GENESEE EVANGELIST.—WhoIe No. 793.
PARTING hymn.
“ Dundee” *
Father of meroiee, Heavenly Friend,
We seek Thy gracious throne;
To Thee our faltering prayers ascend,
Our fainting hearts are. known!
From blasts that chill, from suns that smite,
From every plague that harms ;
In oatnp and march, in siege nnd fight,
Proteot our men-at-arms!
Though from our darkened Three they take
What makes our life most dear,
Wo yield them for their country's sake
With no relenting tear.
Our blood their flowing veins will shed,
Their wounds oar breasts will share;
Ob, save us fronrthe woes we dread,
Or grant us strength to baarl
let each unhallowed cause that brings
The steriS destroyer, cease,
Thy flaming angel fold his wings, ‘
And seraphs whisper, Peace!
Thine are the seeptre and the sword,
Stretch forth Thy mighty hand,—
Beign Thou our kingless nation’s Lord,
Buie thou our throneless land I
Atlantia Monthly,
€owssflim&en.«.
TWO TRAVELLERS ON MT- LEBANON.
Bear Editor :—Allow me once more to speak
to my young American friends through your
excellent paper, which we so ipuch love to wel
come in distant Asia. Bhamdun is abont 4000
feet above the level of the great Mediterranean
Sea, whose bine waters seem spread out in vast
expanse at the foot of onr mountain. It is, in
deed, a city set on a hill, and is delightful for
situation. Near the road leading from Beirut
to Damascus, a company of French and" Eng*"
lish merchants are .constructing a splendid turn
pike between these two cities. We rejoice in
this new road. It passes through the middle of
our missionary district, and a branch leads to
Zahleb.
During the eight years we have been stationed
on these mountain tops, many travellers, Eng
lish and American, have stdpped at oor house for
anight; preferring our bumble hospitality to
the comfortless Arab honses, or the miserable
khans on the road, ora tent. Often havd we
been refreshed and greatly encouraged by their
company and sweet words of comfort and coun
sel. Now, my dear young friends, I wish to in
troduce to you two of these travellers.
Several weeks since, one chilly Saturday af
ternoon, an aged gentleman was seen approach
ing the town. He stopped at an Arab house,
and after a few moments Mr, Benton and the
little boys went to oall npon him. and see If .he
was comfortable for the night. He proved to
be an English Barrister, of the Inner Temple" of
London. His Dragoman had cheated him, and
come off from Beirnt without any; comforts for
his journey—not Sven a bed or a rug—and the
old gentleman being in very feeble health, (just
recovering from a dangerous illness) had so felt
the great change, from the heat of Beirut to the
chilly blasts of Lebanon, that he was suffering
very much, and glad was he to come with Mr.
Benton and find a nice warm stove and a com
fortable rocking-chair in our quiet sitting room.
Said he, " I did not expect to fiad civilization
up here; but, pray tell me how can you make
np your minds to live here, all alone with the
natives ? You cannot know all the recent truths
and the discoveries of the learned in the world
of letters.” We assured him we were happy
here and never lonely, because we felt we were
laboring for Christ. But he was “by no means
sure there ever was such a person as Jesus
Christ.” Ah, poor man 1 He had a mind„of a
high order—was learned in all the sciences and
wisdom of this world—he had travelled: the world
around—spent years in researches in Egypt!
and Syria—had followed the supposed track of
the Israelites in the desert—studied old stone
coffins—deciphered ancient hieroglyphics—read ■
the Scriptures at least twenty times through
“•studied, compared, hunted, toiled, nearly
wore himself out, and ail for what? To dis
prove the Bible—to overthrow the Christian
taith—to prove that Moses was a rascal— ai
leader of a band of murderers, thieves, and rob
bers—that all the prophets were deceivers,, and
that the great God of the Bible is a lie/— and
the story of the Virgin and her Son, the vilest
imposition ever palmed off on the credulity of
mankind. So earnest was he to convert us to
bis views, that he could scarce go to bed at'all,
even when the Clock tolled the noon of night;
and when be did retire, he slept little, rolled
and tossed with a restlessness be could not de
scribe.
On Sabbath morning he renewed his attach,
pitied onr simplicity,, admired onr high aims,
longed to bring us into-the liberty of the adorers
wd worshippers of Nature. He was present
at our Arabic service, and, as if-bya singular
coincidence, the text was, hato yob, law
yers, for ye have taken away theihey'ef' know
ledge; ye would pot enter in yonrselyee,. and
tlio* who were entering, ye hindered ! 1 ’ .* After
the close, the missionary translated the subject
of his disconrse to One lawyer gnest. HdbffifilecF
»t the coincidence, hat could speak of nothing
hut his favorite theme—the adoration of Nature
"the perfection of JfatßfP.’ ; ’‘ ;i; ’
His rule of life-was—"Do as yon would be
none by* then yon willbe ready for any fateih
Ho would not, could nofc,believe the God oftbe
'Ms* He was a hard master, unkind’
urnl ; permitting ain jnst to torment
0 P° or creatures hehad made, : He wished
0 “nd us gome of his tracts from London, that
ml B ht examine both sides of the subject. We
jsured him these subjects were ngt ne,«r to ns,
, C . a( l l° n » ago examined them, w.d npw we
“° Hwe to study to find out there is no God:
ter some pointed appeals to hiacopsoience,
remarked with mnch candor—" Wbll, I’m
view DCe<l ?0 ° are tnost heartily sincere in yonr
o S| ai,( l certainly We cannot both be right, ; fbr
Weai» W 8 #re th# Tery antipodes*” “kj dear
rid ’ [° plied ®iaBio.naity) , ‘ Sod-in bis
for 09 ms brought yott tO'onr tobuntain home
°me wise purpose* and-rwish to saypnib
Bhamdun, June Bd, 1861,
word more before we part, If we are right in
loving, serving, and believing the God of the
Bible, yon are wrong in denying and hating bira.
