The Rector of St. Mary's, Johannesburg, has expressed his lively
satisfaction with the Chinese Labour Ordinance as affording a "glorious opportunity" for Church evangelistic work. A correspondent of the Westminster Gazette has very aptly recalled Lowell's satiric treatment of the similar plea urged in defence of the importation of black labour from Africa into the Southern States. The lines occur in Birdo- fredum Sawin's report of a sermon preached at a camp meet- ing by a clerical defender of slavery :—
"Warn't it more proftable to bring your raw materil thru Where you can work it inta grace an' inta cotton, tu, Than sendin' missionaries out where fevers might defeat 'em, An' ef the butcher didn' call, their p'rishioners might eat 'em ? "
At any rats, this new argument has rendered it dangerous for the defenders of Chinese labour to raise the cry of "Exeter Hall" any longer against their opponents.
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