162
AMtritall agMbetrign
GENESEE EVANGELIST.
THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 1862.
* JOIti W. MEARSI
MEMPHIS PALLENI
Another of the centres of rebellion in the
wicked and violent Southwest has fallen before
the advance of our all.conquering navy. Mem
phis, that wicked city, full of rancor and venom,
and despite of the lawful authority of this benign
and great government; not more vehement and
malignant in opposing and denouncing the right
ful cause, than hyperbolical in its boasts of in
vincibility; that presumptuous city, that- dared
to interdict the free navigation of the greatest
river that God has given to civilised man, how
is her boasting put to shame I How was she
constrained to be witness to the annihilation of
her last dependence, and to crouch at the feet of
the victors spreading over her once more that
newly.conseorated and sublime emblem of liberty
and of constitutional government—the stars and
the stripes
The Mississippi is enfranchised, from the lakes
past Colnmbus, pest Island No , : 10, past Fort
Wright and Fort Randolph, plot Memphis, past
Vicksburg doubtless, past Natchez, Baton Rouge
and New Orleans, past Forts Jackson and 'St.
Philip, out to this Gulf. May its mighty current
be consecrated not merely to the grand and mul
tiplied uses of commerce, but as a highway for
new ideas, traveling on the wings of free speech
and a free gospel; reaching even to the pulpit of
Lafayette Square Presbyterian Church, and of
all the churches of the Southwest, awakening
them to a sense of duties more worthy of Chris
tians in the nineteenth century, than that of per
petuating and conserving the institution of
slavery.
CORM-STONE LAID.-011 Monday after
noon the corner-stone of the NORTH BROAD
&BET CHURCH was laid, in the presence of a
large assemblage, with appropriate and highly
interesting ceremonies. Addresses were deliver
ed by the Pastor, (Rev. E. E. Adams) and by
Rev. Messrs. Darling, March and Brainard. The
addresses were of the most inspiriting character,
worthy in very way of the hopeful nature of the
occasion. We congratulate the North Broad
street people, with their pastor and generous
friends, upon the progress they have made in
this enterprise, which is, in every view, the most
important and most promising, undertaken in our
church in this city, perhaps for the whole quarter
century past.
THE JUKE IidETHLIES.
THE ATLANTIC, the CONTINENTAL and the
KNICKERBOCKER Maagazines for the present
month were duly laid on our Table. They are,
for the most part, well-conducted periodicals.
They exhibit a great degree c l f skill on the part
of editors and writers in providing acceptable
entertainment and a lighter sort of instruction
for the public. The powers of invention, the
range of subjects and , the qualities of style which
they exhibit, are highly creditable to , the authors
and to the literary tastes of the public, .which,
demands and pays liberally for them. We have
freely accorded our praise to these enteprises, so
honorable to American literature, and have done
what we, could, as journalists, to promote their
interests. Trifling fault's we have not.paused to
notice amid such general excellence; And grave
faults we notice with reluctance. Grave faults
they all exhibit in the issues of the present
month. Antipathy to evangelical religion is
more or less clearly revealed in each of them;
and the very wariness of the expressions renders
them more dangerous.
The ATLANTIC opens with an article, under
stood to be from the pen of the late H. D. Tho
reau, on Walking. Mr. Thoreau's style of
thought and writing abounds in the peculiarities,
good and bad, of R. W. Emerson's. There is
the contemptuous, patronising air towards Chris
tianity which characterises modern pantheists,
who superciliously imagine themselves the pro
phets of a higher, order of civilization than the
Christian, and who feel, privileged to regard
Christianity as obsolescent. , By some means this
class of thinkers has attained great prominence
in the field of Belles Letters, and the ATLANTIC,
especially at the first, seems to have been their
favorite organ.
