Vol. VI, No. 24.—Whole No. 293.
virtu.
(For the American Presbyterian,)
The Heavenly Home:
Wracaclife has reached its earthly end,
Andrdeath the unbodied soul sets. free,
Where, ienrneying, shall its footsteps bend ?
Where its eternal dwelling be ?
Safe, and *ithin the golden gate,
The Father's house hath mansions fair,
And loving seraphs thronging wait,
To weloOthe each earth nursling there.
Nor want ) nor care, nor fear, nor woe,
Enter that ever-open. door;
While eyes to.weeping giveti.below,
Sparkle undimmed forevermore.
No moon to skies without a night
Norsun flames ont the o'ethanging blue ;
For He, whose being is the Light,
Shines all thoanwoudrous mansions throughl
Thither, oh thither, send and• bring
My soul from off the dying bed,
Dear Saviour, lest same dusky wing
From realms below be round me spread.
Thus, safe within my Father's house,
Forever, shall my soul abide,
Nor ages yield,one hour of gloom,
At.my Almighty Saviour's side.
[For the American Presbyterian:].
SKETCH. OF THE LIFE OF AMOS LAW..
RENOE, , LATE OP BOSTON.
BEAD DIMOND THE TOTING mutes CHRISTIAN
ASSOCIATION OP PHILADELPHIA,
W COUNELL MD.
To young men the study of such 4 life as
that of Amos Lawrence may be of signal ad
vantage. Whether we consider him in the
light of a man of business, as a citizen, a
neighbor, as one of the great benefactors of
his age; or, as a man of high moral princi
ple and strict integrity and piety, his life is
calculated to lead any young man to admire
and copy. Nor, should its good influence be
confined to young Men; for, we shall see
that he labored as anxiously for his sisters,
as for his brothers—for young women as for
young men.
Amos Lawrence Was of English descent.
His ancestor, Sohn Lawrence, was an inhabi
tant of Watertown, near Besten; as early as
1635; and he probably came over in com
pany with Governor Winthrop in: 1630; the
same year that the town of Boston was set
tled. He soon after removed to Groton,
where Amos Lawrence was born, April 22d,,
1786. In early life, like many other great
aneraafikelOw-Wna , much indebted to a,
mother's instruction. Mr. Lawrence says in
his Diary, " The correct lessons given by the
mother in the nursery are as necessary td
give the right inclination to the tender mind,
as are those of the tutor in the highest semi
nary to prepare it for the business of life and
intellectual greatness. In my own case, all
the duties incumbent on. a mother to teach
her offspring to be. good, and, consequently,
great, were discharged with fidelity, and suc
cess. Both parents lived to see, in the sub=
ject of their care, all that they (mulct reason
ably hope or desire."
The days of the boyhood of Amos Law
rence were trying days. In a letter' to a
friend, written in 1849, he says "My father'
belonged to a company of Minute-men in'
Groton, 'at the commencement of the Revolu
tion. On,the morning of the 19th of April,
1775, when the news reached town that: the
British troops were on the road from Boston,
General Prescott, who was a neighbor, came
towards 'the house, on horseback, at rapid
speed, and cried out' 'Samuel, 'notify your
men, the British are coming.' My father
mounted the General's horse, rode a distance
of seven miles, notified the men of his circuit,:
and was back 'again at his father's house, in
forty minutes.
46 he was in the battle of Bunker. hill ;
received a bullet through his cap, which cut
his hair from front to rear,; received a spent
grape-shot upon his arm, without breaking
the bone, and lost, a large number of men.
A word 'more should be said here about
his mother, because' a , mother's heart is now
yearning
. for many a young man who now
hears me.' •
Mr. Lawrence always spoke, in =the strong
est terms of veneration and love, of his mo
ther ; and. in many of his letters,, are found
messages of affection s such as 'could have
emanated, only from a heart over flowing. with
filial gratitude. " Her form bending over
our be4l,` in silent prayer, at the hour of twi:
light, when she was about leaving us for the
night, is still among the earliest recollection
of her ehildieni She' , was a woman well:
fitted to .train's family, for the troubledtimes
in which she lived. To the kindest affections
and sympathies, she united energy sad deci
sion.; and in her, household, enforced that
strict and unhesitating obedience, which'she
considered as the foundation of all success in
the:education of children.
'" She was never idle; many hours each
day, she tiaSSed at the hand-loom, and the
hum of the "almost obsolete spinning-wheel,"
says he, " Comes over the memory like the
remembrance,eta Pleasant but half-forgotten
melody."
The first public instruction Mr. Lawrence
received was at the District school kept in
Groton. It may here be stated, that public
schools were established in Massachusetti
earlier, than in any other State. Mr. Law
rence from childhood possesied very feeble
crnstitutitin; aud, on this account, he 'was
often detained from school. In these deten
tions, he never allowed himself to be idle.
From his earliest-years, he exhibited that
same-spirit of= ilidustry,which crowned his
after life with success. He Came nearer, to
Benjamin Franklin in industry than, any other
man now in my, recollection..
You know how it was with Franklin in
this respect. In whatever station he was
placed, font that of a tallow:chandler, or an
apprentice to an elder brother, or a stranger,r
pennyless and friendless in the streets of.
