“I cannot leave the city for the summer without first thanking you, and, through the Appeal, also the other eminent gentlemen, who have, during the year past, given us so much aid and encouragement in our work among the colored people of this city and vicinity. The course of lectures which these gentlemen have provided has, I am certain, accomplished much good in many ways. * * * In this, as in every other respect, a better day is near at hand. * * * It has been our aim, in quietly doing our work here, to hasten forward this day of better feeling, and after years of patient toil, and amid many discouragements, we hope that at last a day is not far distant when our work shall gain the approval and aid of all good people, or even when we may relinquish our efforts and hand over our work to those here who should be, and who are, I am convinced, becoming greatly interested in it. Again, in behalf of the faculty and students of this school, and in behalf of the American Missionary Association, which has, in the past sixteen years, expended millions of dollars in education at the South, I thank the Appeal and other papers and gentlemen for their interest and encouragement in our work.”
OUR GREAT NEED.
We have vast opportunities. Our schools are overflowing with the best selected material we have ever had. The fields are white for the harvest, much of which must rot ungathered, unless a large number of laborers are sent into the field; and these are not wanting. The day of romance in negro teaching is past, and there is nothing in it that appeals to the mere sentimentalist. The day of danger is past, and martyrs are not called for; but there is a demand for honest, earnest Christian educators, who find ample field for all their best gifts, and there is no difficulty in procuring these of the very first order. There is, also, much intelligent appreciation of the vital importance of this work, in its relations both to the life of our nation and the kingdom of Christ. What is needed now, and most pressingly, is a clear apprehension on the part of churches and individuals of the relation which their gifts bear to these civil and spiritual results. It is largely a question of money given, or money withheld. “Prayers are needed?” Certainly! Prayer, not to move the Lord so that He shall favor the work, and prosper the efforts of those engaged in it, but prayer that shall shake selfish plans of expenditure which are so large that nothing is left over for this work; prayer that shall confirm, and give definite shape to vague desires that the means shall be provided; prayer that selfishness may not throttle benevolence. When this prayer has become fervent and effectual, the result will be money, which, we assert again, is our present great need.
The Association was urged forward, by the zeal of the churches at the last Annual Meeting, to enlarged plans for the year, requiring enlarged gifts from the churches. This enlargement on our part has been made; it is necessary that yours shall now correspond, or disaster will follow.
Owing to the fact that our schools close in the month of June, and our accounts with our workers must be settled, our need is specially great at this time. The long spell of dry weather has affected our collections in the country churches; and there is danger that we shall suffer, as our benevolent societies do in the presidential year, from absorption of public interest in political affairs; and so we must urge again upon our friends the fact that our great and most pressing need is “money.”
ARTHINGTON MISSION—THE OUTLOOK.
To those who are acquainted with the fact, that there is not a single Protestant missionary in the Nile Basin proper, from the Albert Lake to the Lybian Desert, the subject of this article will be of profound interest. Is Ethiopia stretching out her hands to God, or will she do so soon? For a reply to these questions, the eye turns, just now, to this Association and the progress of the proposed Arthington Mission. We have considered Mr. Arthington’s proffered aid, and have sounded the call for men and means. Expectations have been raised, money has been contributed, and the service of experienced missionaries tendered. There have been so many disasters in connection with Central African Missions, so much delay has been caused by unexpected obstacles, and such sacrifices of health and life have been experienced, that we have felt constrained to proceed with the greatest caution. The courage and faith of God’s people may be sustained for a time by displays of enterprise, daring, and readiness to give one’s life for a good cause. Indeed, such exhibitions are essential; but a time comes when nothing will satisfy but solid success. Our earnest prayer from the beginning has been, that we might be led to enter upon work in the Nile Basin, if at all, in a manner that would give promise of great and permanent usefulness. We have, therefore, endeavored during the past year to gather information from every available source, and, especially, from persons who have been engaged in the service of the Egyptian Government. In this, we have been fortunate.
Col. C. C. Long, of New York, who visited Mtesa’s kingdom on the Nile, has kindly responded to our calls upon him, whenever questions of interest about which he was informed, have arisen. More than a year ago, we submitted to him in writing a list of thirty-nine questions for the purpose of obtaining information on every matter of interest in connection with the Mission. To these questions, he responded fully in writing.