198
aintrion WrtoirgieviAn
tutor etongtlifit.
THURSDAY. AUGUST 0. MO.
JOHN ME4RB, EDITOR.
assocOmmo WITH
ALBERT BARNES, GEORGE DGPVIELD,In.
THOMAS BRAINERD, JOHN JENKINS,
HENRY DARLING. THOMAS J. SHEPHERD,
par WILL 'APPISAR. IN OUR. NEXT, A second
a Letter from the Wilderness," by F. F. E. "The
Commeocomeat at Yale College," W. W. T.
SYRIA.
Oar readers will find on our first page full ex
tracts from letters recently received, from - Rev.
Henry H. Jessup, of Syria, by his father, Judge
Jessup, of Montrose, Pa. We are indebted to
Judge Jessup for early impressions of the Repub.
licanin which the letters have been published.
flints.) they were written, little has transpired be
yond the attack tpoo Damascus, in which five hun
dred persons perished, including one of the foreign
consuls. The particulars of this assault have not
yet come to light, but when they do, it will be the
old story of the basest of human passions let loose
to revelin carnage and outrage, too sickening for
description. •
One of our religious exchanges promises to pub
lish letters received from missionaries, "giving a
full account of the horrae scenes enacted in. Syria,"
Unfortunately "received too late for insertion" in
the last number. .As for our own circle of readers,
we cannot believe their appetite for. the horrible
is quite so keen, and we shall not attempt to
spread before them the graphic recital of scenes
and deeds similar to those which shocked the
civilized world in the Hindoo mutiny, and pro
duced a surfeit and loathing on the whole subject,
sufficient to last for a generation.
The Sultan himself has given evidence of un
easiness at the complicity of high Turkish officials
in the slaughter. Whether he winked .at their
conduct and was secretly rejoiced at the massacre,
and whether the decree of universal toleration ex
torted from him by the allies after the last war
with Russia; was the sincere expression of his own
sentiments, or a concession reluctantly yielded and
never designed to be earnestly enforced, might well
be questioned. The Sultan's regrets are extremely
tardy, and his interference utterly wanting in
energy. If he were in earnest; it might, we
think, be made to appear, even under his ineffi
cient and unsympathizing government. •He writes
as follows, July 16, 1860, to the Emperor of the
French:—
" I am anxious that your Majesty should know
the grief with which I have heard Of the events
in Syria. Your Majesty may feel assured that I
will employ all my forces for the restoration of or
der and tranquillity, to punish the guilty wherever
they may be, and to do justice to all. That there
may be no doubt as to my intentions, I have in.
treated this important mission to my Minister of
Foreign Affairs, whose principles are well known
to your Majesty."
But there is another distinguished Mahomme
dart in the bounds of the Turkish empire who has
recently taken pen in band, and whose letter,
has peculiar interest at this time. We refer to a
letter of Abd-El-Kader, the distinguished Syrian
Ewir, who has been living in retirement in Da
mascus, from which silty he writes to an Arabic
Journal, Bergis-Bart's, (the Eagle of Paris,) pub
lished in the French capital, under date of June
10th, 1880.
•
The Emir begins by complimenting the Ara
bian editor on the wisdom he has shown, in point
ing out that the obstinate prejudices, and the
slow adaptability to circumstances of the Ottoman
functionaries, are two great causes of the impo
tence of the Sultan's government, and then goes
on to say:—
" Your good advice might be listened to if you
were speaking to the living, but you are truly talk
ing to the dead. You might have added that
truly Mussulman sovereigns love the courses of
honesty and do justide, for r they should be an ex
ample of superiority to the temptations of the
world, fbr their people. But, alas! we are far
from all this. The actual state of the Christian
and Mohammedan powers was predicted by Mo
hammed. He announced the fall of theCmsars;
and there are no thews. He said also that the
Christian kings would maintain themselves to the
end of all the ages; , and that the kings of his peo
ple would be deserted by God on account of their
znjustice and their love of the goods of this life.
He said, too, that the world would not end till the
majority of mankind had become Christians. And
this must come to pass, for according to Mislan,
the authorized expounder of Mohammed, the
Christiana have four qualities which insure their
success in the future; clemency in victory, resis
tance under defeat, energy in renewing the fight,
and benevolence to the poor, the weak and• the
orphan. I will add, for myself, that to these they
add another greater gift, that of knowing how to
shake off, when it is necessary, the injustice and
the oppression of their king!. I weep, oh, my
nod, over the prostration of Islam! At this mo
ment a fearful trouble reigns between the Druses
and the Marmites. Everywhere the evil has
deep roots. They are killing and slaying one an
other everywhere. God grant a better end to all
these things. Yours in poverty, but rich before
God, ABD-EL-KADER."
The question of interference on the part of the
leading nations of Europe is again brought up;
and that in a far more interesting and emphatic
manner than at any previous period. ,But the
very favorableness of the present position of affairs
to foreign interference, the plausible pretext of
humanity now afforded, suggests the startling
question, whether such interference is not already
a fact; and whether nations, long seeking, a pre
text for public interference, have not at least con
tributed by secret interference, to bring about the
present hopeless imbroglio? Have not greedy and
unscrupulous heirs aggravated the disease of the
sick man? and are they net, even now, like fierce
cormorants, preparing to swoop down upon the
prey which they have first effectually disabled?
The foreign correspondent of our leading secular
journal, (The North American, Aug. 3,) writes
as follows:--
"We have said that we need not go to Russia
or to France for the cause of the antipathy of the
Turks to the" Christians; but when we carefully
consider all the threatening symptoms which have
from time to time shown themselves, and the in
stant readiness professed by these two Powers to
interfere with a strong hand s we cannot help sus
pecting that their agents have been at work to keep
up the strife."
