Various

“ The only people who seem to be in need and do not receive help are the aborigines of our soil—the people whom we have dispossessed; whom we have crowded from their homes; whom we have shut into reservations until they are nothing but prisoners of war; whom we have placed under the control of a despot called an Indian agent, who is not controlled by law, who on that agency governs by his own will, with no courts to protect those who are wronged. ”

“ As I have visited institutions rich in buildings, books, scholarships, professorships and every appliance, I have been very far from wishing their abundance less, but I have said in my heart, ought not this and similar missionary schools to be endowed also for their work of broad beneficence, reaching not only the far South of our own land, but to the heart of the great dark continent with its two hundred millions of perishing souls? ”

“ I believe if we will not do it, that in the last great day, as we stand with the Indian before the judgment bar of God, our position will be worse than that of the Indian. It seems to me that I can hear what the Judge would say to him at that time. The Indian comes before God, a pagan from a Christian land; he comes having improved none of the powers that God gave him. The Lord might say to him: "Did I not give you as good opportunities and as good capacities as the white man in whose midst you were? This Christian nation is the foremost for missions. ”

“ The colored woman in all conditions and under almost all circumstances is abused by all races and classes. There are individuals who love and respect her, but no one fears to insult her as they fear to insult other women. Let her turn wheresoever she may, she is met by all sorts of evil influences of a character too indecorous to think about, and I fear that I should never be forgiven if I should name them, yet we are compelled to look upon them everywhere we go. Now a reform must begin in the treatment of women, and it must be commenced by paying more attention to the education of girls. ”

“ A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! It is an inspiring delight to hear and speak the greeting. It is a phrase that comes down to us from the ages. All the more gladly do we repeat it on that account. There are some things, thank God, even in this world, that never grow old. The greetings of Christmas and New Year are among them. ”

“ One hundred and sixty acres of land—and he as naked as a babe on that land. He has had no training in education and systematic work of any kind; he has no tools—and if he had he would not know how to use them. He is in the midst of white enemies, who want his land. He has turned his back upon all the traditions of his ancestors. He has turned his face toward the whites, and his friends of the past are now his enemies. {11} He is in the midst of his reservation. His homestead is his own, yet no American citizen has a right there. If you and I go to teach him, we can be ordered off by the agent ”

“ True happiness for mankind first came into this world when Christ was born. In proportion as he is received into human life, happiness is experienced. Therefore, in wishing for our readers a happy New Year, we are wishing for them more of Christ in their thought and life.
But Christ never comes into a life to be held there in confinement. He seeks our life that it may become a channel through which he may flow to bless and make happy other lives. He is not only our peace—he is our righteousness as well. ”

“ Any but a scholar must read the Bible in his own language.
Thousands of Indians are learning Bible truths and are getting a little light in the few years left them. They are learning a little of the way of life, and receive the message with gladness. Spotted Bear, a Christian Indian, said at the recent convention at Santee: "All we know we have learned out of the Dakota Bible. Teach our children English, but don't take from them and us the means of reading our own Bible." ”

“ All of us have become white people through the gospel."
The little native churches of Dakota are most interesting illustrations of the work going on among the Indians. It would be impossible to find more attentive audiences. There is always an air of devotion, or of serious attention to all that pertains to the service, which we are not apt to find in our own churches. Men, women and children go; even the babies are always taken. There is a quiet freedom there which allows the Indian mothers to take the babies out and in again at any time, and the preacher is never disturbed. ”

“ Not for support would these women have gone into A.M.A. work, but cheerfully and gladly do they live on the very smallest possible salaries, that more may be done for the Indian.
In describing Santee I have described all the schools, for the same {21} plan is carried out everywhere—the plan of Christianization; for that must needs come before civilization can be hoped for.
The Indian is not civilized who, forsaking his heathen gods, has learned the ways of the white man without knowing his God; for invariably he learns the vices and the crimes; and is in reality more of a heathen than before. ”

“ Is it strange that these Indians do not accept more readily our Christian theories, when they come into constant contact with our most unchristian practice? The Indian language is used in saloons and gambling hells and brothels to lead these poor, heathen people to physical and moral perdition, but is forbidden by Government to be used in mission schools to lead them to the Lord Jesus {7} Christ! We ought to plant a mission for the Indians and the colored people at Fort Smith this year. ”

“ The work among the older people is of course more limited than that done in the schools. The age of study is with them past. The most intellectual work of which they are capable is learning to read the Bible; even this they cannot do in any other than the Dakota language. It is impossible to teach an old man English that will ever mean much to him. ”

“ Many are the Indian hearts given back to God their Creator. Many are the Indian homes consecrated to the Wakantanka. Many are the Indian lives devoted to His service. And yet there are facts—there are overwhelming facts, sad enough to break the great, throbbing Christian heart of this country—facts that should make us cover our heads with shame. ”

“ Where they have had good Christian agents—and they have had some—where they have missionaries, the Indian has made wonderful progress. I think we can point to a few civilized and Christianized communities among the Indians that can find no parallel among the whites of the country. There is less crime, less immorality, more faithfulness to the requirements of the Christian religion and better observance of the Sabbath, more sincerity and earnestness in the performance of every Christian duty, than we can find in the same number of whites anywhere. ”

“ They live in houses, like other people; they appear like civilized people; they carry on all the vocations of civilized life; and all this has been done by the work of one man. There is no liquor-drinking or liquor-selling there. A majority of this twelve hundred people are earnest, faithful, consistent Christians. They get no help from the Government. They have built up and support their churches. Where can you see anything among the whites that equals it?
Then there is another reason why we should go to them with the gospel of Christ. ”

