Show The Negro Conference MOHAWK LAKE N Y June 4The Negro conference opened here this morning morn-ing with a large number of distinguished men from all parts of the country present The gathering is the first of its kind and was called to consider the question of Christianizing and educating tho colored people ExPresident R B Hayes was elected president The topic for the morning morn-ing was Industrial education What is it and what it ought to de General Armstrong Arm-strong of the institute opened the discussion discus-sion and was followed by Rev Dr Allen secretary of the Presbyterian board omissions o-missions and Rev A F Baird secretary of tho American Missionary association General Hayes said the American people had a grave indispensibie duty to perform with respect to the millions of men and women our whosean among countrymen ancestors an-cestors our fathers brought from Africa to be held in bondage here in America I may be justly said in the deepest sense of the words we are indeed the keepers of our brothers in black Education and religion re-ligion using these words in their broadest sense if faithfully wisely and persistently brought home to these people would be found in good time amply adequate to lift the African up to the full stature of American manhood Upon the constitution and laws of the nation and states and upon their administration the welfare of the negroes like that of their fellow citizens largely depends This wide area of the duties of cffortfbelongs to the domain practical statesmanship I will bo explored investigated discussed and dealt with by those who make and those who execute the laws state and national bV the public press and by political parties These agencies guided by their sense of duty and supported by public opinion we may hope will in the long run be adequate to the responsibilities devolved upon them Our Mohonk conference accepts the less conspicuous but hardly less grave and influential in-fluential place of employing the forces I which concern the educational benevolent and religious side of the question |