It will be remembered, that Mrs. Benton in her
recent letter which we published week before last,
declares expressly, that " the Romish Bishops and
priests have had much influence in getting up this
w a r by exciting the Christiana ogainst the Druses."
But if such interference before the fact is worthy
of universal execration, interference to put a stop
to the massacres now, and to effectually prevent
their recurrence in all future time, would seem to
be a solemn and immediate duty. After the Sul
tan has shown himself unable or unwilling to en-
force order in his detninions, the Christian nations
of Europe, whose Aitides are unquestioned, are
lexcusable, 'nay are chargeable with the utmost
inhutaxaky, if they fail to interfere. And we he
lieve every one, in this part of the world at.least,
iv this time, expected to have beard of an effec
tual interference; of the entire cessation of blood
shed, and of safe-guards erected to prevent its re
newal.
It has, indeed, been rumored, that from four to
eight thousand men were to be sent by France
into Syria, or more recently, that eleven thousand
French troops had actually embarked for that
country, and that thirty-five English and French
ships were going in the same direction. But we
are inclined to think, that mutual jealousies and
diplomatic intrigues have delayed movements,
which the cause of humanity, weeks ago, demanded
should have been promptly made. Even now,
there is a rumor that the victorious Druses have
patched up a treaty with the miserable remnants of
the Maronites. This will, of course, give the Sul
tan a pretext for resisting interference, which, with
new diplomatic difficulties among the Christian
powers, may give the Moslems time to organize
and carry out more extensive schemes for the
overthrow of the Greek Church in every part of
the empire.
In regard to Bhamdun, the only recent intelli
gence which refers to it, is a letter , from a female
missionary in Syria, dated neyrout, June 23d,
and addressed to her father in Worcester, Mass.
She says:—"A very prevalent rumor is current,
that Bhamdun is to full to-day. The Druses are
gathering in the district called Met% for a great
battle. That district is four or five hours from
here."
We give, in conclusion, the summary of intelli
gence from Syria, by the recent arrivals:
The Noniteur says, the proposals made•by France
with the object of arresting the effusion of blood
in Syria, and of protecting the Christian inhabi
tants, have been acknowledged by the great Pow
ers. England is ready to co-operate with vessels,
and recognises the expediency of sending a corps
d'armee, of which France would furnish the whole
or the greater part. Austria and Russia have
given the same opinion. The Prussian Minister
of Foreign Affairs is gone to receive the orders of
the Prince Regent on the subject. A convention
is to be signed for determining the character and
object of the European intervention. The acqui
escence of the Porte is now only awaited.
Tte French division under Gen. Trocha, from
the'eamp of Chalons, was to embark on the 23d
arMnrseilles, for the coast of Syria—in all about
13,000 men.
It was reported at Paris that Abd-el-Sader was
to be intrusted with the government of Syria.
The French consular reports from Syria state
that the massacres are the result of a conspiracy
of Musselman fanatics. A report having been
spread among the Druses that European diplomacy
was about to drive the Turks from Europe, the
Druses determined on exterminating the Christians
in Syria. The French - Consuls therefore state that
the Porte will be unable to repress a rising orga
nized in its own favor.
A Paris letter says that England will send a
fleet of men-of-war and 3500 men to Beyrout.
Three Dutch war steamers bad been ordered to
Beyrout.
The Porte has notified the Western Powers of
the conclusion of peace between the Druses and
Maronitcs. He promises, nevertheless, to act with
the utmost vigor against the authors of the mas
sacres.
It is reported that the Porte has protested
aaainst the intervention of France in this matter,
and that the proposed expedition has been accord
ingly stopped.
AID FOR SYRIA.
Since writing the above, we have received
through private sources, another interesting letter
from Mrs. Benton, in Mount Lebanon. It has
pleased God to spare the two missionaries and
their little village from the terrible butchery and
rapine that have prevailed all around them. Great
credit is certainly due to the wise management of
Mr. Benton both in the hour of trial and for a long
time previously. He appears to have the hearts
and confidence of the people, and also of their
rulers; and has thus been made the instrument,
under God, of preventing much crime and blood
shed. He appeals now to us for the means to.
clothe, from the storms of the coming winter,
many of these fifty thousand destitute ones, who
have lost their earthly all; and many of whose
fathers, brothers, and sons, have fallen in the
massacres. God's people here can now do more
to assist the missionary work in Syria than they
have ever had opportunity to do before. If , the
poor semi-heathen Maronite Christians, (us they
are called,) of Lebanon, are now brought to feel
tangibly, that the Christians of America are Chris-:
tians indeed; that they are willing to send across
the broad ocean, not only men and money to Chris
tianize them, but clothes to protect them from the
cold and the snows of Lebanon; if, on some cold
day next winter, they look at their garments, and
feel that they are exempt from suffering because
there are real Christians in America; then, we
think, their hearts will -be more tender, and our
missionaries will feel encouraged to preach to
them, and . God may bless the circumstance to
their eternal salvation.
The Maronites and Druses are, many of them,
hard-working and industrious people, and they
will not long be in want, but they cannot possibly
get through the coming winter without assistance.
Will the ladies, not only of the Western church,
but in each of our churches, give attention to Mrs.
Benton's suggestion? Arid may not one, 'hut
many; boxes of clothing find Acir way to that
people stripped and peeled?
Mrs. Benton's letter below, indicates plainly,
what is needed, and all necessary information as
to directions, shipment, pre-payment of, freight,
Ste., can be had at the office of this paper.
