OUR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS OF THE SOUTH.
By Stephen N. Haskell
There are two denominational industrial schools in the South,—one situated at Graysville, Tenn., for the training of white laborers, both men and women; and one at Huntsville, Ala., for the training of colored persons. The one at Graysville is under the charge of Prof. C. W. Irwin; and Brother S. M. Jacobs is at the head of the other. It is a fact, demonstrated by all foreign mission boards of long experience, that there is no place so well adapted for the education of native workers as is their own country, preserving as far as possible their own customs. Every argument that will apply to foreign countries will apply with equal force to this Southern field, both with the white and with the colored race. The method of Christ’s teaching is a divine method, and will apply to all people of all languages and nations and tongues. But the laborers themselves should be trained to mingle with the people, and visit them at their homes, in their own field, without breaking up social customs. It is the grace of Christ received into the heart that does the breaking up. Young men and women who have given themselves to God as laborers, or who desire to do so, should be the ones to attend these schools at Graysville and Huntsville. Neither were these schools established to reform those who have given themselves to work evil, and so take the place of a State reform school; but they are for the training of workers in the cause of God. Each of these schools is doing a good work. At present there are about thirty-five church and small industrial schools in the South, besides the two principal schools already mentioned. This indicates that the church school work in the South has been taken hold of with earnestness, as there are more church schools in this field, in proportion to the membership, than in any Conference in the North. At Huntsville a new school building has recently been erected by the students. The General Conference Association bore the expense, which was only for one carpenter and for the lumber, etc. This building was dedicated while we were there. Two or three years ago a commodious barn and other buildings were erected by student labor, the timbers being hewed in the woods belonging to the school. The call of Sister Hattie Andre to go to Australia has left a vacancy in the school at Huntsville, which we hope will soon be filled by some other person equally competent, to act as a preceptress as well as a teacher. This need must be supplied at once, to relieve Sister Jacobs of part of the work that now necessarily falls upon her. There is also need of a white woman nurse, to educate the colored girls in the art of nursing. To take them North to educate them is not as well as to train them on their own ground. A great and good work can be accomplished, with some capable person who can teach and instruct in harmony with the other branches of work that are being carried on in Huntsville. We were glad to become more familiar with these schools in the South. It is certainly in the order of God that they have been established; for the South is the place in which to train workers for that field, in order that prejudice may not be aroused and customs antagonized. To ignore the customs of any people is to close the door of access to their hearts. Even in Australia, which is more like America than any other of the English colonies, there are customs entirely different from those in the United States, which, if ignored, would cause an arrest and fine. In Japan, inland hotels are closed against European travelers because the customs of that people have been ignored. Prejudice is like a corked bottle—will let nothing in or out. To ignore customs creates prejudice. There are, in the South, customs of the white and the colored people which can not be ignored without intensifying prejudice already existing, and closing the doors of successful labor among either of the races. Taking into account not only these things, but the unpopular truth, which Satan hates, it can readily be seen that this is a field of no ordinary character. The Bible is not silent upon such important questions. If Joseph, in eating, had his servants “set on for him by himself, and for them [that is, his own brothers] by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians” (Gen. 43 : 32), it should teach us a lesson not to ignore altogether the customs of the people for whom we would labor. Even in the days of Esther the Persian court had a custom acknowledged by Mordecai as a means that might be used by God for the deliverance of God’s people, and which God did use for that purpose, which the most enlightened among Seventh-day Adventists would ignore at the present day. This is worthy of careful study. It contains lessons for God’s people in these last days. The Lord meets persons where they are, rather than where they ought to be. The humiliation of Christ, in taking upon himself human nature and learning the trade of a carpenter, was not much in harmony with the customs of the heavenly court, and especially with himself, who was the Creator of the heavens and the earth. To understand how this could be, passes the ken of human wisdom. How he could take upon himself the customs of humanity can never be comprehended, neither in this world nor in the world to come, only on the principle of infinite love. “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.” Heb. 5 : 8-10. From the eleventh to the fourteenth verses the apostle argues that to explain this would be difficult, seeing that they were dull of hearing, and had not had their senses exercised to discern good and evil. This perfection of Christ, which fitted him to be a High Priest, so that all could come to him boldly, was wrought out and made “perfect through sufferings.” Heb. 2 : 10. By submitting to customs that were in direct opposition to the customs of the court of heaven, Christ accomplished his work while on earth. This is a lesson that many of us have yet to learn. After going through these fields in the South, and seeing that in the different States the condition of things is different, our conclusion is that those laboring there are better prepared to adapt themselves to existing circumstances as they are led by the Spirit of God, than are others who have never entered this field, to direct. Those in the field know best how to reach the hearts of the people; and having once reached their hearts, the grace of God will regulate the customs after the example of Christ.