Northern men, northern mothers, northern Christians, have something more to do than denounce their brethren at the South; they have to look to the evil among themselves.

But, what can any individual do?  Of that, every individual can judge.  There is one thing that every individual can do,—­they can see to it that they feel right.  An atmosphere of sympathetic influence encircles every human being; and the man or woman who feels strongly, healthily and justly, on the great interests of humanity, is a constant benefactor to the human race.  See, then, to your sympathies in this matter!  Are they in harmony with the sympathies of Christ? or are they swayed and perverted by the sophistries of worldly policy?

Christian men and women of the North! still further,—­you have another power; you can pray! Do you believe in prayer? or has it become an indistinct apostolic tradition?  You pray for the heathen abroad; pray also for the heathen at home.  And pray for those distressed Christians whose whole chance of religious improvement is an accident of trade and sale; from whom any adherence to the morals of Christianity is, in many cases, an impossibility, unless they have given them, from above, the courage and grace of martyrdom.

But, still more.  On the shores of our free states are emerging the poor, shattered, broken remnants of families,—­men and women, escaped, by miraculous providences from the surges of slavery,—­feeble in knowledge, and, in many cases, infirm in moral constitution, from a system which confounds and confuses every principle of Christianity and morality.  They come to seek a refuge among you; they come to seek education, knowledge, Christianity.

What do you owe to these poor unfortunates, oh Christians?  Does not every American Christian owe to the African race some effort at reparation for the wrongs that the American nation has brought upon them?  Shall the doors of churches and school-houses be shut upon them?  Shall states arise and shake them out?  Shall the church of Christ hear in silence the taunt that is thrown at them, and shrink away from the helpless hand that they stretch out; and, by her silence, encourage the cruelty that would chase them from our borders?  If it must be so, it will be a mournful spectacle.  If it must be so, the country will have reason to tremble, when it remembers that the fate of nations is in the hands of One who is very pitiful, and of tender compassion.

Do you say, “We don’t want them here; let them go to Africa”?

That the providence of God has provided a refuge in Africa, is, indeed, a great and noticeable fact; but that is no reason why the church of Christ should throw off that responsibility to this outcast race which her profession demands of her.