Alabama by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 15, 1876

Alabama.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

[The following report from Eld. Canright came too late for the Progress Department, but we give it here, feeling confident that the readers of the REVIEW will be especially interested in it.]

I left Tennessee May 31, and went to Coosa County, Alabama, which is in the central part of the State, near Montgomery. Here I found Bro. Vanzandt, who has lately embraced the Sabbath and the Advent faith. He has been a Methodist minister about fifty years; he was also a member of the State legislature for a long time, and has traveled and preached extensively all over the State.

A few years ago he became especially interested in the soon coming of Christ, which he has freely preached all over the Conference. He has also published and circulated a book upon that subject. He says that one-half the ministers of the Conference are convinced upon that point. Since he has embraced the Lord's Sabbath, he has constantly preached upon it everywhere, even before the State Conference. A large number of ministers are investigating the subject, and some see the truth now. Bro. V. has been earnest and persevering in getting the truth before his brethren. I believe he will see fruits of it soon.

On Sunday we attended a Baptist monthly meeting near there. Two Baptist ministers were in attendance. A funeral sermon had to be preached in the morning. The minister regretted this, as he wanted me to preach all the time; so he spoke short, and I followed with an hour's sermon on the Advent. The house was full and I never had better attention anywhere. Both ministers told me that they were wholly with us on the second advent, and that the people generally in this section are being awakened upon that subject. In the afternoon I spoke on the signs of the times in another place three miles distant. I had nearly all of my first audience there, with many others. The people seemed to be hungry for the truth and they received it eagerly. I spoke again at night at Bro. Vanzandt's. His house was full. It was a solemn meeting. I was repeatedly and strongly urged to stay and give a course of lectures. But knowing that it was not best to begin what I could not stay to follow up, I had to deny them.

I dined with Bro. Jones, a Baptist minister, who also attended my meetings. He is wholly unsettled on the second advent, and is now about convinced on the Sabbath. He is a conscientious man and wants to know the truth; hence I expect he will soon keep the Lord's Sabbath. He subscribed for the REVIEW.

I had a long and interesting talk with a county superintendent of schools. He was perfectly delighted with the truth concerning the nature of man, the punishment of the wicked, the saints' inheritance, etc. He said he would do anything to hear lectures upon that doctrine. This is the way I found all with whom I conversed. The people know nothing whatever of our people or of our work. There is little prejudice to meet. But most of the people have lost confidence in the churches and are confused, not knowing where to go for light. I believe the Lord pities them, and is opening the way for them to see the light. There are quite a number of scattered Sabbath observers in the State already, who are all at work. Bro. V. needs more books to circulate, the History of the Sabbath especially.

But the poverty and destitution of the South, at least as far as I have traveled in Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia, are distressing. At the best, the land is a poor, light soil, and much of it very rough and uneven. It is worth only from twenty-five cents to five dollars per acre—the most of it only a dollar. I judge that not more than one acre in three hundred is cultivated. Plantation after plantation once cultivated now lies barren. Little of the wheat will yield over three or four bushels to the acre, and other crops accordingly. But this is due in a measure to the wretched manner in which farming is done in the South.

Except in the villages, I did not see a single window or a pane of glass, either in a dwelling house, school-house, or meeting-house! Carpets, cook stoves, etc., are scarcely known. The people live almost exclusively on pork, coffee, and corn bread. Fruit and vegetables are scarcely used at all. Yet almost all kinds of fruit, berries, and vegetables will grow in abundance.

Nearly all the people see that they are making a mistake in this, and say that they must change. I am satisfied that it would not be hard to make a change in this respect with those who embrace the truth. Water is abundant and most excellent, and the air is pure and healthful.

Every man with whom I talked is glad that slavery is no more. All see that it has ruined their country. It has kept down public schools and compelled the great mass to grow up in ignorance. Even now, in the country, they have no schools to amount to anything. All are anxious for Northern men to come among them and show them how to farm, how to have schools, etc.

The churches, except in the cities, contribute almost nothing at all to the support of preaching. Preachers labor for nothing and support themselves, or nearly so. This custom, together with the poverty of the people, must be considered before we send men here to labor. But I am satisfied that there are many honest souls here, and that the present truth is destined soon to make a mighty stir in the South.

D. M. Canright.

Washington City, D. C., June 7.