face to face to-day with China. Manifestly, in God's providence, it is to be part of our work to give a Christian civilization to the 400,000,000 of that empire.

Equally is it manifest that through the colored race, we are to do our part in planting the Dark Continent with school-houses, belt it with railroads, and rear the Cross upon its plains.

Animated by the grandest ideal, in the closing decades of this century our country begins its mighty march down the far-reaching ages.

LECTURE VI.

EDUCATION AT THE SOUTH.

By J. L. M. CURRY.

AVING been introduced as the successor of Dr. Sears, I may be permitted to say

that to succeed such a man is an honor that any one, however exalted his position or great his qualifications, might well covet. He was the fullest man I ever knew. Although he filled numerous positions, requiring varied accomplishments, such as preacher, author, teacher, superintendent, and agent, he did all most successfully.

It is embarrassing to remember that his last literary effort, almost the last work of any kind which he did, was the preparation for this "American Institute of Instruction" of the paper on "Fifty Years of Educational Progress"; which, for genial humor, lucidness of style, graphic detail, sound philosophy, and far-reaching views, will rank among the masterpieces of American educational literature. Prior to that, his last and noblest work was given to the true reconstruction of the South, to the development of the brain power of the country which is among the chief gifts that God bestows

This subject is somewhat misleading.

Education is education, whether at the South or at the North. No Mason and Dixon's line runs through the individual or the aggregate human mind of this country. Persons of like ages and surroundings have the same educational necessities. The subject was doubtless given me because of the exceptional circumstances that belong to or environ the South, and thus modify the general question.

I am sick ad nauseam of the unceasing allusions to the war; and yet, with us at the South as with you at the North, it is somewhat like the Flood,a standard of date, an epoch. As we speak of ante-diluvian and post-diluvian, so we speak of antebellum and post-bellum. Allow me to say that before the war the South had private schools, academies, and colleges, the last often misnamed universities. For the higher education of young women, as much was done at the South as at the North, if not more. Much misapprehension exists on this general subject of "Education in the South." In proportion to population, taking man for man, negroes excluded from the calculation, the South sustained a larger number of colleges, with more professors and more students, and at a greater annual cost, than was done in any other section of the Union. The same was true of

academies and private schools.

According to the

census of 1860, Massachusetts had a population of 1,221,464, and Virginia 1,047,411. Massachusetts had 8 colleges, with 96 teachers and 1,733 students, at a cost of $195,110; Virginia had 23 colleges, 183 teachers, and 2,824 students, at a cost of $243,940. Massachusetts had 319 academies, 633 teachers, 14,001 students, at a cost of $490,047; Virginia had 398 academies, 720 teachers, 13,204 students, at a cost of $544,241. New Hampshire had a white population of 325,579, and South Carolina 291,388. New Hampshire had 2 colleges, 29 teachers, 390 students, at a cost of $26,370; South Car olina had 14 colleges, 90 teachers, 1,384 students, at a cost of $192,675. New Hampshire had 208 academies, 351 teachers, 11,444 students, at a cost of $25,331; South Carclina had 228 academies, 367 teachers, 8,227 students, costing $293,244. These comparisons might be further extended with similar results. The white population of the Northern States in 1860 was about 19,000,000; of the Southern States, about 8,000,000. The North had 205 colleges, 1,407 teachers, 20,044 students, at a cost of $1,514,298; the South had 262 colleges, 1,488 teachers, 27,055 students, at a cost of $1,662,419. These figures, subject doubtless to some modifications and explanations, are not introduced for invidious comparison, but that we may look at the subject intelligently in all its bearings.

In the matter of public schools, sustained by

taxation and free to all who chose to attend, the South at the date given exhibits a painful contrast. The South was far behind the North in the provision made for universal education. In some towns free public schools were sustained, but no plans adequate for universal education existed.

While I shall not seek to excuse this neglect, some palliating considerations may be suggested. African slavery sparsified the population, prevented immigration, created a select class, an aristocracy, restricted agriculture to a few products, arrested manufactures and mineral development, and confined the wealth in the hands of a few persons. Slavery, as introduced into and fastened upon the South, was a great blunder, a social, political, economical, educational blunder; and I rejoice and the South rejoices that it is gone, irrevocably gone.

While slavery has fortunately ceased, it may be well to remember that the prejudices engendered by the "peculiar institution," and the angry controversies to which it gave rise, have not been eradicated on either side. Let us practise toleration, forbearance, and patience, and not be too impatient for results.

In the minds of many people at the South, there were deep-rooted convictions against gratuitous education by governments. Our habits and institutions were different from yours. Habits and