission; how a more regular and steady attendance has told for good on the scholarship and work of the school; how the Spirit blessed us in the conversion of not less than thirty of our pupils.
In all our successes, as in all our discouragements, the good hand of our God has been upon us, and we rejoice in it all that we see His work going forward and yearly gaining new triumphs. ”

“ As we breathe the air, every moment of every day, thinking little of the fact, yet continually drawing in health or sickness, life or death, so are we unconsciously but most really influenced for good or evil by all that is going on around us; by public opinion, social customs, example of friends and neighbors, existing institutions, industries, amusements, studies, reading, conversation and religious exercises. ”

“ It is a kindred wish that every one of you may remain a citizen of Georgia. I also wish that the friends who have come from afar to be your instructors shall not take to themselves wings and fly away, but shall settle in this grand old State, and their children after them. There is no enmity between the white and colored people in this State. ”

“ Pond, I am hateful to myself ever since I have known the truth, because of the earthly thoughts and fleshly desires which lead me to go ways against my conscience, making me heavy in heart. I feel as if I was two men then fighting all the time. ”

“ But if, in addition to new inventions and industries, there be brought in schools and churches, to operate directly on mind and heart, the effect is like placing people in a new climate. It is, indeed, scarcely a figure of speech, when we sometimes speak of an intellectual and moral atmosphere—meaning thereby the totality of constant influences in a community, which affect opinion, modify character and control conduct. ”

“ The competition of fellow-students arouses ambition. He hears numerous celebrated public speakers, and, on Saturdays, goes to the Capitol, and listens to Congressional debates, sees eminent men, visits the Patent-Office, the Smithsonian, the National Museum and the Navy-Yard, gets an idea of our government and of politics, and thus is hourly absorbing valuable knowledge at every pore. Three or four years of such an environment make a very different man of him; and all his new ideas he carries back to his home, and thus becomes a power for good in the community. ”

“ Why will not Christian people appreciate these facts and amply sustain the American Missionary Association in its noble work of planting and strengthening the educational institutions which operate to change for the better the environment of the colored race in this country? All improvement must be by an influence from without, which shall quicken and inspire, which shall teach and guide ”

“ In the First Congregational Church of Atlanta, Ga., Pastor Kent having led his people into a system of giving, found that the first response for the American Board, with envelopes, brought in $68, from two hundred and two contributors. This was preceded by five missionary sermons, illustrated from a large missionary map, and by a rousing Sunday-school missionary concert. “Do you wonder we are jubilant?” exclaims the [228] pastor. “It is interesting, but not at all surprising, to observe how giving promotes spirituality. ”

“ The close of the year brings us also to the close of the first decade in the history of Le Moyne Institute. The founder of the school has gone to his reward and his works do follow him. The institution which he founded is but at the beginning of its usefulness and of its possibilities. This year we graduate a class of ten from the full course (four years) , the largest class yet sent out, and the fourth. Thus far the graduates of the school, excepting one only, have taught almost continuously since completing the course. The ten members of the present class will teach ”

“ We do not believe that we have ever seen better teaching than we find done at the Atlanta University. Evidences of the same thoroughness appeared in all grades of the grammar school and throughout all the classes of the higher departments. ”

“ They are all working boys, moving from place to place. Some learn very fast and love to come to school, only some of the hard words are difficult for them to pronounce, but they do not fail to try. Every evening we have some words to spell, writing them on the black-board and spelling alone and in concert. I gave astronomy lessons to them, explaining by my own globe. They were very much astonished because they never heard such a thing as that the world was round, etc. The Bible lessons we have every Saturday and Sunday evenings. I hope you will pray for the school here and the teachers. ”

“ We see whole nations continue, century after century, on the same low level of barbarism, because no change occurs in their outward circumstances to bring new forces to act upon them. Our Indian tribes are an illustration. They live, out on the western plains, precisely as their fathers did for ages before them; and thus they will live so long as the modifying influence of civilization does not reach them, and bring a change of environment. ”

“ Our natures are plastic, and easily take the impress of objects with which we come continually in contact. Education is not merely that from books, but that also which is received from all manner of surrounding influences, as they exist in the home, in social intercourse and in the community at large. ”

“ It need not be said that the moral and spiritual welfare of the students has all along been closely looked after. If any one of them of fair ability does not go out from the Institute a thoroughly trained Sunday School teacher, it will be his own fault and not that of President Brooks. Happily, both students and outsiders have shown great interest and appreciation in their attendance on the Sabbath services at the institution. ”

“ They seem to have passed off satisfactorily to examiners, examined and visitors. One of the latter who spent his whole time in seeing and hearing as much as possible said: “I have not been into an examination which does not reflect credit on teacher and scholar alike. Everything shows that most excellent work has been done.” Theology is still the high water mark of scholarship, but the “small Latin and less Greek” of the institution are gradually rising and are not to stop short of the line of a full college course. ”

“ It is a slow process to raise an entire population or a numerous class of people; but much may be done rapidly, if we select some of the young of both sexes and change their environment, and so prepare them to introduce the leaven of improvement into the mass. ”

“ Alcohol is a fiery-tempered little fellow, and when he comes into the kitchen he scratches the beautiful walls, just as naughty boys will sometimes scratch pins over the paper and plaster in their mother’s nice room. ”

