THE American Missionary

Vol. L. JANUARY, 1896. No. 1.

1846. THE NEW YEAR. 1896.

Eighteen Hundred and Ninety-six brings in the Jubilee Year of the American Missionary Association. What marked changes have taken place between 1846 and 1896, even in the range of events with which the Association is connected! Then the great gold discoveries in California had not been made; then little was done by the Church or the Government for the Indian; then the Southern mountaineers were hunting and fishing, innocent of schools and railroads; then slavery dominated the land, oppressing the slave and aiming to crush free thought and speech in the North.

Now how changed! As to slavery, for example. The war and emancipation have written a new page on our national history. But emancipation only battered down the prison doors and sent forth the millions of ignorant, helpless and vicious people—a menace to the Republic and a reproach to the Church, if left in their degraded condition, but presenting a most hopeful field for humane and Christian effort. The facts made an appeal for immediate and effective work and the American Missionary Association sprang into the task. Hundreds of refined and Christian women lent their aid and toiled in the uplifting of the needy, amid the scorn and hatred of the white people, while the churches and benevolent friends responded with the means. The Association has followed up this Christlike beginning by the planting of permanent institutions—schools and churches—and the good effects are becoming apparent in the multitude of industrious, prosperous and educated colored people, the hopeful and helpful leaders of their race. But their advancement only reveals the yet unreached masses behind them as hopeful if promptly met, and as helpless if neglected, as those that preceded them.

This good work is at its crowning point—to push forward is victory, to halt is disaster. But the Association feels the pressure of the hard times. It owes a debt of nearly $100,000, and needs four times as much to sustain the work now in hand. Nevertheless, there is no cause for discouragement in all this. There is vast wealth in the nation, and a large share of it is in the hands of those who are more or less directly connected with the Christian Church, and who are liberal in their gifts when worthy objects are fairly brought to their attention. It is true that there are those whose resources are restricted by the present stagnation in business. This, however, gives the opportunity for Christian self-denial. The relief for imperiled Christian work will come if those who are prospered will give of their abundance, while those less favored will imitate the Macedonians of whom Paul speaks, whose "deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality." Self-denial is not a lost virtue in the Church of Christ.

We make our appeal for relief during this Jubilee year. Already large correspondence has been had with pastors of churches and others, and the responses are very cheering, giving promise of most efficient helpfulness. We hope, therefore, that our next Annual Meeting—our fiftieth anniversary, to be held in Boston—will have the enthusiasm of a Jubilee deliverance from the bondage of hampering limitations, and give a new impulse to our labors for the emancipation of those still in the bondage of ignorance and vice.

PAMPHLETS AND SPEECHES.

Our recent annual meeting has furnished a large number of papers and addresses, covering, in a wide range, the various parts of the work of this Association. Some of these have already appeared in the December number of The Missionary, and a portion of them will be reprinted in pamphlet or leaflet form, especially those from the field workers or which relate directly to field operations. Besides these, some of the valuable addresses not thus printed will be issued in pamphlet form, and all of them are freely offered to our constituents on application! We give below a somewhat complete list of these documents with the name of the author and the title of the address:

The Freedman Truly Free Only by Christian Education: Pres. Merrill E. Gates. Ownership and Service: Secretary F. P. Woodbury. The Indian Factor in the Indian Problem: Secretary C. J. Ryder. Last Decade of A. M. A. Work in the South: Dist. Secretary Jos. E. Roy. Christianization of the "Inferior Races:" President J. B. Angell. The Chinese in America an Element in Christianizing China: Rev. Willard Scott, D.D. Plea for Hope and Courage: Rev. W. E. C. Wright, D.D. Educational Work in the South: President W. G. Ballantine. Mountain School Work: Prof. C. M. Stevens. After Twenty-five years in Negro Education: Prof. A. K. Spence. The Financial Problem: Rev. J. M. Sturtevant, D.D. Indian Work: Rev. G. W. Reed. Story of a Young Indian: Jonas Spotted-Bear. Reciprocal Interests and Responsibilities of the Indian and White Man: Rev. Nehemiah Boynton, D.D. Southern Church Missions: Rev. H. M. Ladd, D.D. Progress and Needs of the Negro Race: Rev. George W. Moore. New Mission Churches: Rev. George H. Haines. Brothers and a Story: Rev. Josiah Strong, D.D. A Plea for the Chinese Work of the A. M. A.: Rev. J. K. McLean, D.D.

JUBILEE BELL BANK.

The American Missionary Association has prepared a Bell Bank for the use of Sunday-schools, Christian Endeavor Societies, etc., which it is ready to distribute freely on application.

MEETING OF THE WOMAN'S BUREAU.

As usual, the January number of the Missionary is devoted to the addresses and papers delivered at the meeting of the Bureau of Woman's Work, at Detroit, Mich. We are sure our readers will be gratified with the reports which we give of these very telling papers and speeches. They set forth distinctly the work of this Bureau and the needs and prospects of the various peoples to whom its labors are devoted. The Bureau is commending itself more and more as a valuable assistant in reaching the hearts and moving the sympathies of the Christian women of our churches, thus securing enlarged contributions.

CLIPPINGS FROM FIELD CORRESPONDENCE.

THE SOUTH.

From Allen Normal School, Thomasville, Ga.:

Every year of experience in the work strengthens my conviction of the uncounted value of the work done in the American Missionary Association schools in just the matter of fitting young men and women to go to these country places, to carry to the multitudes of their own race, whose lives are miserably darkened by ignorance and superstition, the light which they have received.

From Lincoln School, Meridian, Miss.:

God is giving us great encouragement. No year has yet brought us as great pleasure as this in seeing the fruits of our work. Eight of our last year's graduates entered Tougaloo and Fisk. Better than this—for we do not expect the greater part of our pupils will enter higher institutions—more than forty of our students are now teaching. Nearly every school in Kemper County is supplied with teachers from our school. Several of our young men are seriously considering the going as mission teachers into the darkest part of the great Black Belt.

THE MOUNTAIN FIELD.

From one of our mountain academies comes the following good message that will interest all the loyal Endeavorers throughout the land:

"Last Sunday at our Young People's meeting a vigorous beginning was made to the organization of a Christian Endeavor Society. Young men active in religious meetings made the move and organized."

The following lines are used in one of the Sunday-schools in Connecticut, which has recently given its birthday pennies to work among the mountain children in the South. Their contribution goes to help provide a building for the Christian instruction of a large number of Highland lads and lassies in Tennessee. We thoroughly appreciate gifts that come with the evident spirit of consecration that accompanies these birthday pennies: