The American Missionary | Page 9

from Memphis, one of whom had taught
last year at Marion, went thither soon after Dr. Stith's arrest, to make
inquiry about a situation for teaching.

They were closely watched, and in an interview were warned by a
reporter of the Memphis Appeal that it was not safe for them to remain
in Marion. They had reason to think that they were being watched as
spies in the interest of the banished; hence their stay was very brief.
When the Clerk Ferguson had vacated, a "white citizen" was at once
put into that office. It is a remarkable fact that, aside from a few hints
about the necessity of maintaining order and proceeding according to
law, the general tone of the press here is to the effect that this
occurrence, though unfortunate on account of its effect at the North,
was really justifiable.
The cruel wrong inflicted upon those who have no crime laid to their
charge, no personal reproach of character, is treated as though it were
but little more than a joke. If the two officials were guilty of
drunkenness no one doubts that they could have been legally removed
from office. If the colored people at Marion are divided into factions,
then the whites could the more easily combine forces against the
officials in question, or any political ring which may have existed. But
there was a general Negro uprising threatened, and in order to save
their own lives the whites made haste to get into the field first. This is
the avowed excuse. But it is certain that no one believes there was
serious danger of a Negro uprising. The men arrested and banished
were unarmed, and taken by surprise. If they were in any sense
desperate or dangerous characters they turned cowards suddenly,
making no resistance. Indeed, there is but one excuse for their bloodless
surrender. They display to the world the utter groundlessness of the
charge of a conspiracy. No dynamite bombs, no loaded weapons, no
evidence of organized bands were discovered.
In all the history of the shot-gun policy and the unnumbered outrages
committed, there are on record few, if any, cases of conspiracy against
life and property on the part of the Negro. But the true animus of the
Crittenden County affair, I think, is found in the current declaration
which is used at Marion on the part of the brave men who drove out
these exiles, viz.: "We don't want any educated niggers, and won't have
'em here, not even to teach school."

It should not be overlooked, that in this instance there is fully revealed
that singular idea which so widely prevails at the South, viz.: A Negro
is in his place only and always as a subordinate. It is assumed that to
educate him unfits him for his mission in life, unless that education
looks simply to some hand service.
With this fact before us, we can explain the dead silence of the pulpit
and the press of the South as touching the first principles of justice.
The end justifies the means when "Negro rule" is to be prevented, and
to protest against this bold subversion of the great principles of
citizenship in the Republic, is to "wave the bloody shirt." We will
admit that it is by no means desirable that a mass of illiterate people
should hold sway, but we claim that the Southern white people can
break the "color line" if they will, by admitting frankly the rights of the
Negro, and by encouraging him to aspire to an intelligent and worthy
manhood.
* * * * *
EXTRACTS.
Fifty years ago there was a boy in Africa who was taken prisoner in one
of the fierce wars between the tribes, and was carried away from his
home to be sold as a slave. First he was sold for a horse. Then his buyer
thought him a bad exchange for the horse, and compelled his master to
take him back. Then he was sold for so much rum. This was called
another bad bargain by the man who had bought him, and again he was
returned, to be sold for tobacco with the same result. Nobody wanted
the poor, miserable slave-boy, who was on the point of committing
suicide when he was bought by a Portuguese trader and carried away in
a slave ship. How little that wretched boy knew what the future had in
store for him as he lay chained in the hold of the crowded slave-ship!
But one of England's war ships that were clearing the high seas of the
slavers bore down upon the Portuguese vessel, rescued the captives,
and the African boy was placed under Christian influences, baptized
and educated, and to-day he is Bishop Crowther, England's black
Bishop in Africa.--The Gospel in