If we are in error, and at death find there is no
God, we lose nothing ; but, if you are in error,
yon hazard every thing, and fall into the hande
of an Almighty foe.” I never saw a more rest
less, anxious countenance. Poor, rich old man,
he was so feeble; he gave up his proposed jonr
ney to Damascus and returned to Beirut.
Now, dear young friends, let me introduce
you to another traveller. It was late one eve
ning when we heard a faint, knoekat our door,
and were astonished on opening it to meet one
we had known in former years as “Simple
Robert.” He is an English lad, and was early
left an orphan. He came to Beirut with his
uncle, a clergyman, where he spent his yhnth
and early manhood.' He learned to speak and
read the Arabic language; and after the return
of his uncle to England, he spent two or three
years in going about the villages of Lebanon,
on foot, with his satchel of books over his
shoulder, trying to persuade the poor mountain
Arabs to come to Jesus. About eight years ago,
he was . stoned out of Zahleh; and on his return
to Beirpt, he learned how we also were stoned
out of that same Zableb, and that now the door
was open there for the preaching of the gospel;
he started off at once to visit the place, and had
now come to spend the night at our house on
his way there.
He. knew naught, and cared less, for all the
politics, maxims, and sciences of the world. He
knew Jesus Christ and him .crucified, and now
he had returned to Syria, as’ called
of God to the work, to travel about from place
to place, and in his.,simple, artless manner, en
treat all he met to be reconciled to God. He
said he had prayed a great deal for Zahleh while
in England; and when he heard how the Lord
had opened the door there, he felt his prayers,
were answered. ■ -.
Oh, what a contrast this to'our learned friend,
the Barrister, of London! The one travelling in
Syria and seeking for evidence to overthrow
the religion of Jesus; the other following the
footprints of his. divine Master, that he may tes
tify of him< Whose crown would yon choose
to wear-in the last great day ? Hath not God
chosen the weak things to confound the mightyj
yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught
things which are ? » - , . .' • .
The French soldiers, are leaving, and the
country is in a terribly unsettled state. Pray
for ns. We cease not to ■ pray for our own be
loved country in this crisis of the great question
of slavery. Has not that blot been long enough
upon oar fair land.? , • ;
; Good-by, from Lebanon,
L-G. Benton. ;
LITTER FROM CHINA.
WITHOUT NATURAL AFFECTION, OR INFANTICIDE
I do not know howto mtrodnee the subject of
this letter better than by placing at its head one
Of the clauses used by Fanl in the first chapter
of Romans, in depicting the character of the
heathen in his day. I desire to nse it, not in a
general sense, applying ,to the Chinese, but with
a particular reference to the treatment of fa-,
male children, at the hands of their parents in
this part of China. It is a very sad and un
pleasant snbject, from which the mind tarns in
stinctively away. Bnt lam encouraged to dis
cuss it briefly, in the hope of eliciting, in view
of the facts and customs which shall be pre
sented, the prayers of western Christians for
the divine blessing to attend every effort to en
lighten and. save this people. Let me ask, espe
cially, the attention of Christian mothers and
of Christian daughters in America, to some
statements in regard to the killing, the selling,-
the giving away, and the exposure of little
girls by their parents, at Fuh Chan and vicini
ty. I confine my remarks to these unnatural
practices at this city and vicinity. Idd not
affirm whether similar practices are common or
‘ uncommon in other parts of the Empire. *
I will first refer toseveral considerations of a
public character to show the prevalence of in
fanticide, to a greater or less extent. These
considerations are known to all intelligent men
living here, whether native or foreign, who are
acquainted with the condition,of things relating
to this snbject.
!■ There is a native foundling asylum located
within the walls of the city. This is supported
by contributions from wealthy. Chinese, the gen
try, and resident-officers of government.
2. A large Roman Catholic Asylum for girls
deserted by their parents, has been erected
within two or three years,, near,the south gate
of the city, in the snbnrbs. It is a large and
expensive institution. A native Roman Ca
tholic, last fall, told me that it had abont ,400
childrenrnnder its .care, -. ...
3. The American Methodist Mission here has
established a foundling asylum on a small scale.
It came into operation abont two years since. ,
4. The distribution of sheets and books
against the drowning of female infants at the
time-pf the general literary .examinations, which
occur at stated, intervals, at FuhOhau. At
these regular periods when the literary talent
of the prefecture and, in two years out of five,
of the province, is. assembled here, may be seen,
persons engaged in giving away to candidates
and spectators,, boohs exhorting people to pre
serve alive their female children. This fact
showp conclusively that : infanticide is consi-
' kr. Afceel," Missionary at Amoy, made inqui
ries into the prevalence of infanticide there soihe 15 of
1 B yeara' ago, and koine aetoundibgfSSts were published
in the Miasionary Herald and elstfwtiere, as the result of
hia psrsonpl Investigations. Soroti Bowringandother
writers on China, hare also remarked on the frequency
•f female infanticide in specified -localities. Some • wri
ters have given a fiat denial to the.statements .of others
on this subject, principallybecause instances did pot
come under their personal observations, or the crime
did not prevail in -the BeotionS through which they fra
relled. 'or-Whete theyresided. I have no doubt* that in
fgntioideis more,.common in some- localities, And pro
vinces than in others. But the circumstance that it
does not prevail In some places, or that it did not come
Within the observation of a writer, by no means proves
that it' is not common id other parts of the Empire. I
have the 'stro'ngest reasons for knowing that it is prac
tised at Fuji ChaniOnd vicliiityj aUo. that it.ia tolerated
hW the -.trsfts- .indifference and
levity by the rifass of the '
derabiyprevalent.else'thedistribntionofsnch
works woald not be ..tolerated, nor would it have
any inciting or producing cause, nor wonld
there be any object to. attain by so doing. Why
circulate tracts against. an immorality which
does not exist, especiallyon an occasion when
80 ra , ac I 1 talent and respectability are assembled
the days devoted to literary examina
tions?
