Various

“ We believe that there are many such practical, thoughtful men in our churches who lay by money, some more, some less, for this good purpose.
We believe there are many more Christian people, who, while they do not plan so definitely, yet keep watch of the benevolent societies, and come to the rescue in time of need.
We believe that some give out of their abundance, and others, feeling themselves somewhat straitened yet realizing the difficulties of a benevolent society in like circumstances, decide, in the spirit of Christian self-sacrifice, to aid with their mite the embarrassed society. ”

“ The present dispensation of the law in the South is an infamous outrage, and is unworthy of a great country like ours.
What is the remedy for this state of affairs? History shows that sooner or later oppressed people arise from their lethargy, and take by force that which is denied them by the laws of their country. What we need to do, is to organize such societies as the one so earnestly advocated by the editor of the late Freeman, and use such societies for the enforcement of the law and the obtaining of our rights when they are denied us. ”

“ The United States has done far better. It enfranchised the slave and made him a citizen; the National Government, through the Freedmen’s Bureau, expended several millions of dollars for his education; the States organized public school systems, and the benevolent people of the North rendered still more effective service, being the first to introduce the work, acting always, when permitted, in co-operation with the Bureau and with the States, and continuing its work, blending the educational largely with the religious. ”

“ And, too often, the people in the rural districts, impressed with the wonderful attainments of the young teacher, add to the folly of the parents in making these young people themselves, (only the weaker ones) , think “they know enough, without going to school any more,” and so they drift into the ranks of those who “think they are something, when they are nothing.” ”

“ Let us organize ourselves into a powerful and extensive organization and then we shall be in a position to make a systematic and aggressive, as well as harmonious, struggle for our rights. If we do this, we shall command the respect of all men, even if we fail in obtaining what we struggled for. But we shall not fail. Truth and justice sooner or later triumph, if those who champion them are only true to themselves. ”

“ The Christian world needs arousing to the great work of the church in heathen lands.
There is, however, an inter-blending in all parts of missionary work that should never be overlooked. The home field is the source of the means, and men, and prayers, that must energize the work in the foreign field. Dead churches at home cannot give life to mission work abroad.
There is another form in which the home and foreign fields are blended. The American Missionary Association is ranked, and properly, as a home missionary organization, but it has its relations to the foreign field. ”

“ Our desire is to become like the white man; to learn to cultivate the land and to make a living from it; to learn to read and to write and to transact business; to learn the principles of government and become citizens ”

“ When a little baby comes into an Indian home, he is wrapped up in a blanket and it is tied all about him so that he cannot use his arms or legs, and he looks very much like a rag doll, but he cries and laughs just like a real flesh and blood and bones baby. ”

“ The battle against caste must be fought, and the victory won, in America. As the last battle against slavery was fought and won here for the world, so we must fight the battle of caste here for India as well as for America. Fifty years ago very wise and good brethren said: “You Abolitionists are right theoretically, slavery is wrong and ought to be abolished immediately; but practically you are a set of visionaries. Slavery is a local institution, and if you wish to push your denominational interests in the South, you must establish your churches there and let the question of slavery alone.” ”

“ Of what use to any man, white or Indian, is 160 acres of land if he doesn’t want it, if he doesn’t know how to use it, and can’t make a living on it? After all that has been said and done, the thing that the Indian needs is a Christian education. If he has that, he will know how to work and will be inclined to work, and will become a good and self-supporting citizen. Christian friends of the Indian! ”

“ The colored people of this country need not expect that their white fellow-citizens are going to aid them in this struggle, so we might as well put our shoulder to the wheel, buckle on our armor and go forth to the conflict with stern faces and undaunted courage. ”

“ But, little Golden Hair, let me whisper to you one secret of the Indian baby’s happy life: he never gets spanked! They leave that to the uncivilized white mother. So, after all, the white boy does not have all the good in life; does he? Only think of sliding down hill a whole morning without even a board between the smooth snow and the trousers, going home with wet and worn clothes and not getting whipped ”

“ We have yet to learn that unless we organize for self-protection and make use of our organization, we shall continue to be used as foot-balls, and a target for infuriated white mobs. Unless we take active and aggressive measures for our safety, we shall continue to receive treatment which should not be administered to the beasts of the field. We do not believe there should exist one law for the white man and one law for the black man, as [245] there exists in the South to-day. We are all sovereign citizens, and should be protected by the laws alike. ”

“ All the facts indicate that God has now opened this field to us. An intelligent mountaineer said to me, some months ago: “Our great and only hope lies in the A.M.A. and the Congregational churches of the North.” Surely these churches will not disappoint this hope, nor refuse to heed the voice of God speaking to them in all the stirring events of this Mountain Work.
THE BUSY WORKERS.
The hive of the American Missionary Association in the South has no use for drones. The bees are at work summer and winter, and they improve not only the “shining hour,” but have to be busy in rainy days as well. ”