Ithamduck, Mt. Lebanon, July let, 1860.
MY DEAR -- :
Thank God I we are still safe in Bhamdun,
and this village stands a monument of God's
protecting power and mercy.
For twenty-five days in succession, we have
seen the flames and smoke of this terrible con
flagration rolling up to heaven from the burn
ing towns, and villages, and isolated houses on
all sides of us. Sometimes the whole heavens
have been so filled with the black smoke, that
we could scarcely see across the village. It has
seemed as if we Were in an ark, and all around
us was a flood of fire and blood. One night
ten villages were burning at once in plain sight
of our house, and two of them within two miles
of us. At times we could hear the wild shrieks
of the assailants, re-echoing round our raonn
tain hom'e in the deep hours of midnight, and
all hearts quaked with fear, lest each moment
Bhamdun should-be attacked.
This town is entirely Christian, and under
the government of a Druze Sheikh, Yusif, of the
tribe of Beit abd el Melik ; he lives in Betatha,
about two miles south of this. Bhamdun has
taken a neutral position,;and maintained their
fealty to
. the Sheikh, and he most solemnly pro
mises that he can sand will protect Bhamdlin.
Atittriran gittobtterian and 6entott grattotligit,
He stays here with a large retinue of servants
and counsellors; also the Patriarch of the
Druzes is here. All these Druzes are on the
most friendly terms with us, and our position
helps the Sheikh greatly in his determination
to protect the town. A few nights ago, some
four or five hundred Druzes collected with their
donkeys and mules at the new carriage -road,
about two-thirds of a mile from the town, in order
to come in the night to plunder and burn it.
Most providentially the thing became known to
the Sheikh, and be met them, firing over their
heads, and was able, by the blessing of God, to
drive them all back. He then spent most of
the night in writing letters and sending messen
gers, and on the next day a large council was
convened of the leading Sheikhs in the Furd,
Arkcub, Garb, and Metn districts, and it was
decided that whoever injured the Christians re
siding in their districts and under their protee
tection, should be regarded as committing an
offence against the said Sheikhs. Sheikh Ynsif
has fulfilled his pledges to Bhamdun thus far,.
and won the hearts and confidence of all. We
have long bad a school at his village, and be is
much enlightened. Oh that he would receive
Christ!
Zahleh, poor Zahleb, in all her pride, glory,
and wealth, and boasting, is totally destroyed I
Every house is a heap of rains, and all her
boasted greatness gone as in a moment. When
they dragged us through the streets shouting,
“We fear not God nor the ,Sultanve care not
for the American, or English, or any , other ruler
on the face of the earth; we are seven thousand
guns, why should we ?" Oh, Zahleh I “Pride
goeth before destruction, and, a haughty spirit
before a fall." The place was attacked by four
or five thousand Druzes, and after a battle of
about two hours, the Druzes entered the town
and set it on fire, and the poor, panic-stricken
people fled out of their houses into the moun
tains, taking nothing with them except the
clothes they had on, leaving all to the fire and
plunder of the Druzes. Poor people! our hearts
bleed for them. If they had received the gos
pel, probably they would not have met such a
doom.
The total destruction of Dier el Komr is far
more heart-rending than of Zahleh. More than
two thousand men were given up by the. Turk
ish Governor to be butchered by the Druzes,
and this after they had laid down their arms.
The streets run with rivers of blood. The awful
atrocities of husbands and sons being murdered
on the laps of wives and mothers, the little boys
and the poor women,--all, all is too: dreadful
to describe. Rashiya and Hasbeiya are de
strayed much like Dier el Komr, our. beautiful
Protestant Church burned, and thirteen of the
Protestants killed.
Some ten or twelve families from Bhamdun
were residing, in Zahleh ; they will come back
here ere long. Though this place, we trust,
will outride' the terrible storm, there comes a
vast expense upon the place. Every day as
many as two or three hundred Druzes are here
to eat and take food for their horses. The state
of the Christians all over the Turkish Empire
is at present most distressing. Now I want to
beg the dear Christians of Philadelphia to send
us any amount of any sort of clothing or cast
off clothes, that we may be able to cover the
poor naked women and children who come to
our door. We are giving all we can, but we
are poor, and have but few clothes for ourselves;
but we send none hungry or naked away; all
the people of Bhamdun, who are able, come up
nobly to this work. god bless the people of
this place Iwe love them more and more. Pray,
send us a big box as soon- as possible, that it
may get here before the coldest weather comes
on. Oh! do pray that this rotten Turkish go
vernment may speedily come to an end. Pray
for us, your missionaries, in these heights of
Lebanon.
Eva: your affectionate sister in Christ, -
L. G. BENTON.
RELATIONS OF THE PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH TO THE WORK OF HOME
MISSIONS.
REPORT OP THE ASSEMBLY'S COMMISSION
(Continued.)
We, have laid before our readers the early
history and original principles of the Ameri
can Home Missionary Society, tis'Presented in
the able report of the Commission. Not fear
ing to weary them, on a topic of 'such first-rate
importance, and feeling satisfied that a discus
sion of the whole subject as exhaustive and'sa
tisfactory as that of the Assembly's Commission
will not Probably be again met with, we proceed
„pith our extracts.
on the relations between the. Society and the
Presbyterian Church, tbe report says
"Probably there is no' voluntary society, of
whitever character, which has - enjoyed so large
a share of the affection; confidence, and support
of the Presbyterian Church from the= beginning
onwards, especially of that portion of it consti
tuting this General Assembly, as the American.
