A TOUR INTO THE SOUTHWEST.
Through Alabama, Mississippi and Texas.
It took seven weeks. It started off with a week in the revival meeting at Talladega College, where some score and a half of souls were hopefully led to Christ.
I tarried for a day at Montgomery to contract for the repairing and re-painting of the Swayne School building, and for the re-renting of the same. Erected by the Freedmen’s Bureau, it had been put into the hands of a local Board of Trust, and by that Board it had been leased for ten years to the American Missionary Association, which, after running it for several years, sub-rented it to the City Board of Education—the A. M. A. giving the rent, keeping the house in repair and appointing the teachers, the city paying the salaries. This arrangement was renewed for another five years by the appropriate legal papers. The teachers and the pastor’s family—that of Rev. Dr. Flavel Bascom, for the winter—are domiciled in the “Home.” A quiet, persuasive spiritual work was at that time manifest in the school. The pastor was found to be happy in his work, and to have made many friends in the city, being a regular member of the weekly ministers’ meeting.
On the tour a week was given to New Orleans for the inspection of the church and educational work in that vicinity, and for attendance upon the first meeting of the Sunday-school Association of Louisiana. This cause got a grand send-off. The Northern helpers were greatly useful. The Freedmen’s interest was well represented in the Association, as reported last month. The Straight University, with its edifice rebuilt upon a much better location, was found in a healthy working condition, with 200 pupils in the academic department; twenty-five in the law department, one-half of them white; and ten in the theological. The Central Church—Pres. Alexander, pastor—had been having a revival that had brought in a score of members. The three or four other churches were found in a hopeful condition under their native pastors. Great was the satisfaction in preaching for some of these congregations. Straight is now in great need of dormitory buildings for boarding students.
A couple of days was given to Terrebonne parish in preaching for Rev. Daniel Clay, and in visiting the other pastors and churches under his fatherly eye. Mr. Clay, a son of the great “Commoner,” is doing much in bringing the Gospel among the common people of his race.
The tour led us by another cluster of Louisiana churches, the one centering at New Iberia, on the Bayou Teche, in the region of the ancient settlement of “Evangeline’s” story. Two parish seats and three settlements belong to this cluster. All but one have plain houses of worship. All are under colored preachers. At New Iberia, besides fair public schools for the Freedmen, there is a fine select school in Grant Hall, built by the colored people. Three sermons sought to confirm these churches in the Gospel way.
Thence across the Gulf to Texas. The Barnes Institute, at Galveston, built by the Bureau, and run for a time by the American Missionary Association, is now used for a Freedmen’s public school, with four teachers and over three hundred scholars. At Houston the “Gregory Institute” duplicates the history of “The Barnes,” and is doing remarkably well. Such is also the story of the Institute at Waco. The American Missionary Association may count in with its best work the founding of these Institutes, which being well set up have flowed into the public school system. The impetus given and the standard put up yet abide in large measure.
The tour finds its western limit at San Antonio, that ancient seat of Spanish Romanism, with its antique mission fortifications yet standing in their frowning strength. That early pre-emption secures two-thirds of the present population, 21,000, to the Romanists, who have three massive stone cathedrals—one for the Spanish, one for the German and one for the English speaking people, and who have their extensive Nunnery and Jesuit College, which are patronized not a little by American families. This city is the metropolis for Southwestern Texas, which is as large as the whole of New England. It has also an immense wholesale trade with cities in Mexico. San Antonio becomes also a strategic point for Protestantism. The M. E. Church North is just now establishing itself here at large expense. The colored people are well supplied with churches and schools. The second best Protestant church edifice is that of the African M. E. Church, just completed, at a cost of $8,000, and nearly all paid for. Superintendent West was there the same Sabbath, reconnoitering. He was urged by the M. E. South people to remain and hold a protracted meeting; but a campaign just at hand in Massachusetts prevented. Western Texas was suffering dreadfully from an eight months’ drought. The plain of San Antonio was an exception, being irrigated by the waters of the mighty springs just above the city, which, forming the San Antonio River, furnish the hydrant supply for that great population, and send babbling streams through all the streets and over all the surrounding gardens and farms. So may that sainted city be a fountain of moral refreshing in all that region!
The Tillotson Normal Institute of Texas, under the excellent Mrs. Garland, has already sent out twenty teachers. Its beautiful site, overlooking the city, is this summer to be crowned with its comely edifice, which, beyond the outer shell, is to await the incoming of funds for its completion. This trip has resulted with me in a profound impression as to the need of this institution and as to the grand sweep of its future usefulness. Nothing better can be done for the Freedmen of Texas. This empire, stretching a thousand miles on the Rio Grande and eight hundred miles eastward to the Sabine, calls mightily for such an institute to train those who shall be the teachers of her sable children. These immense areas of cheap, rich, southern lands, that were never cursed by the filth of slavery, are calling in the Freedmen to take to themselves homes and farms and the respectability that comes from ownership of the soil. Such people, most of all, hunger for good schools. Texas is liberal toward her colored school children. To furnish them teachers, skilled in the art and trained so that they shall exert a wholesome social and spiritual influence, is the great desideratum.
The cluster of churches made up of Corpus Christi, Goliad, Helena, Schulenburg and Flatonia, are organized into the Congregational Association of Southwestern Texas. The only two without houses of worship are now moving to purchase “church houses.” Rev. B. C. Church is a very patriarch among them. Rev. S. M. Coles, pastor and teacher at “Corpus,” is a colored graduate of Yale. Brothers Thompson and Turner, native pastors, are sound, pure and able men. It was a treat to minister the Word to each of these hungering congregations.
At Flatonia, when the local authorities went back upon their promise of the public school-room for a service which had been advertised in the town newspaper, because the white citizens would not allow that place to be used by “niggers,” we resorted to the platform of the R. R. Station, in the center of the village, and had a rousing open-air meeting that attracted many of the white citizens, who were cordially welcomed to our place of worship, for our God is no respecter of persons. At Corpus Christi a two days’ meeting followed upon some special interest, under the preaching of Mr. Thompson, which had greatly confirmed the church, and had added a half dozen to the company of the believers.
One day by the mail-schooner from “Corpus” to Indianola, another day by steamer to Galveston, and a third day by Morgan’s line, carried the tour back to New Orleans. A day there for supplementary reconnoissance, a Sabbath with the thriving church of Rev. D. L. Hickok, and the Emerson Institute at Mobile, and then a long run up to Atlanta finished this tour of many hundred miles among our schools and churches of the Southwest.