Wilson’s Armistead’s A Tribute for the Negro demonstrates that the questions Ramsay tackled more than sixty years earlier were still very much alive in the mid-nineteenth century. The Tribute is divided into two parts. Part 1, “An Inquiry into the Claims of the Negro Race to Humanity,” challenged the arguments made by slavery’s supporters that blacks were morally and biologically suited to slavery. Part 2, “Biographical Sketches of Africans, or Their Descendants,” brought together biographical material on notable Africans produced over the previous century. This excerpt, drawn from Part 2, tells the story of early Moravian missionary activity in the West Indies and provides translations of short biographies of converted slaves written by the Moravian missionary Christian Oldendorp. As you read, consider what Oldendorp’s intent might have been in compiling these biographies. What evidence might they provide of his position on slavery?

Moravian Missions Amongst the Negroes of the West Indies

The account of Cornelius just related, affords an evidence of the success attending the efforts of the early Moravian Missions in the Danish West India Islands, of which mention was made, and some interesting particulars given, in Part I of this volume.

The early attempts towards the conversion of the Negroes met with great opposition from the Planters. When Count Zinzendorf visited these Islands in 1739, a few years after the first efforts to introduce Christianity amongst the Slaves, he found them in a state of unusual oppression, because it was imagined that if they became Christians, they would also become more intelligent, and then it would be impossible for the trifling number of White people—in comparison with whom the Blacks were fifty, if not a hundred, to one—to keep such an immense number in awe. Their conversion was also opposed, because the Negro women, if converted, would no longer yield themselves to a licentious life.

For these, and other causes, the Whites endeavoured to prevent the Blacks from becoming Christians. But the Negroes, unwilling to be restrained, their desire for salvation being incredibly great, were treated very harshly, and in some instances with cruelty. A public tumult was once excited in St. Thomas, and the missionaries were threatened to be sent out of the Island, because they taught the Slaves to be better Christians than their masters. The Negroes’ Meeting House was entered in a boisterous manner, and the poor creatures were beaten most cruelly, and chased away with oaths, curses, and horrid blasphemies.

These things, however, made the Gospel sweeter to them, and they received it with joy and many tears: yet so strong did the current of persecution become, that Zinzendorf, unable to do anything towards effectually preventing it, determined to return to Europe, and refer the matter to the Danish Government. The Negroes wept much at the thoughts of losing him, and assured him they would continue faithful to the Saviour. Before the Count took his departure, the awakened Negroes in St. Thomas drew up a letter to the King of Denmark, in the Creolian tongue, stating their distress to him in very natural expressions, and most pathetically entreating that they might not be prevented from becoming acquainted, through the ministry of the missionaries, with our Lord Jesus Christ, for their eternal salvation. This was written in 1739, and signed by several of them, in the name of 650 Negroes. A similar letter was addressed to the Queen of Denmark, and signed by a Negro woman, in the name of 250 of her own sex, concerned for the salvation of their souls.

The Count brought with him from St. Thomas, a Negro named Andrew, who was not only awakened, but an assistant in the Negro Church; a very hopeful young man, whose liberty the Count had purchased, that he might visit the churches in Germany, and afterwards return to minister to his own people. Andrew is described in the Memoirs of Count Zinzendorf, as “a pleasing instance of the powerful grace which operated at that time amongst the Slaves.”

Would our limits allow, numerous evidences might be adduced of the operation of divine grace on the hearts of the Negroes in the Danish West Indies. Oldendorp’s account of the Moravian Missions in those Islands abounds with evidences of this kind. To that work I must refer the reader, after giving a few translations from it, kindly made for me by my friend Martha Shipley, of Headingley.

Particulars Respecting David, Abraham, and Others of the Black Assistant Missionaries

Abraham was an assistant Missionary in St. Croix, about the year 1758. He and others are thus mentioned in connection with Brother J. G. Rantsch:—“The native assistants he found efficient, and some of them eminently useful helpers. He acknowledged that without their aid he could not have carried out his extensive plan of labour.

“The assistant David (of whose gifts and successful labours among his people mention has been several times made in this History), he recognized as a servant of the Lord, and an ornament of the Negro congregation, by whom he was much beloved and esteemed. Besides him, the helper Abraham was useful in holding lectures, different classes, and in speaking publicly at funerals.”

Some, both male and female assistants, were so circumstanced that they could make visits into districts not easily accessible to the missionaries. Maria Magdalena, and Catherine Barbara visited the fellow-believers of their own sex, in the south of the island, to endeavour by private communications to promote their growth in the knowledge of Christ. At another time they visited the west of the island, and were everywhere received with joy. Similar visits were made by the helpers David, Nathaniel, Henry, and Abraham.

