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THD USD AY i'SIFTRUBER 13, 1861.
JaWW-MEARS, EDITOR ..
associated with
ALBERT BARNES, . OKORGB DUFFIELD, JR.
THOMAS BRAINeRD, | JOHN JENKINS,
HENRY DARLING, I THOMAS J. SHEPHERD.
HOUSE AGAIN.
The scattered multitudes who have been abroad
seeking, pleasure and refreshment among distant
scones, are flocking back to their original places
of abode. Deserted dwellings are thrown open,
and dark chambers are gladdened by the presence
of their former oeoupants. The home circle is
again gathered in its wonted privacy; the dear
old objects of domestic use are gladly recognised;
the ordinances of household piety are re-established;
the hymn of praise once more is raised from the
grateful and happy group, and the settled and
convenient routine of domestic and public duty
is gladly exchanged for the irregularity and inter
ruptions of a life among strangers, and almost
without an aim. After all, there is no place
like home.
And how delightful is the return to our spirit
ual home—oar chosen place of worship I What
tender, overflowing emotions crowd upon us as we
cross the threshold; and with what deep feelings
pf satisfaction do we once more take our seat in
the house of God, from which we have been long
absent! How welcome the sight of its familiar
walls and occupants 1 Likely enough we have vi
sited more magnificent temples in our absence,
but what were their richest adornments compared
with the indescribable charm wbiw we feel be
longs to our spiritual home? It draws our hearts
with a sweet and unseen force. Its most trivial
peculiarities, perhaps, are the foundations of its
strongest ties and associations. How subduing
are the first notes of the many-toned instrument
of praise, which swell as of old upon the ear!
What thronging memories oome back on their fami
liar tones 1 They seem to weave together all the rich
Christian experiences vouchsafed us, in time past,
by the gracious Spirit in that house of prayer —
all our acts of penitence and humble faith, our
thrills of holy love and rapture mounting to “ hea
ven-gate." And with what a heart-welcome do
we greet our pastor as he ascends the pulpit stairs,
and rises to lead us once more in worship 1 How
easily our souls ascend, with the'aid of that fami
liar voice, to the heights of communion with God:
how he seems to understand our wants, and to be
preying for ns: how accessible our minds to his
counsels and admonitions—he has learned the
road to our hearts long ago. May-be, we have
heard many a famous preacher in our absence;
onr pastor may not rank among the titled and dis
tinguished names in the ministry, who have at
tracted our curiosity as we have travelled from
place to place. They have astonished, they have
charmed, they have profited us; but we have
come back to our pastor with a home feeling
which we would not exchange for the most extraor
dinary sensationscreafed in our breasts by strangers.
They have not stood by us in the brightest and
the darkest hours of life—the critical moments
of our existence. They have not been tbe mes
sengers of peace, of consolation, and of salvation
to our bereaved and sin-Btricken souls. They have
not gone in and out before us, until their image
has been fixed indellibly on onr spiritual natures.
None of them was our pastor; and now we sit,
with unspeakable satisfaction, onoe more beneath
the sound of bis voice, and the kind glance of
his eye, and feel like Noah's dove, come back,
after vain wanderings over a restless sea, to the
dear old ark again.
We have grown older since we last sat in this
bouse: we have lived somewhat; we come back
with that feeling which the thoughtful man not un
frcquently detects, with lapse of time, in his heart,
—a feeling of change as from larger and riper expe
rience.
We aro the same, and yet not the same as
when we last sat within these walls. The
world has moved. In fact, we revisit the scenes
which have not altered, only to realize that
the experiences of some lifetimes have swept
through us and by us, in the few weeks of this
unparalleled summer. How have we been agitated
with fearful tidings of battle—of fields ensanguined
with the blood of oivil strife; how have we been
stunned with swift news of defeat and disgrace;
how have we been humbled and amazed at the
lowering of our flag, and the flag of justice at
Manassas; how again have we been elated at the
complete and triumphant vindication of that flag
on the sandy beach of Hatteras! We return to
our homes, feeling indeed that we have lived
since we saw them last; wa almost wonder that
they should be able to retain their familiar look,
when we, and the world Without us, have changed
at such a rapid rate. We settle into our pews,
feeling that we are witnesses of God's latter day
judgments. God is very near; we are glad to be
in his courts. The strength of his favor is more
needful to us than in former days. We look to him
to send us help from Iris sanctuary. Solemn issues
are before us. Life and death have a new mean
ing now. We wish to place ourselves, our fa
milies and our country wholly in God’s hands.
Wo wish to be prepared for the high duties likely
to be laid upon us. We wait with new interest upon
the ordinances of God’s house, and expect pecu
liar counsel and encouragement from his minister-
ing servants.
THE NATIONAL FAST.
It would be a great speotacle, and a great fact
if tbis nation should respond to the call of tbe
President, and of both Houses of Congress in re
ference to a day of fasting and prayer, as they
have already,responded to the calls for men and
money. A call to humiliation and prayer, an
swered by the'bonding of twenty millions of peo
ple before* an offended and a frowning God, would
bo a better omen for their future, even than was
their uprising aftey Fort Sumter and Bull Run.
We would like to see cities and States, responding
to this pious invitation. We would like to have
Governor Curtin and Mayor Henry, by special
proclamation, call the attention of the citizens to
this solemn duty, and, so far as practicable, pro
mote a Sabbath-like observance of it in our streets
and dwellings, on our farms and public highways.
And whatever may be said of literal fasting as a
Jewish custom, and therefore obsolete among
Christians, who would question tho impressiveness
of the spectacle of a whole nation bowed in real
lusting, taking no bread, or at most, no pleasant
food, from sunrise to sunset: closing their stores
and places of amusement, and frequenting in
crowds tho places of prayer? We do hope tho
‘t/
nation will give this new proof ofv’earnestne'ss, of
an aroused moral nature,
dependence on God, jusl as they, have’givbn proof
of loyalty and patriotism existing when we'"feared
it was dead. We have had the days of '76 over
again in,respect to the one quality of the. American
people, and have almost felt it was worth the en
tire-cost of the war to behold it; now, if we can
see a revival of the public and welt-nigh universal
sense ~of»dependence .on >&odwhieh«>our»fathera
exhibited in that era, we shall confess that the
curse of civil war was a blessing, and even while
we fast and pray, we shall rejoice.
We may here announce that the brethren of
our denomination will enter with all their souls into
this appointment, and are making arrangements
tor a celebration of the day in every way suited to
its high, and unusual character, the particulars of
which we expect to give in our next.
HOME MISSIONS IN OUB CHURCH,
Under the above heading, a series of able and
interesting articles has been appearing in the
Evangelist. We cannot but express our gratifica
tion that the attention of the brethren in New
York is thus called to a subject which has been,
committed, in a great degree, to their care. We
earnestly hope they will give them good heed, and
that we shall soon have abundant evidence of the
aroused purpose of tbe brethren in that quarter,
to bear their full part in the missionary work of
the Church. But the articles of “H. K." are cal
culated for no particular latitude—they will be
found instructive wherever they may be read.
In the one which appeared August 29th, he pre
sents a startling view of the field of missionary
labor in the older regions of the country, such as
the western part of New York. The feebleness
of old churches he ascribes not merely to emigra
tion ; he suggests that as it was in Israel in tbe
days of the Judges, so with us, “The sons have
proved themselves unequal to the fathers in sup
porting the institutions of the Gospel."
Another cause of weakness is disclosed in the
shifting of the population within a limited dis
trict, as the great routes of travel are changed.
He says: “Hew thoroughfares have been opened
successively, creating new centres of population
and business, weakening villages and churches
that had been prosperous before. In the first
place, churches sprang up along the water courses,
which were the first highways ; then along the
turnpikes; afterwards along the canals, as they
were built; and finally along the railways. Each
of these have created new centres in their turn,
where churches must be built, Home Mission
churches perhaps, or if they grew rapidly and be
came great cities, they reduced without removing,
and enfeebled without destroying, a large number
of surrounding churches.”
In regard to such cases, he proposes that Pres- j
. bytery take the matter in hand, and, so far as [
practicable, persuade two neighboring oongrega- -
tions to unite under one pastorate. This would *
furnish a good field, and ensure a reasonable sup- jj
port for a good pastor. He here enlarges oh the |
interposition of the Presbytery in such cases. I
He says: “The work cannot be done by agents of !•
the American Home Missionary Society, or of ;
our Committee. They are top few, too little ac-1
quainted with the field of operations. Neighbor- j
ing pastors and elders can do it if they will.
And onee let it become the subject of earnest
prayer and consultation in the meetings of Pres
bytery, and the people would flock in to’hear; the
members of feeble churches would begin to love
Presbyterianism, not as a form, of government , a
form of discipline merely, but an effective organi
zation for extending the Kedeemer’s kingdom,
and of giving the Gospel to the destitute. When
the Presbyteries and Synods will give sufficient
attention to these things, their stated meetings
will be occasions of great spiritual refreshment to
the churched; and whatever money will be needed
for Home Missionary purposes will be generously,
because intelligently, contributed.'’
It cannot be denied, that in our branch of the
Church, too many Presbyteries are derelict in the
matter of a personal Watch over their weak and va-,
cant churches; while on the other band, an unseem
ly disregard of the authority of the Presbytery pre
vails in many such churches. And we are glad to
see, that the turn our Home Missionary affairs have
taken, is bringing Presbyteries and churches to
realize their mutual dependence and responsibili
ties, as they never could have done when an in
dependent, unpresbyterial, third party came be
tween them. A Presbytery or Synod could in no
other way . more profitably dispose of three-fourths
of the time of its sessions than in hearing, dis
cussing, and planning concerning the fields of
-missionary effort within its bounds.
-In a subsequent paper, “H. K.” proceeds to
unfold the greatness of the work to be done in
our Church. He learns from the minutes of
1861, that we have 600 churches containing less
than 50 members, and 866 with less than 75.
He inclines to the opinion that the latter number
indicates the cbnrches among us needing mission
ary aid. We think it very doubtful whether so
many are receiving aid. But here we begin to
gain a view of the actual needs off our Church,
leaving out of view the fields which are to be
occupied beyond. This number includes many"
churches destined in the future to he Btrong and
flourishing if sustained, but now depending for
their very existence upon some measure of sup
port from without. They must-be aided and fos
tered. They do grow. Says the writer: “It is
encouraging to notice the growing strength of onr
churches-as the States grow older. In Ohio and
Michigan just one-third of the churches have over
75 .members each ; in Indiana and Illinois a trifle
over one-fifth, and of the two, Indiana has a little
the largest ratio. But in all the] newer States—
Wisconsin, Minnesota, lowa, Missouri, Kansas,
and California—but one thirteenth part reach the
given rate. The four older of the Western States
just alluded to, having 159 churches that go be
yond, is full of encouragement to missionary labor
in the six newer or most Western, which have
now but IS.” Hence, if we desire the continu
ance of such progress in the Church we must susi
tain , our weak churches. They are the seeds of
our progress in new regions, and earnests of the!
ability of the Church to keep abreast of the age |
and the race in which it is living. Can we do j
this? Have we the men; have we the money ? j
Here, by an interesting calculation, the writer
shows, that allowing to every pastor the cafe, on
an average, of 112 members, oar Church needs a
pastoral force of 1250 men; more, probably, by
100, than can actually be brought, into the field
from the ranks of our existing ministry. And he
breaks out in the following:
“WE WANT MORE MEN.