In the article on "Walkftig" we find the fol
lowing language: "As a true patriot I should
be ashamed to think that Adim in Paradise was
more favorably situated, on the whole, than the
backwoodsman' in this country." Culp he wise
utterly ignores the spiritual element of the Bible
history, and who refuseit to consider it an' ele
ment,of human welfare, could lliasit penned Alia
a flippant sentence as ' Again, in another
place, " Hamlet and the Iliad, and all the Scrip
tures and mythologies," are strung together,
,as
if there were no essential difference between
them. And again, the outrageoui immorality
which we believe Emerson is not guiltless) is
committed of "rejoicing that men themselves
have some wild oats to sow before they become
submissive members of society." For allowing
such a sentence to go upon its pages, is not the
ATLANTIC MONTHLY liable to be impeached of a
crime pronounced capital by a heathen commu
nity two thousand years ago—the crime of cor
rupting the morals of the youth of the Common
wealth 'I Rejoicing that men have their wild
oats to sow Listen to it, and learn what is the
vaunted new gospel. Learn the moral tendency
of New England pantheism. See it encouraging
the young in their wild, courses, tempting the
pure to an acquaintance with vice, sneering at
the care of parents for the morals of their chil-
dren and rejoicing at their excesses and de
bauchery 1 We doubt not Thoreau and Emer
son, and their sort, would have us "rejoice" at
the pioture of the prodigal son away from his fa
ther's house, and wasting his substance in riot
ous living, as " sowing his wild-oats." We care
little what ouch men think, but the ATLANTIC
MONTHLY deserves the reprobation of all the
good who are now patronising it, for defacing its
columns with a sentiment which is almost too
infaznons to be dangerous.
Traces of an anti-Christian spirit are also to
be found in the laudatory notices of heathen cha
racters like Confucius; in quotations paraded
from heathen books, as the Vishnu Parana and
the Chaldean oracles, and in the allusion to Ma
.
hornet.
''....k N D-.
Editor.
In the succeeding article—War and Literature _
—the question is argued, whether there can be
such a thing as a religious wai; when, with evi
dent allusion to the wars of the Reformation, it
is said, " there can be wars to transfer the tra
dition of infallability from a pope to a book,"
and it is claimed that the present is " the first
truly religious war ever waged" 1. Now, such a
sentiment is too plainly aimed at the reverence
felt for the Bible as God's Word, and too plainly
reveals the antipathy of these Pantheistic literati
towards Evangelical religion, to pass unchal
lenged into general circulation.
But enough of the ATLANTIC for the present.
The COTINENTAL, a new and an able competi
tor for the public favor, seems to be follbwing in
the same odious track. True, it , has contained ,
some specimens of genuine Christian poetry and
articles on the Huguenots, from which we have
largely borrowed into our own columns. But we
have felt pretty well satisfied of late, that the
track marked out for themselves by the conduc
tors of the " Continental" involved ,no clear and
settled recognition of Evangelical Christianity,
but rather an indifference towards it, verging.on
contempt.
In °sadly this spirit opens Mr. Kimball's
new romance, " Was he Successful f," the first
two chapters of which are given in this number.
Of this story we were informed before-hand, in
the publisher's afinouneement, that the chief
character is a " 'bright and shining light,' in the
church." As introduced to us, Hiram Meeker
and his mother are designed to show up the deep
and subtle hypocrisy of seemingly -consistent
church members, in•Vorldly - matters, and an im
pression is already• begun to be made most unfa
vorable to Christian effort and to parental train
ing and anxieties for the conversion of children,
by presenting them in the repulsive aspect of a
mere mechanical effort, with nothing but worldly.
or formal reasons at the! bottom. The minister,
too has his place in the offensive recital, which
no, Christian can read without being shocked and
feeling indignant that such a monstrous carica
ture should go before the world, without a hint
of its utter untruthfulness, as a representation of
the pious labors and anxieties of Christian pa
rents and of the workings of true religion in the
heart. Mr. Kimball is, we fear, about to Show,
in his inferior, meaiure,"that, like Dickens, he
has lived so far, or kept himselfso isolated, from
true Christianity, that he has never seen it; has
fallen into a melancholy unbelief of its existence;
and is about to communicate this unbelief to as
-many readers as he can. We regret that he has
found-opportunity to do so in the pages of a po
pular monthly.
The critique' of Dr. Scott's "Church in the
Army" closes with an extremely coarse sneer at
the doctrine of eternal punishment, which in
manner and matter is Anite unpardonable.
