FREEDMEN.
The fortunes of the freed people during the current year indicate a marked degree of progress. A healthy growth in all the branches of our Southern work is quite discernible. It is strikingly evident that the Freedmen are discovering the extent of the horizon opening up before them through our educational institutions. At one time, many of their leaders were attracted by the allurements of political preferment, and counted nothing so good as position in office, and many such, doubtless, there will be to the end of time. There is, however, an increasing number among them who are coming to realize that intelligence and character developed by Christian education have a commanding worth and solid value that cannot be conveyed by an appointment or imbibed during the sessions of a legislature. This good result has been hastened by Teachers’ Institutes, conducted by Southern and Northern educators, among the black and also the white citizens, sometimes large numbers of both classes mingling in the same convention.
Possibly never have our missions been more richly blessed by the outpourings of the Holy Spirit than during the past year. Whole classes in a school have indulged the hopes of a new life, and the rich experiences gathered during revivals have been borne forth into the villages and the country during the summer months by our students. Sabbath-schools have everywhere received due attention, and temperance work has been well sustained and productive of much good. Missionary meetings and societies have been encouraged, and the gifts from the hard earnings of the poor to the cause of missions abroad, indicate what may be hoped for when the colored people become educated and prosperous.
EDUCATIONAL WORK.
Our eight Chartered Institutions, including Berea College and Hampton Institute, which were founded by this Association, have experienced a year of unusual prosperity. The number pursuing a higher grade of study has been continually on the increase, and the quality of the work done, as testified to by many who have witnessed it, indicates that the grade of teachers has been improved, not only by self-culture on the part of those who have been long in service, but also by accessions from among the best educators in the country. Three of our teachers have received honorary degrees from important colleges at the North, and others have been encouraged by many tokens of appreciation and esteem.
During the year, the Tillotson Institute at Austin, Tex., took possession of its new building, a brick structure one hundred and four feet long, forty-two feet wide and five stories high. From the first this school has met with the hearty approval and sympathy of a large number of the best citizens of Austin. The new building was opened in January, and before the close of the spring term 107 students had availed themselves of its advantages.
The college at Berea has added $50,000 to its permanent endowment fund; the Fisk University has received $4,000 endowment for student aid. At Hampton, two new buildings, one for Indian and one for Negro girls, have been provided by the friends of the Institution, and a new Academic Hall, in place of one that was burned, has been dedicated. At Tougaloo, Miss., a boy’s dormitory of brick, with accommodations for about 75 students, has been completed. This building was made especially necessary by the ravages of fire, which destroyed the wooden structure that had served in a very inadequate way both for school rooms and boarding purposes.
Other buildings at Straight University, New Orleans; Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn.; Talladega College, and Atlanta University, provided by the gift of $150,000 by Mrs. Valeria G. Stone, have either been completed, or are in a good state of progress. At New Orleans, there was added to the half square of land on Canal street, before owned by the A. M. A., the remaining half. Upon this site has been erected a neat three-story building, ninety-two feet on Canal street and ninety-one feet on Roche Blave street, containing dining-room, kitchen and laundry for the whole school, parlor, bath-room, apartments for teachers and dormitories for about 60 girls.
At Talladega, Stone Hall, for boys, has been completed. It is three stories high, with a basement, and contains printing office, reading-room, bath-room and dormitories for 76 students. With a portion of Mrs. Stone’s gift, supplemented by $1,000 from Mr. Gregory, of Marblehead, $100 from Gen. Swayne and a few smaller sums from others, Swayne Hall has been remodeled and thoroughly repaired from pavement to bell-tower, including roofing, flooring, blackboarding, etc. A house for the accommodation of the President will soon be completed. With these improvements the college will be ready for a great work.