The American Missionary | Page 4

The better public sentiment all over the South is strongly against such meanness. This better sentiment has asserted itself successfully elsewhere, and we do not doubt that it will do so very soon in Florida."
From the Boston Journal:
"The American Missionary Association will be sustained by an enlightened public sentiment in fighting to the last resort the outrageous Florida law which makes it a crime to teach colored and white pupils in the same school."
These comments are but samples of the sentiment which comes to the Association respecting this attempt to challenge the constitutional amendment which came with the emancipation of the colored people from slavery. But now there is

A SECOND CHAPTER.
After the teachers were arrested it was supposed that this would be the end of the persecution until the statute should be tested by the courts. Accordingly they returned to the work in the school as before. On the 4th of May the Sheriff was instructed by the State Attorney to inquire into this continued violation of the law, and if he found the school to be going on as before, to arrest and rearrest, as long as the school should be continued. In consequence the school was forced to close its sessions, as the teachers were informed that they would be arrested over and over again, and that new bail would be required for every successive day; this not only for the teachers but for the patrons, which would be impossible in the case of those who are colored. This is in accordance with the published pronouncement of Supt. Sheats that he will prosecute and persecute this Orange Park School out of existence.

MEMBERS OF THE ALBANY CONVENTION.
We are desirous of securing the names of the survivors of the little band that gathered in Albany fifty years ago, and formed the American Missionary Association. A few years since, we made a similar call to this in the pages of THE AMERICAN MISSIONARY, but the responses were very few. At the present date, we know of only two persons, Rev. John H. Byrd, Lawrence, Kan., and Rev. Peter B. Thayer, Garland, Me., who were present at that time. We hope, if there are any other survivors, they will write to us promptly, and if there are persons whose eyes fall on this little notice who happen to know of any person who was present at that meeting, we will be much obliged if they will send us the name and address.

OUR CHURCHES.
We intend to present to our readers from time to time brief sketches of some of our churches located in the South and elsewhere, with some account of the condition of the membership as to property and education, with glimpses of their poverty and hard struggles to support the pastor, with occasionally the cheerful story of those who reach self-support. On another page will be found a sketch by Pastor Snell of the church in Talladega, Ala.

THE TALENTED TENTH.
In the discussion concerning Negro education we should not forget the talented tenth man. An ordinary education may answer for the nine men of mediocrity; but if this is all we offer the talented tenth man, we make a prodigious mistake. The tenth man, with superior natural endowments, symmetrically trained and highly developed, may become a mightier influence, a greater inspiration to others than all the other nine, or nine times nine like them. Without disparagement of faithful men of moderate abilities, it may be said that in all ages the mighty impulses that have propelled a people onward in their progressive career, have proceeded from a few gifted souls. Sometimes these have been "self-made" men, so-called, whose best powers were evoked by rare opportunities. Oftener, they have been men of thoroughly disciplined minds, of sharpened perceptive faculties, trained to analyze and to generalize; men of well-balanced judgments and power of clear and forceful statement.
It is this talented tenth man of our colleges that in after years reflects more honor on his alma mater than the other nine; it is this tenth man that is the recognized leader in his profession and the leader of public opinion. To him, rather than to the other nine, the many look for suggestion and advice in important matters. He is an uncrowned king in his sphere.
This being true, I repeat that not to make proper provision for the high education of the talented tenth man of the colored people is a prodigious mistake. It is to dwarf the tree that has in it the potency of a grand oak. Industrial education is good for the nine; the common English branches are good for the nine; but that tenth man ought to have the best opportunities for making the most of himself for humanity and God.
The powers of this talented tenth man are often latent; unsuspected