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Native Races and the War by Josephine E. (Josephine Elizabeth Grey) Butler
page 18 of 161 (11%)
qualities of mind and body they very much resemble white men. Of them
might be aptly quoted the speech Shakespeare puts into Shylock's mouth:
'Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses,
affections, passions?' In the same way, I ask, has a native no feelings
or affections? does he not suffer when his parents are shot, or his
children stolen, or when he is driven a wanderer from his home? Does he
not know fear, feel pain, affection, hate, and gratitude? Most certainly
he does; and this being so, I cannot believe that the Almighty, who made
both white and black, gave to the one race the right or mission of
exterminating or of robbing or maltreating the other, and calling the
process the advance of civilization. It seems to me, that on only one
condition, if at all, have we the right to take the black men's land;
and that is, that we provide them with an equal and a just Government,
and allow no maltreatment of them, either as individuals or tribes, but,
on the contrary, do our best to elevate them, and wean them from savage
customs. Otherwise, the practice is surely undefensible.

"I am aware, however, that with the exception of a small class, these
are sentiments which are not shared by the great majority of the public,
either at home or abroad."

A French gentleman, who has been for many years connected with the
_Missions Evangéliques_ of France, related recently in my presence some
incidents of the early experience of French Missionaries in South
Africa. One of these had laboured for years without encouragement. The
hearts of the native people around him remained unmoved. One day,
however, he spoke among them especially of Calvary, of the sufferings of
Christ on the Cross. A Chief who was present left the building in which
the teacher was speaking. At the close, this Chief was found sitting on
the ground outside, his back to the door, his head bent forward and
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