“At every turn we make, our eyes meet in i
flaming capitals such notices as these: ‘ Wanted ,
able-bodied men for the Army.’ Notwithstand
ing ours is the only Church in the country in
which the list of clergymen is > greater than that
of the churches, we muni have more men to preach
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the Gospel. They aA greatly needed in som®'
parts ;of our fields Even if we do not exten fl i
lines, 'we need more ministers to supply
Churah.” ’••••
We must by no means adopt the policy of wait
ing until the wants of our existing pulpits
» fully to evangelize the"
multitudesfheyOnd. Such a policy would be in
compatible with foreign and home missions alike,
But what a truly great work have wo beforejr?
“%ben~ at the" very threshold, we meet with a cry
for more men, within the boundaries and estab
lished congregations of the Church we aim to en
large! And events are now occurring, accord
ing to the writer, which will greatly increase the
demands made upon our Church for Home Mis
sionary effort. The war must, he thinks, give a
great impetus to the West by the demand it will
create for its products; and when the rebellion is
crushed, a free population will pour into Virginia,
Kentucky and. Missouri, “which will need such
churches as can only be found in our denomina
tion.” “We can now see more clearly than ever
that what the South has needed, has been churches
with such views on slavery as we have main
tained.” The rebellion, too, will impress upon the
people the folly and peril of individualism, inde
pendency and State Bights, and so prepare their
minds for an orderly constitutional church go
vernment, such as Presbyterianism. “Every
thing seems to look forward to the growing im
portance and greater labor of bur Home Mission
ary work." *
Admitting the financial ability of our churches
and congregations to furnish the means for this
work, the question of so arranging our machinery,
and so reaching.the sympathies of the people, as to
secure the needed amount, arises. The writer gives
striking instances of large increase in the gifts, of
Presbyteries consequent upon their assuming a
more direct interest in the management of their
Home Missionary affairs; and draws conclusions
somewhat adverse to the exercise of the functions
of any general committee within the bounds of
the Presbytery. If, indeed, pastors, churches,
and Presbytery could be held to “a lively sense
of their responsibility-to God for the cause of
Christ around them” there might be little need
of a general agency upon their field. But we
know too well how short-lived this newly-awakened
zeal of'a Presbytery just cut loose from its old de
pendencies, is likely to prove. Just as a fly-wheel
is needed to equalize the unsteady impulses given
and received by the machine, so a central agency
is necessary to store up power and diffuse it
equably over the missionary fields of the Chu-rch.
And it is not the individual Presbyteries, or those
occupying missionary ground par excellence, that
we should strive to convince of their responsibili
ties, but rather should we rouse the whole Church
to a vivid perception of the fact, that we, as a body,
have cut loose from outside dependencies, and that,
as a denomination, we stand, for the first time in
half a century, alone in the work. No society or
organization, but the divinely organized Church
through its committee, undertakes the work. We
must do it; we are responsible for it, and from us
must the funds be forthcoming. Surely as a
Church we need “a lively sense of our responsi
bility to God for the cause of Christ ” in our midst.
H. K. proposes to ascertain about how much
is necessary per anmem, for the Home Missionary
work id our Church, and then to apportion the
amount among our Synods and Presbyteries.
Our pastors, he thinks, fail in boldness before
only to do, but also to be forward a year ago” in
this cause, often when the pastor has shrunk from
asking.
With the following strong words he closes his
article. One sentence we have put in capitals,
and we wish the whole were written indelibly on
our peoples’ hearts.
“If we cannot raise-the money, let us hide our
heads for shame, and make room for some other
and better people to come in and take our plaee,
and do our work! For the cause of home mis
sions IS THE CAUSE OF GOD, AND MUST PREVAIL.
The Church that will not prosecute it with all the
heart, is not in harmony with God or his great
plans, and cannot hope to prosper or succeed.”
THE “STANDARD” ON REUNION;
The Standard of this city has a communica
tion, signed R. S. G., and an editorial, on the sub
ject of a reunion of the two branches of the Pres
byterian Church. They were occasioned by the
articles in the Presbyterian Quarterly, the Pitts
burgh Banner, and this paper. It gives us much
pleasure to express our gratification of the spirit
in which, in general, both the communication and
editorial are written. An extract from the former
will be fqund on our fourth page. If these writers
have a constituency, if any thing like what R. 8;
G. thinks to be true is really so —that “ tens of
thousands of Christ’s hidden ones are devoutly
praying” for a reunion of the two branches of our
Church, then are these the most hopeful utterances
we have seen for many a day.
We call these utterances hopeful because of the
spirit, they manifest. The difficulty in speaking
of the question of reunion has been, that it has
been hitherto received in si spirit that has at once
chilled the flow of brotherly kindness. It has
been, therefore, practically impossible to discuss
it. Self-respect has required silence _
Hut here are men who come forward m the spi
rit of brethren. A Philadelphia “Old School''
paper speaks as such a one has never spoken for
a quarter of a century. The editorial “desires to
see • the merits of the question examined and
evolved.” The .consideration of the subject, it
thinks,'is providentially forced upon both bodies.
