J[ames] W[illiam] C[harles] Pennington to Frederick Douglass, June 10, 1859

THE AFRICAN CIVILIZATION SOCIETY.

MR. EDITOR:—While the powers of the Old World are armed and arming to the teeth, to settle by the sword disputes about decaying nationalities and jurisdiction over broad acres of tyrant-haunted lands, we have a strange conflict of agencies in this part of the New World, about the reception and disbursement of the people's money offerings for religious and reformatory purposes, and also about the general management of our popular institutions in their bearing upon the colored man. If in yonder conflict sad havoc is made of the lives and limbs of men; in this, painful onslaughts are made upon character, reputation and motives. Criminations and recriminations are the order of the day.

Nearly all the great Societies, as well as almost all the large denominations, have, within the last quarter of a century, been more or less effected by the colored man's case. It naturally follows that the African Civilization Society, coming into existence at such a juncture, would be the subject of conflicting opinions. But while the subject of African emancipation and civilization has assumed so much importance in the public mind of the nation, it is impossible for colored men themselves to be neutral. And that this is now the all-absorbing subject, no thinking or well read man can for one moment doubt. The United Presbyterian Church of Scotland and the Church Mission Society of England certainly cannot be suspected of being prejudiced against the free or slave colored man of this country—for both English and Scotch

open their hearts and hands to us when appealed to. And yet these bodies are vieing with each other in their Christian zeal for the regeneration of Africa.

It stirs one's Christian patriotism and love of race to the core, to see what the Church Mission has done alone since 1843, in connection with the Yoruba Mission in West Africa. The work of that Society is marked by two important results—namely, the rearing of native agencies, and the encouragement of legitimate trade. At the period of their last report, that Society had employed in the African field six European ordained missionaries, six native ordained missionaries, seven European catechists, and more than forty native teachers, and eight hundred and seventy communicants. They have four principal stations, besides many what are called outstations. That portion of the English church engaged in this work are evangelical; and whoever has read or heard them need not be told that they are not the men to overdraw a picture, civil or religious, with the tongue or the pen themselves, or to encourage others in the same.

Some years ago, a native African youth was taken to England and educated for superintendent of an industrial school, at the expense of the "African Native Agency Committee." That young man, Henry Robbin, is now at the head of a flourishing industrial institution connected with this Mission; and among other things, he instructs his scholars how to pick and pack cotton! These little cotton pickers and packers in Africa are doing more to pick the chains off the suffering little cotton pickers and packers of the South, than we think. God increase their number a thousand fold!

For ten years past the growth of cotton in the United States has averaged 910,000,000 lbs. per annum, which at 10 cents per lb., makes the snug sum of $91,000,000! Let

the little free cotton pickers and packers of Africa go on till they divide this sum with slaveholders in the British market, getting the lion's share, and see what will come of slavery.

Already, Mr. Thomas Clegg, of Manchester, Eng., one of the warmest advocates of free labor cotton, acknowledges the receipt of 150,000 pounds of cotton from Africa which has been sold at good prices in his market. 150 cotten gins have been sold to the natives. These are cheering indications of a new era in African trade. But let us take a little further notice of this interesting and talended superintendent of the industrial institutions as Abbeokuta, who is a responsible agent of the Missionary in his department of duty. In one of his official communications to the Secretary, he says:

"Amidst all my temporal labors, I lose no opportunity in speaking to the people about the salvation of their souls, as you will see by an incident or two in the report. Though I am a layman in the Mission, yet I do not consider myself one whose duty is so limited as not to assist in the spreading of the Gospel, when I have the chance of doing so. I consider the extension of the cause of God, expecially in this my country, in every respect my bounden duty, and, by God's help, rest assured that I am not behind those who are directly employed as teachers of the Gospel. With regard to Sunday schools, if there is any one who is interested in them, I am one. The industrial boys are all staying with me at the same house, and are, I believe, very comfortable. I endeavor always to teach them, not only of things profitable to their bodies, but also to their soul; showing them, at the same time, the worthlessness of every instruction they may receive, without first seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness. They every morning attend the early prayers at church (conducted by the schoolmaster) commence their business every day at half past six o'clock; night-schools four days in the week, at 7 o'clock P. M., by the school-master; reading of the Holy Scriptures, and prayers at home, every evening, just at nine o'clock. I pray and trust that God will bless us in our

spiritual and temporal labor, and enable us to continue the sowing of the good seed until the evening."

Throbs there a heart under a colored skin that would not love to be engaged in the glorious work of furnishing Africa with such agencies, whether native or adopted? If there be, I am bold to say, that my heart throbs not in unison with it. Now, judging from their constitution and circular, I apprehend that the officers and members of the African Civilization Society have been influenced by a very natural desire to enter this great field in such good company.

The second and third articles of their constitution embody the basis upon which they propose to act. They read as follows:

Art 2. The object of this Society shall be the evangelization and civilization of Africa, the of the descendants of African ancestors in any portion of the earth, wherever dispersed.—Also, the destruction of the African slave trade, by the introduction of lawful commerce and trade into Africa; the promotion of the growth of cotton and other products there, whereby the natives may become industrious producers as well as consumers of articles of commerce; and generally, the elevation of the condition of the colored population of our own country, and of other lands.

Art. 3: Should it be deemed requisite to send out missionaries, or other religious teachers, under the auspices of this Society, none shall be sent who shall teach doctrines which shall justify or aid in perpetuating any system or human slavery or involuntary servitude; and in the examination of candidates for the missionary work, only those doctrines known as evangelic, without regard to sect, shall be required from those chosen to that work.

There is no word in the above that can be construed to mean colonization; and yet the whole taken together is sufficiently explicit, going to show the work they propose to do.

I am no partizan on this Society. I shall serve God and the race as ever; but nothing can induce me again to organize or incorporate myself into any society. I much prefer an independent individuality. Still, as a obser-

ver, I like to see "fair play and no gougin."—There seems to be an intense effort to place these men in a false position by sliding in side issues and arousing old prejudices. This is unbecoming manly debaters of frank controversialists, whose only object should be truth.

They have a work of great moment before them, and should be allowed to go at it in earnest. The first duty of a civilizing and christianizing body is to educate their agents, or cause them to be educated in all the arts and sciences of civilized life.

If these men begin right upon this point, their position in a few years will be invincible. While there is so much speculation about the real or comparative ability of the colored race as a race to advance in civilization, there is no systematic effort put forth by any religious, missionary, or reformatory body for the education of colored youth of either sex in the arts and sciences of civilized life beyond the common school; and I speak now of the means. Ever since educational institutions of a higher grade began to open their doors to our youth, it is rare that one finds the means to sustain himself for four or seven years in one of them. Nor is this all; we have been falsely impressed upon this general subject and are, as a people, acting upon a false principle. We have been made to believe that we do not need education su much as "smartness," that our platforms must be covered, our schools kept, and our pulpits filled by smart men. Years ago, when we should have commenced thorough education, we were misled by the saying, "oh! your people don't need the education of the whites. Pick up some smart young men and let them take a short course."

My sentence is, that we let these men alone and let them work. They have got the