Home Missionary Society. Without claiming
any exClasi o ye right over it, and with a full and
generous appreciation of the liberal pecuniary
supplies afforded to it in later years from seve
ral of the larger States of New England, they
have been accustomed to regard it as, in a sense,
peculiarly their own;; as they have, on the other
hand, regarded the American Board of Commis
sioners for Foreign Missions and the American
tqucation.Society, as peculiarly those of their
Congregational brethren."
The history of the movements in -our. own
body leading to the formation of our Coatit
tee of Church Extension is then giveri, which it
will not be necessary for us to repeat. The sole
aim of this Committee was to meet cases which
the Constitution of the A. H. X 8., as inter
preted by the Executive Committee, and as uh
derstood by ourselves, forbade it to provide for;
—cases in which frequently the vital interests of
our church were at stake, and which, by the
working of the Society"s , rules were settled to
our great damage, as well as to the‘injury of the
Congregationalists and of the Society itself.
Frequently, where these rules forbade action,
and no other arrangements were at hand to en
courage the formation of new churches of our
order, the other branch of the Presbyterian
Church, or some Congregationalist organization
not in sympathy with the A. H. .M. S , would
step in, all armed and equipped for the work,
and by timely aid and encouragement would se
cure the new enterprise for itself..' Our Western
brethren complained that such cases occurred
with stfrprising frequency, and it was in response
to their importunities that the Church Exten
sion Committee, as a supplementary. agency, de
signed to work in harmony with the A. H. X S.,
was raised.
But how; was its'organization,regarded by the
Society ? The report says that diet Society's
reasons. for refusipg to undertake this special
work are given in the appendix to its 30th Re
port, brit not .the slightest objection is offered
against such action on the part Of others, in the
use of their own 'fund& and on their own re
sponsibility. In respect to one class of the
cases in question, they "agree," they say, "in
the opinion expressed by the Assembly's Conk
mittee on Church Extension, that, rather than
adapt to these exceptional cases the rules of the
Society, which areAselbubtedly wise and bene
ficial in their xtneralworking, they_ shonld be
provided for by such local arrangements as will
not divert funds from the American Home Mis
sionary.
Society." .
This is the course which the. Assembly took,
and this is the light in which their course was
viewed by the Sodiety. Denominational feel
ing on our part was `evinced by it utiquestiona
bly. A determination was shown not to neg
lect our own people in. their westward migra
tions, nor to overlook such opportunies for ex
tending our church 'as were afforded in places
inaccessible to the A. H. M. S. under the work
ing of , its rules; but sectarianism,.or antago
-
Warn to the. Society,"' , or to co-operation, there
was none. .That.thete may have existed at this
time itendency to denominationalism in °Embody
so strong as finally,ta.-render co-operation im
practicable, especially when met and stimulated
by a similar tendencylin the other denomination;
we will not undertake to decide. But such intense
denominational _feel* did not originate the
Church -ExtensionWiee, nor wasiit-left to the
natural working-of-eel a tendency, in course of
time, to accomplish the dissolution 'of the'co
partnership. I 1 wad the nnfOrtunate,
meddling policy of the
. society,—its abandon
ment of the wise rules upon which it was orga
nized, that astonished and wounded its warm
est friends among us, Oat called out the latent
denominationalism which otherwiie,would have
slumbered long in many bosoms, and that at
length has driven all ',the leading minds of the
church, all its organs snd all its late Assemblies,
with surprising unanimity, on too strong deno
minational ground, out of slMer necessity for
our self-defence.
The first specimen of this vexatious sort;of
intermeddling, was therule of 1857, with refe
rence to churches having slaveholding members.
This rule, adopted on'a memorial from the Con
gregationalists of 10w4,, is as follows: "That in
the disbursement of fends committed, to 'their
trust, 'theCoinmittee' , will not grant :aid to
churches containinCalatehOlding members, un
less evidence be kw:2lod that the relatiop is
such as, in the Stidgnient of Committee, is
justifiable for the time being, in the peculiar cir
cumstances in which it exists." Upon this the
Commission, remark : ,
The Assembly had taken strong ground on the
subject of slavery, and it Was expected, no doubt,
that, the strength of feeling in the body on that
subject would secure acquiescence , in a measure
having the appearance of a high regard for the
principles of freedom:- Some, : no doubt, did
acquiesce in it, looking only`or chiefly to its bear
ings in that direction. But, by many in the Pres
byterian body, and among these were seine of the
most, decided opponents of Slavery, it was at once
regarded with a high'degree of disapprobation and
alarm. It was deemed by them a most unwar
rantable interference with 'the exclusive province
of ecclesiastical" bodies..:4They saw in it the as
sumption of a principle Which, if carried . out,
would lay the entire diseipline of the Church, in
the case of cougregatihns . requiring missionary
aid, at the feet of an irresponsible : Society. *Tor,
thhy reasoned, if thiOduialiftee mayeail a church
to account for its discieine . in regard to, slave
holding members, it nay - do . the - same in regard to
all sorts of doubtful practices and relations. And
though the claim was not set up, except as a con
dition Of pecuniary`aid,rNit, as the very existence
of the Mission-churches is dependent on the grant
of Such aid, they regarded it as a blow struck at
their independence, in the discharge of the most
sacred functions. A MisOon-church, they judged,
should stand, in this respec, on the same ground
with the wealthiest congregations. If, it fails to
exercise proper discipline ' it is the higher judica
tories of the church, and not the officers of a vo
luntary Society, to whom it is answerable for its
delinquencies, and who alone, under the rules
prescribed for such actina can sit in judgment on
its conduct.
The loss nf nearly all-our churches in the slave
holding States by the secession of . 18,57, deprived
this action of ranch of tile' practinai interest, it
would otherwise have' had for us, and our Home
Missionary, activity might have ..flowed on in its
former channels butfeiOitickther instance 'of in
termeddlime• which after a nuiebei of preliminary
sines, was now coming to, a crisis. We-refer to
the policy of the, Executive Committee towards
the Alton . Presbytery.- ;
The Commission, after describing - the Home
Missionary operations of teat zealous and active
Presbytery in the wide and destitute region of
Southern Illinois, covering no less than fifteen
counties, which, were, carried-on sometimes.by, one
and sometimes by two exploring missionaries under
the direction of the Committee of Missiens of the
Presbytery, in connection with the A. H. 'M. S.,
preceedi to say:
No objection to this arrangement, as we learn,
was made by the Executive Committee, till after
the General Assembly adopted their plan recom
mending the employment of such missionaries in
1852. Presently after, objections did arise. Some=
times the commission was given with definite limits
to, the field, sometimes delayed. or withheld. cUn
pleasant and irritating corre.spondence 'occurred,
between brethren Of the Presbytery and' agents
or Secretaries ;of the ;Society. • Objections -were
made tblthe missionary;*ltich seem, too trivial 'to
have been Made the basiiot any important action;
such as that he had been directed to assist his
brother ministers at protractied meetings, and once
went out of his bouids to t. ollect money for the
building of a house of *thship. At length, in
the"month of April, 1856, the Presbytery, wearied
out with continued _altercation; took an indepen
dent attitude, and, in' language which strikes the
ear 'as the language of litilatience, reSolved ' 4 to
employ two inissionaries' under the' sole and' only
direction' of the presbytery, with-no commissiOns
from any Other solute save the Zord Jesus Christ."
The difficulty, as far as we can ascertain, grew
out of an attempt, on the part of the Executive
Committee, to compel the Presbytery to change
their ancient and.' ebeiished missionary policy.
The Presbytery itoodsimply on their rights' as an
auxiliary, secured to them by the stipulation's,' to
conduct their own .affairs in their own way, and
have such missionaries as they chose, at leait to
the extent of their own contributions. They had
violated and proposed to violate no principle of
the Societi, or of their own auxiliary relation.
There was a difference of opinion.' But the Pres
bytery, we think, had, clearly the right to have
their own judgment in 'the premises prevail in the
relations in whiCh they!theOtend. •
It was the old‘ircii,, to which the Press
bytery were devoted in the"days of . their, most
approved relations with the ociet.y; nor do we
find, that they diverted froin' the. Society - any
funds, Which had not previously been employed
by them under the Society's'commission for • pre
cisely the same purposes:
Hew this treatment
,of Alton Presbytery com
ports with the -organic principles of the society,
it is impossible for us to see. ' In the langu'age of
the society itself: "Eabh 'Sniffle!) , is left to the
independent' and unembarrassed eiercin of , all
its rights in the business of appropriating its own
funds to the relief, of the needy within its own
limits." And again it was stipulated on the part
of the Parent Society "to allow the auxiliary the
right to appoint and pay missionaries within its
own limits to any amount not exceeding" its net
income, and for, this_ purpese„"having.., reported
its income to the Parent
,Society," to retain so
much of it as shall be needed to fulfil its engage
ments. [Report of Cdnimission, page 14.]
But this was not all, When...thoPresbyterpit
length abandoned its auxiliary relations to the
A. 11.. M. S., there remained severalfeeble elktgehes
within its bounds, which still, according to their
ability, contributed to the funds of the Society and,
received aid from it, in the support of their pas
tors. The churches of the Synod of Illinois also,
with which Alton Presbytery was connected,. and
the Presbyterian Church, generally, were still, con
tributing largely to the Society. Had we not
then, says the. Commission, some-claim that they
should not suddenly be turned adrift and exposed
to be disbanded and destroyed? These mission
ary churches, it seems, still continued to contribute
their mite to the Society's treasury, just as before.
They were not liable to be cut off for what they
did themselves: All - their offence consisted, in
their being connected ecclesiastically with a Pres
bytery, which had felt compelled, to withdraw it
self as such from the control of the Society. The
Executive — Committee did cut off these feeble
churches, and left, their pastors ittddenlyiithout
the means of anwort.
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE,' NOI2
FROM LANCASTER TO DETitali.
My last letter left me-at Lancaster ; Penna.,
waiting for the midnight train from Philadelphia.
Punctual to the minute, as is the case throughout
the whole extent of the admirably conducted
“Pennsylvania Central," we started about one
o'clock, and kept steadily on until seven, A. M.,
when we found Altona and breakfast. Passing
over the mountains, the magnificent scenery of
which may be too often described but not too of
ten, seen,, we gradually forgot the Arcadian scene
we had witnessed the day before, until when we
reached the "Horseshoe"--
Bills o'er hills
And Alps o'er Alps arise
The full power of our native mountains* once
more took possession of us—and• our greedy soul
drank in thel'scene as a thirsty traveller water in
a desert. "Attention the Universe," said• au en
thusiastio military man, arriving at the summit and
catching the inspiration of the scene. "Emperors
to the right! Kings to the left! Kingdoms by
sections forward march ! " And" forward march"
it was until we came to Pittsburg, where a cen
tury ago an old Presbyterian ancestor "preached
the first sermon" in " a little village composed of
a few scattering houses outside of Fort Duquesne ! "
A great spot in history; that old Pert! the, turning
point in the destiny of the entire hemisphere.
