Читать книгу The American Missionary. Volume 43, No. 05, May, 1889 - Various - Страница 4

BY SECRETARY A.F. BEARD

Once more in Nashville. There is no question in my mind but that Nashville is the educational leader in the South. It is a city of hills which are crowned with institutions for white and black. These are the beginnings of greater and better days for this part of "our country." My duties have taken me to Fisk University. It is a college which has justly won very high praise. Jubilee and Livingstone Halls are significant names. One speaks of an historic event, and the other of an historic person, but the work that goes on in both these large buildings does no dishonor to one name or the other.

When Congressman Kelley, of Pennsylvania, was in Nashville, he visited Fisk University. He afterwards told me that he could not conceal his surprise at what he saw and heard and only with difficulty his emotion when he arose to address the students.

I have now visited Fisk several times. I am each time more impressed with the fidelity and quality of the work on the part of the students, and the patient enthusiasm of the professors and of the teachers. If there were to be no other or greater results than those of the past and the present, all that has been done for Fisk University would be justified.

From Nashville to Sparta, Tenn., and then a rough, tough ride up the mountain side, "rattling the bones over the stones" until at length we have climbed the Cumberland Plateau. We arrive at no-where in particular, which is named Pleasant Hill. Here are a neat church, which is both church and school, and a sightly building of two stories with a third under the mansard roof, which will accommodate forty boys. A few houses are visible from the top of this building, but no one could guess where forty mountain boys and as many girls might be living. Nevertheless they have been discovered, and it was none too soon. Missionary Dodge did not locate in Pleasant Hill before the time. He realized this. He looked about him and looked up and down. He saw things which were invisible. He saw castles in the air. It must be confessed that the office at Reade Street, fearing lest it might "trust the churches" too much, had not the faith which could take hold of these castles in the air and anchor them to the soil of Pleasant Hill; but Brother Dodge got his grapples out and pulled down a church building from the heavens. Well done; now surely he should rest from his labors and give himself and us time to breathe. No; a visible church only stimulated his faith, it did not satisfy it. This church was a place in which he could read the eleventh chapter of Hebrews every Sunday. The result was the "Hall" for young men and for the teachers. Now we are in it and are glad. The Massachusetts Principal gave us welcome, the Oberlin Vice-Principal endorsed it, while the Matron materialized the spirit of welcome in a way calculated to excite gratitude, from the fact that missionaries cannot live absolutely on faith.

Next the young men were introduced. One of them was seized with undisguised curiosity to behold a minister whose theological system some institution had found it necessary to doctor. It is, perhaps, the first instance on record in modern times where these semi-lunar fardels have been looked upon with respect and curiosity. When "Brother Dodge" came, congratulations were in order over his Church, his School and his Hall, but he would have none of it. He was seeing another building floating in the clouds, and could only talk of the invisible. It will, however, soon be among things visible, for the missionary has his grapples out. It is to be a Boarding Hall and Industrial Home for girls who will come into it and learn to live and to be. "But, Pleasant Hill is not a town, it is not a village, it is only by courtesy a hamlet. Where are your pupils?" "The woods are full of them and they will come from near and from far," replies their young missionary of more than three score and ten years. On Sunday, the church was filled; on Monday, the school was full; and our heart was full of thanksgiving that God had come to these mountain people, that hope would enter their lives and their cabins, and that these boys and girls would now step up in Christian manhood and womanhood.

One of the impressive thoughts which a visit to an institution like Fisk University is sure to excite, is the relation of all this work to the future. Apropos of this, the Rev. J.O.A. Clark, D.D., LL.D., of Macon, Ga., has just written a little tract of fifty pages on "The Future of the Races." He does not vote in New England, nor is he a Yankee; but he is a good and true witness. He says, that the Races are running races along the paths of knowledge and up the hills of science. These are his words (pages 19 and 20): "Have they" [the colored people] "availed themselves of the educational facilities? Have they profited by them? We answer that they have been incalculably benefited. They have shown not only that they can receive education, but education of a high order. Their improvement has been so astonishing as to silence doubt and caviling. Our Southern eyes have been opened to see it. Southern candor is free to admit it. There are none who do not admit it but the hopelessly prejudiced. I am persuaded that the average examinations in the colored schools are better than the average in the white schools, for teachableness is the basis of all education, and this universally distinguishes the negro." Dr. Clark is not saying that the white boy may not learn more easily and master more rapidly, but rather is telling how the hare came out second in the race with his competitor not so fleet of foot, but which had the gift of patient continuance in well-doing. Still he accentuates the fact that "their improvement is astonishing." I am sure that no one can visit Fisk University without having all his doubts dispersed as to the future of the negro race. It is to have a future.

This leads me to quote the closing words of Dr. Clark's significant pamphlet (page 52): "All Africa stretches out her hands to God; to the work of delivering her fatherland from heathenism. God is calling the blacks of these Southern States. They are to be the chief instruments in giving the Gospel of Christ to the benighted land of their fathers. Wherefore, let the work of Christian, and so sanctified, education go on."

All this is true, and it means that in our American Missionary Association the ministerial education must now be made more prominent. When white missionaries can say, as one whose bones are in the soil of the Dark Continent did say, "Let a thousand fall before Africa shall be given up," the children of Africa must respond, "Africa shall be evangelized by Africans." That is, we must have more and better theological schools for the Negro people. The demand for educated Negro ministers, who know what religion is, and what purity is, will be greater and greater.

The demand for missionaries of the negro race who can realize that "Christianity is a missionary religion," will be greater, also. We can scarcely expect that those who came out of Egypt will become missionaries to Egypt. The apprehension of missionary responsibility comes with a developed Christianity. The missionary sense came to the Apostles themselves very slowly. It came to the Christian Church slowly. The African people in America, I trust, will seize upon it more rapidly, for they have a large emotional nature and great faith. What they now need is education and intellectual character, and those qualities which give shape, and tone, and persistence, to the forces which direct and control events.

Men who have been slaves may not take on this, and their children may not in great numbers. But their children's children are coming on multitudinously, and from them must go those who shall preach the Gospel to their own race in Africa. For psychological as well as physiological reasons this must be. Not only because they can live, and whites cannot, in Africa, but because, other things being equal, they can do this work better with their own race. Said Christ, "Go home to thy friends, and tell what great things the Lord hath done for thee."

All of which says that the Fisk must now add to its great work a thorough theological school, and must urge its students to listen to the voice of God and to answer when God calls, "Speak, Lord, thy servant heareth." More and better ministers are needed both for Africa in the United States and Africa across the sea. He will give wisely who will give quickly for this.