The ..circumstance, referred to, while it
proves the.existence of female infanticide to an
indefinite extent, shows also, what I am glad to
notice, that it is not popular, though it is prac
tised, not justified, in. the sense of approved
and advocated, by the literary class.
In common conversation with the Chinese,
they admit the prevalence of infanticide
here, and very.frequently.inquire whether it is
practised in western, countries. No one pre
to»deny or conceal the, monstrous fact.
A female servant, now employed in a missiona
ry’s family, confesses to have destroyed,, or .ra
ther, allowed her hnsband 'tp destroy one of. her
little girls at birth. A servant, in another fa
mily was doomed to death by her father soon
after her birth, bnt escaped that fate in, conse
qnence of his meeting with an accident, which
the neighbors interpreted to be an omen against
killing her, Another servant, in yet another
family, says that one of her nearneighbors, and
a relative, has destroyed seven girls ont of a
family of eight children; the remaining one,
being a boy,, was permitted to live. And here
let me state that only girls are thus destroyed.
I never heard of’a single instenee qf a boy
being destroyed by his parents at birth. r A wo
man, now employed as nurse in an American
missionary’s family, has told the writer that ont
of eleven girls born to her own mother, her own
father allowed only four to survive.
In the farming districts, in the neighboring
country, it is said that every .family which has
several girls born to it, .destroys all bat ,one or
two, unless some of tbeir acquaintances desire
them to bring up as future wives of their boys.
In the city, the cuatom of killing.girls at birth;
is probably not so universal as in the country:
Some intelligent Chinese estimate that the pro
bable proportion of city families which destroy
one or more of their female children, in case
they have‘several, and do not have good oppor
tunities of giving them away, as about half.
Thin is only an: approximate estimate. Accu
racy cannot 1 be obtained In this matter. It is
said that officers seldom or never destroy l their
female children, as they are able to support
them, and .When marriagcable find wealthy and
respectable'husbands for them.
When a little girl is given away soon after
birth to be the wife of the boy of a friend, she
is taken away and brought -up in the family of
her future hnsband. When of proper age, the
parties are married in the usual way in such
cases, T.l}ja s way of disposing of-girls is quite
■common aniong the- poor. The woman above
referred to, as having' killed one of her little
girls, gave away her lasfgiri to be the wife of
a little boy belonging to an acqaaintance. The
servant whom her father wished to have killed,
was-finally given away to a friend for this pur
pose. 1 A member of one of the native churches
at Fuh Chan, was thus disposed of by her mo
ther, though her father preferred to destroy her.
Tery many poor families thus provide wives for
their boys. '
Borne families, after raising their girls for a
few jeara, feel themselves impelled by'poverty
to sell them for slaves or for wives. The regu
lar price for such children, if sold to be, in tbe
fntnre, the wives of the boys of friends, is at tifa
rate of abont 2,000 copper cash, or $2 00 per
year of their lives. ‘ A girl one year old usnaliy
brings 2,000 cash; two years old, 4,000; three
years old, 6,000 .cash. After the girl is old
enongh to work,!the price is considerably dearer.
One of the servants above referred: to, a few
months ago, bought a fine-looking girl three
years old for. 4,000 cash, or; $4.00, to be the
""wife of her little son six years old. She had
had several offers at the usual price. When
sold to be slaves, the price of girls is compara-
tively dearer than when sold to be wives. Most
girls sold for slaves are brought some distance
to t]iis place.
Sometimes, instead of being killed, or given
away at or soon after birth, the unfortunates
are exposed alive by the side of the . street, or
under some shelter. Several have been thus
exposed or left near the residence of the writer..
Only some few months ago, a missionary, while
going to his regular religious service early one
morning, observed a jesting crowd gathered
around a crying infant left by the side of the
public street. Quite a number of ipstonces
have occurred within eight or ten years, of chil
dren being thus left near the residences of fo
reign missionaries!.; •P,robably.t^gJdesiguof4e
ser'ting. thereby their- parents is that they may
be cai-cd for in some way by. families living in
the neighborhood. .... „ , ... . t
v The methods of depriving the unfortunates of
life are said to be three. 1. By drowning, in a
tub of water. 2. By throwing into, some running
stream. , 3. By burying alive; . The latter way .
is affirmed to be selected by a few in the coun
try,; under the belief that the next child will, in
consequence, be a boy. Undoubtedly the most
common way is, by. drowning. The person who
most psualjy,performs..the murderous act is the
father of .the child. Midwifesand.personal
friends generally decline itas beingnione of their
business,, and-as affording an occasion for blame
or unpleasant recollections in fntnre years.
Generally, the mother prefers the child sheuld
be given away to- being destroyed.; Sometimes;
however, the parents, it is asserted, agree to.
