III. It is entirely safe to do this. No facts can be established to the contrary, and many can be established in support of this assertion.
IV. It is very unsafe not to do it, because all men will have some notions of religion, and if they be not correct notions, they will be erroneous, wild, fanatical, superstitious, or in some way highly dangerous. On this subject we present a short extract from a discourse published by the late Dr. Rice, in the year 1825, on the subject of the injury done to religion by ignorant teachers. In that discourse the writer speaking of fanaticism says:
"These remarks have a bearing on a particular part of our population, which I think it my duty to state in such terms that the intelligent will understand me. And that this subject may present itself with greater force it ought to be observed, that there is always a predisposition to superstition, where there are no settled religious principles. This state of the human mind, may be regarded as a predisposition to fanaticism where there is a general prevalence of ignorance and rudeness. Now it is well known that there is a large and increasing part of our population whose ignorance is almost absolute. Their spiritual interests have been very generally neglected; and attempts to afford them religious instruction have often been frowned upon by men of power and influence. But have they thus been able to suppress the workings of the religious principle? That is impossible. It would be as easy to exclude the light of the sun by a leaf of the statute book. What then has been the result of this very general negligence? Why, thousands of this race have a set of religious opinions of their own in many very important respects at variance with the religion of the New Testament. They have long shown a most observable preference for those meetings, by whomsoever conducted, where there is most noise and vociferation, most to strike on the senses, and least to afford instruction. While some among them are, no doubt, true Christians, many unquestionably are rank fanatics. They are chiefly under the influence of ignorant spiritual guides. It is most obvious to the careful observer that they are withdrawing more and more from those ministrations, where they can learn the true character of Christianity; and insist with increasing pertinacity, on holding meetings in their own way, and having preachers of their own colour. The profession of religion among them is becoming perceptibly less beneficial: so that in some neighborhoods, this very thing generates suspicion of the professor, rather than confidence in his integrity. The preachers among them, although extremely ignorant, (often unable to read a verse in the Bible or a line in their Hymn book) are frequently shrewd, cunning men. They see what influence misdirected religious feeling gives them over their brethren and they take advantage of it. Many of them feel their importance, and assume the post of men of great consequence. This thing is growing in the Southern country. And while efforts to afford these people salutary instruction have been repressed or abandoned, a spirit of fanaticism has been spreading which threatens the most alarming consequences. Without pretending to be a prophet, I venture to predict, that if ever that horrid event should take place, which is anticipated and greatly dreaded by many among us, some crisp-haired prophet, some pretender to inspiration, will be the ringleader as well as the instigator of the plot. By feigning communications from heaven, he will rouse the fanaticism of his brethren, and they will be prepared for any work however desolating or murderous. The opinion has already been started among them, that men may make such progress in religion, that nothing they can do will be sinful, even should it be the murder of those whom they are now required to serve and obey! The present state of the country presents a prospect truly alarming; and when the rapid growth of our population both black and white is considered, it requires a man of a stout heart indeed, to view the scene without dismay. It is appalling, when such a mighty power as that afforded by the religious principle, is wielded by ignorant and fanatical men. Shall we, then, let this matter alone?"—Evan. and Lit. Magazine, Vol. 8, pp. 603 and 604.
How literally this "prediction" was fulfilled in the Southampton insurrection, many remember. A "crisp-haired" fanatic led it on.
V. Not only the general course of legislation, but also the general tenor of Providence unite in declaring that the great body of teachers for this people must for the present at least be white men. It is truly marvellous that although Dartmouth College was endowed chiefly as a school, in which to train up Indians for useful stations, yet did that institution never, so far as is known, furnish more than one or two useful and successful preachers of the gospel from among that people. As early as the year 1693, the Earl of Burlington and the Bishop of London, for the time being, who had been constituted by the great Mr. Boyle trustees of the fund he left for the advancement of Christianity among infidels, directed the proceeds to be paid to the president of William and Mary College in Virginia for the education and instruction of a certain number of Indian children. This charity was continued for more than eighty years; yet did it never raise up a missionary to the Indians. In like manner efforts have been made for the last century to train up useful ministers and missionaries of the negro race for this country. As early as the year 1744 the venerable Dr. Styles and the Rev. Samuel Hopkins undertook the education of two apparently promising negroes with a view to the ministry; but it was finally a failure. Dr. John B. Smith also laboured for the same object but never really served the church in this way. Many other efforts have been made, but generally, though we are happy to say not universally, they have been unproductive of any solid or extensive good. If valuable ministers, therefore, are to be raised up from this people, in our country and in sufficient numbers, it must probably be at least for some time to come, from amongst white men.
VI. If Protestants do not attempt and execute this work, Jesuits will undertake and execute a most undesirable work among them. Not only the spirit and genius of popery, but also the developments of policy made in the Leopold Reports, put this matter beyond all doubt. The danger and annoyance of such influences may be learned not only from the doctrines of Romanism and the general history of its acts in every nation, where it has prevailed, but also in particular acts in reference to missions. Thus in St. Vincents in the West Indies the Methodist Missionaries attempted to begin a school among the native Caribs, and the legislature of the islands gave an estate for the support of the institution; but the Catholic priests of Martinico infused suspicions into the minds of the poor people, that the missionaries were employed by the King of England, and by this means raised their jealousy to such a pitch, that it was found necessary to withdraw from among them.
Among the negroes, however, the Methodists were more successful, and in a short time collected such numbers of them in their societies as amply recompensed them for the failure of their labours among the Caribs. In 1793 the Legislative Assembly of St. Vincents, which had at first patronized the Methodist Missionaries, passed a very rigorous act against them, prohibiting them from preaching to the negroes under the severest penalties. For the first transgression, it was enacted that the offender should be punished by a fine of £10; for the second, by such corporeal punishment as the court should think proper to inflict, and likewise by banishment; and if the person should return from banishment, by death!
The emissaries of the Pope have shown their real feelings in reference to evangelical missions, in their attempts on the Sandwich Islands and in their bitterness after their failure, as also in their more recent and cruel conduct in Otaheite.
In the prosecution of the work, it must not be forgotten:
1st. That all that shall be done must be with the consent and under the sanction of proprietors of estates and of slave-holders generally, where the negroes are slaves.