“ Think how much of modern civilization is owing to three things, themselves external and mechanical, yet powerfully affecting mind by their incidental effects—the invention of gunpowder, of the mariner’s compass and of printing. ”

“ We are glad to report that both school and church have prospered during the year. The total enrollment of students is 199, and we rejoice to know that additional school rooms, so greatly needed, are to be provided before another year begins. Fifteen or twenty of the scholars were converted during the precious revival in March last. Quite a number [240] will engage in teaching during the summer, and several will go to higher institutions of learning in the fall. ”

“ As human health, form and vigor are found to vary with phenomena of climate, such as heat and cold, moisture and dryness, and with geographical location among mountains and valleys, or on broad plains, by the sea-coast or in the interior, so do we not notice that mental and moral development depend upon the outward circumstances amid which one lives? ”

“ But send some of these youth away to such institutions of education as the Atlanta, Fisk and Howard Universities—in other words, make a total change of environment—and the effect is marvelous. In addition to having access to books, they go where the entire conception and standard of living is different and elevated; where religion is intelligent; where morals are pure ”

“ There is a rocky mountain upon it. Passing out from the gorge there are a few rocks in the river. On our left, or east bank, we saw a round mountain called Wad El Bassal, or “Son of the Onion.” The wind has been fair and square astern, but the men have managed the sail so badly that it has actually turned inside out. This is not the safest performance in a strong wind, and we thought it was about time to take things into our own hands and ordered the sail around where it ought to be, and threatened to take full charge of the boat. ”

“ Now the professors, though at great inconvenience, permit the students to consult their standard works. When we have a building devoted to the three professions, the law library should become at once an accomplished fact.
This year in the academic department we had no graduating class. Our anniversary exercises have been somewhat out of the usual order, but thoroughly interesting and successful. Perhaps never have we met the popular taste more fully than this year. The old graduates were invited to return and take part in the first public anniversary meeting of the Alumni. ”

“ At a recent meeting of the trustees of the university, a resolution was passed to institute forthwith a post-graduate course of two years for graduates of the normal department. Its privileges are to be open to those who have maintained a high standard in the regular course, and who give promise of efficiency in work for which this special training is designed to fit them, and the preference is to be given to graduates of one or more years standing. ”

“ The anniversaries of the different colleges of the land are calling the attention of the benevolent public to their growth and wants. We especially urge the claims of the colored people South to a full share of the gifts made for endowment purposes.
THE FREEDMEN. REV. JOSEPH E. ROY, D.D., Field Superintendent, Atlanta, Ga.
ANNIVERSARY REPORTS. ATLANTA UNIVERSITY, GEORGIA. BY REV. C. W. FRANCIS.
Unless you could look through our eyes you would not know, from a formal record of the closing exercises of our school, how much interest and hope and pathos are crowded into these busy days. ”

“ The revolution which will occur in a rough specimen of humanity from the interior plantation districts—dull of countenance, and rude in manners and in dress—would scarcely be credited. He finds himself in a new world on reaching Washington, and mingling with older students and the city population. New ideas of dress, speech and behavior come to him daily. Chapel exercises, prayer-meetings and the preaching on the Sabbath raise his religious conceptions. The novel sights along the streets stimulate as well as interest. ”

“ The public exercises at the closing this year were unusually interesting, judging from the attendance, not only of colored people, friends of the graduates, but also of prominent white families of the city. Formerly gentlemen of this latter class only came, now quite as many ladies as gentlemen are seen in the audience that fills and overflows the church. ”

“ Your committee noticed another feature in the management of the university to which they desire to call your attention as worthy of high commendation, and that is the manual labor training that is here afforded in connection with the literary course. Every student, [233] male and female, is required to work an hour each day at some useful labor, either on the farm connected with the institution, or in the household and kitchen department. ”

“ Thus, allow colored children to grow up in communities of prevailing ignorance, superstition and immorality, where they live in miserable hovels, see only examples of coarseness and rudeness and hear only a negro dialect, and they will naturally be like their parents and the neighbors. ”

“ He works with his own hands by the side of the citizens. He gets the base-ball club to give an hour a day to the digging and rolling of stone for the foundation. The First Congregational Church has been organized, and now the same people are bent upon getting up a high school, having turned to this Association for help, which will be gladly rendered, negotiation being already on foot to secure the teachers, who the citizens say must come from north of Mason and Dixon’s line. ”

“ The A. M. A. has taken up that school and has assumed the support for six months of Miss M. R. Barton, a student of Berea, from Illinois. That school-house, which is the only one in Jackson County that has windows in it, will give out a good deal of light among those mountain people. At Cabin Creek, our old ante-bellum battleground, in the foot-hill country, the people are building an “Academy,” with the money subscribed on the condition that there shall be no respect of color. ”

“ Almost 900 pupils are attending the schools, and the average attendance was 433. At Santa Barbara we hear of additions to the Association, and of three or more that seem ready to receive baptism. At Stockton we held last Sunday evening, June 18, our anniversary, which was well-attended and exceedingly interesting. Here are two, and perhaps three, Chinese who have given for many months delightful evidence of Christian character and who desire to be baptized. The Oakland school is growing fast and with promise of greater usefulness than ever it has given hitherto. ”

“ The school is managed by trustees, one of whom is a professor of Berea College, and the present pastor of Walnut Chapel Church, to which he preaches once a month, in the school-house. There is no other school in the county fit to qualify young people for teachers. ”