“ Wednesday night we have a prayer-meeting after school is out. Thursday night we have ten or fifteen minutes to speak the gospel before the school is out. Friday night we have a Bible lesson in Chinese too. Saturday night we have a prayer meeting again. Sunday night all the same. But last Sunday noon I preach on the street where the Chinese live. Perhaps I will preach in the street nest Sunday. By and by, if I do not preach on the street, I shall preach in the mission-house on Sunday noon. I shall do as best I can, and I hope God will help us to do. ”

“ The young men are taught, that while it would often be simply throwing life, with all its opportunities, away, for them to interpose by word or weapon in defense of weak and tempted womanhood, after all, man best defends woman by himself wearing the "White Cross" of manly virtue.
The girls are taught that woman's best defense is the "White Shield" of her own determined virtue and genuine modesty. The Y.M.C.A. and the Y.W.C.A. have interesting meetings conducted by themselves, with many committees for Christian work. ”

“ James Garvey, another Indian, said: "Many can soon learn to read the Dakota Bible; then they have a standard of morals and of interpretation; for to get the real meaning of the English Bible, we go to the Dakota. To make the best citizens you must Christianize the people, and to make them Christians you must give them the Bible in their own tongue. ”

“ It seems to me, however, well worth questioning whether a law that after six years of trial has been found to be fruitful in little except perjuries {13} and briberies,—a law which cannot be shown to have benefited a single American laborer, but has had some effect to compel house-holders to pay larger wages to Chinese domestics, and to enable Chinese fruit-pickers to make better terms with our fruit-growers:—it seems to me a question whether a statute of that sort might not be suffered to expire through its own limitations, without any damage to the Commonwealth. ”

“ Grady on the right side of this question, and regrets that prohibition failed to carry the day in the election.
The colored people held the balance of power. We praised them last year when, using that balance, they carried the city for temperance. We regret that this year they have used it against temperance. There is no use of concealing the fact. Ignorant people cannot be depended upon to take the right side of any question. It will be a mere happening if they do. The election in Atlanta gives additional emphasis to the necessity of our work in the South. ”

“ All our students sympathize with the Indians, and there are two societies of the younger scholars who help them. The outside sewing-bands too, devoted their very first quilt to the Rosebud Indian Mission. "The field is the world" and "the work is one, one!" ”

“ Now, when she sees our matron in her visions, it is up among the angels; and I believe the conviction is spreading that book religion, taken into the head, sinking down into the heart, and working out through the hands in deeds of active piety, is an excellent thing.
Besides our regular religious services, including our large and delightful Sabbath-school, we have various reformative and benevolent societies. Our temperance society carries the triple pledge at the front and saves many from the debasement of profanity, tobacco and ardent spirits in all their forms. ”

“ The education of girls is of the most vital importance for the uplifting of the colored people of the South. Yes, I venture to say that the whole South will depend upon their condition for its prosperity. True progress depends upon the sacredness and sanctity of the home. That a people or a nation may be happy or prosperous it must have enlightened {15} and intelligent homes, and for this purpose the girls must be educated in virtue, industry and self-reliance. ”

“ We read of a time when 'a nation shall be born in a day.' We have seen it come to pass, and this people is a babe yet. 'Is not the babe a blessing in the house? Its very helplessness is a blessing, in that it educates the finest sensibilities of humanity.' The problem to be solved now is how to nurse this babe aright. The thoughtful observer will be easily convinced that the careful and proper education of girls is the first step in the solution of this problem. ”

“ The gospel was sent to us when we were in darkness, and now though we are few and scattered far apart, yet we are anxious to send the same gospel to those who have not yet heard of it, and to help those around us to love our Saviour and to love each other, and we give gladly of the little that we have. It is not in our own strength that we do this, but it is in God who helps us. ”

“ Each Indian church has its missionary society, and its woman's society, {22} which is also missionary. These have been working and giving for mission work further out among the Indians, and this year have pledged themselves to give to foreign missions. During the last year they have raised $1,084, of which the women raised $500. The prayer-meeting is as much an institution with them as with us—in fact, they live as we live and work as we work. ”

“ We have succeeded in closing two saloons near our church, and are hopeful of closing another notorious den about a square away.
There is no place where earnest Christian work is more needed than here at the nation's Capital, where we have a colored population of nearly 80,000, the majority of whom are out of Christ, and thousands are still shrouded in the darkness of ignorance and superstition. ”

“ Ehnamani, pastor of the Santee church—a fine old man, whose history in connection with the Minnesota massacre of '62, and whose conversion and present work are well known—was once asked, "Do you ever have the least regret that the old life is gone—do you ever have any longing for the war and for the dance?" ”

“ Now, I ask you, friends, should not such work as this be amply sustained? So much more could be accomplished if the funds and sympathy were not so stinted! "The destruction of the poor is their poverty." ”

“ Among this multitude of criminals were young boys, just entering upon a life of crime, imprisoned for some paltry offence, and herded with them were grey-headed murderers. All these prisoners were from the Indian Territory, or the "Nation" as they call it. One man had just been convicted of murder. Two beautiful daughters of an Indian mother stood weeping beside him. A gallows stands constantly on the edge of the "Nation," and is used with appalling frequency. ”

“ To put such lying words into the mouth of a man whose name the colored people revere next to that of the Saviour, is a piece of wickedness that only rum-sellers could be guilty of. It accomplished their vile purpose, however, in leading a great many colored people to vote against prohibition.
A colored preacher who made anti-prohibition speeches, referring to a statement that their meetings were not opened with prayer, said that he would make as good a prayer as anybody. Thereupon he slowly prayed: "Oh! Lord, I pray thee to help Atlanta in her extremity. ”