There it was that "Our Protestant Colonies" first
became a power in the earth, and the chain of
French and Papal supremacy, rent asunder at the
capture of that Fort, was, to .remain broken for
ever I Honor to the Great Frederick on the
Continent! Honor to Willie Pitt, "the Pilot
that:weathered.the storm," who followed his lead.
Honor to the Father of his country, who made
them his acknowledged 'model, and combined in
his 'single perscin the courage of the one, and the
statesmanship of the other! The history of these
mountains is equally deserving 'of study as its
scenery, and if in reading Bancroft the word
".Protestant Colonies " is substituted for "Anglo-
Saxon," we shall then, and then only, arrive at
the true spirit and the true record of our history.
DETROIT-ITS PROGRESS
7 P. M. brought us to Cleveland and the lake,
and next morning by six we were in the ancient
city of Detroit, ancient as the Pilgrim Fathers
themselves, dating back to 1620, and beautiful,
exceedingly. It does one good as an American
to come to this place - ;: aid just= as a mother de
termines the growth of her child by his shoe or
;stocking, so only by taking some place in particu
lar, are weable to form any Adequate idea of the
progress of the country as a whole. To carry out
the figure, twenty years ago we first • saw Detroit
.an infant, we• now see it a full grown man; In
the census of 1830 its population was "four twos,"
2222. Ten thousand in 1840- 7 in 1860, 80,000.
Thus having since we first saw it, itot only•doubled
its population, but quadrupled it, at that. Then
there were but six churches, now there are thirty,
of which six are'Presbyterian. Then not a soli
tary railroad was in existence, now it is the centre
of a perfect spider-web. of roads. Them the
French . and military element was predominant;
now these are among the traditions of the past:
Then the bUildings were almost entirely of wood,
the streets unpaved, and the ladies rode in carts
on buffalo robes. Now the buildings are otbriek
and stone, plentifully inlaid with iron—the wide
avenues
_are paved—and there is no end to car
riages. Then there was no . " water," no " gas,"
no garden—and the citizens lived on pork until,
as the Bishop told us at that. time they , were
"ashamed to look a pig in the face." Now lttinries
have become necessities. Then it took us a whole
week from New York te, betroit—now it is con
stantly done in twenty-four hours. Then the: first
" primary " free school had not been commenced—
now there are some 50 se k els, making as com
plete a system as that of iladelphia. Such is
the material progress of, oureountry.. God grant
.
that its spiritual trogress may be par/ passe. ,
PENNEYDVANtANS IN DETROIT
130, there is an additional pleasure to one who
visits Detroit as a Pennsylvanian. True, ' , lotions
old Gen&ral Brady been taken at his 'word—
" Let the drum beat, my knapsack is slung."
Major Keanley no longer " shoulders his crutch "
(without a figure,) ‘and shows " how fields were
won." The -British are ,safe'liiim his sword,
and eastern graduates from his venerable gig and
severe examination in Boss' Latin grammar.
Other worthies have disappeared, but still in
Judge Wilkins on the Bench—Dr buffield for
20 years pastor of the Ist Presbyterian church—
Rt. Bev. S. IlKoskry, Episcopal. Bishop of
the Diocese—in able advocates at the bar—in
numerous enterprising and successful wholesale
merchants &c, the old Keystone is well repre
sente4. The only wonder is, with cotton, passing
through Detroit from the' south, and one of the
staples of Michigren-L-:wool,—that as yet no Penn
sylvania manufacturers have made their appear
ance. , " Some of our idle machinery might here
find good employment for a now idle class of popu
lation..
THE HARVEST---THE,
On •Tuesday we took a trip into the interior of
the State to see the harvest and the famous county
of Oakland, It was a beautiful,. sight to ride
along, with the rich fields of wheat and the -re
Detroit, -July 19;1860.
• •
joicing harvesters on either side f 'ap4 especially so,
when we remembered how severely of late ypars
the State had suffered.from snecessive failures in
the crops. " Had theyfailed saikone
man, "I would have put a bottle of gin in my
pocket, and cleared out to parts unknown," and
so, somewhat to the same effect, said they All-4
But anew feature in the landscape soon made us,
forget the harvest. " There is' Dollar'
said my. companion. Then "Orchard" Lake,
. 44 Cass" Lake, Ste., several. of them in >sight>at
the same time. "How many of them arein the
•county ? " we asked ,with some surprise; "Two
hundred" in Washtenaw Co., and pearly as many
here. And sure, enough when we looked at the
map, it was even so. Connected as grand-child- .
ren and great grand-children• with the great system
of lakes, rising and falling with them in their
periodical flactuations-7the waters as• pure, as
cool, as deep, as, in the parent basins—various in
shape and, size, and , almost, innumerable, they
constitute a feature of landscape , so peculiar, that
if once seen, they never will be forgotten. Happy.
the people who have their farms in such a country,
they ,never will , lack water for their cattle, or them
selves, as they do in :western Texas. As,for the
various kinds of fish that they contain, black fish,
perch, &e., not being by. any means an expert in
the science of 44 Piseiceptolomy" we have little
more to say than this, that they are very abundant,
of which fact we had ocular demonstration,.,;
'ENCOURA.GINO VIEW-TEMPERA - IVA IN hiItIIICIAN.
j In general tbe aspect of affairs in Michigan is
quite hopeful, and the idea seems to prevail that
"good
,times" are coming, and that speedily.
The 'educational movements in Detroit, Sabbath
school 'and otherwise, I have chronicled at some
length tor the "Sunday School Times." If every
free school'in Detro* is a Sabbath school as well,
why should it not be so in Philadel:phia, and all
over the land?