It thinks, too, that there has been a hopeful
growth in fraternal feeling, and that if the discus
sion be conducted in the right spirit, good will
grow out of it whatever may be the result.
R. S. G.’s “sincere hopes and prayers are for
reunion.” Nay, he feels that the “day of the re
union is certainly coming.” Very many kind ex
pressions, which we believe to be entirely honest,
are interspersed in the communication, in regard
to the substantial oneness of the two bodies.
This is remarkable language from such a source.
There have been, too, some things which have
appeared hopeful in the Presbyterof Cincinnati,
and the Banner of Pittsburgh, though the latter,
misunderstanding the Quarterly and the Ameri
can Presbyterian, has not looked quite so plea
santly towards us for a week or two. -
Our Church, while it has protested against wrong
in strong, and sometimes in stern language, has
never borne malice. Its heart has ever opened
towards any manifestation of kind feeling in our
brethren. ; But we take occasion to say, now that
the public attention is turned to this subject, that
it is not merely a kind spirit that is needed, but
more attention to the facts and principles involved
in the question. Let us ask our brethren of the
Standard how they think we ought to feel-in our
position. There are two sets of feelings whieh are
appropriate in different* circumstances. One is in
: : i . 4 -•> . '-IK.-. ,
oases where j there is mere' separation, as, tor ex
ample, in tile division ofejiletliodists 'and Presby
terians, ■without vany original sense of
injury. Here, brethreri'may njeet ..each other
“ungloved.”
.. ButaiWO-will askwtho.-.&fajirifiM'ii-.just-rbow- we..
ought.to feel if
based on faith, as Sup
poses wC believe that there was‘an extreme viola
tion of the-GonstitiUtion' of»aur Ghurch-in
the unjust excision of a vast body of ministers
and people. That we offered a reunion of, the
Church several times, and that it was rejected with
something like scorn. That we attempted a
friendly correspondence, which was rejected. That
we attempted a joint which was re
jected. Yet that now, notwithstanding all,these,
things, there arc words of kindness addressed to
us. What is tlie duty of charity to believe? Is
it, that our brethren, who doubted at first, have
gradually changed their views of us, believe now
that we are orthodox Presbyterians in doctrine and
government, and that their changed faith in us has
produced a changed feeling? In connection with
this, has time removed asperities, and a. fraternal
feeling grown up from the cessation of active strife?
The Standard blames our state , of feeling.
If it is right, and represents its Church, wo
should be glad to have ah answer to our ques
tion : How ought we to feel ? This rests upon
the answer to the previous question: What is
the feeling towards ns ?, Is there a substantial
change, so that onr brethren, instead of desiring
to exscind us, desire to hqiKfnriected ecclesiasti
cally with ns? We can have no possible mo
tive for standing aloof from our brethren, if we
could work kindly in union with them. But the
Standard will see, we think, that we must have
some kind of guarantee that both sides agree,suf
ficiently in principle and, ‘.feeling to move on
happily together. Suppose we could forgive
the past, is (hat past.ever to be carried into the
future? ‘' Are the lessons pf Providence wMcti
would produce harmony, sufficiently learned ?
While we say these tjbings, we say them
for the honor of religion and for the sake
of a lost world which is injured by schism, and
not because our Church is in any special need
of strengthening. Oqr difficulties, which have
been many and grievous, are overcome by the
mercy of God, and we are just ready, if we are
humble and diligent, to set off on a noble ca
reer of growth by the natural expansion of a
liberal Presbyterianism. ; • .But still, if Provi
dence should indicate tlmt-by union with our
brethren, the force of the' united Church should
be vastly increased, who, If principle and feel
ing stood together on that path, would dare to
forbid that union ? No one has the right to
say that such a feeling as- the Standard mani
fests ought not to be met to any extent and to
any issue.
chaplain robie, of buffalo
Rev. John E. Robie, of the Methodist Chuireb,
and editor of the Buffalo Advocate, at an early
date accepted the ebaplainey of athree.years’ re
giment, (the 21st N.'Y.) which was mainly re
cruited from Buffalo. It was originally understood
that if the reg iment should offer for three months,
one of our pastors, in that city, would occupy the
position of chaplain; but when the regiment de
cided to go for three years, this brother did not see
his way clear to go with' them; and Mr. Robie was
called from his editorial chair jo: take his place,
xne vacancy in ttte~offibe oPthej4d®oca<c was filled
by W. H. Be Puy. Mr. Robie was; of course, an
nounced as a contributor to the columns'of his
old paper, and a number. of brief, but excellent
communications have, from time to time, appeared
•>, appi
in its columns from the pen of the chaplain of the
21st, though they have been much fewer, and
less has been made of them in the paper, by far,
than we had expected. Oat of this trifling fact
a grave story has grown, which Rev. S. H. Tyng,
Jr., has taken'up and made, the basis of a .very
general attack upon chaplains in the army.; Mr.
Tyng’s version of the abofe, as given in the In
quirer’s report of the recent army meeting in Dr.
"Wylie’s Church, is as follows:
He cited a case where the Buffalo newspaper
editor could not, find in a regiment from that city
a person to act as army correspondent, and there
fore. procured in it a ch|pl incy for a dissolute
literary individual who might write them letters.