Philadelphia, a workman among_ the beer
• topers of London, UP to the PostlinastevGen
,ral of the United States; Minister'
otentiary to Foreign Powers, ,and a member
the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences
in the mosۥpolished' nations'on earth.; or, in
playingwith the electric fluid of heaven, and
rendering it harmless: in all these, the most
rigid temperance, and the strictest economy.
characterized Franklin.
This made him :what he was the man of
his age.
The same may be said in regard to the
temperance, economy, and industry of Amos
Lawrence. In a letter to his son at Groton,
Written in 1889, referring te his own child
hood, he says : "The beautiful images of
early life come up in these bright moonlight
nights, the-like of. which used to enjoy in
the fields below our oldmansion, where T. was
sent :to, watch the cattle. There I- studied
astronomy, to more ttccount than ever after
wards; for, the heavens were impressive
teachers:of the goodness of that, Father, who
is ever near to each one of His Children,
"May you never loie sight of this truth,
and set conduct yourself, that at any moment,
you may,be ready to answer when he calls."
From the. District school, he entered Gro
ton Academy. But he passed. only a few
months here ; and then he was placed in a
small store in the town of Dunstable. Soon
he was transferred to the store of Mr. Bra
sier, at Groton, his native town. Mr. Brasier
kept several clerks, but so active was young
Lawrence and so reliable, that in less than
two years, the whole responsibility of the
establishraent rested upon, him.
The quantity of rum and brandy sold at
this country store would, surprise the tempe
.
ranee men of modern times. Grog was dis
persed every day at eleven, and at four
o'clock. For a short time, young Lawrence
drank with the :others'; but, finding the, de
sire, for it increasing , upon him, he made, up
his, mind , to stop drinking altdgether. He
well knew the ridicule he should meet with,
and which he did. meet with for a time, but
he was still firm in the resolution of tour/ ab
stinence.
—Ambro'se
Many years afterwards, he wrote to a
student in.college, as-follows, respecting this
resolution:
"In the first place, take this for your
motto at the commencement of your journey,
that the difference of going just right or a
little wrong, will be the difference of finding
yourself in good quarters, or in a miserable
bog or slough, at the end of it. Of the whole
number 'edue,ated in the Groton stores for
some years before, and after myself, no one
else, .to my knowledge, escaped , the bog or"
slough ; and my escape, I trace to the am- •
pie fact of, my having put a restraint' uion
my appetite. We five boys;were in the habit
every forenoon, of making ,a drink compound
ed of rum raisins, sugar, nutmegs, etc., with
biscuit—Ll palatable to eat and drink.
" After being in the store feur weeks, I
found myself admonished by my appetite,
of the approach of the hour of indulgence.
Ithen declined partaking with theui. Ire-.
solved to abstain for the rest of my appren
ticeship, which was five years. During that
period, L never drank a spoonful, though I
mixed .gallons - for my old master and-his ens'.
tamers. I decided not te be a slave to •to
bacco in eauy form,_ though I loved, the oder
of it even then, and,, even now is here in my
drawer, a superior Havana cigar, given me not
long since, by a friend, but only to smell of.
I have never in my life smoked a Cigar,
never chewed but one quid, ,and that was be—
fore Lwas fifteen, and never took an ounce
of snuff, though the scented Rappee of forty
years ago, - had .too great charms for me.: .
Now I say, to the simple faet,of starting just
right, I am indebted, with God's blessing on
my labors,- for- my present. position, as well
aa that nf the numerous connections sprung
up around me.
" I have many details that now appear as
plain to me, as the sun at noonday, by which
events are connected together, and which have
led to results that call on we to bless the
Lord for all'his benefits, and - to use the op
portunities thus permitted to me, in cheering
on the generation of young 'men who 'bear
claims upon My sympathies as relations,
fellow-townsmen, , on at more enlarged scale."
Probably,- AO- man ever did more for his
relations, his townsmen, or his brethren in
the community. I mean no private citizen.
His relatives were mostly poor. He was the
means of making them rie,h, and of elevating
them to high posts of influence and honor.
For, young men, as you see in the above
extract, he ever cherished the kindest feeling,,
and put forth the most benevolent efforts for
their good. -
About the same period, he wrote to another
young man: When look back, I can ,
trace the small events' whiCh' happened' at
your age as having an influence upon all' the
after things." "
How little yining-'men consider what mo
mentous consequenceafollow, what they OM
sider the little, affairs' of early life.. They,.-
often seem as ignorant of the little cause of
momentous eventa, as thestinconscious,infant
Moses, was of the tear:upon his cheek when
the Princess of Egypt 'opened the bulrush
ark, in which he had been set lifloat. That
tear,excited the conapassionicif„the Prineess, l
and the result was the i learge,d,. mighty : pro,
phet, liberator, and law-giver; Moses..
Mr. Lawrence, was very particular in set;
ting , before the young the finger of God, in
the smallest events_,— arid, perhaps, there is'
no one thing that should excite their atten
tion mere. As before said, with him; all de
pended von atarting, just right. If every
young manitb,at ,comes into this city, were to
realize this, as he did, how many more such
merchant Princes as he was, would PhiliA.'el
phia soon, have than she now has, or probably
ever will have. _
He says i n ano ther place, many and
many-of the farmers; mechanics; and appren
tices of that, day, (referringlo the time when
he was an.apprentice) have filled drunkard's
graves and left destitutefamilies and friends?'
