Page:Eleventh annual report of the Association for the Religious Instruction of the Negroes, in Liberty County, Georgia.djvu/9

 fourth Sabbath in June, I had fifty Scholars: but at the next, the second Sabbath in July, there were only twenty five, and the School has lingered ever since. Upon inquiry I find that some object to the children of the Plantation going to School for fear of their being made sick by the walk: and one Plantation which is quite convenient to the Station and which would afford a goodly number of Scholars, does not send any, because, if the children that are large enough to go to School, attend, some of the adults would be compelled to remain at home and take care of their infants! I have ceased preaching at this Station for the present, in consequence of the building in which we have been accustomed to meet, having been taken down. But so soon as the new house of worship, which the Planters are now erecting, shall be completed, our meetings will be resumed. The new House of worship is located in a very pleasant grove of pines immediately on the road, and opposite the cite of the former one. One ar two facts respecting the increasing interest that is felt abroad on the Religious Instruction of the Negroes, will close this report. In May last, I attended the Southern Baptist Convention in Augusta, catted by the Southern and. South Western Baptist Church, to lake into consideration the expediency of separating from the Baptist Churches in the non-slave-holding States, and forming a distinct organization for Missionary purposes, Among other interesting and important matters brought before the body, was the Religious Instruction of the colored population. I was highly gratified to witness the feeling and interest manifested. The Convention unanimously passed a resolution instructing the Board of Domestic Missions to take all prudent measures for the Religious Instruction of our colored population. From this Convention I went to Forsyth: and attended the Georgia Baptist Convention. During the sittings of this body, the subject was brought before it on the Report of the Committee on the state of Religion, in which report, a plan of Religious Instruction, similar to that in this county, was recommended. There was strong opposition by one or two laymen to the plan, but none to the giving Religious Instruction simply by preaching. I found all the Ministers with whom I conversed, strongly in favor of the proposed plan, and though that part of the Report was stricken out, yet they resolved to carry it out, as far as practicable, among the people for whom they laboured. Since the meeting of the Convention,