• destroy rather than raise; or even* give away
their infant: daughter, in order to keep it from
a life of poverty and wretchedness. : ;
' -ThiHeadi me to mehtion that, generally, the
professed, and doubtless the true reason for the
destruction of female infants by poor people; is*
tlieir poverty. For an indigent laboring; mai
to Support* a family of girls and to marry them
off according to the custom's biF society, is re
garded as an impossibility. In the country,
girls abi wbiheii L wtirk ik tfie s lifelds like boys
and men. -In the city and suburbs, females are
kept muckmore at home—especially in the small
i iiiW 'Wwl »tcsassv»* tgtt M vt.'T
: footed class—where they -generally,able, t«y
> v ftp!
PHILADELPHIA, fHDIpAfc AIMS! 1,1861:
'fiif t-'h ’’ .!‘“i
get m-aoor employment At
the time girle are married,.an amount qf clothing
and, furniture mast, .he- fnrjiisbejithenias. outfit
or dowry, by their paronts, t wbieh the poor are
really. nnable to afford..,. When .parried, a
A®nghter belongs to anotipr .family, and. neither
slje.nor her husband is ejected to afford pecu
niary aid to her father anjjLmqther to any great
extent. Such Is the of Qhinese-so
ei’ety that a poor family rjtises and marries, even
pneiOr two girls grp|t4iffionlty.s i W»th a
fam|ly, of.sqns the ease isjfar different. -They,
when grown np, ehrn money when and
where girls cannot. .The-sum of, money paid
for a wife for a son by his .parents, really comes
familysin|;the;form of clothing
and furniture. He is thefr staff and support in
old age and in sickness, keeps np the fa-,
mily name, and what.i.B <lf paramount, import-
.he barns ineepse befprfi;tlieig tablets, and.
sweeps their graves whe^^iaiidSidw"; ci
« lP> of
the female children pf thf%<neh. That infanti
cide is. practised quite frenheotly by the wealthy
and well-to-do famili.es, r|sts;on the most expli
cit end ample. testimony* the observation ! and;
admission of their conntrf u>&n. One;of the ser
vants above mentioned, rs]at£s that rin the na
tive wealthy family whore .she was employed
before she came to live with.- the missionary fa
mily, one girl bad already .been destroyed, two
had been kept alive, and4t was understood .that
if the. last child had been-a -girl, it 'woold also
have been d,estrpyed> simple and sole
reason that jnore girls jg the family were not
desired I ,- t(?t > :
;?k. e rich here; to. thuad
mlssiop of their neighbors and acquaintances,
the girls born to tliemafterthey have all they
wish to kpep, Boyß,;onthe other hand, are
always considered a ifalnable-additiou to the fa-'
cide is probably emaller among
the wealthy than indigent -Chinese.
For they are not compelled (to adoptthe lan
guage of this people?) $o destroy their female
offspring by the want of; means of subsistence.
This circumstance, makestheir crime {against
nature the and inexcusable—,
for it is perpetrated in blood, and with de
termination withont ; any| reason or excuse; ex
cept that they do to raise them.
It would be a,gfeat the
children,thus described, or given away soon af
ter , birth,- are illegitimates- ; If illegitimates,
they wouldnot invariabjy-beof one sex s Ow
ing to the peculiar customs .Qf. Chinese social
life, there are, doubtless, far 4hwef illegitimate;
births here than in civilized and Christian;lands
at the West. - The-girls destroyed are.bom in
wedlock, but consigned to premature death by
the deliberate decision of one or both parents,
either because they are unwilling to he at the
trouble.of bringing theyLup. or because they .
feel too poor tofftpltr " ~~
’ The crime of infanticide is very often men
tioned with levity by the great mass, of the com
mon people.'; When seriously appealed to, on
this subject—though all seem to deprecate it as
contrary to the dictates of, reason, and the in
stincts of n Store—yet very many are ready bold
ly to apologize for it and declare it to be
necessary; especiullydn the families of the ex
cessively poor. While “it is not, in fact, di
rectly sanctioned by the government, or agree
able to thegCneral spirit of the laws, and the
institutions of the empire,” yet it is tolerated
and acquiesced in by the Mandarins. No mea
sures ate ever taken to’find out, arrest and pu
nish the iiurderers of their own female infants
—though" forbidden in occasional official pro
clamations, the crime is extensively practised
with impunity. “ - -
Tn China, the doctriffe of filial piety is highly
landed, and children are required by law and
by the usages of society, to render the most
abject deference to the will of their parents.
Bufparents may discriminate between the sex
of their innocent offspring, ddstfoying'the fe
male ad libitum, and lavishing on the ihhle their
care and love. How singularly find emphati
cally are they “ without natural affection- ’’
I have thus briefly attempted to give a plain
statement of facts relating to the subject of this
letter.. The use of indignant and extravagant lan
guage has been studiously avoided; confident
that the simple recital of these unnatural and
inhuman practices of this people, cannot but
awaken fervent and prayerful emotions in the
heart of the Christian reader. SiNiii.
Fuh Chau, China, May 8th,1861. i-r - / ,
ROUBLE USE OF RAIMENT-
“If thou at all take thy neighbor’s .raiment.to.
pledge, thou Bhajt deliver itjinto that,the,
sun gocth down’jPbrthat-is his covering only, it
is'his'ra'itnent for his skin; wherein shall he sleep ?
and it shall come to pasS; wheU he erieth unto me,
that I. will hear; for l am-gracious.”—Exod. xxii.
26, 27. . _ .
. , In all parts of Southern,Africa the skin-cloak
is the covering of males and feihaies By day, and
that in which they-sleep! by night.- They 1 have'
no other bed clothes; 1 The Hottentot cloak is
composed of sheep’s skins; retaining the wool .on
the insidc; in which he sleeps, comfortably under,
a . or tfee wherever he goes. Deprive him
of that covering, ahj he would find hiihseif most
uncomfortably placed.- If would he a ’cruel act.