In listening to th Tetharrk of Mr, Tyng’s, we
were not particularly startled, as we did not know,
at the time, that Buffalo had but one regiment in
the field, and that the reference was, therefore,
quite personal and direet. As it is, we feel very
much surprised that such an audacious and absurd
story as this should have been fabricated,- much
more, that it should have,been palmed off upon
the Army Committee of New York, and reiterated
in this public manner by Mr. Tyng.' We know
nothings personally, of Chaplain Robie; but pre
viously to his appointment, he was editor of a re
spectable and well-condudted religious journal—a
regular and welcome visitant at this office—and
since then, we have heard of him as faithfully and
fearlessly performing his duty as a man of God
amid the various scenes of the camp.
A correspondent of the Inquirer, of this city,
who, we learn from the Advocate, belongs to a
different denomination, thus writes of the gentle
man in question. :
Hs is well known in Western New Totk as an
earnest, devoted Christian minister; 1 ■ beloved by
'Christians of every'-deirpimnMtiqn, Mr. Robie
was urged to accept the ippoititment oFChapiain
of the Twenty-first Regiment, by those who had
the deepest interest in : the spiritual welfare of
those belonging to the Rbgiment; and he accepted
the position as a religious duty, and at great per
sonal sacrifice.. ;
While tbire are, doubtless, not a few unworthy
men in the Chaplain's office,.that very fact should
make us careful to discriminate, and bring no
needless reproach' upon those men who are faith
fully and devotedly performing its self-denying
duties. They should be gratefully recognised by
the public as accomplishing a great work for the
army. We are happy to aid in rendering this
service to one who so well deserves it as chaplain
Robie of the New York 21st. Slay,Qod Jriess and
reward him, and every other servant of the Lord
who is ministering to i the spiritual ne
cessities of our friends and brethren avoid the
perils of the camp, the hospital'and the battle-field.
SUNDAY PAPERS.
Through some sections of our city, the cry of
the newsboy, may be Jieard -from early Sabbath
morning until church time, recommending various
issues of the Sunday 'press to the public ear,
He goes by. the dwellings of judges and the pre
cints of policemen, disturbing the peace of the
day with impunity. By what privilege does he
hold the right of thus filling the air with his.cries,
above the venders of fish and vegetables? These
last deal in articles of. real use and value; the other
in a noxious compound of ribaldry and sensuality
hurtful to the mind, and. heart. If therefore either
is to be tolerated in a plain infraction of the Jaws,
let ns havi thesfishwoman 4ith/ber tray, an<| tie
'truckman|wltlipiis of 5 the disseihina
tor of literary p’oisdn. ’WsbexeTS pur good'MayofJ
where are our judges and justly commended po
-1 ice, that amid their many excellent reforms, this
jppgu.andi cry ing abuse is ; still ?
;'i iHobEe jmssiail&sy jDpatMErTEE.
Dear Brother : —-Please announce to your
readers that oar Home Missionary Committee
have unanimously elected s the Kevri'flENßY
Kendall, D. D., of Pittsburgh; theirs General
Secretary to reside at New York. It is ear
hestlyhoped that ‘Dr.' Kendall may see*;it to be
his duty to accept this appointment,. LF,rpm In
formation in, possession, of ; the Committee, as
well as from theiknownichafacter ;of Dr. EL; it
is believed that the appointment ,wilF be gene
rally aeeeptishle to'the’Church.'.' 1 ‘ ’ V
Applications to- the Committee are:rapidly
multiplying. It is feared that the churches do
not feel their Responsibility in this'matter as
they ought. The Committee;receive piles of
letters urging f/iem to meet the present crisis.
Missionaries and-their friends seem to feel that
thp Committee can ,do:this, when it is plain that
they can only disburse tha funds' which they re
ceive. It would be of no-advantage to mission
aries to have a commission -voted them, if the
Committee could not pay their salaries. It
would lead to nothing but discomfort and re
crimination,; as experience shows. And in re
gard to' the idea that a debt would increase the
pressnrenpon the churches, the truth, is, that
that-pressure is as great as it can be. Tour
own brethren are suffering everything; almost
hunger and nakedness. The Committee will
gladly help them, if you will give us the means.
We are quite sure that all the money needed
would be gi ven if the churches could only read our
correspondence. The appeals are most pressing
and saddening. We hope the ehurches will not
Wait for ainy supposed perfecting of machinery
but send, at once whatever, they can raise: We
rejoice in the noble response to our national
loan; our*Church should come forward in a
similar way to the great work of Home Mis
sions. '
Commnnications and donations are to be sent
to the undersigned until further notice. Please
publish the following documents for general
information'. Benj. J. Wallace.
RULES FOR CONGREGATIONS APPLYING FOR AID
TO THE PRESBYTERIAN COMMITTEE OF HOME
MISSIONS.
: I.- Every exertion should be made by each
congregation, by effort wi thin itself, or by union
with one or more neighboring congregations,
to support itself before,asking for aid; and the
smallest sum, when aid is necessary, should be
asked for, that 1 will support the congregation.
11. The following particulars should be in
cluded in thO application
I. The name and post office address of the
congregation and the minister to be commis
sioned, with a statement as to whether he is en
gaged in any Other calling than that of the
ministry. ‘ ; ,
-2. The number of communicants, and the
average attendance on public ,worship. , ;
3. The denomination and, size of. congrega
tions immediately .contiguous, with the distance
to their places of worship. ' , ■
4. The state. :of business in the community
and the character of the, population, with its
condition, whether advancing, stationary, or
retrograding.