“ Indian children are never punished; but, after all, they are not bad. The boys like to hunt the snowbirds with bows and arrows. They kill a great many too. The little girls play with corn-cob dolls and little tents and travois, or toshoes, as they call them, sometimes drawn by dogs.
The Indian children have hard lives after all. They cannot live to grow up unless they are pretty strong. A great many little ones die for want of good, wholesome food, and many for want of fresh air and warm clothes. We want all the little boys and girls in Christian homes to remember the little Dakotas. ”

“ ENGLISH AS SHE IS WRITTEN BY INDIAN STUDENTS.
The Races.—They are five races, which are the white and yellow, and black and red and brown. The yellow race likes to eat rat, and the black race likes to eat man, and the white race likes to eat frog, and the red race likes to eat buffalo.
The Caucasian is the strongest in the world. The semi-civilized have their own civilization, but not like the white race. The savage race kept their own ways, and they have had three occupations: they were hunted, fished and foughted to the other people. ”

“ The feeling against a Christian treatment of the colored people is neither so bitter nor so deep-rooted as elsewhere in the South. It has been demonstrated that no-caste churches and schools can be established and maintained, and the general sentiment of the whole region can, by vigorous missionary work, be moulded to the Christian view. ”

“ Another school is soon to be formed in this neighborhood. This “Pine Mountain” field is about 20 × 60 miles, and the little church which the A.M.A. built during the past few [248] months is the only framed “church house” in the whole region. Think of it, O Christian friends, you who hold the Lord’s money in trust, 1,200 square miles, with cabin homes scattered along every “cove” and fertile valley, left, to this year of our Lord 1888, with only one suitable place of worship!
In building this new church, the people themselves have strained every nerve and made large personal sacrifices. ”

“ This is one of our discouragements, but we have very much for our encouragement in the beautiful homes that are springing up all over this fair South-land, and in the noble band of intelligent, consecrated, Christian workers who, in pulpits and school-houses, and in the conscientious and successful management of business, are leading their people to a higher plane of living and to a truer citizenship. ”

“ As I write this article, I look out from my window and see an Indian boy with a roughly-made sled drawing his little sister up the hill so that she can slide down again behind him. Little Indians are not wholly unlike little white boys and girls. They eat and sleep, laugh and cry, but they do not fight. That comes with civilization. ”

“ An Agency containing 6,000 souls, scattered in villages of from twenty to fifty families in a village, and the settlements from five to ten miles apart.
I could put a hundred Bibles in as many homes now among Catholics and wholly heathen families where one, at least could read it who has learned in some school of ours or the Presbyterians. I could give out a thousand Dakota Primers, or First Readers, into as many homes where they are anxious to read in their own tongue. There is no law against a Dakota’s owning a Dakota Bible, nor reading a Dakota primer in his own home. ”

“ White men meet a speedy death in malarial Africa, and they come to the natives as strangers. The Freedmen can better endure the climate of [243] their fatherland and will be welcomed by the people as brothers. We believe that the great problem of African evangelization is destined, in the providence of God, to be largely solved by the ex-slaves of America. ”

“ The white people they are civilized; they have everything, and go to school, too. They learn how to read and write so they can read newspaper. The yellow people they half civilized, some of them know how to read and write, and some know how to take care of themself. The red people they big savages ”

“ Blessings never come to those who recline upon the indolent couch of ease and wait for them; the honors of this life do not come unsought; a tree planted does not grow to maturity and produce abundant fruit unless nurtured and cared for until it is able to withstand the changes of the seasons. ”

“ Whether it shall be to godlessness and wickedness of every form, or whether the natural religiousness of the people shall be met with pure and uplifting gospel influences—with the Church and the Christian school—depends in a large measure on what our churches and individual Christians say through the treasury of this Association. What will take years of work and thousands of dollars in the future can now be done in months and with hundreds. ”

“ The great trouble is that the Indian is still an Indian, in his ignorance, his want of training for civilized life, his dislike of work, and his incompetency to make profitable use of the lands and teams and implements proffered to him. ”

“ For we trust in God and know he will take care of us, and even the tempest so great. God made it peaceful, and carry us all to get through safely—never drown. We should all thank God for his mercies and praise him so great and so powerful. ”

“ No little girls to-day, pushing their red-cheeked wax dollies in their miniature baby carriages, are any happier than our little Indian girls, drawing their broken pewter spoon and representing themselves by old rusty nails. ”

“ But in spite of all this, a dark cloud gathers on our horizon—the blacks are not allowed the free enjoyment of their guaranteed rights, and the facilities for educational and religious enlightenment are entirely inadequate. Three millions of the blacks of ten years of age and upward, in 1880, could not write. America needs not only to ponder these facts, but to act upon them promptly, if it would avert the impending danger. ”

“ Reports were gathered from twenty-two of the students of Straight University, New Orleans, who taught school during the summer vacation. These students were not so busy with their work in the day-school as to neglect their duty as Christians in the organization of Sunday-schools. They were scattered throughout Louisiana and Mississippi, and reached many needy fields. They reported the following facts:
These facts furnish us excellent evidence of the judicious and enthusiastic efforts of these colored students to save and elevate their own people. ”