The nations farther in the interior have eloaks
made from the hides of oxen or cows, which they
havb k methodooi&akilj§: soft and
use exactly .for tho same purposes as the! others, —
namely for clothiog and for sleeping i n . .. ~. ( -
African LijM. ,
; BiEMGION DOES HOT- mbt* US *<>»> WOHK.
Why should it? JVlnsfcaman fail inhis dutyto
hisfellow-manbecanse he tries .to do his, duty
to God? Mast be mope, or be mean-spirited,
because be loves • his Makar ? By ho means.
Bather will he be more earnest in his Calling
because heknakesai conscience of-it.. Whatsol
diers are more aetive or more brave than tboSU
whoserve their country in the fear of God ?-
Gideon, and J David, and other he
roes 6f/Israel,'were'*fervent imspirik :Tbe great
Washington soughtiQod in prayer. ®he be-'
roic’Havelock wash man of prayer. So too
was Headley Yiears, with other noble. men.
Many men fear to be pioUs- lest they
be ohfilited MTor S thbir work, i Butwpiet# hhte
men for no good work. ThewbrkthUtapions !
man should be uUdertaken by
no man. j i iurvns,s -*] • ;,.!**. imh ti
-oh c ittf iltn pr SoMierVFriendU
CORRESPONDENCE ;IN * IPW; yORK
• ;,i / ' Rochester, July 16th; 1861.
~ Deab , Brother, , Mears: —Thinking that in
theaetimesof “ wgr excitement,” a few notes of
the incidents .of. a trip ,through the. centre and
northern parts of Pennsylvania and New York
vrouid he interesting-to jour readers, I have made
some memorandums,on the way. I .left Philadel
phia on Tuesday, July 9th, and: stopped at Bead
ing. Business there, was quite, prostrated, as it
seems todepend prettyxnuch onthewants.of the
*•1; Waives, the town. In- passing through, -I
observed an .exhibition, of the liberality;, of the
(N. S.)_.Presbyterian Church, in .the iarge and,
commodious parsonage, built, as I understood, by
them. Such acts do notendwith the completion
of the work; but in their infltieneeas betokening
the appreciation' of the ministry of Christ, live on,
and dbeef Others inariesspleasantposition. ‘ Be-’
lievirig there would ‘be & fine opportunity of view
ing-thektmhijrjfoh the Catawissa and Williams
port R-ond, ahd desirous of- avoiding 1 the heat and
ddst of mid-day, I took the traiff it six in' the
evening. But, alas! the vanity of human calcu
lations’ ; the rain defeated al! these hopes. So that
instead of seeing the sun slowly decline in the west,
and the hills and mountain gorges appear wierd- ;
like and'gloomUy sublime, amid the'shades of eve
ning, Ijhad the prospect- of "half tfnigßt’seold and
disagreeable ride; ; But as there are no eircuth
stances in life, but which have their counter-ba
lancing" advantages, I found,, upon entering the'
cars, in old friend, with whom, in calling up memo
ries and reminiscences of ■Collfege life, I passed,
Tnstead of a dreary and uncomfortable evening, one
which was both socially and spiritually profitable.
' At 12.30 A. M., I arrived at Williamsport, and
in drawing up to thedepot, passed tworegi meats of
volunteers, en route for Washington. They had
justparfaken of a bountiful repast furnished by
the’Citizens of the town, and seemed in remarkably
goodispirits. P afterwards understoodthat ill the
regiments except one, that have gone through,-
have been provided with a meal. And this not
consisting merely of the substantia! viands; but of
the best their houses could afford, such as they would
offer to a valued guest at their own homes. Well
may the volunteers say, “God Bless the ladies of
Williamsport.” . Well fiftiy these-ladies rejoice
that the kindnesses they have shown have been
be'stowSd upon many who are their brethren in
Christ; who will not only stafid up for their coun
try on the battle-field, but for King Immanuel
in the camp. As one of them boldly and nobly
said,-upon being interrogated concerning his fitness'
for the eternal world: “I know not what is in the
future before me ; but I have a Friend aboVe, who
can take care of me.” It" iiiakes tis think better
of humanity; wheV wd reflect ttpbn this Whole
souled-generosity.' ■ From ‘Williams port, I took the
train for Rochester. After leaving. Elmira, I en
tered into conversation with two fellow-travellers.
How qhickly and frequently,'how accurately do
we estimate character by words; particularly when*'
%m^affog^Snefl'Bfe'Wrfdi&*dn:rifo-i3er# < to^iK>tice l
slight shades of difference in persons, and to judge
of their social and moral position. Our- conver
sation turned upon the state of the country, and
the ? 4 ,peculiar institution.” Great confidence and
hopefulness was expressed in regard to’the future;
confidence in Mr. Lincoln,-and hopefulness in the
vigorous prosecution of the war. But with one
of these individuals, who turned oat to be an Or
thodox friend; the conversation took a religious
turn, After, vainly, and perhaps unprofitably dis
cussing the doctrine of election, I presented the
fundamentals of the gospel—repentance and faith
in the Redeemer, as alone necessary; these were
cheerfully assented to, and I trust in this case
practically influence! the life.
; How often; are we prejudiced against those who
hold the truth somewhat different- from what we.
do oursclves? “ How often would sects the most
opposite be reconciledj if;tbey could meet and read
each other’s thoughts?” I was gratified to know
that this person possessed Hr; Bathes’ notes, and
appearediquite familiar with them.