5. The total amount of salary which “the
applicants propose to make up, the portion of
salary which they pledge, the arrangements
made for securing it, whether aid. is expected
from any other source, and the least amount
that will suffice from the Committee, ',
6 The ecelesiastial relations of the congre
gation and their proposed minister, as none
can be aided' by the Committee who are ;not in
connection with the General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Chnrch which held its sessions in
the year >lB6l at -Syracuse, N. Y.
, j. The. application should be signed by the
elders, deacons, and trustees of the congrega
tion, so far as,there are such officers.
8, The application, by special direction of
the Assembly, is, in all cases, to be approved
by the Presbytery to which the church belongs,
or by the Committee on Home Missions of the
Presbytery. ;
9. Applications must be renewed before any
new appointment can be made, and with the
new application must .be. furnished a certificate
of the minister that the congregation has ful
filled its former pledge for his support.
111. Congregations Bhonld steadily aim - at
self-support as soon as possible.
IV. Each congregation is aided on condition
of its taking up a collection for the Committee,
during the year for which aid is granted.
V. Commissions will not, except In extraor
dinary cases, be dated back beyond either the
time,of making the appointment, or the time of
application, according to the state of funds of
the Committee.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR MISSIONARIES OF THE PRES-
BYTERIAN COMMITTEE OE HOME MISSIONS.
I. The grand object of the missionary should
be to build up the kingdom of Christ, by; con
stant and prayerfnl labor for the conversion of
the unregenerate,; the-edification of Christians,
and the training up of the children of the
Church.
2.' As soon as may be, the missionary is to
organize in every suitable locality on his field,
where one does not exist, a church,, which is to
be placed at once under the watch and care
of the Presbytery to which it naturally belongs,
in connection with the:General Assembly which
held its sessions in the year 1861 in Syracuse,
NV Y. In this he will be careful not to inter
fere improperly with existing church organiza
tions, nor to multiply them unnecessarily, nor
to be governed by merely sectarian considera
tions.
3. As soon as possible, the missionary will
endeavor to secure the erection of a suitable
house of worship for each congregation where
one does not exist. :
5. He will organize a Sabbath School in each
suitable locality, and cultivate the benevolence
of his people by inducing them to contribute to
religious and benevolent purposes as 'they may
have ability, seeing also that each congregation
takesup an annual collection for the Committee.
5. He will make a quarterly report of his
operations to the Committee, the last one of
•his year being an annual report. On the recep
tion of these’ reports respectively, a draft for
his quarter’s salary will be sent. Missionaries
are not authorized to draw upon the treasury.
6. The missionary will carry out the instruc
tions of the Committee as they may be given
him from time to time.
SABBATH OBSERVANCE IN THE ARMY.
The following order has been promulgated in
the Army of the Potomac:
Headquarters Army of the Potomac, ?
Washington, September 6, 1361. $
General Orders No. 7: —The major-general
commanding desires and requests that in future
there may be a more perfect respect for the Sab
bath on the part of his command. We are-fight
ing in a holy cause, and should endeavor to de
serve the benign favor of the Creator. Unless in
the case of an attack by the enemy, or some other
extreme military necessity, it is -commended to
commanding 1 officers that all work shall be-sus
pended on the Sabbath; that no unnecessary move
merits shall he made bn that day;, that thegmen
.shall, as far as .possible, b'e pgrmitpid to rgstifrom
- their labors; tbiifc'they shall atterfd diyine'service
after the customary morning inspection, anlMhat
officers and men alike use their influence to insure
the utmost decorum and quiet on that day. The
general commanding regards this~as.no idle form-.
One day’s rest, is necessary for man and animals.
More than this, the observance of the holy day;of
tho God of mercy and of battles, is our sacred
duty. George B. McCrellan,
••• ; - Major-Genei-al Commanding; •
S.,.WrLMAMs,-Asst, Adjutant-General. •
THE NATIONAL LOAN;'
The correspondent of a Savannah paper, writing
from Rich mond,expresses himself thus confi
dently in regard to the financial difficulties of the
North.
“ I stated also, that the Federal Congress would
vote all, the; men and money.that.Mr. .Lincoln
might call for, but that the people themselves
would never furnish the money, nor would the
government ever he able to : borrow it. I see
no cause to change this opinion. On the con
trary, every day’s revelations demonstrate the
utter bankruptcy of the Northern Government.
The wealth of the North is a sham and a hum
bug. * * * Where then is the North to get its
money, to pay its army ? The people have it not;
and if they had, recent: developments show tha t
they would be slow to lend it to a rickety con
cern like the Federal Government.”
That such an opinion was as false and absurd
as it was derogatory to the country, might have
been known long ago; but it is only in the present
attitude of the people toward, the National Loan,
that we can estimate the utter emptiness of such
expectations as are cherished at the South on this
subject. Nearly a month ago, directly after the
unfortunate flight from Manassas, the banks of
the North came nobly forth and promptly tendered
the government all, and more than, all, the aid
it sought. In the darkest moment of this most
trying period of our history, they manifested their
confidence in our government and institutions by
making it the largest loans by far, which it ever
asked for. And now the people, encouraged by
their patriotic and confident attitude, are coming
forward in crowds and relieving them of the loan,
and making the cause of the government financial
ly their own; an act unprecedented in our history.