Next to education, the cause that seems to bid
the fairest is that of Temperance. Fifteen months
ago, during a visit from Col. Vinton at Detroit,
the old friends of this good, but just now very
greatly neglected cause, took occasion to reorga
nize their city society. This was followed by a
State Convention at Jackson—and this again by
an alliance. Everywhere the people , seemed ripe
for a movement to enforce the liquor laws, and
,
especially to save the Sabbath from desecration.
The city society holds meetings .every week, and
every Sabbath afternoon there is speaking on this
subject in a Rail Road Depot, which is well at
tended. Last Sabbath- we' had the pleasure of
addressing some 300 or 400 at the Depot, and
found a most attentive audience both of men and
Women. The movement is steadily but decidedly
advancing, and we anticipate that the example
thus set is not going to be lost. To sit still any
longer, under such a daily increasing curse is both
a sin and a shame.
TRIP TO LAKE SUPERIOR
To-Morrow, God willing, we intend to take the
" trip to, Lake Superior." In the well considered
latiguage of the advertisement, which those who
have been up the lake abundantly confirm—
" This trip of over one thousand miles is extended
over six degrees of latitude and eleven degrees of
longitude, and passes through four lakes and three
rivers, and is unsurpassed in the varied beauties
of its scenery by any other on this continent.
The wildness and the grandeur of the - Lake Su
perior region, its curious phySical 'formation, its
iron mountains, its copper mines, the antiquity of
its missions, the marvellous clearness of the water
and air, and the brightness of its skies, furnish
never wearying objects of interest' to the scientific
man, the mere seeker of pleasure, the invalid, or
the general obserier." Coming, perhaps, within
the last two categories, we shall go out, Queen of
Sheba-like, to see what is to be seen—to hear
what is to be heard—and as far as possible, make
a fair :report of this eitraordinary region—and
see how far it corresponds with the advertisement.
G. D. JR.
CAIRO, ILLINOIS.
Cairo,' as our readers know, is at•the confluence
of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. The Church,
Extension Committee have been-trying to 'estab..
lish a church there amid. many diflicultiei. The
following report of their missionary, they think
will be -interesting :=
DEAR BROTHER :-The first Sabbath in July
closed another quarter of my missionary labor,,..in
Cairo; and, notwithstanding,..l cannot give a, re r
port which Would be very flattering to Auk. who
knovi nothing of our history, I feel that God has
been with and blest us. I commenced my labors
here with only four or five members. I now
have fourteen, and there are others expecting soon
to join us: Connnenced with a Sabbath-school.of
twenty or' thirty irregular scholar§ and teachers,
wenow number over one hundred and fifty; ave
rage attendance being from one hundred to one
hundred and` forty: "
When I commenced preaching here, the whole
number in attendance'at the Methodist and Pres
byterian Churches did not exceed one hundred.
Now my own - congregation exceeds that number,
and the Methodist two-thirds as many niore.
There *as not any Prote.stant preaching in the
city oftener than one Sabbath in four weeks, and
there was no "Sabbaih-school in the Methodist
Church; now : they have .preaching regularly once
in two weeks, and a good Sabhath-sehool, and the
(prosperity in both churches has heen the milk, in
a great degree, of the regular weekly preaching in
the Presbyterian Church. The Methodist Sab
. bath-school has growiedirectly'out of ours. lam
now the only Protestant minister residing in the
county ; 'and our city alone has a population;" es
timated fromtwenty-five hundred to four thousand;
and I de not believe that there are twentypious
: men in the whole city. The transient travel
through this place amounts to several thousand;
We -always have a great many strangers atten
dance on Sabbath.
Oar church is large enough to seat four hnn-
drod persons, and is 'quite comfortable, only it
needs Some 'repairs. Being the only resident mi
-1 raster, I• am obliged to visit all the sick and'bury
all the dead; and there is an increasing demand
en my services.
Among the young, we-think, there is quite an
increase of religious interest. God is certainly
causing the seed to take root, and we eonftdeUili
look for fruit in due season.
'Our Old School brethren,who live in the towns
scattered up and' down these mighty waters, all
sympathize with us in our efforts Imre. They have
contributed- to our Sabbath-school library, to our
own personal wants, and in many ways bid us` God
speed. I have never more fully felt that we are
C 4 all brethren."
These river towns are prop inent fer wickedness.
They- are: always , difficult places to occupy, and
there is such a &lire on the part of Christian men
to see theEe places renovated, that every faithful'
laborer has the prayers and sympathies of the
brethren of all denominations. Cairo has im.
proved wonderfully within a year,past, but there
` - iirst be a prolonged and mighty struggle to en.
counter the accumuluated Viccof a quarter century.
Our city has been recently nradithe county seat,
x t L iAjoa, greatly increased the populationi,and
we are looking for better days. The nearest point
vhere 'Were is preaching , is eight : miles The
boat-men, railroad men, and some who reside in
Missouri ) &equently.attend our service. Not un- •
frequently we have representatives from almost
every quarter of the glohe, so that the influence
of this church iwielt -for a distance equal to the
whole length of the Mississippi and Missouri
Rivers. There is. &LW:intercourse with the
cities of Cincinnati, Louisville, New Orleans,
Chicago, and St. Louis,the great commercial
centres of the West and South.. If an efficient
church can be built here, I am sure that no church
in the Union, will have a more extended influence
than this. For the great cause of humanity, as a
connecting link between the North and the South,
for the general 'influence on the travelling public,
who are obliged often
,to spend the Sabbath here,
for the ten thousands who live on these mighty
waters, these churches should be supported at all
hazards, no matter what they cost. And I have
tested the sincerity of these declarations by my
own sacrifices and personal efforts. No one know
ing the facts in' our history will deny the import
ance of, sustaining the Gospel herei, and by your
timely aid we expect it will be accomplished.