Since my;arrival at. Rochester, I have had an
opportunity of .visiting some of-the nurseries, for
which it is famous. The largest here, which is
alsd-the4arg(Bsb;itt the-United States, is owned by
Ellwanger and Barry. These: gentlemen com
menced? this, business.m. 18,40;* with half ah acre
of ground; the first a German, the second a na
tive of Ireland, who .had come to this country for
the purpose of studying its flora; both were poor,
without influence, without capital;- Having had,
an invitation from, a person'engaged in the busi
ness; to visit this nursery, I accepted it with great:
satisfaction. Their grounds are divided into two
sections ; one of 100 acres; within two miles of
the city;:the other, 400 acres, at a great: distance.
We 'first' vi&ited. the green->houses containing the'
choicest varieties of foreign grapes; for which there
is quite a sale; being purchased simply for hot
house purposes. Our next visit was to the spe
cimens of pcar trees, of which: they , have four
hundred kinds; the trees were very full,’and ap
peared quite thrifty. . -Here were the ' choicest
descriptions:; the: Bartlett;ithe: St:tGermain;~the
Yicarhf;Wak«field;&c.; in the words of my friend,.
“ therewasnd .use of Other nnrserymen trying to:
Compete .with-them in: pears; for they-mlwhys bore;
off But.it is not)only;ittithese:they
are superior; but inseverything they niake iiia point
attention toaoses; of
whichphey have in cultivationabout sixihundred
varieties; tin my enjoyment of-a viewof these, I
couldnot be selfish; sincel; heartily* wished all’ the ,
lady : readers- of f the: Americans /Presbyterian the ?
same privilege. !
: !. But it is inipossible 'to beparticular, for thc 'va
rieties of Peonies, Phloxes,* Gamatibns and Dahlias.*
seemed almost endless.: j My friend suggestcd . that
after haying viewed thegrounds, anmcquaintance
with the proprietors might he agreeable r .to; me.
I found these gentlemen affable and unpresuming,
exhibiting by itheir conversation a deep •
as scientific men-is .their! branch, and also-?b!yttheir";
physiognomy, shrewdness and.energy in conducts,
' ingtheicbusiness./Oneofthepartnerscornplained
of the, present sta.te ,of isffai.rs in:the. country, and;
the neoeasityjof curtailment-in husiness;
' hntsseemed tp regret it miosfcon. account Of.the-ittr':
terferenco with experimehting on a large scalej.he
spoke of- the pleasure derived- from hiss pursuits,;,
: and showed the keen enjoyment of ;an enthusiast.:
Afteranpther ; .more parifculSriview bGasjKWtibtfofs
; the narsery, in .company..with one of the.partners;
• I,leffcfhr,ißbohester;rwith acrjiniud impressed -with
1 ra.idssifesfitfi^nifoffP^iittjhiycnwn’.ptthiiof'wUfa;;
Evjen; worldly success may have its moral lesson.
The industry, economy, and self-denial practised
to build up a large business, in the Christian life,
will achieve great results. Oni Sabbath morning,
I attended, service.at the Brick Church, (N. S.)
Presbyterian. The; pastor preached from Psalm
exxxiii. 1“ Behold, how good and how pleasant
it is;for brethren to dwell together in unity.” The
sermon;was, a very practical one, the illustrations
homely,-taken from every day life, after the ex- 1
ample of the Saviour; in a word, shell a sermon
as would be likely, to quicken a people, and build
■ them up-,in spirituality; Four points were treated.
I of; as essential toi dwelling, together in unity:—
‘f We inustput the most favourable construction
on abrother’s. conduct ; we must-hold a brother's
reputation as sacred as. our, own ; we muat accept
the failings with the excellences of brethren; we
seldom see tbe best side of a brother.” This
church ibas just been completed, hence the appro
priateness .of the sermon. :
In ! the';evening, I heard the:Rev. F. F; Elfin
wood of the Central Church. His text was 1 Cor.
xy; 49. The theme was illustrated by a reference
to the principles of geology; the theory of Agassiz
in distinction from that of Lanark, or the de
velopment theory warpresented; to wit, that the
earth and all created beings had existed in the
, mind of the Deify from the beginning. The idea;
was carried' still further by representing that
thought, as having in view alho the perfected, tbe
heavenly man. lam gratified to believe that the
pastors of our branch of the church-here are ear
nest men, and,, as a, consequence, the New Sebool
'churches have crowdedand flourishing congrega
tions. You may hear from me again at my next
point,- that is, if I reach another beforq my return,
and my “jottings” appear to you worthy of the
perusal of your readers.
EXTRACT FROM REV. ME. WISWELL’S
DELIVERED JULY 4TH, IN THE CENTRAL CHURCH,
To any unprejudiced mind it is clear that the
Articles of .Confederation between the thirteen po
lonies, which, obtained from 1781 until the adop
tion of the Federal Constitution, were in almost
every essential particular a total departure from
the principles of the declaration of Independence.
And, hence,.the endless..conflicts through which
the nation passed, and in the midst of which it
languished; .When the independence of the colo
nies was gained at so great expense of blood and
treasure, the Work of founding a permanent Repub
lic was but just begun. The country soon began
to; droop and pine under the poisonous shade of
the Upas of,‘‘-State sovereignty a government
which was no government —a form of government
which was in constant antagonism with the very
principles for which, through' eight ensanguined,
dreary yeais,.the people had: shed some of the most
precious blood of the earth, and strown with their
bleaching bohes almost every Hill and Valley from
the snows, of.-New Hampshire to the swamps of
Florida.; .They bad repudiated the government of
Great .Biritaiii, and-had gotten, in Us place a mi
serable Confederacy of independent States—they
had indeted'escaped -the'perils of Scylla, -but-had"
fallen into the snares of Charybdis. Coti federa
tion, of these petty sovereignties proved as incotE-.
peteut to preserve .the people in peace as it bad
been ineffectual to conduct them harmoniously in
war.