Persons of all ranks and means are offering their
hard earnings cheerfully to the treasury of the
United States. We have just heard of a body of
workingmen in ODe of our iron factories, who had
saved in a few months some §450 by a kind of
mutual beneficial society among themselves, and
who deposited the entire amount' in the bauds of
the government. This is. but a single instance
among many. And the whole movement is cheer
ing, not onlyf as an indication of wide-spread pa
triotism and confidence, but as forming a new
link between the government and the people, a
new ground of loyalty, and a fresh security against
civil disturbances in time to come.
KENTUCKY PRESBYTERIANS.
•The 1 Presbytery of Louisville (of the other
branch of the Church,) however its members
may be affected politically, has it, very slight
indeed, with the patriotic, brethren
of the Assembly, judging from the attitude it
has-recently assumed in regard to 'the loyal
action of the body in Philadelphia, last May.
Here is the substance of the Presbytery’s action
—reached after very embarrassing efforts.
The Presbytery of Louisville, after duly con
sidering the act of the late General Assembly
touching the political allegiance of its minis
ters and members of the Church, as found on p.
329, and In answer to protests pp. 341 and
344, feels called upon in this solemn manner to
testify against the dangerous errors in doctrine
involved in that action, and to repudiate the
same as of tid binding effect upon our ministers
and churches. 1 ,
The Presbytery believing that the kingdom
of Christ is not to be limited by civil bounds,
will cordially unite with all true and conserva
tive men in onr beloved Church, North or
South, In defending and preserving the purity,
unity and prosperity; of the Presbyterian Church'
in the United States of America. .-
The latter clause hints at a third organiza
tion, which may possibly arise, within the limits
of the former “Presbyterian Church in; the
United States of America.” And, indeed, we
do not well see how Dr; Hodge and his eo-!Pro
tcstants can be accommodated in any of the two
greater portions into which the body is falling.
Kentucky politicians, of a certain class/ hare
long straggled to exempt their State from the
unpleasant necessity of taking a stand on the
rital question of the day, and have affected a
reverence for the “Sovereign State of Ken
tucky,” which might well become a Virginian 5
and now it is reserved to "Old School” Pres
byterians in this State, to attempt to create a
sort of Mahomet’s coffin in their Church; We
pity men who seem to think it an honor and a
grace to be enabled to be neutral between loyalty
and treason—between anarchy and God’s ordi
nance of government. We woiider they do not
go distraught in the attempt to maintain such a
position.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
We clip the following sentences from the con
clusion of an otherwise admirable article in the
last New York Observer, on the proper subjects for
meditation and fasting on the approaching. Na
tional Past Day.- The main part of the article is
intelligible and to edification. The idea intended
to be conveyed by these sentences, we are unable
to interpret consistently with the loyalty, the pa
triotism: arid the manliness which of; late have
characterized the columns of the Observer, to the
joy of all good men. Others, and particularly the
Observer itself, may be able so to interpret it. We
hope they will. V
“We cannot better close this article than by a
reference to that most solemn and instructive por
tion of Holy Scriptures' in which King David,
when the nadon of Israel had been for three years
afflicted with a sore famine,"inquired of the Al
mighty the cause, knowing that it must be for
some national sin that had been committed. The
Lord condescended to inform the royal suppliant
that it was because of the violation of a treaty
made many years, before, between the nation of
Israel and the Gibeonitcs. This violation was
committed by King Saul, and the party offended
—the Gibeonites—were immediately called upon
to indicate the atonement which they required to
be made. They did so, that atonement was made
and the famine ceased in the land.”
RUSSELL’S LETTERS
I have, read Mr. Russell’s letter and the edi
torial of the Times founded on the letter. It is
clear from Mr. Russell’s own account, that he was
among the first to: run away. An English noble
man, high in the service of the Queen, remarked
yesterday that Russell’s letter from the field of
battle showed so very vulgar a nature, that it
wouid disgust the better class of English readers
He alluded especially to Russell’s picking up the
wayside remarks of common soldiers, and putting
them into an elaborate letter; adding that an
who might chance to give the talk of
" M V SI coni mbn soldiers under such circumstances
as characteristic, would be hooted as a slanderer, j
3 l Sept. 12,
The fijitQriaLof the Tpwefxisjn the worst possible
‘spirit! All %isis be regretted. Yet
the jjding every
berve'\p irritate^Ainer to'fill the English
mind with false impassions as to the Ahnerican
Government and peoplei.irlfT.Jve are not at war
yrith HaglancL before winter,...it .will.,,not4)e the,
fault of the Tiroes. In , mendacity and bitterness,
the beyond the- Times.
I'am-happy to bhlieve thht’the influential clashes
of England understand, to a certain extent at least,
the aims'and inspi ration of these two journals. -
Dr. M‘C3intock in the Methoilist.
J. . , ?■ '
' Mr. Yizetellyfkdfi the London Illustrated
News, Mr. Bay, Of the Chicago Tribune, and
Mr. Geo. P. Pntnam, of this city, well known in
L'dndoii- as a publisihhtvantl.ill three men of the
highest integrity^aadintelligence, had the op
portunity of seeing Mr. Bussell, and of passing
some hours iu his immediate vicinity; and all
three, as nrell as hundreds more,, state positively
that the occurrences he narrates never happened.
His statements in regard to masked batteries,
charges of cavalry, bayonet charges, the cap
ture of horses from the Black Cavalry, etc., etc.,
are proved to be entirely false; by the state
ments of men whose veracity is unimpeachable,
•and Whose observations, made from different
points, yet concur. Mr. Putnam, in what he
calls the Bull Bun number of his Rebellion Re
cord, has shown this np admirably and thorough
ly.
LETTERS FROM THE SEAT OF WAR
nr THE WEST.
NO. 11.
St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 6th, 1861
“All days seem pretty much alike.” But it
is only seeming, for in reality there is here a con
stant progress to events. Yet the movements are
not very obvious. Vast numbers of troops arrive
and depart in the night, or in the “wee sroa’
hours,” and in out of the way places, where few
are astir to observe them. A master-mind, how
ever, controls the hidden springs of action; and
plan, purpose, order and unity, exist; to eveiy
there is a place and a season.
“ Martial Law” works to a charm.: For years
this city has not been so quiet and orderly as now.
Perfect, safety to life and property exists by day
and night, and this leads one to inquire whether
all our cities that are not well administered, might
not take a lesson from this. , There is too much
freedom, in American cities generally ; a perfect
license to do as is right in one’s own eyes! And
this is. what is ; palled; Democracy. Where on
earth did that sortof liberty ever work well ? In
what land and age of. civilized men was it ever
seen as in ours? The ignorant and vicious mi
nority always'have .the rule in such: cases.
My mind was very painfully impressed with a
sense of our situation the other day as I saw seven
ox-teams* transporting, as many families from the
interior, awaiting a passage over the Mississippi
river into Illinois,-a land of the truly free'.' They
had been driven from their homes in Cooper,
Dade,'and other counties of the south-western
part of this State, and they had their little'all with
them. It was not much’.''; Women !half clad, and
children still-more forlorn; “ They wandered about
in sheep-skins, and goat-skins; being _ destitute,
afflicted, tormented.” It was, a most sad sight!
They had come hundred of .mijesin that condi
tion, hooted at, and hunted:out by the ruthless
savages who despoiled them. I felt deeply grieved,
and tried to comfort them as well as I could.
“And will not God,” thought I, “avenge His
own elect, which cry unto Him night and ?”
Aye! “He will, avenge_them speedily!” The
angels of His justice slumber not. Every- day,
secretly, men are sent forth armed with Divine
vengeance, “ to execute wrath upon the children
of disobedience ” in the joterior of this State.
The weather has been, a little cooler since a
heavy shower*of , 'rain‘?on the 2d 4 inst. Still, it is,
what friends at the East would call “hot.” Yet
this is a remarkably , healthy No epide
mics prevail, and scarcely sickness of any kind.
Fruits of all sorts, are, most abundant. Apples
and : peaches were never more .so. Potatoes are
eight cents a bushel!
The city pastors are now mostly haek to their
homes and. work, which is abupdaut also. The
public and private schools have opened the pre
sent week as usual; the number of pupils being
diminished scarcely one-third.
The public owe a lasting .debt of gratitude for
closing fhe dram shops, to Major M‘Kinstry, U.
S. A., the efficient Provost' Marshal, who controls
affairs in the city now, as‘ has iieVer been done be
fore. lam sorry to add that measures are in pro
gress to open again the more loyal and decent of
the dram-shops.
“Papers” are required of all who leave the
city now; in accepting which, the bearer signs a
solemn declaration of his loyalty to the United
States, and agrees that’if ever found in arms
against her, or aiding and abetting her enemies,
the penalty shall he death ! -This regulation is
having tW’ bappdestr effects,-though no doubt a
few obtain “passes” by perjury.
The’ “ route to New Orleans ” lies down the
river from here, and it will hot be strange if
many travellers pass over it before six months
roll around. Of this/and more, anon. * *
EDITOR’S TABLE.
The third number of the Southern REBEitros,
has been issued, and the" character of the work
■may how he spoken of with some degree of cer
tainty. It is not a mere . collection of dry dis
connected facts and documents, but a simple con
tinuous account of events as they occurred to help
us to realize how our times will appear to those
who shall come after us. It can hardly rank as
history." st The unknown author is rather the
chronicler, than the philosophical critic. He in
terweaves rather than masters, the important
documents, arid speeches which he refers to ; and
at this early date, it may be that this is the truly
wise course. The materials Rre thus 'accumulated
for the iuture historian, who will stand at a dis
tance more favorable for surveying the whole
scene that now seems so astounding to our senses.
Nevertheless Mr.' Torrye’s issues have enough of
the historic tone about them to render them ac
ceptable even-now, arid; we would commend them
cordially to all who- would preserve a careful
statement of the surprising events through which
we are passing. No. 3 reaches to the Declaration
of Causes, by South Carolina-, December 24th.
Price 10 cents a number. Frederick Gerhard,
81 Nassau .Street, N. Y., 4001 Post Office,
is the general agent.
The Boston,Bleview for September, contains:
God’s Archers, Tennyson’s Loeksley Hall, Im
mortality and Annihilation, The Place of Romance
in Literature, .Uzzeri-Sherab and Israel’s Right to
Canaan, Creeds, Gibeah, —a Lesson for the Times,
Literary Notices; Short Sermons, The Round
Table.
The American Presbyterian Almanac fob
1862. This is a valuable and creditable issue.
Besides the calendar, calculated for all pa rts
the Union, it contains statistics of our Church,
list of our committees, with explanation of their
objects, various interesting information on Astro
nomical topics, descriptions of chnreh edifices
with handsome cuts, list of clergymen deceased i®
our body, statistics of population in.our own, a* l "
other countries &c., We bespeak for it a cordial
Welcome from our churches. Price single, 6 cts;
ten tofiffcy copies, 5 cents each ; fifty to one hun
dred copies, 4 cents each; postage one cent.
Examiner.