What= .a contrast,between them, and him, and
all owing to his-startingjustrtght, and they,
a little wrong.
On the 22d of April;iBo7 Mr. Lawrence
became of age. His apprenticeship closed
the same day. SeVen days. after, he took his
father's horge and chaise, and engaged a
neighbor , to•driVe him to Boston, with, as he
said many years afterward, only twenty dol
lars in his .pocket„
What a contra,st,to the millions which he
afterward possessed! But a few days elapsed
.aftsSi• his arrival at Beaten, before he received
the offer of a clerkship -in a respectable
house which he accepted; So well satisfied
were:his , employers, that. in a few months,
:they offerfed to. receivo - their new clerk into
the firm.
This proposition, to their great surprise,
PHILADELPHIA, ; tritcßs
he declined. The reason of this' declination
was, the business was not conducted, in his
judgment, Upon correct; principles. The in
solvency of the firm, in a few- months showed
hia sagacity, and demonstrated•the correctness,
of, his principles. •
But so much confidence had, the creditors
in his integrity and business tact, that they;
appointed him to settle their affairs, which
he did to their 'entire satisfaction. On the
17th of December, 1807, he commenced busi=,
ness for himself with 'Henry Whiting for his
clerk.
In 1849; Mr. Lawrence wrote to Mr. Whii•
ting, then Brigadier General of the Ti. S. A.
"I have just looked into my first salesbook,
and there see the entries made by you more.
than forty-one years ago. Ever since, you
have, been . going up from the . Cornet of ,:dra
goo as to the present sta.tion. Abbot who
took your, place is, now, the representative of
his country at the court of St. James."
Abbot was his younger brother who came
into his employ when only fifteen years of
age. Many of ' the old merchants of this
city still . living, knew him well: He possessed
a firmer constitution and mingled more in the
political world than. Amos, and - hence, was
probably more widely known; but thefounda
tion of, his, greatness was laid by the subject
of this narrative.
Conclusion in our next..,
PROGRESS IN RUSSIA.
Russia has made considerable progress in
the settlement, colonization, and commerce of
the Amoor river country. She has,been stea
dily pushing a system of explorations, and
scientific expeditions in the Autockr
The new commercial and boundary treaty
with China has opened a wide field - of coin
merce to her subjects, which they are gra
dually occupying. Tokoutsk his now become
- the entrepot for the overland, Chinese trade,
while Russian and - Clinese merchants are.en—
joying under the new treaty much gTeater li
berty, and may reciprocally enter Russian
and Chinese territory, and conduct their com
merce on a =elf more ""liberal scale than
heretofore. The post statibizs - alinig the
Amoor from Siberia, Trans backal, to the
Pacific ocean, have been more thoroughly or
ganized, and several considerable towns have
already sprung into existence *along the
Amoor river. Blagoveschensk, the new cap
ital of the Central Amoor region a little west
of the river Zea, - has already assumed consi
derable importance and steam communication
with Nicolawsky, mouth of the Amor, has
been established.. Consideruble American
merchandise has`reached Blagoveschensk by
steamboats, and undoubtedly some of it has
ere this found its way, through Russian tra
ders into Manchouria.. The. Russian govern
ment has. opened another line of: communica
tion to the ocean, by way of the river On
suree, which debauches into the A.modr about
six hundred miles aboVe its mouth.
wring tbo t year , heitussian govern
ment has made considerable progress in tele
graphic communication eastward from Kazan.
The line has, beep ,extended to Perm, -and
will most probably be 'opened. to . ; Omesi in
western Siberia,- the coming spring. This
last point is twenty-five hundred miles east
of St. Petersburg, on the route to the Atnoor.
The Director-in-:Chief of Public Ways and
Buildings, .Adjntant General Chefkin,. in
writing to Mr.' Collins, in November last,
gives some interesting facts in relation to. the
progress of telegraphic communications,- in
which - he says, Indeed the union of the.old
with the new world we must. expect to see
executed and obtained by way .of =the Pacific
Ocean, which, rny opinion, will soon ap
pear to be only practicable, and which alone,
can satisfy the general expectation, ? particu
larly as the Rusaian go - vett - merit' Offers so
many induceMents by its vast plan of'tele
graphs begun ;and to be 'carried on without
intermission through- .Siberia." There are ,
already in operationmore than twenty thou
sand versts,: and with - branches almost thir
ty thousand versts, of which ,in the last
three years, there have been constructed,
twelve thousand versts, with hranches
extending abiost eighteen thOilsand versts.
Besides all these lines,' there are many more
lines to be constructed. tot different points;
particularly ireportant to, the interests`'of
the interior of the empire: Within the
present year the Pacific line has been opened
to San -Francisco, uniting. Cape Race , with
the. Pacific. Russia progressink from. the
west towards the east, proposes,to reach the.
Pacific at the Amoor • thus the . two great
Powers, Russia and America, will soon stand,
telegraphically, face to 'face, looking across
the.' intervening ocean A-space of 'abo-tit
five: thous and milegistilll divide s the -two=ton
verging -lines,. btit .; the. probability is 'that
within, the next year measures will be taken
that lead to the. organization of-a ; eom
pa,ny upon the basis.of a union of the two
systems, Russian-AMerican, crossingeither at
Behring'.s Strait or OTC 'a, line of some of the
numerous islands that dot the / intervening
waters of =the north polo, between 4s,i.a and
America. • • •
PIETY WITHOUfi RELIGION.---apt.
WIL9SO vessel was taken
,the ,other day, by the
privateer ";Tefferson Davis," and whowas
kept prisoner on board that' craft for a day
or two, sti,)43 that they had regular morning
prayers. They - were, very possibly, devout'
in their prayers; being pious; , but not reli
gious., The brigands of-Italy, before they
go out to rob and murder, pray fervently to .
the Virgin. There is no hypocrisy in it;
their devotion is sincere; it, is merely piety
without religion.,. Walter Scott in " Quentin
Durward," describes;the same psychological
phenomenon in the case of Louis XI., of
Era - nee, who prayed fervently to the Virgin
for success in one little crime he was about
to connnit;promising her, if she let him suc
ceed, it 'should be the last. This is unother
case of :piety without,religion.----Ber.-ifilEj
Clark.
o
Mr. Bruce, the 4ent of the British NA,
Foreign Bible Society in Italy, estimates
from the returns already in his possession,
that the sale of the Iloly Scriptures in Italy
during the year 1861 will not fall short of
what it was last year, viz., 30,000. • Ile las
about thirty colporteurs employed.in•various
parts of-Italy. The National: Bible ~Society
of Scotland has at present sixteen colporteurs
employed; though the average ; number, for,
the last eleven months was ten.
THE RIGHT HON. W. , W.E. GLADSTONE ON
THE AMERICA I+ QUESTION.
..i HEARTILY wish that it wasin our power
to exhibit:
,to the- Co try of the - 'United
l
States the precise and'e act state of, feeling,
that has subsisted in 'this country ever since,
the beginning Of the
,treViiendous convulsion
which.' now agitates that iontinent andihrea:,;
tens its'peace,and firosmity. 'I do not be
lieve that: at the time when the convullion
commenced: there. was one man in thousand
in this country who had any, sentiment what-'
ever towards the KrniteiK-States.of Airter t ica
except a sentiment of affectionate, and,sympa. 7
thising,goodwill--(cheexs)—or who felt any :
ding but a desire that they might continue'
to go on 'arid prosper,,a4to finish the work;
whatever it may have beef, which Pravidence
had appointed them to d'VQli.eers.) ljni
versal goodwill was the- , iiment rattail; liy&
veiled - towards' Anaerida..'-this country, yet
we could not help fermi an opinion upon
that terrific and fright% 'convulsion when it'
occurred. There is no itubt of the fact--I
i f
am not pretending to reveal secrets,, or to be
an interpreter of 'public epinion more than,
M
any other an---but there Is no doubt,. I
think, of the fact, thatall the thinkinff o men
in this country did come, to the Conclusion
that in that war which . had.commenced, the
party which was apparently the strongest
had- committed themselVei -to an enterprise
which probablyprove completely be
yon,
d their powers. We saw there a military
undertaking, of tremendous difficulty, and a
military undertakingwinch, if it was, to be
successful, would only be Pie preface in
troduction to political difficulties far greater
than even'the military difficulties of - the, war
itself. Now, lam afraid' that when this
opinion came to be prewilent in England,
that this war was a war: ° he lamented and
deprecated, I am, afraid :that 'the formation.
of that opinion, though cons den tiously formed,
gave deep offence totherrple, or to many
persons.at least in theThited„States. Well,
we know in private life4at the same
,thing
constantly happens. Itlefonstantly happens
that when a man is engaged with hiS whole
heart and will upon some 'enterprise which he
thinks vital to his well-being, and when some
other person is known tophave .said that he
thinks the enterprise ought not in be under
taken, great irritability, great susceptibility
is the result, and such a state of things arises
in despite of the inclination ; of the men„them
selves, in whom there is t no disposition to
quarrel and to cantention.! I believe that is a
trim description on the whole, of . the state of
things; between England and Anterica, at the
time when the case of the: Trent" occurred
and produced so profound , a; sensation in this
The right- hen. gentlertyln then described'
the course which the Gov went pursu
edin this matter and west on to say,--
1 - ;
What I earnestly-hop-is that ,we shall
take in oo , ditart, the Conn; - that' America,
s -ma el" Db"ifo" e emp e •
ticise in an unfriendly "siVit any portion of
their proceedings:; perhapsif any individual
might be tempted to criticise their proceed
ings it, is the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
(Laughter.) Let us endeavor to look at their
conduct in a generous - spirit. We have
formed an opinion in regard to this - war,
which, although we have formed ; c,onscien
tiously, I am afraid will produce a suscepti
bility in America,. Let us look upon
the bright side of that which the Antericans
have done ' and surely a bright side if has.
Let us =look back +to the moment when the
Prince of Wales appeared in the United
States of Atnerica, and when men by the.thou
sands, by tens of tlausands, and by lumdreds
*of thousands trooped together from ; ;all
'parts to give him a welcome. as enthusiastic,
and as obviously proceeding from the depths
ofthe heart, as, if, those vast countries had
still been-a portion of the dtiainions of our.