Yours affectionately, G MARTIN.
THE REVIEW.
The Presbyterian ,Quarter, ty Review for July is
just at hand,' with &very attractive table of con
tents. An extended: 'notice liasty be expected in
our next
THF, grgoiort ?
ACTION OF ST. -LAWRENCE -CONSOCIATION.
Resolved, That having listened to the state
ments of Rev. R. GTWilder, returned missionary
from the X°tapper Mission; in India; we com
mend him' to the sympathies, prayers and contri
butions of the eburehes of Consoelaiion, And to all
who love our Lord Jesus Christ, in the ;hope that
he may be eneoiziaget and sustained-in his noble
determination : to •return and resume his - labors
among the perishing IfindooS Kolapoor. A.
true copy. 41`.11i§lizoNGi . &rib e.
Attest, P. MoNT4.GI:IE,
EDITOR'S TiU3LE;:I
MESSIANIC Pit r OPHECY AND THE LIFE OF
CHRIST. By -William S. Kennedy.- Second Edition.
Andover: Warren P. Draper. Philadelphia: Smith,
English & Co. 1860.
, This is a work of great comprehensiveness.
Here, in the compass of Jess than_soa, duodecimo
pages, we. have :the Christologxpttlim . 4 - Adr,and
New Testament Seripturea rr ,something like a com
bination of the Christologylof:Heberg and
Neander's Life of Christ-, Of coursmthe fulness
of these great rorks ismotimitated, bittthe reader
will find the results of these and similar irivestiga
tions carefully gathered up; and; presented in a
clear, readable shape. The'Life of Christ is based
upon Robinson's Harmony of ; the Gospels. The
tone of the work is apologetic; perhaps too-much
so. Most theologieal'vrorks of the present age are
composed with an ele'„ to/ prevalent objections.
The subtle winatngs:of modern unbelief : are•care
fully• tracked,,,ind it is well they should be. • Yet
it is refreshing to meet witlia book written, in the
calm, undisturbed confidence_of a conviction which
has-risen above the reach of doubt. .:Streh. eon&
deuce is, contagious. •
.
STUDIES IN ANIMAL LIFE. By geo. Henry Lewes ;
Author of “Life of Goethe," icThe Physiology -of
Common. Life," &e., &o. New ;Pork; :Harper & Bro
thers, Publishers, Franklin. Square. lB6O.
PP- 146-
This is a charming little hook, tvritten con amore,
by an enthusiastic student of nature, who is over
running with eagerness to persuade every, reader
into the same enthusiasm of admiration and dili
gence with 'himself. The Stile is graphic, and is
aided by numerous illustrations. The.author's
taste leads him to the more re.condite, branches of
natural science, bit his statements are remarkably
:clear, and much valuable information is perspieu
.
nusly conveyed in tlie,brief coMpass of the volume.
Mr: Lewes leans to,Dirwirentheory, at least as
far as regards the 'variability of sPecies, but the
development part of it, although esponsed by him
self ten years ago, is now in his view beset with
great difficulties, 'and Waiting in the requisite evi
dence. We' are sorry to say, that Mr. Lewes, to
judge him from this book, befonga to that class of
enthusiastic naturalists who look no higher than
nature herself, and who are prepared to. accept
those hyPotheses, unfortunately now so common,
which narrow down the activity of the Creator
in his works, to 'the smallestpossible compass.
A MAN. By ReV.,..T. D. Bali.. Philada.: James' Challea
& Son. 1860., 1.2m0., 461 pp. - ,
Many valuable thoughts
,and.practical soma,
tions are conveyed in lively, vigorous, and, for, the
most part, admirable style in this volume. The
separate essays are rather loosely connected toge . -
ther, and, as a whole, the work is imperfect and
sketchy. 'The aim of the author is stated to be "to
shoe , that a developed and cultivated intellect is
indispensable to every kind of lofty and exquisite
enjoyment.. . . The work is naturally divided
into two parts. In part first are discussed the su
perior possibilities of minds ordinarily endowed.
In part second,. special - attention is given= to the
blissful possibilities of minds endowed with ex
traerdinary capacities." Illustrations drawn from
varied and abundant stores of knowledge are scat
tered thickly on almost every i page. One can
scarcely dip in anywhere without, being refreshed,
amused, and instructed. There are,very few lines
Of common-place writing in the entire book. Evi
dences of carelessness, or something worse, are to
be foimd, however, such- as "Nat much should
.
you allow for a theery of the uge of this globe, put
forth by a genius who has
_never read any other
than, the Mosaic account of the creatien.", The
writer seemsignorant of, the fact, that 4 a
:quite num
ber of the Church fathers believed in an, indefinite
period between the creation of rantterpand the sub
sequent arrangement of all things.::
,He regards it
as interesting to meditate an Pythagoras as " a
revered teacher," rising with his, pupils "early in
the morning to worship.the outhunting In
regard to the joy of Archinkedes in dist:Uttering
the'principle of specific gravity, he asks, "Do you
think that if he had been caught up, into the third
heaven, be Would have,beenJuore,happy ?" And
again he. asserts,." - a man 1 ,16, be absurdly pious."
An - evangelical:minded Writer, would scarcely allow
his pen to, slip into such forms of expression as
theie:
paouanT.7 :-2 Th4;4rought ia 'Rhode Island continues,
and haa beeome,a serious affair to many, of the small
'are, entirely Whole fact( ry
iira l oue of iiork. r•
Aug. 9,
MEMO