Seven years’ experience liad demonstrated their
mistake, and the condition of the country was “a
shriek of terror at its awful magnitude.” The
existing state of things could not longer be borne.
The eye of patriotism saw it. The sage of Mount
Vernon, in his quiet'retreat, was pained at the im
perfect union of the States for whose independence
he had sacrificed the best part of his life. And
it was in his mind, so full of expedients for.the
good of his country, that the idea of the Federal
Convention (originated. He saw and .others saw
that the Only safety for the country was in a speedy
return to the principles of the Declaration of In
dependence. To realize this idea, the delegates of
the people of the several States met in convention
iq th.e city of Philadelphia on the 14th day of
May, 1787, and on the 2&th of the same month
they organized by the choice of George Washing
ton- as their President. The result of that con
vention, of the profound wisdom and patriotism of
the country, was the Federal Constitution. In.
the preamble to that document they thus declared
their purpose:
“We, the people of the United States, in order
to form a more perfect union, establish justice, en
sure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common
defence, promote the general welfare, and secure
the blessings of liberty to’ourselves and our pos
terity, do ordain and establish this Constitution
for the United States of America.”
The leading elementary principle of this consti
tution that “the affairs of the people of the
United States were thenceforth to bo administered
not by a confederacy or a mere league of friend
ship between the several sovereign' States, but by
a government distributed into the three great de
partments, Legislative,: Judicial,;and Executive;"
Mr. Madison, whose doctrines are now held in
contempt by rebels, in writing to Bis friend Ed
mund Randolph just before the assembling of the
convention, says: : “ T hold it as a fundamental
poin t that an individual independence of the
is utterly irreconcilable with the idea of an aggre
gate sovereignty.” This was just what every pa
triotic eye saw, and hence to form a more perfect
Union and cement these States into hoe sovereign
republic, this glorious constitution was adopted.
I venture to ray that in this imperfect condition 5
of human nature, it combines more political wis
dom,.more, sagacious statesmanship, and more sim
ple devotion to national welfare than any political
paper over Written. It was the work of one peo
ple; it was designed to consolidate these States into'
one; government and cCment them perpetually- by ,
the strong, indissoluble bonds of .one great civil
fraternity. . ... '
"We, the people of this State, have more than,
once rejoiced, as we do this day, that our anees-'
tors took so prominent a part iu framing this Con
stitution, and that Delaware was: the first to adopt
it,/Dee. .7th, 178,7., Then and there this State,
cheerfully yielded its boasted independent sove
reignty to the sovereignty of a general government;’
Let that epoch ih-our State history be-sacred for-'
ever. Let no unworthy son ever attempt to ex-,
hiime from its appropriate sepulchre this wretched:
doctrine of State sovereignty, the foul parent of
all, the moniehtiius.eyils that now afflict ouf conn
try; “If we,” in the language of our great states
man, “or bur posterity, vioiare the rules of eternal
justice, . trifle with the injunctions of morality, and
recklessly destroy the political constitution which
holds us together, no man can tpll how suddenly
a catastrophe may overwb'elm'us that shall bury'
- aH'bur glory'in profound‘obscurity. If that catas
trophe shall come, let it have no history; l Let
the horrible, narrative never be written; letits' fate
be like thejpst book of Livy which np .human eye
shall ever read; or the missing. Pleiad,.of which
no' man BhhlTever know more than that it is lost
and lost fbrbver.” I-;* - ;,;---.v-
•> Eightyffonr years ago, where, we are; now go
booming.of the cannon,; as
’with sullen roar,those sounds of carnage came down
the peaceful valley of .the B.randy wine. They told,
of #ar’which-wte wagd4;'to reteih ns is -the
slaves of British'-fj#asny;f«* We- can nbwogaiu al-
VOI, V—SO. 48.—Whole No. 265.
M. P. J.
ORATION.
WILMINGTON.
most catch the; note of war waged to destroy tbe
government and deprive us of the.civil privileges
so dearly won on many a bloody field. I have no
terms in which to express the scorn and abhorrence
which I hold'toward the men who so causelessly
can lift their rebel bands against such a govern
ment, 1 to establish in its place a despotism for the
perpetuity of; the Worst system of human slavery
on the records of the face. God is surely against
it, our highest nature cries out against it, ana uni
versal humanity lifts one long,-loud, piercing sup
plication to us to save the Republic from such a
fate. Too many and precious hopes are linked
with it, too many sacred trusts are enshrined in it,
to permit patriotism to falter. Let no one shrink
from the responsibility; let no one hesitate to de
clare himself, and fly his colors to the breeze.’
There are bat two parties in this country to-day;
one is far and theother against the government, and
the, man who in the face :of open war against this go
vernment; endeavors l to get in between these two
parties under the name of “peace,” “compromise,”
or “ anti-coercion/' will sorely be ground to pow
der, as he deserves to be, between two such mill
stones. ■ ' - .... -
.Dependi upon fellow -oitizens, notwith
standing ail the sickly whine; and cant of partisans
and demagbgueSj our very life as a nation, our in
tegrity as a government, turn upon the uncondi
tional extermination of this vile rebellion. The
veriest-sehool boy, ‘with a spark, of unadulterated
patriotism in his soul, can see this. It is govern
ment or no government; life or death. To ac
knowledge this miserable abortion of a confede
racy upon the .plea of inability to suppress the re
bellion, or aversion to the horrors of war, is simply
to sign our national death-warrant. Rather let us
hang ourselves at once and have done with it.
No! no! we must sustain the government and
punish treason,, and by the help of God we will.
Let no man, especially no son of Delaware, shrink
from such an issue. As the brave Nelson; stand
ing on the quarter deck of his noble flag-ship, at
tbe opening of the battle o'f Trafalgar, said to his
crew: “ England expects every man to-day to do
his duty,” so now America calls upon all her loyal
sons to stand firm in their places and do manfully
their duty.- Thus doing, the time will surely come,
and it will not tarry, when we shall look back
upon all our efforts in behalf of our government,
upon all our sacrifices in behalf of our country with
unspeakable pleasure;. while every man who in
this hour of his country’s peril and trial, either by
word or pen or deed, paralyzes the arm of his go
vernment, and thus gives aid and comfort to its
enemies, will hide away in shame undeT the with
ering scorn and reproach of the world, and hu
manity itself will hiss him into the farthest corner
of Oblivion.
DEATH OF GOPHI NATH NUNDI.
LETTER FROM DR. DUFF.
My .dear Dr. Tweedie:—As mentioned in my
last, Sabbath evening, 17th inst., was fixed on for
the induction of the Rev. Lai Bchari Do, as na
tive pastor of the native congregation Cornwallis
Square. This evening was chosen as being most
convenient for educated natives whom we wished
to be'present. By appointment of the Presbytery,
the solemn services were conducted by me. There
werepiesent, besides the members of the native
church, a goodly'number of Europeans, and au
overflowing crowd of educated natives—tbe passages
being filled to the door. * * *
But if I am privileged to sing of "mercy”—
unspeakable mercy—l am also called to sing of
what.iipp.ears ia our popr blinded vision, “judg
ment”-too.- To the earliest converts of our mis
sion—baptized as far back as 1882 —I have al
ready referred. Of that first batch, which gave a
shock to Hinduism iu Calcutta, from which it has
not recovered, and never will—one and another
has been called hence, so that only one now sur
vives, the Rev. Krishna Mohan Banergca, Pro
fessor in Bishops’ College. Over the one last
called away, I sorrow with no ordinary poignancy.
On Sabbath evening, 17th inst., I was engaged in
the induction of a younger brother as pastor of a
native flock. On Monday, 18th, tbe very day
following, a note reached me from Futtehpore,
about half way between Allahabad and Cawnpore,
conveying the mournful, and to me stunning, in
telligence of the sudden death of my greatly be
loved son in the Lord, the Rev, Gophi Nath Nundi.
Ob, he was a dear one indeed! so simple, so do
cile, so humble, so affectionate, so grateful, so ear
nest, so disinterested, so intensely devoted, so sin
gle-eyed, so single-minded, so wholly absorbed in
labors of faith and love, so instant in season and
out of season!
It is only a few weeks ago since he was in Cal
cutta on a special embassy of faithfulness, affec
tion, agd love. He was then in his ordinary state
tof health-; and on Sabbath, evening sweetly, ten
derly and impressively addressed a native congre
gation in our little chapel. Ah, little did I dream
when parting with him then, that it was the last
time 1 was to gaze on that mild bnt earnest coun
tenance! Little did I dream when we knelt down
together, hand-in-band, in my study, to commend
each other to the Father of -spirits, it was the last
time we should meet till we hail each other before
tlio throne on high, as redeemed by the blood of
the Lamb! But so it has proved! I mourn over
him as I would over an only son. till, at times, my
eyes are sore with weeping. It is not the sorrow
of repining at the dispensation of a gracious God
and loving Father ! Oh no; but the outburst and
overflow of affectionate grief for hiin whom I loved as
my soul. But he has gone to his rest; ay, and
to his glorious reward! His works do follow him.
There are spiritual children in northern India, not
a few, to mourn over his loss—a loss to them al
together irreparable. It is not quite four years
since himself and his dear partner were caught by
the mutineers—examined and condemned to die
by the Moulvie, who, at Allahabad, was for a few
days sole despot there. Nobly and martyr-like
did he and- liis spouse submit to their doom, rather
than deny the Lord that bought them. And from
a crucl and ignominious death tliey were rescued
only,by the.sudden and. unexpected arrival of the
heroic General Neil. But he has now had a
peaceful end, and an honoured grave. There may
his ashes Softly’repose till the resurrection of the
jast! !i •
The American Christian Mission, which he
so„faitUfully served, will, I doubt not, sorely feel
liis. loss. Oh, when shall we have scores and
•hundreds clothed with his mantle and imbued
with"liis spirit ? Will any of our young ministers,
animated by like: faith and hope, at once come
out and fill up the gap? pr, if they will not, will
they at least pray that native men may be raised
up here in greater numbers, both able and willing
to' mount the breach? Some day, the Lord wxU
take the work into His own hands; and then re
buke the laggard zeal of those who will not
come forward now to. His help against the mighty.
“ This kind goeth not out but by prayer and
fasting.” What-a volume of sigoificancy have
we in these'words? Long have all churches and
societies laboured by all manner of, ..imaginable
plans,, methods, and enginery to drive out the
monster demon of Hinduism; .and hitherto but
with very partial . success. Ferhaps it may be to
tehoh iis all, that “tais kind will not go out but
by prayer and fasting,” by real self-emptying,
self-denial, and humiliation before God, accom
panied by fervent, importunate, persevering prayer!
Instead, therefore, of acting any longer as inge
nious schemers of new plans, or as critics, judges,
and fault-finders with old ones; were all of us, at
home 1 and abroad, to betake ourselves more to
self-humiliation and prayer, perhaps even “ this
kind” of demoniacal possession would soon be
seen “going out” from the souls of myriads, to
the praise and glory of Jehovah’s omnipotent
grace.—Yours, ever affectionately,
Alexander Duff.
Calcutta, March 22d, 1861