Queen (Cheers.) , Lekus look to the fact
;that they are of neeessitya-people subject to
quick and violent adtioitye:of opinion, and
liable to great public‘-ekeitement-=intensely
agreed en.the subject of the war in which
they were engaged, until aroused to a high
pitch of expectation by hearing that one of
their vessels, of war had laid hold, on the
Comniiisioners of the'Southern States, whom
they regarded simply as rebels. Let us look
to the fact that in the midst of their exulta
tion, and , in a, country where the principles
`of-popular-government and democracy are
carried to extremes—that- even, however, >'
inthis struggle of life and d.eath, as they
'think it fobe-,:-that even - while ebulitions were
taking, place all over.the. country of joy and
exultation it this capture
_that even, there
this popular and democratic gOvernment has
under thedemand of a foreign power, written
these =words, for theY' are the c,losing words in
the deipatch" of - 11f.- Seirard—" The four
commissioners will be cheerfully liberated:"
(Loud: cheer's.) Let us. take these word,s, I
say, without ,a : minute criticism upon anything
that may have,passed w at former; times,: and
mayhavo been 0,11013-10.slifference of Tiews—
let us aoc;ept, them with thankfulness to ,the
Almighty`for having i•emeved. any apparent
cause of deadly collision in Which the hearts
of :the people of -this country were united as
the heart Of one man to vindicate; 'under all
cireinistances, and to all extremities, the
honor of the British and to diicharge the
duty , of protection :to -those who had placed=
themselves under its. shelter. (Cheers.) Let
us ` : fora}; good auguries for the' -future from
that which now stands,-among the records of
-the past, hope that, whatever re-.
.mainS, or whatever may yet arise to be'adjuS
ted in those, relations between the two' coun-
tries Which - affOrda thousand Points of contact
every day, and must necessarily likewise of-'
font opportunities for collision—let us hope
that- in whitteVer -May-arise or remain to be
adjusted: a :spirit of brotherly concord-'may
`pre,vail; and; together --with a disposition to
assert our rights, , we may be permitted, to
:cherish a disposition to interpret handsomely
and , -liberally the -acts- and intentions of
others,.and to, avoid, it' we can aggravating.
the frightful evils of the civil war in AmOlca
by kit:lips even greater evils. -at any rate,,
enormous • evils le, what, though nova civil.
w'culd be next 4113 a `war—liny 'con
flict between Aniellea and:England. (Cheere.)
—English Church/not.
, „ „
m
WE SEISM TO 'I3E - CONTINUED = in - t hi s w•r
•of 'sin andsormw afternur conversion chlefly .
to-declare anddisplay,:by Word and deed, the
S l aviour's power and grace. ampngiour fellow
sinners.—Dr. T. Scott. •
AY FKBRUARY 13, 1862.
On, the 21st of December, one'of •the grand
reviews, of, the army on the. Potomac came off.
There were many things, noted by the secular
press at tho time, showing that ":this review
was indeed a - splendid affair.
6 ,
,4tot Cowan's speech was a good one on
the occasion of his presenting flags to several
orthe' Pennsylvania Regim'en'ts: We are
sorrythat since then he hasdisappointed and
grieved troops of his friends =by making a
speech against the expulsion of Jesse D.
Bright from the,Senate..
Col. Sarthiel W. Black, made . the following
speech when he received the flags in, behalf
of his Own regiment and another one. The
speech is unlike most flag speeches, and when
our reader's - remember that'the Colonel is' a
son of the late gev. Dr; John Black, they
will 4vond4niii*(4peakierAdict notilearn some :
of the,,sentintents bf this Used
to 'sit at theifeet Of his venerable father.
Colonel,Black, the Sixty-second,. in be
half of his own regiment and Colonel Me
Lean, of the Eighty-third ; received the flags,
and made the following reply:_
SENATOR : In the name and in behalf of
the regiment which have the good fortune
to command, and in their
. name who have the
good , fortime to be commanded by - my friend,
Colonel McLean, a mutual honor -to each
other, I accept: these colors of our country, a
gift from, the Commonwealth of Permsylvania,
our mother.- - -
:Past memories and present troubles corn
bipe to increase, and, make more intense our
devotion" to the national flag. We witness to
day, -and will witness with uplifted hands, and
hearts unchanged, that perfidy-and rebellion
at, home, either alone, or aided by habitual
arrogance and pretension abroad, shall serve
only to gather us more closely around , the
standard of our country.
When the sky is clear, and the, winds are
still; it leans upon its staff in patriarchal and,
peaceful repose—an object of calm and con
tented love. '
But when it trembles in the storm, a nation
assembles at its silent call; battalions people
every hill; the mighty hosts of the mountains
hasten to the field; squadrons sweep over
every plain;, : and sovereign States, sensible
that loyalty is the sign of independence, form
themselves into one, solid squadron for its de
fence.
We tarn with pride to the great Pennsyl
vania, sentiment of patriotism embraced in
her flags now unfurled before us. Behold
and admire the beauty of the glowing thought
that shines upon the standard! The arms of
the State are 'inlaid: amongst the , stars of the
Union! ,ller shield, her buckler, and 'her
strength are. there. ;Her.own star is .there;:
bat which cab is hers ? Who, by searching,
can find,out or declare? The utmost, art, of
,astrology employs its mystic power in vain,
and reveals only that which 'a child can see
—that one differeth 'not from another.star in.
glory, but all' Shine'together in the same hea
-
dent lustre.'
And oh, ;sir, can we help but turn with
heavy, hearts and swelling indignation, when
we see the standard which rebellion has reared,
to the tearing ,asunder, precious ties, and sha
king to its
_foundation the freest and best •
Government on the globe? Something re
mains"of the original, but only enough to show
sacrilege perpetrated upon the very symbols
of our glory: •
It has plucked the bright emblems of our
national progress and power from their a p_
pointed place, and instead thereof, has planted
a fading tree, which , blooms, to-day, like the
grass, "and to-morrow is cut down , and cast
into, the oven," rebellion and Confederate
folly failing to remember that stars are the
Divine tokens'anis adVaiicing I,ingdotn,and
have been since the star that beamed on Beth
lehem first flamed 'in the ferehead of the
morning sky.
.Sir, you, have our thanks >for the act of
presentation gracefullyperformod, for your
"sentiments of kind feeling-And geUereus con
fidence., for the words of beauty, .eloquence,
and power, such as come
,only from C. clear,
head and a sound hear. You do not misun
derstand us. We have dedicated ourselves,
iu solemn covenant, to the service of the
country, the defence- and vindication of its
flag, the restoration= of the Conititution in all
its power, and the preaervation and perpetuity
of the American Union in every part of - its
wide and great dominion.
_ .
We
. joip you in Ihe noble thought that
this 'is;a war of rescue and not of desolation,
of deliveranoe and not of destruction, of pro : ,
tection to the peOple every State, who
prefer the glory of a great Republic' to the
shame of foreign dependence, the mire sequel
of successfutdisunion.
But,. sir, of' the great-result, we" entertain
not,-a single doubt,: nor. the slightest appre4-..
hension. The. flag of the.l.Tnion is our tag ;
as it was our fathers' and we receive from
them, thangh dcacl, their living faith that'it, !
; shall not perish.
Before We part- May' I not say to, you com
panion of my early days; friend " uny life'
long, even until now"; lioriored Senator of
my native State; we desire no Change' ofstan:- .
dards am:lnane of standard bearer.: In our
colors and our commander bur confidence is
Tull' as
+ the sea-and fixed as the hills. Their..
destiny, now is, one and inseparable, and,side,
cby'side with hoth;the soldiers, of the ,Potomacare prepared to stand or fa 11..,
clo,sing„ I Offer no pledge nor promise.
But 'when this battle of naticniat existence is
fought and won, as fought and won it will be,
and these = two standards' shall reappear,
within the gates of .peace; "as in God's good .
providence they may, not a star less bright
than now, nor any stripe, stained with dark
dishonor, though the, blood of many sops :
may . crimsanevery inch of white, I beg ,you;
on that day , to remember, and believe, that
net' accident, but design, and the brave pur
pose of these battalians is fulfilled' in that fa- -
ture of the flag. • ' • • '
COL..BLACK'S SPEECH
THE PRESBYTERIAN , MINISTRY 'or -Scot-
X.,AND is= now summed np as follom; In the
Church; 1,173; - in the Free
Church, 790;- in =the United Presbyterian.
Church, 520. The •influence of ,such ,a body
of men-2,489 in all--is great and, effective
for good upon the world. Just now the last'
of these denominationg (the United Presby
terian) is exerting itself much to extend Pres
byterianism in En,gland. Rev. Drs Kin g and
Macfarlane, well knowh and able' raiinsterg,
have left large and 'deeply attached charges
in Glasgow and 'accepted Calla 'to' new and ,
promising congregations in London.
(Par the American Presbyterian.)
REFORk WANTED,
A .F.Ew years — ago - , - the - city authorities
changed the flathead the: streets.ofThiladel
phia, so that no two streets should bear the
same name: If the same principle could be
extended threughout y _Pennsylva,nia, probably
a great public benefut would, be conferred.
The evil of haYing one name, applied to sev 7
eral different towns, is greater in some other
States than in this, as may be shown by com
parison.; and if our errors are rectified, per
haps other States may be induced to follow
the eiample. Belowi are some of the leading
names in. Pennsylvania, 'Ohio, and Indiana,
with the . number of times they occurin each,
according to "Harper's Gazetteer," publish
ed in,1854. - • •
Texxspzr,tvrA„ Ouzo. 12mAxe.
WAshin,gfon, - 20.
Union, 3l 12'
Jack Son, • 14" •35 39
Perry, - - 10 26-• 13
Green,- - 9 17 11
Monroe, -8; 23 13
Centre, - , 8 7 12
Liberty, -7„ 25 13
Clinton, : - 7 . 8 3
Madison,-;6 20 7 .
JeffersOn - 5 20 21
Marion, - - 5 _ 10 9
'Some names are numerously represented
in other states, - which are hardly, if at all,
found in this State. Adams and Clay are
instances. There is no'Adams in Pennsyl
vaxda, though there are ten in Ohio, and as
many in Indiana. G. F. M.
toreign -111Ingarg.
TOE JEW§ OF POL4ND,.—A late number of
the ".Allgem,eine Zeitung des Judenthums,"
has several communications on the subject of
the fraternization between the Christian and
JeWiah Poles; from which we make a few ex
tracts.' It does nee - appear that the govern
ment of St. Petersburg is disposed to remove
all the disabilities under which the Jews la
bor. Matters, however, are quite different
in Poland. itself.: Here the people - urge the
emancipation, of, the Jews. An address to
the bound'. of State has been drawn up, de
manding their complete emancipation. The
petition, it is true, cannot, according to the
existing regulations, be presented, as it would
exercise a pressure on the council; but the
fact , that there exists such an address is in
itself most remarkable phenomenon. The
Gazette Polska, in discussing this subject,
powerfully advocated the claims of: the Jews.
The following are some of the remarks made:
by that,paper: "It is not now the time for
restrictive laws, class privileges, and exclu
sions : it is impossible to justify their conti
nuance: it is unbecoming to maintain these
before: the eyes of the world. Weitnow what
kixas.r. reproaches . , ; were made in EtWePe te
the jews, "and wOit, was• laid to their charge,
amongst us. But let us smite our breast,
and, step out from the, mystical mode of con
templating the fate of races and nations, and
let ms put the question to ourselves, what has
made'these unfortunate exiles what they have
become? - Nothing but injustice to them, per
severed in for centuries ; continual bondage,
oppression, and repulsion. The fruits thereof
are the blemishes perceived in the Jews—all
of them our work and , our doing ; what good
there is in them is there own property. We
do not know whether any other nation,
der similar circumstances, would have pre
served the faculties, the perseverance, and
virtues, Which the Jewshave preserved amidst
their oppression. Thal, the Poles are in ear
nest in their advneacy'of the Jewish cause
has' further been shown by the result of the
late municipal election's. At Woelvek seven
Jews were returned-::to the Town-Council,
consisting of, sixteen, members. The same
was the ease at. Plock. The nobility, too,
elected a Jew among - p4e deputies, of the dis
trict."—Jewish Chronicle.
RELIGIOUS STATISTICS OF AILSTRIA.—The
following religious statistics relative, to Aus
tria are extracted from a recent official re
turn : The secular clergy consists of 55,370
members; and among.them are 1 patriarch,
4 primates, 11 archbishops, and 58 bishops.
The 'number of monasteries is 720, and in
them are 59 abbots; 4'5 provincials, 6754 re
gular priests, 645 other priests, 240 novices,
and 1917 *lay brethren. In the total, the
Jesuits possess 17houses, 2 provincials, and
188 priests. The number of convents is 298,
and„in them are 5198 .nuns. Of the total,
85 houses belong to Sisters of Charity, and
they are occupied, by,104 Sisters. The rev
enue of ecclesiastical benefices is 8,772,984
florins, 6id"the capital of them 99,186,000
florins. The convents have an income of
50;607.376 florins; the churches one of
6,083,281 florins,'and a capital of 34,326,276
florins:. The revenue of the schools is 329,252
florins, and their capital 152,233 florins;.
aavi,chaiitable establishments have revenues
Of -12 0'33. -
TRANSLATION OF'` RAINS INT° CHINESE: ,
The. Rev: W. C. Burna has of late been much
engaged in the preparation of psalms and
hymns in, the different dialects of China..
They are not only in use at, several of the
missionary stations, but are becoming vei7
popular'in the towns and Villages among the
Chbiese. He has just printed at Foochow a
new " hymn-book, which has thirty-three
hymns in the Collection, several of them
founded-upon the Scotch psalms, as.the Ist,
23d, 63d, 100th, 'and 103 d. The 54th
paraphrase, and.siich - hymns as-," Just as I
am, without one plea," ." There is a fountain
filled with blood.'' . " Awake, my soul and
with the sun, '' Come -thou fount of every
blessing!' Ile has the hymns also printed
on single sheets, which are eagerly sought
,
AFRlOL—Attention is earnestly directed
to Wextern Africa. ,The case of Dahomi ap
peaisio be 'ilesperate, so far as' human s aid is
concerned. 'Another bloody'siterifice is im
pending, in' whiblyfifteen hundred or two
thousand victims are to be immolated. The
surrounding territory is hunted by the sol
diers of Hadahung for the, wretched beings,
who are to be put to death. Is it not a, case
for incessant intercession with God, that'in
his good providence he *mild break the pew
erf*hich occ'upi'es these hahitationg'ol'cru;
elty, and•that by his glorious 'gospel he would'
open the eyes of these Pagans, - and turn
them froin - darknesh to , light,!and from , the
power of Satan to the living God ?
GENESEE EVANGELIST.--Whole No. 82t.
RELIGIOUS DESTITICtION IN. LONDON.—In
the report of the Wesleyan Home Mission
and Contingent Fund, recently publishea,
we find the following description of the state
of the metropolis:—
"The religious destitution of the metro
polis has occupied the anxious attention of
the committee. London, with its population
of 2;800,000, annually increasing at the rate
of 60,000, does-not possess, in all its churches
and chapels, aceommodation for more than
one-third'of the inhabitants. If 59 per cent.,
who might he =present if they chose, were dis
posed to attend any One service on the Lord's
Day, there would be nearly 800,000 for
whom room could not be found. What is
still worse,: the existing places of worship are
not filled. "Itis a fact known to the police,
and to every man who has had an opporieni
ty of observing the state into which the
ses are falling, that there never was a time
'whAri*the temper of the lower'orders in this
country was less satisfactory than it is now.
'There are whole streets within an easy walk
of Charing Cross,—there are miles and miles
of lanes and, alleys on either side of- London
Bridge, where the people live utterly without
God in the world,—where there seems to be
no knowledge of the difference between right
and wrong,--no belief whatever in a future
state, or of their responsibility to any other
authority than that of the law, if it can reach
them. There are entire quarters in which it
seems -to be a custom that men and women
should live in promiscuous concubinage,
where the most frightful debauchery. goes on
night and day in the lowest public-houses,—
where the very shopkeepers make a profes
sion of Atheism, and encourage their poor
customers to do the same." These are as prac
tical heathens as Hindoos or Hottentots, and
must be dealt with on the same missionary
principle and plans. No wonder that thought
ful Christian men are girding themselves to
grapple with this monstrous evil. The
Church of England has set before the public
the idea of a thousand " School-chapels,"
with a missionary-curate to each, for London
alone. The outlay contemplated is great:, and
the conception is a noble one. Meanwhile
the Methodists are not in their proper posi
tion so long as they have but one circuit min
ister in the metropolis to every 83,000 of the
population.—News of the Churches.
ITALY.—The progress of Italy in a reli
gious point of view, during the year now
closing, has been such as to lead. all those
who have been close observers to giro the,
glory unto God, and say, What Imth the
Lord wrought! Cavour, who was regarded
as the strong bulwark of constitutionalism in
this country, was succeeded by one who,
while as firm an advocate and admirer of
Civil liberty as his predecessor, understool.
the question of. religious liberty better, so
that though there is not lacking ample ground
of complaint against inferior magistrates and
judges of the Codino-Papal stamp, for put
ting every obstacle' in the way of evangelists,_
colporteurs, etc., even to the commission of
lacts , oftagrant illegality; the priests have
learned to their 41ismay, that the civil p'ew - er
is no longer at their disposition as formerly,
' and that the injustice of a subordinate may
be successfully appealed against. As a gene
ral rule, the liberal or reactionary sentiments
of the magistrates in any given place, where
a religious movement haS begun, may be
judged- of by the conduct and - bearing of. the
priests; where the latter is violent awl law
less, and they are ,allowed to stir Up the mob
to disturb the public tranquillity, it is an in
fallible sign of a magistracy inclined towards
the old regime; where they, are living in de-.
-cent observance of the law combating what
they believe to be heresybyiegal means alone,
it is sure proof of a liberal and enlightened
magistracy. This diversity in the attitude
of the priests is nowhere more strikingly
brought out than in the cities of. Florence
and Leghorn, where the government function
aries differ widely in their views.
TIM BELFAST •{lreland) TOWN MISSION
held its eighteenth anniversary in December,
1861. The Rev. W. Arnot of Glasgow was
one of the speakers. To show the necessity
of this mission, the Rev. W. Johnston stated
that the district attached to his church was
visited weekly by ninety visitors connected
with the congregation, yet what is the result
of a recent house-to-house canvas by a cate
chist; it appeared that, of a total population
of 1539 families, representing 6427 individu
als, there were 1054 Protestant families, of
whom only 527 were in the habit of going to
church; while one person declared he had not
been at place of any worship for 20 yearn;
and that thirty families were without a copy'
of the Holy Scriptures. An excellent sys
tem of schools has been established in con
nection with this mission, and it. is intended
ultimately to provide suitable school-rooms
for each • town: missionary's district.
The year closes with brighter prospects for
the kingdom of God in this country.; the
Protestant churches are advancing in activ
ity and organization; the Romanists are be-
;coming liberalized and exposed to the influ
ences of our general' literature. The'next
year will be entered in with hope ands cenft
-deuce, and large expectations.
UNITEDPRE E 011131tbli
THE SETT MAN IN
SCOTLAND is in a 'flourishing kite.' The
PreShytery of Edinburgh alone *has 54 con
gregatioms, with a membership of 24,288.
Three new congregations were. organized
- during the past year, and 2,776 persons were.
'added to the membership of the churches.
The average total attendanCe at. Ow churches
was 27,820. The 'whole amount .of money
raised for all religious purposes Z 29,392
(abOut $147,000,)ur an average of one pound
four shillings 'and three-pence (about six-dol
lars) from each member. In this Preibytery,
also, there are. 94 Sabbativ - schools, 908
teachers, and ..6,007 children. tßesides la
`boring -in Scotland, this ''Qhurch is also
carrying OD a good woAk . in Londo n , an d
has successful missions in the.Nreign
MADAGASCAR. „„ London Iffissionary
Magazine says:: Sinee the publication' Of our
last number„ the reports respecting the death
of the Queen , of 'Madagascar, and the acces
sion of her' son to the throne, have been fully
confirmed, ,and the new-sovereign has not lost
an hour in prOclaiming to the civilized "world
the course of just, and enlightened policy
which h 9 intends to pursue. Ile has an
nounce& his earnest desire to maintain ami
cable relations and commercial intercourse
with all Tuitions; and these wise and just
views were specially communicated to the
the Governor of Mauritius f . ortri!,nsmission to.
the Government of England.