A979-I1-1b-03-jpeg.pdf - Historical Papers

KOIUSIA EA BKOOASA ASP BEOUIJASA GAZETTE, MATLHACO, SELIMOTHOI.n, » I.M*
W h ite Christians
'on the I »
Civilised Native.
The following are pawges from a
to n venation Uiween ftishop IlartoJi
and tbe Editor of a New York psjra-: -
“ My respect for the native African
incn**s every day, especially where he
juu not boen cuotamiuatot with and
nade worse than I n * by the crime* of
white men which are incident to the
introdnotion to white oiviliiation. Many
■'. native law, and customs are excellent,
and often (treat injustice ia don.: and
K00J canscs retarded by the to 1 speedy
breaking up of thf«e before something
better can be maintained.
“ We have three mission presses, one
in each Conference and alt important,
work- The tafgeat outfit ib at Monrovia,
Liberia wbeire wff|»riiit the “ New
Africa,” '.a * tbirfcy-two-page monthly,
-Sunday school literature, and also tract*,
etc., in native language* x In Angola
wo aro printing a series of tracts in the
Portuguese and native Kimbuudu
languages; also a monthly paper, and
much work has .been done in translation
of hymns and Scriptures^ Tbe- press
on tho East coast, at Iritianibane, ia alno
doing good* The Annual -minutes for
each of tho three Conferences is printed
hy its own vre8s, aml the worfc is done
by native black boys.”
The latest humbor of the “ L. M. S.
Chronicle” contains an interesting
interview between Mr. .1. Gorrausof
this town (now on a holiday in Cornwall)
aud a representative of that
journal. We culled tbe following
from the account.
44What have yon to say on the old
question of character of native Christian*
in South -Africa ? Is there any
real justification for the gibes that are
so often flung at ‘ Mission natives ’ ?”
wThere are all sorts of Christians in
Africa, aB hi -England, but, taking
them as a whole, I nive .no -hesitation
in saying that the native Christians arc
very far from a cUagnicstQ_fcho religion
thev profess. Jflanyvbf them a^o f negro's experience of the Englishman
really fine character, who arfe prcpared has been varied and peculiar. The
to make sacrifices both of time and English employer, when he was good,
money for the a&tte of Chri&ti There was very gcwd; when • he was bad, he
is something about the simplicity and was horrid. The horrid ones kicked
fervour of their devotion which is very and flogged and overworked, starved,
attractive; ‘indeed, I have frequently and did uot pay. The good ones paid
pone to conduct service and worship well, fed well, and tended well, bu:
with thein in their native chapels iu perhaps worked the negro somewhat
preference to the fcurojpcan church. harder than did the more easy-going1
“ Reverting to fch6 suojectof the common
criticism of natives on the port of. Had any Englishman without
Boer.
traders and others, Mr.Gerrans declared the position of Sir Harry Johnston
tliat one reason for these criticisms is
said this during tlie war, he would
that when the natives become Christians
at once have beeu denounced as a
thejf Soon begin to dtivelon their
liar, a pro-Boer, aud a traitor.
powers of ot^erVataoh and intelligence,
and are not so easily taken by traders. — “ Truth”
As a matter of fact^ ' however, tbe
traders, if they only nad the ^race to
eonfete it, have the best reason to be A SUGGESTION.
J gratified by the progrera of Christianity,
. for as soon as a native becomes a
Christian he-bogins to want to improve
his hotne ai^l to wear better clothing,
and thbs the demand for foreign goods
is greatly stimulated. In this way,
British and.other manufactures reap
a rich harvest through the' work of the
Christian missionary.
“ Moreover, I-ctnitinually have a considerable
number of fjatfces in my
employment, no that I have had some
grounds for forming ' an opinion of
native character.
Of oar Unclc Mr. Gemma says :•
^ Montshioa,, the former ohief of the
Barolong, was in his younger days a
famous rain-makcr. 1 owarda the end
of his life ho became ,a Christian. He flag, which recognises uud uphold* the
was a dever reader of-U)e signs/of the S t of all those who live Under its
weather, and this fac% aided by a) little
luck, had enabled hi’U to establish a
tfftat reputation^ and when.« reputation
this kind Ls onco, made it. is cmnl»rativolj
easy to mai.ttaiu it.
MR. P R. FRAMES.
There are 'otfheS, tesidcs Mr. Leukiiane,
who think with us iu our
!*tanate of the senior iuotul*er for
Matebelelaud. Jiu>t look on this:-
whjd* baa Wen productive o f» in i> * this connection a very important point
evil in America? If our native assiminH-J
and act npon this mijchievow tary of State that in the opinion of the
would to make it clear to the Secre­
doctrine, who will be to blame ? The o>U>ure*l |M>p|tf themselves and their
men who use ill-considered expression* fricuds, there is not and about 1 not be
u popular nte. any connection between the question of
If the bloody struggle hinted at is ever the right of the dvilwed black le, and one or two of the welllknown
frieuds of the coloured man aud
defenders of his rights
The mission chutehcsand the civilised
with kindness and without scorn, and
were plentifully fed. Moreover, the
pay was often supplemented by the" natives of the Eastern Province may
profits they were allowed to make out be trusted to act in same direction and
»f agricultural pfoduoe or stock., Tho to bring these matter* and their Own
especial needs before the utteution of
3Ir. Chamberlain by address and deputation,,
aud one cannot forbear expressing
the hope that iu a matter such as
this all native newspaper organs, “Imvo”
and MIawfi Labantu," “ Koranta ea
Bechuana,” and “ The Spectator," and
all other important factors, of native
opinion, will sink minor differences and
work unitedly together for the common
goo*.
An oj»fiortunity should be affordeJ to
Mr. Chamberlain t »see the dwellings,
chnrclies, and scliools of the coloured
people in some of sudi places as Worcester.
tlie Paarl, Robertson, Ceres,
Frutnche Hoek, Stellenbosdi, aud
Genadendal (I am meutioniug only those
comparatively near Cape Town) and to
look in on aottie of the Cape Town
coloured congregations. A few thouj
sarvla of the coloured chil Ireu of tlie
T o t h e E d i t o r o f THK“CiPKTfSina.’’ jjrarioni» denominations in Cape Town
Sir,—Mar I, through your o^lumiu,' ,5“b“rt*. i*
suS at to tL minister