Susanna

In Susanna, who died in 1755, evidence was afforded how great and blessed is the operation of divine grace on the most corrupt of human hearts. Before she was brought by the power of the Gospel from Satan to God, she was known as an uncommonly vicious and profligate person. She became so much changed as to be the astonishment of all. On her bed of sickness, she had no greater solicitude than to be with her Saviour.

Joas

[Joas,] of the Mandingo nation, was baptized in 1750. He became, through grace, a meek and gentle man, and found great comfort in the knowledge of the Redeemer, to whom he thought he could never be sufficiently grateful, for having brought him out of darkness into his marvellous light. During his sickness, which was consumption, the only occupation which afforded him comfort and joy, was meditating on the Saviour who had died for him on the cross. His earnest desire to be with Christ was fulfilled by his happy release in November, 1755.

Peter and Abraham

In 1742, Abraham was chosen as Peter’s colleague. Both were useful in public teaching. Their discourses were evangelical, and had for their subjects, reconciliation by the death of Jesus, and the grace which the sinner may obtain through Christ. The character of Peter showed itself in all his communications, which were full of love and gentle feeling, and found an entrance into the hearts of his audience.

Abraham was more energetic; his discourses had much strength, which carried his hearers along with him. To listen to him his Coloured brethren hastened in great numbers. Many White persons also came to hear him, and listened with astonishment. By one of his sermons on the occasion of a Negro funeral in 1744, the whole of the congregation was much affected. Besides having an excellent special gift in preaching, he also possessed much experience, love, patience, and wisdom. He had an advantage over the White teachers in perfectly understanding the Negro language, in which the former were deficient, and was also better acquainted than they were with the Negro character, superstitions, habits, and dispositions. When the Brother Rantsch, during his visit, in 1745, heard Abraham’s public testimony, he confessed it was with humiliation and reverence that he considered the powerful working of the grace of God in this Slave, and through him in many others.

The decease of this Negro is thus recorded by Oldendorp:—“In 1759, the mission lost the aged assistant Abraham, in a very melancholy manner. He had lived for nine years at Krumbay, where he not only had the oversight of the Negroes on that plantation, but also had the charge of testifying to the Negroes of this district the salvation which is in Jesus Christ, and administering exhortation and consolation to them. In June, he gave to one of the Negroes under him permission to bring a bundle of fire-wood to the village to sell, on condition that he first carried fodder for the horses. This Negro, whose name was Joshua, was bringing his wood to market without fulfilling the condition required. In order to resent this disobedience, Abraham stepped in the way, threw the bundle from his head, and insisted upon his obedience. Joshua refused to turn back, and endeavoured to make his way to the village by another path. At this Abraham became so angry that he endeavoured to compel him to his duty, when Joshua in a great rage seized his knife, threw Abraham to the ground, gave him several stabs, and then went away. Abraham’s wounds were soon bound up, and he was taken to the village for better assistance, but they were of such a nature as to leave but little hope of recovery.

The believers among his people, hastened in numbers to their honoured teacher, to wait upon him, and help him, in his painful situation; and he employed his little remaining strength in testifying to them, that he remained steadfast to the doctrine he had so often laid before them, and was ready to leave this world with joy, earnestly exhorting them to continue in the same faith, and not to neglect their day of gracious visitation. During the night, whilst conversing with two of the brethren who sat up with him, his purified spirit departed, the 10th of June, 1759. His remains were interred the same day at Newhernhut, on which occasion there was a large gathering of both White persons and Negroes, many tears being shed. The Negro congregation lost in him their most gifted teacher, and the labourers in the mission their most trusty assistant. For more than twenty years he had laboured for the spreading of the knowledge of Jesus Christ amidst many sufferings, and his labours were eminently blessed. His public testimonies were full of power and unction, and even where they did not penetrate the hearts of his hearers, never failed to excite their astonishment.

After his murderer had wandered about the bush for some days, in despair, he delivered himself up in a repentant state of mind to the judge, candidly acknowledged his crime, and received his punishment from the executioner. Full of confidence in the mercy of the Saviour, he submitted to the sentence of death, and showed much firmness at the time of execution.

It was my intention to have inserted some sketches or outlines of addresses delivered by the Black assistant missionaries of the Danish islands on various occasions, but space will not admit. They may not equal those of Watts or Doddridge in style, but they breathe the same spirit.

Source: Wilson Armistead, A Tribute for the Negro: Being a Vindication of the Moral, Intellectual, and Religious Capabilities of the Coloured Portion of Mankind (Manchester: William Irwin, 1848), pp. 436–441.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER