fMrtgttmtt THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1861. JOHN ¥• HEARS, ED.ITOR. associated with ALBERT BARNES, , GEOROE DUFFIELD, Js. THOMAS BRAINERD, / JOHN JENKINS, HENRY DARLING. I THOMAS J. SHEPHERD. A HEW VOLUME. With this number we commence the sixth vo lume of the American Presbyterian. Through five eventful years, embracing seasons of extraor dinary disturbance in our Churoh and in the na tion, through great commercial revulsions, great revivals, and finally civil war itself, our paper has survived and exerted, we believe, an influence for good. It has been a standard of loyalty to the Church and the State in a neighbourhood where our denomination would otherwise have been grossly misrepresented and irremediably injured. In the spirit of our branch of the Churoh, it has aimed to be honest without unkindness, and out spoken without recklessness on the great questions of the times. If some of the great ends which we have felt it our duty to advocate have also en tered into the partisan strifes of the day, that fact has been no cause of embarrassment to us; we have been unable to see in it a reason for discontinuing our advocacy of those ends. It may be an honor to a party to include the Maine Law, or opposition to the extension of slavery in its creed; certainly it does not affect the intrinsic excellence of those measures, or relieve good men of the duty of promoting them. Nay, it might easily he made to appear, that the very inter mingling of partisan elements in the strife between good and evil, render the services of Christian men only the more needful. With a firmer hand, therefore, our Christian journalists and men of influence should grasp the helm, when men with doubtful, or openly venal purposes essay to guide the car of progress in society and in tbe state. We have not allowed ourselves, in these columns, to be deterred from what we considered tbe wise exercise of all tbe influence we could command on great topics of public interest lying within the sphere of religious journalism. And in so doing, we believe we have faithfully represented the liberal, comprehensive and fearless spirit of our denomination. The kingdom of Christ is not meat and drink, nor is it of this world; neverthe less it is the salt of the earth, and the leaven which is to leaven the whole lump of human society and institutions. We think that the events and ca tastrophes of the past five years have shown, with increasing olearness, the necessity of bringing the influences of religion to bear upon the commercial and political relations of men; they have shown the vanity of attempting, for peace sake, to keep great and plain questions of duty and morals out of our Churoh courts; they have shown that, whether we will or not, such questions will force themselves on us resistlessly sooner or later; and that the wiser, not to say the only right course, is to meet them as they arise, and decide them frankly, in the fear of God, and with such light as we have. We have no wish to boast. But we may with sincere pleasure recall tbe fact that our five years’ record is one clear, consistent and intelligible tes timony, on questions whose supreme importance is at length universally recognised, and upon the side for which twenty millions of our countrymen are, to all practical purposes, almost unanimously enlisted, and for which they are prepared to sacri fice their treasures and their blood. It has been our eornest purpose to answer truly the ends of a religious and family journal. This purpose we feel that we have been carrying out white discussing the questions which have agitated the community, otherwise we should have avoided them. It was needful that right views of them should prevail in the Church and the Christian household. Meanwhile, we have sought by the original and selected matter we have presented to our readers, to furnish a stimulus to the prac tice of every Christian virtue, to cultivate a large Christian experience, to trace the providential significance of events occurring around us, to ex hibit the growth, the perils, and the claims of the Redeemer's kingdom in every part of the world, to assist the Christian parent in instilling elevated Christian principles into the minds of his children, and to make our visits welcome even to the youngest reader or listener in the household group. Alas! Alas 1 that our deficiencies in intention and in execution have been so many and so great. IVe beg you, gentle reader, bear with us, pray for us, and render U 3 your aid with heart and hand in this the sixth year of our existence. NOTICE. TO THE SUPPORTERS OF THE KOLAPOOR 3IISSIO.V, INDIA, Rev. R. G. Wilder, who left for his missionary work in India, last week by the Persia, has issued the following, which will be interesting to all friends of the Kolapoor Missions Beloved Friends:— ln leaving our native shores, we destre to express our sincere thanks for the gene rous sympathy, encouragement, and aid you have so kindly given us in our efforts to re-establish our dear Mission at Kolapoor. Situated as it is among mil lions of idolaters, with no other missionary to care for their sonls, you share with us a peculiar privilege if we are enabled to plant the Gospel permanently among them, and win some of their precious souls to Christ. We go baok to this work with little confi dence in our own strength, but trusting in God and in those whose hearts He inclines to help us to sup port the Mission. You may wish to know, 1. How can contributions reach us in India? Answer. All moneys for us should be sent di rectly to Rev. A. E. Campbell, D. D., No-156 Cham bers Street, New York, with the specific statement that the same is for the Kolapoor Mission. The sums already subscribed for 1862, will reach us safely through Dr. Campbell, and tee trust they will be promptly paid U> him early in January next. 2. How can letters reach us in India? Answer. Write on thin paper, and address to Rev. R. G. Wilder, Kolapoor, Bombay Presidency, India, and inclose to Rev, A. E. Campbell, D. D., No. 156 Chambers Street, New York. Those who wish to prepay postage to India will inclose to Dr. Campbell thirty-six cents In postage stamps to every half-ounce weight of letters. 3. And now, dear friends, one question to you: Shall the Kolapoor Mission die with us, or shall it live and prosper over our graves ? Who will come and help us in that needy and promising field, and hold up the Gospel banner among those perishing idolaters when we fall ? “ Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and he glorified even ns it is with you,” In the service and patience and blessed hopes of the Gospel, Yours sincerely, R. G. Wilder. Mew York, August 26 th, 1881. TAKE CARE OF THE CHURCH. One of the most venerable of American clergy men, preaching on a late “Fast day” occasion, exclaimed, “we have been a nation of boasters!” The charge is true; so, therefore, is the convic tion; the punishment we are no w reaping. Yet are there some things amongst us in which we may glory; not in a spirit of boastfulness, but of gratitude, rather, to the Author of good. The history of the American Church has reflected Upou the land a glory which has far surpassed that of our republican government, or the prowess of our arms. Our religious position and progress is the one thing of all others, in which we have borne comparison with the older Christian nation alities of the world. Our religious literature was, for a long time, the only American literature which commanded attention in Europe; our mis sions abroad elevated us in tbe eyes of Christendom much more than our embassies to foreign courts; and our evangelical successes at home, filled the Old World with a respect and an admiration, which even the progress of Democratic institutions failed to inspire. Nor need this surprise us, when we reflect that in the United States for years past, the children churches of Great Britain have outstripped their more venerable parents. The Baptist and Metho dist communities of America, are giants in might and progress compared with those denominations in England, from which they emanated. Even the Episcopal church of the United States numbers more dioceses and prelates than the United churches of Great Britain and Ireland. And as to Presbyterianism, taking in the various branches which cleave to our own faith and order, we far outnumber the two great churches of Scotland, and the Presbyterian church of Ireland. The work of the church in this land has been blessed beyond compare in the history of Christianity since the death of the beloved disciple. We have felt of late jealous for the honor and glory of the American church. We have feared for it, in this time of our national trial. We have given no uncertain sound as to the righteous defence of law and government. Shall we now inform our readers that wo tremble for the interests of Zion? We do tremble for the ark of the Lord in this time of evil. For the thought of the peo ple, the Christian people of our land, is swallowed up by tbe country’s tribulation and danger, and they are forgetting tbe church, its necessities and its claims. The temper of the professing church, seems to us to be that of .indifference to these things: —Let us take care of the nation, the church must take care of herself. We say that both the one and the other must he cared for; and that if Christian men and women will not put forth their energies to sustain the church, the world will not, and she will wither, and however triumphantly the nation may rise above the present struggle, its true glory will be eclipsed by the feebleness which will result to the church. We must build tbe walls of Zion as faithfully as we wield the sword for the nation’s defence, and we must do both contemporaneously. The country, the government must not absorb all energy and wealth of the land. The church must share these; and the members of the churoh must regard her as paramount, for God thus regards her. Sacrifices must be made to keep up our missions at borne and abroad; to disseminate truth through the press as an antidote to the trash and unchristian sentiment upon which the secular press is feeding the public mind. The ordinances of religion must be sustained in tbeir fall vigor; that so, in the midst of our suf ferings as a nation, the tone of the church may become elevated, Christ-like. The nation never needed as it does in this day, a self-denying, a vigorous, a progressive, a pure Christianity. EDITORIAL JOTTINGS. Lotteries in Delaware—We have copied from a cotemporary in another place, sonde ex cellent remarks about lotteries, in which allu sion is made to the position of Delaware on this subject. The truth is, Delaware did gain a most unenviable notoriety two or three winters ago, by granting, through her legislature, to men who had been barred by every other State in the Union, the privilege of carrying on the nefarious business of lottery-dealing within the State during the next twenty years, for the sum of $120,000, to be paid into tlie State Treasury in semi-annual instalments of $lB,OOO each. Failure to make any one of these payments would be regarded as a non-fnlfilment of the terms, and would result in a forfeiture of the charter. Messrs. France & Co., the recipients of this charter, recently succeeded, by due coarse of law, in closing the only other firm in the State, which was still proseenting the* busi ness, though its charter had expired. Soon after, the time for the semi-annual payment by Messrs. France & Co. came around, but the mo ney did not find its way into the State Trea sury. The thirty days’ grace expired some time in August, but the needed funds are not forth coming. This, we believe, finally closes out the last legalized lottery firm in the. United States. A vast business, however, is still done clandestinely. “Whitewashing. By this homely term, alite rary process which has becom’e very fashionable of late, is indicated. It is the attempt of men more chivalrous than conscientious, more fond of startling than of instructing their readers, to reverse the settled judgment of the public con science upon characters and deeds notoriously wrong. It is analogous to what lawyers term “throwing dust”—gathering together special considerations bearing but remotely on the case, and interweaving them with plausible sugges tions, while the great and perfectly conclusive facts are studiously kept out of view, and treated as non-existent. We say this process has become fashionable of late. A certain leaning to it ap peared in a life of the first Napoleon, which adorned the pages of a popular monthly not many years ago. The more liberal and philo sophical Romanists of France, Germany, Italy, and America, Lammenais, Goberti, DBllinger, and Brownson, have been trying it, on a grand scale, on the scarlet woman; bat the original color is too deep, and it will adhere and show through in no less a personage than the pope himself. In this country the whitewashes have been diligently employed on the institution of slavery, and the most odious characters in oar history have been selected to undergo the same process. Tom Paine and Aaron Burr are reha bilitated by bold,.acute and unscrupulous sensa tion writers, and last of all, the religions cha racter of Thomas Jefferson is defended, and he is described as “a public professor of belief in , the Christian religion.” We are indebted to the New Englander for an exposure of the gross disregard of truth involved in this claim made by Jefferson’s biographer, Dr. Randall gftcsi&iJijmfltt and <S»anpliot. and backed up by the North American Review. What Dr. Ilandall and the Review mean by Christianity, what latitude of doctrine they in tend it to cover, whether in fact they mean any thing which could be specifically distinguished from Parkerism, Mohammedanism, or Deism, it is needless to inquire. Certain it is, that Mr. Jefferson, in his private correspondence, cover ing half a century of his life, denied the miracu lous inspiration of Scripture, and spoke of Moses, of the God of the Old Testament, of the Apostles, and of Paul especially, with all the profane boldness, and almost all the coarse ness of Tom Paine. He made his own selection of what he regarded as reliable in the New Testament, the result comprising, as he says, an octavo of forty-six pages. Even from parts of this “result” he dissented. Christ was a man who might conscientiously have thought himself inspired. He hated John Calvin most heartily, and in a burst of fanatical presump tion called him an Atheist! We think Jeffer son was as near the truth in this estimate of Calvin, as his own defenders are in calling him a Christian. For our part, we prefer the "liheism of Calvin to the Christianity of Jef ferson. THE WORK OF GOD IN TROUBLOUS TIMES. Many heart* are faint at the prospect of a suspension of the proper work of the Church, and a denial of the Spirit’s influences in the pre sent crisis. With the unwonted excitements of the conflict, and the unchristian and demora lizing tendencies of war generally, it is ex pected the enemy will come in like a flood. In the suspension of business, it is feared that the Church, in many of its weaker members, will be crippled, and that the stream of beneficence needful to sustain onr evangelical enterprises at home and abroad, will nearly run dry. These fears are only too reasonable, and to some ex tent are realized already. And it may possibly be that we are about to enter upon a period of unwonted barrenness and coldness—of inward and outward calamity to the Church. When, in the course of Providence, it becomes evident that the obstacles to the progress of the divine kingdom, created by wicked or mistaken men, can only be removed by war, then possibly the peculiar work of the Church pauses until the obstacle is removed and the way is made straight before her. While the forerunner thus prepares the way, Christ in his Church may remain in some sense in a state of obscurity. Yet if Christ’s people are wise to know the times, they will feel that one part of their work, and a great part, as in dicated by Providence, is to contribute all in their power to remove the obstruction. We have not the shadow of a doubt that the Church will do the most effective work practicable for her in these times, by joining heartily in a strug gle to preserve the lawful authority and the constitutional existence of this country as a field for her untrammelled operations in the future. We have not a doubt that the triumph of the slaveholders’ rebellion would narrow her field of influence and cripple her usefulness for gene rations. Therefore she should give the emphatic endorsements of her great Assemblies and coun cils to the undertakings of onr rnlers. She should encourage and stimulate the patriot by her pulpit utterances ft»d~-berppay*rß4-_she should send forth her own members with her blessing to the tented field, and should freely yield up her ministers to the arduous and peri lous pastorate of the army. This she may do, and should do, from a far-seeing regard to the interests of Christ’s kingdom, not Jess than from the simple impulses of patriotism. Nor should we omit to observe, that important scriptural truth is now receiving such illuiration as must give it new impressiveness in the minds of men. Never before had we Americans such views of the value of God’s ordinance of civil go vernment, or of the sacredne'ss of law, or of the criminality of a causeless resistance to the prin ciples of social order. Now is the time to in scribe these truths deeply upon the public mind. Now, too, the skilful preacher will learn to lay home to the heart of the people that whole series of truths and duties, which this rebellion only too clearly shows that we Americans have, to a large extent, practically ignored. Let 4be preacher take this opportunity sternly to rebuke the lack of family government in American homes, the dis respect towards authority, and slackness of dis cipline in oar church courts, the shrinking from pronouncing and administering the penalties of the law on the part of judicial and executive of ficers, the disregard of solemn oaths, obligations and contracts, in the ecclesiastical and commercial relations of men, and the general weakening of the great idea of authority, which seems to have reached its lowest point in the unspeakable imbe cility of the previous administration at Washing ton. Let them labor to tone up a people too prone to licentious excess in the use of their liberties, to a wholesome regard for the restraints of human and divine law. Let them incorporate, in their theological teachings a bolder vindication of the ways of God as a Sovereign, of his terror as an offended Judge, of his sentence of everlast ing punishment upon the final rejecters of his grace. Let them insist upon the beinousness of rebellion against his laws, and the flippancy and criminality of those who, in dealing with the sin ner, would cry peace! peace! when there is no peace. By these means we may promote the work of God in troublous times, making use of the very in fluences which threaten to distract and cripple us in the work. And we, unquestionably, show a great lack of practical wisdom if we allow our fears for the church to unnerve and unman us, and thus hide from our view the great and peculiar oppor tunities of the times in which we live. Nevertheless the Tegular work and onward spi ritual movement of the church must be watched and waited and prayed for, with the most tender and zealous interest. All its regular exercises must be most perseveringly sustained. All its needs must be most faithfully provided for. AH its organizations must be kept, so far as practi cable, in vigorous existence. The Holy Spirit is not bound in its operations by limits of war or peace. Prices may go down, and the business pursuits of men may decline, but prayer does not lose its efficacy, nor the immortal part of man its preciousness, in times like these. The exposure of multitudes of our countrymen, unprepared, to all the hazards of mortal conflict, can but add to our anxiety for the immediate and abundant out pouring of the Spirit. We must expect souk to be awakened, convicted and saved. In the army the church must find a new, and, in many re spects, a promising home missionary field. Call ing upon the God of the harvest she must put in the sickle and reap. No mortal knows how long this state of war may last. We are not warranted in suspending our labors, prayers, contributions, and hopes for the regular work and prosperity of the 'church until peace returns. That may be de ferred for many months. We may need extraor dinary supplies of grace, and a great revival of Christian principle, in order to sustain us in the trials or to prompt us to the patriotic duties and endurances which will be necessary before an honorable peace is secured. Let us get the church on a war footing. Let us have our vessel taut and trim for the gjile, but by all means, let us keep her on her coutse, and not suffer her to get into the trough of the" sea. For tbe American Presbyterian. MISStOH SCHOOLS. In the American Presbyterian of August 22d, a “Friend o the American Board” asks certain questions i nggested by the statement, in a previous numbei of the comparative expendi ture of the Americ in Board and other American Missionary societi :s in the department of edu cation. So far a: these relate to the facts em bodied in thestatf uent, I will cheerfully answer them. 1. “Are not the statistics of the other Soci eties mentioned, confessedly imperfect? And are not a large proportion of the scholars they report, in their higher institutions ?” It is seldom thai .reports are absolutely per fect. The reports pt the American Board cer tainly compare we# with those of other in respect to fulness and accuracy; but there is no such difference, in this regard, in the re ports consulted as ;o affect the conclusion. The educational in the report of the Ame rican Board are “confessedly imperfect.” The second par of the above question was answered in the original communication as fol lows: ’ !i “The reports oi some of these societies do not enable us to determine with exactness the comparative number of pupils in the different grades of schools. It is ascertained, however, that in the missions of, the Episcopal Board more of the aggregate reported are in board ing-schools, than], is the proportion in the boarding-schools and higher seminaries of the American Board, j The same is true of the Ge neral Assembly’s Board, including schools in the Indian for which aid is received from the U. S. Government; bnt.in the missions of that Board elsewhere, the proportion falls a little >elow that, in similar missions of*the American Board. The propqgjion is doubtless smaller in other societies.” 2. “What is the number of scholars in the schools of the London Missionary Society, the Church, the Wesleyan, and other European missionary Societies ?,” A comparison with English and other Euro pean societies was not proposed. There is much difference between European and Ameri can methods in missions. To make a general comparison requires authorities which are not at hand ; and to make it justly would demand mneh labor. The English societies generally include the colonies in their fields of labor. Some of them reckon in Sabbath-schools with other schools. Schools in Polynesia are in cluded; whereas those in the Sandwich Islands are now excluded from the statistical summa ries of the American Board. It would take much time and patience to make out the sta tistics on the same basis; and there is no suffi cient reason why I should undertake the task. 3. " How does sjfs (10j615) present number uf “BeholarBi.;Mr schools of American Board, compare with the number in the schools of this same Boacd.ia past years?” My first communication stated that it is small-, er than it was in former years, though it is believed that “the education in the missions under the care of the Board, regarded as a whole, was never so effective; in a missionary point of view, never so valuable as at the present moment,” The tract on missionary schools recently pub lished, gives a “frank” account of the number of pupils, and the character of the schools in the several missions from the beginning, and the reasons for the differences in the statistics of different periods. It sums up under the head of Common Schools, with the following state ment: , “Taking a general view of common school education in the missions, the highest number of pupils was in the year 1832, when it was 60,000; of whom 53,000 were in the Sandwich Islands, and 5,500 in the Ceylon and Mahratta missions. The' smallest number was in 1837,' when it was 12,000. The largest subsequent number was 29,830, and this was in 1846. At present there are 18,000, including the free schools supported by the Government of the Sandwich Islands. The whole number connected with the common schools from the beginning, is believed to have exceeded two hundred thousand.” For the satisfaction of yoor correspondent, I will give the statistics of education, so far as they can be ascertained, from the reports of the American Board in the following years: Pupils ex. of Total Pupils. Sand. Is. 1830, “At least 50,000" 10,000 1835. : 21,181 8,428 1840, i ' 22,413 8,000 1845, j 29,197 10,949 1850, 22,465 11.232 1855, j 21,578 10,381 1860, 10,615 \ r During this period of thirty years great changes have place in the missions. Se veral have been given up or transferred to other bodies, and n&r ones have been established. Some have had a large development; others are conducted jo,a a smaller scale than formerly. The history of the missions, and the reason for changes made; need to be understood in order to a just comprehension of the present as com pared with the past in the educational opera tions of the Board. The comparison of the American Board with other American societies shows conclusively the facts which it was the single object of my former communication to set forth, viz.: 1. That the former has, as disclosed by of 1860, a larger number of pupils in the schools of its missions, in proportion to its whole ex penditure, than any other society, and seventy nine per cent, more than the.six societies named, when taken together. 2. That, examining the character of the schools, it will be seen that it is doing proportionally more in the educational department than other American societies ge nerally have been led to undertake in missions beyond sea. “The changes which have been made have resulted from no unfriendly feeling towards schools, but from a desire to make them more effective, and to secure a wise economy in the administration of funds. Curtailments in this branch of missionary operations, imposed by a falling off in the income of the Board, are deemed a calamity.” W. The English Army, throughout the world, in 1860, numbered 228,854. The regular force main tained in the British islands, this year, will be 146,- 000. For the American Presbyterian. LETTER FROM ST. LOUIS. St. Louis, Mo., August 28,1861 Eds. of the American Presbyterian:—l do not know whether you have a correspondent here to keep your readers informed of passing events at this most interesting period. Every day brings something new, and yet you may have the programme correctly given in the secular jour r nals at the East. Probably 30,000 troops —perhaps more, are now here to maintain the Union. They are arriving continually, and leaving for Jefferson City, Hol la, Ironton, (Iron Mount,) Cape Girardeau, and other points beyond. Every thing is under strict surveillance. Some of the Ohio, Indiana, and Illi nois Regiments' are fine bodies of men, well-drilled, and furnished with every needed outfit. Those along the banks are not yet so well fitted out, but they will be soon. The lowa Re giments are fine men, and acted quite a different part in the Springfield fight from that ascribed to the “ three months’ men” at Bull’s Run. The wounded in that engagement (10th inst.) mostly left for home 24th inst. with their The “ cold water dressing” seems to act like a charm in healing up flesh-wounds. This was all they used. A few who were severely injured, (bones or vital parts shot through) still • remain here, but are most tenderly cared for. Gen. Fremont visits them personally, and he is only afraid that the. ladies and friends will kill them with kindness. They have every delicacy—fruits, &c., in too great abundance probably. I was not prepared to see so great a population of Germans as I find here. I have no statistics at hand, but my impression is that well nigh two thirds of the population are Germans. It niay, in part, be owing to the large numbers of soldiers of that race in town at present. The “Creoles,” too, (descendants of the old French and Romish race) are more numerous than I had ever supposed they were. Their thin lips, jet black hair, small features and statures, generally mark them; and from the number of women of this description, whom one. meets in the streets, they must make almost one-third the population. This leaves but a small fraction for the cute Yankees, the substantial Pennsylvanians, lordly Virginians, Kentuckians, &e., most of which latter classes are absent just now. The Creole po pulation, too, are wofuljy “secessionist.” The Germans, and almost all the Eastern people are loyal. Bat one cannot resist the conviction that a'large part of the people here do not warmly sympathize with the nation. Closed houses and stores innumerable “to rent,” attest this; the cold looks— wm-chaMnce —one observes, attest it; absence of cordiality attest it. Yesterday, as Gen. Lyon’s remains were borne through the city, thou sands it is true, turned out to witness the solemn funeral pomp of the military; and much feeling was evinced. Much was also not evinced; great lack of feeling, as you at the East would think, and even joy was exhibited. No flags, except the few ordinarily seen, were at half-mast. No pent up signs of sorrow were manifested. A few moments before, and a few moments after the pro cession passed, all things went on as usual. The city is now under martial law, whieh is kindly and firmly administered, and conduces very greatly to the public peace and welfare. The past few days all the liquor-shops, high and low, have been closed in terrorem, to keep the soldiers from getting drink, which was work ing-great mischief. Gen. Fremont is intensely busy in the mani fold duties of bis command. Although he has an abundance of the ablest assistants, every thing must come under his own approval. But the crowd cannot get at him. “All the people, from morning unto evening, stand by ” the ur bane and genial Captain J. C. Woods, his Se cretary, who is perfectly acceptable, and does the honors at “ Head Quarters.” He was for years the popular head of Adams & Co’s, esta blishment in California, and seems to know every one; calls them all by name and title, and has a kind word, most appropriate, for each in turn. The churches are thinly attended, and it pained me last Sabbath not to hear a single petition for the President, and none for the rulers, or the nation, except in terms equally applicable to the state of affairs in South Caro lina, as to that in Missouri. In the various military encampments in and around this growing city and county, the case was quite different. Fervent and repeated pe titions, by faithful chaplains, pious officers, and devout soldiers, were heard at public worship and iu private circles. Ho doubt many Chris tians here pray for the President of the United States, and for all joined with him in council, and for the peace, and preservation, and the prosperity of this nnion; but the absence of such prayers last Sabbath was noticed by more than one who worshipped in the city congrega tions. Do you ever at the East omit praying in express terms for these great and import ant topics, especially at this time ? They always should be remembered as of old. * * For the American Presbyterian. LETTER FROM MT. LEBANON. Bhamdun, Mount Lebanon, July 20th, 1861. Dear Editor: —The plaintive voice of our Syrian Trumpets for patriotism seems to have perished'in, the more earnest tones of our national conflict, to sustain the best Government of any people in the world. Though itshould coat millions of men and money, I believe it is the* sovereign will of Omnipotence, that our beloved Government and our Union shall be most triumphantly sus tained and transmitted to the generations of our fellow countrymen, in the ages to come. It is better, Sir, that you and I, and' all our colleagues in the ministry, and church of God, who are citi zens of the United States of-America, should leave our official robes, and buckle on the armor, and pray and fight, and fight and pray, for our Go vernment, and for the supremacy of the Constitu tion and laws of the United States, than to outlive the life and honor of our country. We have something now better than life. In a great in surrection, such as I have witnessed in this goodly mountain, and such as we now witness in our sunny South, methihks that even war in defence of Governmental Authority, is better than a thou sand lives to every loyal citizen. In subordination to that authority, I acknow ledge that my sympathies are for all sections" of our country, from the lakes to the gulf of Mexico, and from Atlantic, to the Pacific ocean. I thank God that we have a President, and Cabinet, and Congress, in whom we can safely confide. I thank God for our venerable Commander-in-Chief, Gene ral Scott, and for bis salutary and pacific counsels, -to retake our posts at Harper's Ferry, Fort Sump ter, and in all other locations, so far as possible, by the moral force of mere numbers. To this ir resistible policy, my heart responds, Amen. Ex pend 200,000,000 of dollars, but spare the pre cious life of every citizen soldier. Nor have I ever seen in all history, a nobler exhibition of con solidated power in the people themselves, than the present attitude and determination of our great government to quell this most formidable insurrection of misdirected States, against the so vereignty of the American people. Heaven pro tect, and prosper, and perpetuate our Union, and Liberty forever, and the individual and national happiness and prosperity of all loyal citizens, and restore the misguided friends of slavery and Se cession, from their fatal appeal to arms, and faci litate the immediate reconstruction of all the, United States, in perpetual loyalty, an 4 patriotism. Purified from such a trial, I trust our national destiny is Heaven’s high calling, to send forth the chosen and faithful missionaries of the ' Cross, for the promised conversion of our revolted world to God. The affairs of Mount Lebanon and Syria, are very tranquil. Ten days ago, the people off the mountain were summoned to convene on the plain near Beirut, and receive their new governor, and hear the new constitution of seventeen arti cles, for the retranquillization of Mount Lebanon. And the same day, the Governor elect, Davud Pa sha, left, to come up to his Capital, in Deir-el- Komr. The whole mountain is divided ; into six districts, with a deputy governor for each, and 1500 men are to be enrolled as soldiers; from the different communities, for the maintenance of law and order. Certainly the Christians ought to be thankful to God for so favorable an issue from the late insurrection. Brethren, pray for Mount Lebanon, and for the blessing of God upon its Christian Government, and for the conversion of the Druses to Christianity. Our missionary affairs are still in much sus pense. Our Seminaries are closed, and our pri mary schools in this district, and in some other districts are all disbanded. Hundreds and thou sands of little children around us, are left to pe rish in their heathenism, while hundreds of thou sands, not to say millions of dollars are expended for war between our fellow-countrymen, and their enemies. Alas, for humanity and religion! Heaven alone can tell when, as a nation, we shall have learned our duty towards the heathen world. The convention of last week, to inaugurate the new Governor of Lebanon, was composed of per haps 2000 Christians, and 200 Druses. After the proclamation was read, the Christians said one to another, “This order of the Government, we will not accept; oppose it, we will aid you.” Contra riwise the Druses regarded as Satans in that con vention, said, “The order of our Government and of Europe we accept, obedient to their will.” And, when our Christian friends from Bhamdun were understood to agree with, the latter, the for mer classed them as Druses, of whom perhaps I was Chief. As a Druse Chief, therefore, permit me to entreat from my beloved*countrymen fervent and effectual prayer to God, for this interesting people, that they may be saved. I remain in Christian love, ever yours, frater- William A. Benton. DEATH OF MBS. DULLES. "We are grieved to learn that the wife of our ministerial friend and brother, Bev. John W. Dulles, formerly editor of this paper, and now Secretary of the Committee of Publication, de parted this life on Sabbath last, the Ist of Sep tember,_at the eiriyage Of thirty-three. She was the daughter of Myron Winslow, D: D' the veteran missionary at Madras. Her loss will be deeply felt by her bereaved husband and family, who have our warm' sympathy in their sorrow. EDITOR’S TABLE. From Harper & Brothers, we have received Comoro's Latin Accidence, a text-book for beginners in the study of the Latin tongue. It is designed to be introductory to “ M'Clintock's First Book in Latin.” It claims to have the following advantages. It groups together all that relates to each part of speech; it furnishes more para digms than any other grammar; it appends ques tions to each section; it gives only those .parts :of the etymology absolutely necessary ,to ; be learned by heart; it contains illustrative reading lessons, ■with the appropriate rules of syntax, a. summary of syntax, and a complete vocabulary. It appears to be a scholarly work, and worthy the attention of teachers. For a primary work it might, have been, douched in simpler style; for students 12 years old and upwards it is well adapted. The author is Professor of Latin and Greek; in -the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute. 12rrio. pp. 347. Professor Faraday has proved himself a true friend of the children, by his Six Lectures on the Chemical History of a Candle, re published by Messrs. Harper & Brothers.- A great deal of philosophy is involved in so simple a process as the burning of a .candle, and the learned professor has very clearly and-attractively developed it, to the comprehension of youthful in quirers after this sort of knowledge. We com mend it cordially to our youthful readers. The illustrations,are abundant, and answer, to a conside rable extent, the ends of experiments where these cannot be had. 16mo. pp. 223. The House on the Moor, is a tale of Scottish life, by the gifted and successful author of " Mar garet Maitland,” and other works of fiction, -which cannot but add to the reputation already acquired by the author. The conceptions are original; fresh and striking, the characters well -sustained, the story interesting, and the impression niade, health- 1 ful and profitable. 12mo. pp. 405; published by Harper & Brother. Life and Adventure in the South Pacific is an eminently readable and enjoyable volume. The “ Roving printer,” who wrote it, is as much at home as any old salt, amid the scenes he de scribes. The descriptions of adventures -in whale fishery are vivid and animated; there’is : a fine moral tone not thrust forward at all, but pervading the narrative. The services and self-denial of our missionaries among the remote islands of the Pacific, are honorably acknowledged. A feature of the volume is the profusion of good illustrations which it contains. 12mo. pp. 261. Harper & Brothers, publishers. m The above works are for sale at J. B. Lippin cott and Co’s., in this city. The North British Be view for August contains The British Universities —Montalenibert —British Columbia—Stan ley’s Eastern Churches —Edwin of Deira, (a favorable notice) —Scottish Geology—Freedom of Beligious Opinion (answer to the Edinburgh Beview’s defence of the he retical Essayists)—Marriage and -Divorce; Eng lish and Scottish Law—Du Chaillu’s Explorations (favorable with unimportant disclaimers,) Mr. Buckle on the Civilization of Scotland, (freely conceding the merit of orginality and boldness of conception in the author, but unsparingly flis - his grave errors in regard to the character of the Scottish Theologians.) • ' ' . The National Preacher ‘for September, contains Sermons on The True Estimate of Man, by S. D. Phelps, D. D. Confounding right and wrong, by Rev. S. G. Buckingham. The Be liever s Joyful Love to an unseen Saviour, by N. C. Locke, D. D. Messrs. T. B. Peterson & Bro , have sent us the illustrated Edition of Dickens’ new. and very remarkabje story “ Great ExPEbTArioNS.” The moral of this story is identical with that of the Preacher. The Great Expectations are founded upon and explode like a bubble in Bur- indignation and shame; while a life of sim ple and unlettered honesty, and eoDtentmentruns like an undertone through the story, bringing out a sharp and -wholesome contrast at the end. The illustrations generally well exhibit the spirit of the tale and greatly recommend it. FOREIGN ITEMS. -There are some striking facts brought to light by the census of 1861 in reference to the state of things in Ireland. In 1841 the population of the four Provinces was 8,176,124. In 1861 it was 5,784,543, giving a decrease of 2,390,581. In 1834 the returns to Parliament showed that in round numbers there were 6,500,000 Roman Catholics, about 800,000 mem bers of the Church of England, aDd abont the same number belonging to other religious sects. In the census of 1861, 4,490,583 are set down as Roman Catholics, 678,661 as Episcopalians, and 695,299 as Presbyterians and other religionists—-showing that therh are now about ikree-and-u-half times as many Roman Catholics as Protestants in Ireland, and that they stand to the members of the Episcopal Church (which is the Established Church) in the proportion of seven to one. At this state of. things, especially in reference to the Established Church, Romanists are jubilant, and they significantly ask—“ Ought seven-eighths of a people to be taxed and plundered to support the religion of one-eighth ?” Surely, Ireland presents a large field for evangelical labor. One can scarcely fail to be surprised at the rapid increase of the instrumentalities for the evangeliza tion and enlightenment of Italy. Recently a new periodical'has been started in Genoa, written in Ita lian, and setting forth much literary and evangelical matter of an attractive and most valuable character. It is being widely read, and its influence is good, A ..of things is developing itself among ihejfigflsgf In Warsaw they have commenced the publication,of itt weekly newspaper, called The Dawn, in view of their brightening pros pects; A circular letter has been addressed hy the Catholic .Archbishop to his clergy throughout Po land, urging them to inculcate principles of tolera tion and good will on the part of their people towards the Jews. TMb is'certainly a great change, when Rome % sense; kind to.the- Jews. - As if, however, to counterbalance this in some degree, and keep this people mindful of their dependent state, General Souchojirnel has given orders that unless the singing of the national hymn is stopped in the synagogues, he will have them all closed. Few can realize the Expensiveness of a Chukcb Establishment, if that-of England is to he, in any sense, the model; In a letter to the Independent, Rev. Dr. Patton says There arc twenty-eight bi- Bhops, generally called Lord Bishops, who have grand palaces and a splendid retinue. OF these one is 83 years old, one 80, nine over 70, ten over 60, and the youngest 43; The annual cost of these twenty-eight bishops is one hundred and fifty-five thousand pounds, or about seven hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars. The income Of the Archbishop of Canter bury is fifteen, thousand pounds, or seventy-five thousand dollars.. , That of York and London, each, ten thousand pounds, dr fifty thousand dollars. Win chester has /ten thousand five hundred pounds, or fifty-two thousand, five hundred dollars. Durham has eight thousand pounds, or forty thousand dollars. Ely has five thousand five hundred pounds, or twenty seven thousand'five hundred dollars. Seven others have five thousand pounds, or twenty-five thousand dollars each. Eight have four thousand five hundred pounds, or twenty-two thousand five hundred dollars each. Three have four thousand two hundred pounds, or twentyrone thousand'dollars each. Two have four thousand p'ouDds, or twenty thousand dollars each. One has two thousand seven-hundred , pounds, or thirteen, thousand five hundred dollars; and one has two thousand pounds, or ten thousand dollars. The average of the income of the twenty-eight is five thousand, five hundred anji thirty-five pounds, or twenty-seven thousand six hundred and seventy-five dollars each.' f THere id another item to be added to this account. iThepalaces of the bishops must he kept in order, or must be enlarged or altered to suit the taste or convenience of the incumbents. The Ecclesiastical Commission have recently expended on.only seven of their Bishpps’ palaces one hundred and thirty-nine thousand one hundred and twenty three pounds,'or Bix hundred and ninety-five thousand six hundred and fifteen dollars." A good deal of attention is just now being paid in France to the subject of Public Education., Some time ago the Government proposed a series of ques tions to the schoolmasters throughout the country, as to the best means of improving the elementary schools, and promised a.prize to the best answer. -No less than six thousand papers have been sent in in reply—-evincing .that there is aAeeplnterest in the .subject. . Just at this time, also, a hook is having a wide circulation and exciting mnch attention, enti tled, "The Great Question Taken up by the Small End, which is the Right One." In thiß hook the children of France are. represented as addressing the Imperial Prince, who is still a child, and asking him •to free them from the heavy yoke which Romanism lays upon their .minds, their feelings, and their Christianity. Will you be brought up, they say, like ourselves, for the Pope, according to what he has substituted', fori .the Gospel, by a clerical body, and by monks anti-French, who acknowledge only the Pope and his whims, having none but the Pope for tbeir family, and the Vatican fori their home and country? Or will you be educated, as we are not, for Jesus Christ, according to. his gospel, and, conse quently, by laymen? Rome idea may he had Of the extent and expense of .the means of internal communication iu Great Britain from the following facte. Since the year 1831 there have been laid down within its bounds ten thousand miles of railway, at a cost of §1.650.- 000.000. _ In the same time there have been laid as many miles of telegraph, with fifty thousand miles of communicating Wire. The Wald'ensian Synod haslately had its annual meeting. It-was at La Tour, and. was of an interest ing character. The Synod has sixteen churches un der its care, and its membership at the late meeting was composed of all the ordained ministers—whether Pastors; Professors,-or Missionaries—and two Elders from each of the churches. There were also present Rev. Messrs. Stuart and Young, from Leghorn; Mur doch, from- Nice; McDougall, from Florence; Yioiu, of Genoa, a.nd,delegates from Switzerland, England, and France.. ' Some idea may be bad of the enter prise and liberality of this noble people from the fact that the receipts for the previous year for sala ries of Pastors, Professors, Schools, Building, Orphan Asylum, Hospital, &e., were 133.000 francs, {nearly $28,000;,) and for' colportage and missionary work, 83,457 francs, (nearly §16.500.) These amounts from onlysixteen churches,and these churches made up largely of the poor of this world, show a spirit worthy of all’ praise. We have taken pleasure in calling attention to the changes occurring in TuitKEY in connexion with the entrance of the hew Sultan upon the administration of affairs. The following in a letter from Constanti nople in the Journal de Framcfort, is marked and significant. It says—“ The new Sultan appears de termined never to have but one wife. A tew da« since the Valide Sultana, agreeably to old tradition, purchased a young slave, the most beautiful that could he found in the capital. She dressed her out in jewels and the richest clothing, and offered her to her son. ‘Who is that woman?’ demanded Abdnl- Aziz. . ‘The slave whom, according to custom, I off* yon on your accession to the throne,’ was the reply ‘l have nothing to say to her,’ replied the Sultan; ‘have I not a wife whom I love? Let me hear n® more of such customs and such presents.’ ” While the enemies of public morals are active in making every effort in their power to weaken the hold-of the Sabbath upon the public heart, it is cheer ing to see that there are those who nobly resist every invasion of ira sanctity, . At the half-yearly meeting of the shareholders of the London and Brighton Railway, a motion was made by a Captain Young to authorize Sabbath running of the trains. Of all. however, who were, present, he found only six sup porters to his motion—and, of course, it signally failed. ; . ’ The Emigration from Ireland to the United States has been for many years a marked feature of the During the last year, however, it greatly fell off—-only twenty-one thousand five hundred and ninety-six thus emigrating. At present, it has al most entirely ceased, and, in many instances, persons are found returning to their native land. The amount of money sent from America by this class of persons in 1860 to" Ireland, was very large—being two mil lion eight hundred and ninety-four thousand sis hundred and sixty dollars. , Mr. Mayer, of Liverpool; the well-known n quary.and collector of Biblical manuscripts, isji ported to have recently made an extraordinary dis covery. It is said that having succeeded in deci phering the contents of one of his rolls of he has discovered that it contains the Gospel of -- ! ; .Matthew, and was written by the Deacon Nm*® 13 ’ in the fifteenth year of the Christian era. The pni’L rus actually passed through the hands of St. thew. Besides supplying two lost verses, u nishes several passages that render quite clear sc lll of the .most obscure verses in that gospel. 311 * ' on e of the most important addition* r Biblical antiquities that has ever been made. * 1 P?Py raa Is on the point of being published. - * Mayer can, of course, only give the manuscript be acquired it, with his elucidation of its coat® 0 j* The announcement is too startling to be wdho 'suspicion in these days of literary forgery. Sept. 5,
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers