AN OPINION ON MISSIONS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 716, 15 January 1910, Page 9

AN OPINION ON MISSIONS.

In/a recently-issued'. book .on /"Thei/ •'■'■•!' Ba'sutos,"..Sir: Godfrey Lagden,/formerly : t' v Resident /Commissioner .in/Basutoland,!-:.' refers in [terms of warm sympathy- to-the '/:/ work, which has been done/ by mission- V / ariesr in Basutoland. .The/Paris Evan- -' /' gelical Mission, with -which tho- name of j''- . - Mi/ Coillard. is/specially associated, is.; / working' at.joycr - two' hundred - -, stations'/. '/ or out-stations, and has: 'enrolled, 17,000/> • communicants; ~ The S.P.G., whose • work.' / ,' he also commends, began: operations >ia.-.".':: v.'' 1575." ■ ■ ■-, Sir /Godfrey Lagden s; .carefully- !/./' cpnsuldred; opinion on -tho'- work of.' the" /// missionaries' is summed up' ; in/the "follow-// ■'-!■ ing paragraph:-- //: /..-..;;'.;-///, ;Y/:' ; 'X/?"--!\ " "As /ono.-- within- whoso /office..-it; has--: . ;; ■; fallen through" a- long experience- to/ibe-' : // come, acquainted -with , a wide; latitude of .'••' mission , and .-educational .work, ■'. the:. Su-// 1 / .thor : feels': it a /duty; to ;state.-'how/ im- K./possible it, was not to be'struck'by ths;;'.-:' piety and.intensity of conviction which/ ', fortified. tho > missionaries - against,' tho -/. odds, and, impediment;. they met.;.;' They';'■' -'. we'ro.' tho -heralds of. discovery.; and- civili- , i - . sation ; when >. the/ maps" of; Africa; were;/ •'bare,,:and.'millions thirsted for enlight-"//' ehment. / Somo,there aro. who assert,the'/?-//; native in- his; raw 'state to bo a finer man//,' than, the semi-civilised convert./' That iia'-/, tho'view, of utilitarians' and .lovers, of picturesque. ■'.'.-.lt-, is, an : ascertained -factlV->/ that, missionary ; c(Tort".has aided: BriHshi//';' policy; in;fostering;;tho natural advance- f -.'■'-.'-' ment of'native races. ; In addition they //'/: hayebcon taught the ethic^:of? right:amJ':;/ Avrong:together with/a cote of ■ civilised /'.'■' morality ;which have, had the'effect of .';{'"; moulding. savage character and'.'. of : : lift- -./ ihg the African world-to: a. higher"; stand-'/./ ard." ';/'-:.''■ ■'■;■■,'-■■' -./.;.;; -'.j".-'/:;-//::-'-■