n, whose pupils they
have been, and were a living and triumphant vindication of its work at
the South.

* * * * *

THE MOHONK CONFERENCE.

The seventh annual gathering of this Conference, Oct. 2-5, was the
largest ever assembled. Among those present for the first time were
Ex-President Hayes, Gen. O.O. Howard, Gen. John Eaton, Prof. Wayland
and Dr. Wayland. The newspaper press, religious and secular, was very
fully represented; Abbott, Buckley, Dunning, Gilbert, Ward and Wayland
are perhaps best known. The venerable Judge Strong well represented
the law, while the absence of Senator Dawes was sincerely regretted.

A marked feature of the Conference was the presence of Gen. Morgan,
Commissioner of Indian Affairs. For weeks prior to the meeting of the
Conference, rumors had gone abroad that he intended to abolish the
"contract schools"--that is, schools of the missionary societies which
the Government by a "contract" agrees to assist. Articles had appeared
in the newspapers remonstrating against this course, and it was
believed that this topic would be one of most practical interest in
the Conference. The Commissioner early in the meetings read a paper
outlining his plan for the establishment of Government schools for all
Indian children--the attendance to be compulsory. The omission of
all mention of the "contract schools" in this paper confirmed the
impression to which rumor had given currency. An animated discussion
followed the reading of his paper, in which the Commissioner freely
participated. It appeared that he had been misunderstood--at least
in so far as any immediate curtailment of the "contract schools" is
concerned, and he impressed the Conference warmly in his favor as a
Christian man with broad views, impartial and progressive. He will
meet, we feel sure, with the cordial support of all the societies
engaged in Indian educational work.

The final action of the Conference was embodied in a platform
substantially repeating the utterances of last year, urging national
education for all Indian children and approving the continuance of
"contract schools." Other planks of the platform related to lands in
severalty, to the legal rights of the Indians, etc.--all of which were
unanimously approved, and thus once more this remarkable Conference
followed its predecessors in free and frank debate, consummated by
entire harmony in the result.

The varied and unique scenery of Lake