We designed to =add something in regard to
the -KNlCKEitneemyly which, having changed
hands of late,-seems to be drifting under the
same influence. :'The series of articles entitled
" Sunshine in Thought," which have abounded
in sneers at seriousness in religion and in worn
out infidel cant against orthodoiy, has culminated,
in the present umber, in a eulogistic 'criticism
of Rev. J. L. Corning's well known = sermon on
the " Law of Christian Amusement." -To these
who know' Mr. Corning—who has long since
ceased to be a Presbyterian - minister—it is amer
sing to see how much stress the writer' lays upon
this sermon. He quotes from it largely; in
fact, .his article is little else than extracts from it
With approving commeitts i interspersed. Mr.
Corning is a true preacher of Mr. Leland's new
GosPel of Joyousness—no seriousness in it—an
exemplification of " the purest Protestantism of
the present day ;" a Christian after the Knicker
bocker's own heart. We do not know whether
Mr. Corning would think it friendly in any one
to congratulate him upon the reception his ser
mon has met with from such a quarter.
One or two things are plain. . There is • more or
less divorce between belles lettres in the literature
of the day, and piety. Our leading magazines
show it. The unitarian and pantheistic clique
around Emerson and in the vicinity of _Harvard
and Boston are, undoubtedly, the most cultivated_
in aesthetics and the most pelished and finished
titeratesis in the country. All the other maga
zine writers amaffected by their influence, and •
all light literature takes its tone from them.
Another point—the evangelical people are
brought to the question whether there, is not
enough culture among them to furnish and sus
tain a magazine of high literary charicter, which
shall exert a refining influence upon their falai
liesj be a real ornament and pleasure to their own
and to all society, and be free from the vices
of those already in. existence. RARPHR'S MA
GAiINE is, we are happy to acknowledge, guilt
less of these gross blemishes, and, so far, worthy
of the immense patronage it enjoys. But it is`'
not what we need. It cannot take the place off'
these higher literary enterprises in the hands of
our cultivated young 'people. We need some
thing-which, a' year ago, we begin to hope the
ATLANTIC MONTHLY itself was approaching, bet
which we imagine it never designs to realise--‘-a,
Christian magazine, in which the highest literary''
forms shall be used to express the noblest and
healthfulest sentiments, aided by •the free play
ora pure imagination, the whole illustrating the
compatibility of culture with piety, and the ser
viceableness of sietheticicto the cause of true re
ligion. The Church naturally looks to New Eng
land for such a service. If she doei- not render
it, then shall enlargement come from another,
quarter; fOr, come we think it must, unless the
Church is willing to leave the literary culture of
her families to aliens and bigoted foes, like Dr.
Holmes, R. W. Emerson, and (we fear we must
now add) Richard Kimball and the Lelands.
LANE SEMINARY.
The catalogue recently received reports 75
students. The faculty proper is reduced, by the
removal of Prof. Smith, to two—LProfessors Allen
and Day. Besides these, however, regular in
struction is given by Rev. Dr. Thompson on the
composition of sermons, and ReV. Llewelyn - J.
Evans on Church History. Rev Dr. Smith, the
former Professor, is announced as special lectu
rer on Sacred Rhetoric. Several other special
lecturers are announced; so that the students
will suffer no lack of competent instruction.
LITTELL'S LIVING AoB, for this week, con
tains Jesse's Memoirs of Richard 3, from the
Edinburg; Sister Anna's Probation; Chronicles
of Carlingford--both continuations; _Death of
'Dr. Bethune, from the Independenti with choke
selections of poetry and short articles.
Am'tl.ir - ,4:4 - . .gte#)t - tc : .,t.i..,4.. i # --
. - . 4,.:.,41 '....-i!titt,-,0,c_.....:(6,tait1-tliot
THE REV. A.. .CONVERSE AND HIS "CHRIS
TIAN OBSERVER."
IT is with no pleasant feelings that we call our
readers' attention once more, and we hope finally,
to the Rev. Dr. Converse and his Richmond
Christian Observer. But though he has left us,
his influence still remains in the prejudices he
has excited, and the' Southern principles he has
advocated.
Dr. Converse, by his boldness, industry, plau
sibility, softness of manner; apparent piety and
candor—by his skilful reiteration of partial.facts
and sophistical .argunients—all garnished with
professed reverence for the Bible and love of his
country,—by his readiness to pray for peace and
union in Church and State, had suceeeded 'in
perverting and prejudicing better men than him
self, and combining them into cliqtes and parties
which are not yet entirely dissolved or innocuous.
He profeiseGl to he loyal, and hung out the
Stars and Stripes from his office be was every
day at the " Vnion prayer-meeting," surrounded
.
by some men of his own stripe, eulogizing peace
and praying for peace. His paper became more
pions, as it developed a more bitter latent trea
son; so that when it was suppressed by the iSlo 7
vernment, some thought it a pity that such a
good loyal man should be troubled: Even after
he bad left, his son issued 4 half sheet,,inwhi*
father . and =soilMostiloudly protested loyalty to
the Ociveriment, 'and 'asked - the sympathies of
the world for their persecution& . No doubt
some took them at, their word; and greatly blamed
•
those who questioned the candor and sincerity of
such meek, pious and patriotic individuals. There
are doubtless some sympathizers with ':Dr. Con
verse in Philadelphia yet, and such ought to be ,
obliged -to us for allowing -theta to - look -in on
the old Doctor and his Christian Observer in
Richmond, Where he IS allowed to ley down his
mask and be himself. If lifting the curtain
shows the Doctor so transformed that 'they cry,
" If thoube' est he, oh; how Moved!"
the fault is not ours
A friend recently from Norfolk, has sent us a
copy of the Christian Observer'and Presbyterian
Witness, published at Richmond, Va., May Bth,
1862, by A. Converse, editor and proprietor.
T. Bartlett Converse, associate: editor." It is
about half the size it held in Philadelphia, and
printed on thin paper. Otherwise it is in all
respects like the old paper—neitigh like it to be
&twin- sister. We wish all the old friends of
the Doctor could see the whole paper; but as
that is impos,sible, we will indulge them with
liberal excerpts, under " headings" which are
our own. As we quote from. leaded editorials,
we allow Dr. Converse to speak for himself.
Why the ; Doctor went . Sputh.—"We came
here to labor , and suffer with the people, and we
have had many: proofs that -our labors are appre
ciated."
Claims of the Paper.
"Up`to the time of US suppression -in Phila
delphia, by order of the President of the United
States, it was the . ONLY PAPER OF ANY KIND in
that city, andthe ONLY RELIGIODS paper, with
one exception, in the United .States, which op
posed the unholy war whieh that power is now
waging against the Southern - Confederacy.
-" It has been repeatedly' commended to the
confidence and .patronage of the Sonthern Church
by many. Presbyteries in this Confrderacy."
.
How, the Doctor promotes peace at the South.
—He says . : " These prayers must be accom
panied with the most determined effort, skilfully
directed, to conquer a peace. The united forces
of the Sauth-have not yet entered the field. Let
every man haste to the rescue, and the deadly
conflict wilt not be long continued. We add in
the words of the Southern Christian Advocate,
that twe cannot afford to fail. To lose our cause
-is to lose everything , except our souls; and to
many this loss also would be imminent. It would
be to lose all one earth we .hold dear. To say
nothing of the ignominy of subjugation, a thought
that no high-minded man can endure, every
selfish as well as every patriotic instinct revolts
at the thought of failare. The patriot loses his
cherished country and its independence, the
Christian freedom to worship God as his con.
science dictates—the father the hopes he -has-en
tertained for his'children-4he man wealth his
possessions,— the Government funds become
worthless—the banks fail—the wealth of the
land Is absorbed by our enemies to pay .the price
of Our subjugation, and we all together become
miserable slaves and paupers—crushed under the
heel of a brutal' and tyrannical mob? "
How the Doctor comforts the rebels under de
feat His love of the Union. He says This is
not the hour for desponding, but for earnest, un
ceasing prayer, and united and undaunted effort
in defence of our homes and of rights. dearer
then life. The fall of New Orleans and the
threatened attack upon our City, should dishear
ten no one, and create no panic among our'citi
zens. • It is time to lOok to God for succor,"and
not tUdistrust his Providence, or Grace.
" We can readily conceive how the material and
religious interests of the South:will be promoted-
by its independence of the North; but we will
not prophecy. And if the separation shall crush
the malign fanaticism which has corrupted
glen- extensively at the North; and silenee -the
vaunting spirit of pride and wealth—if it shall
humble the people under the mighty hand of.
God,,, it 'may Prove a great blessing to' them as
well as to us."
Pow the Doctor instructs the rebels as to the suf.:
firings of ,the North by the war. He says :---
"FEDERAL SACRIFICES FOR WAR.-A BILLION
DOLLARS In a. year of war the United Stites
has aCcuroulated a national debt on thousand
million . &Mars. The war debt Of thegovern
,
meta . alone thus far amounti to a thousinisl mil
lion dollars. It is not an exaggeration to esti-
Matti' that. at" Jeast a hundred thousand men in
the Federal service have been killed or wound
.
ea, or died or been crippled for life, hy wounds
or disease. The value of an able bodied servant
in the South is at least a thousand dollars. The
labors of these men must have been worth a like
sum to the community in which they lived, and
the enormous loss occasioned by this FF., is in
creased, from this source, by the addition of a
hundred thonsand times :a thousand dollars
"A few years ago a European nationshipped to.
New York two or t three thousand of its paupers
and the country was in a blaze of indignation..
But that people'has now - ielantarily assumed
burden equal Ao that of nearly four
thousand paupers . for life,
, and foolishly expend.'
ed it in a war that can never yield them anTre
turn except mp misery; sorrow and'death I ...
What -the Doctor tells. the rebels concerning the,
Federal Gobernmente " COIRIIPTION" OP tTRi
FEDERAX'GOVERPIMEN . P.:-Litlo admit a• 11l tke
discussions on the floor of the Washington House
of Representatives on the frauds of officials, that
" the Federal Government has been plundered in
the first year of. Black Republican misrule in a
greater amount than the entire annual expendi
tures of the Buelkanan administration." The
frauds have b - clisi i lterpetrated by government
officials. Is it iii;tliine for our Northern neigh
bors-to erect another government ?"
What the Doctor thinks of the " Stars and
Stripes." Sad omens !"'"'""'" TUE UNITED STATES
FLAG IN THE REVOLUTION OF 1861.—The be
ginning of this war was marked by many curious
coincidences which it is pleasant to revert to at a
time 'when the black clouds of war obscure so
large a portion of the heavens. By the Greeks
and Roinans tliey . Would have been regarded as
favorable omens. The believer in the providen
tial interposition 'of in all-wise hand in the con
trol of every 'event,, however minute, can scarce
ly fail to remark the singularity of such a series
of events, symbolising the desiruction of the Ifni
te.
a States and the successful establishment of
the confederacy.
" We observe that since the election of Mr. Lin
coln to the Presidency of the ljnited States, there
has been a remarkable fatality attending the
" Stars and Stripes" at his hands. It will be re
membered that;after his election,. while the coun
try was in a most tstitical state, instead of devot
ing his attentiowM - the• inomelitaiis' questions
which would shortly demand -his - decision, he
made a triumphal March through the Northern
States to receive the adulations and enjoy the
hospitalities of his political friends and admirera.
In Philadelphia he addressed a large assmblage
from the steps , of Independence Hall, and was
requested to hoist the American Flag: Pulling
off his coat, to the great admiration ofithe rabble,
he set to work with a will to raise it. But the
leader of a 'sectional party, subversive'of the con
stitution of his "'country,was not eimaged' in an
appropriate work whin 'trying to raise the honor
ed flag upon the building venerated as that in
which our forefathers laid the corner-stone
,of
the great republic in:the declaration of indepen
dence of '76 : and by an unfortunate, but omin
ous accident,' the flag of the country, when it had,
scarcely half reached'the eminence; was'humiliat
ed by falling -to the dust in the'presence of the as
senibled Viousancls
" A few days later, Mr. Lincoln had reached
Washington, by his memorable hegira thither at
night, and the unfullirig of the deified stars'and
stripes in the presence of vast multitudes, form
ed a part of the imposing ceremony of his, inau
guration. Here the accident that had (recurred
in Philadelphia mas.repeated, and,in the presence
of the representatives of foreign nations And of
the people of all the States the lag again fell• to
ground, and when after alittle delay it was un
furled, it bore marks` of its unfortunate defile
ment."
.Dr. Converse' rehtike of Raj. Anderion for
saluting the United &Iles Flag to Fort Sum t er:
—He says: " Sumter fell. , Major Anderson re
quested permission to salute his flag before lower
ing it.. The eourtsey was accorded him. The
fight was now over without bloodshed. A Call.
non fired to salute the'43fars and stripes,—to pay
it the last tribute of honor before its removal.
from. South Carolina sc4;rieverrto be permanezit
ly replaced,—exploded-six--men were either
killed or wounded., *: signal rebuke for 'the
, ,
superstitious reverence paid to a piece of. bunt•
-
ing !"
How Feaven frowned on the United' States flag
in, Philadelphia.—The DoCtor says "In Phila
delphia a ma:gni - fleet plee of bunting was floated
to the breeze above' the custom house—but the
winds, as if indignant , it the prostitution of . the
national flag to repfesentthe policy of a party,
snapped the, flag-itaff and swept, it to the earth.
From Independence Hell one of the largest and
handsomest flags in the city. was stretched across
the street, and the wind seized this too, and rent
it through the middle stripe from one end to the
other.. Six stripes and - the union were on one
piece, six stripes on - the other. The remaining
stripe'was split through the middle. , And as the
two fragments hung 'side 'by aide cni_ the, same
rope, they seemed to announce Trom the very
spot• where the Indepd..,,dence of the American
colonies was toile& tha f' henceforth there would
be : two nations side by side ;on ; this continent,
formed out of that one."- : ,
How • Heaver& punished- the' North at Great
Bethel; when the lamented Dop
tor says The fifstbattle 'fougbt on 'behalf of
that doomeit , llag . was at, bethel. "God Protected
our men=otlys a single one was, killed. The,
loss of its supporters was so great that to this
day no. official account of the battle - was' pub
lished, and when•called for by Congteas, reply
was made that its riblication would be injurious ,
to theltervice. "-
Sinde then the ivar to, avenge the misfor
titles of the Star-spangled Banner' and, to .re=
establish its sway has been, fiercely, waged. :Mere,
than a_thonsand million dollars, and probably
hundred thousand lives . have been sacrificed 1)y
the-North in , the vain effort. •We haVe suffered
much and will have'Much still to suffer. But
lie who sustained the children of Israel d rung:
forty'pars'of trial affeici t heY had thrroWn off the:
Yell& 6f'their t Wyptiijli f iashmasters,Wili Sustain .
US if,me PII'Pe.TIFAPNI*Pc.:e4I:4{IDI.
"t The-above incidents may , be relied-` upon as
correct: -They may Afford 'isome 'eneouragement
to those who :are disposed' to lookr-un fho;dark
side of the Struggle we are engaged in. But if
.they are not to be regarded as a finger pointing
'
to our ultimate seccer,:,t 11 at I east
viewed as remarkable this wart
shall, atnodistant,,daz, havobeen brought to
triumphant conclusion." -
What News ,the:Docter selects for 'his Readers.
He 'quotes; froxn lhe Memphis Appeal, which
says : "The 'bogies! TGovernor, Andrew
JohniOn; hie' been reduced 14) the 'UeceSiity of
keeping an armed guard it'his'door t ill the time,
as a protection to his person.
" Johnson hes beentattemptiug-forz.more than
a month to ,raise -a - full regiment ts II body guard,
but has so far succeeded 'in - getting only about
eighty Dutchmen to vOltiiiteer in that dirty on-
peaty. rs
" Great consternation prevailed among John
son and hie minions-it l consequence, theitill
available - Federal' forol was kept under arina
night in . anticipation of an attach. The despot
himself is said to havebeen very, much, terrified,
and.liaditis clothes picked and _his papers put
up preparatory Jolt., wok' hegira.in case of such
a necessity 2! - 7 •
What Dr. 'Converse thinks of the New York
Annivershrielle''says :jl O Most of these meet
iiigs Ceased a:fie thitigsvcif much interest
except es deirelopuifn i ti of religibue feeling, IS
really and disastrously perverted, as it was in the
days when the Puritans in both Old and New
England persecuted and hung obnoxious women
for witches."
Why was Col. Ellsworth's Death just 7—The
Doctor says : " Southern soil was first invaded
in the Occupation of Alexandria. The first act
of Colonel Ellsworth, on entering the city, was
to tear down the Confederate flag upon the Mar
shall House—but he paid the penalty of his life.
The bosom friend of Abraham Lincoln was the
only man in his regiment killed at :the time, and
he lost his life in the first attempt to remove our
flag from our soil."
We will make no more ,extracts from this
Christian Observer. Can any doubt that the
paper is most malignant in its wholesale, un
blushing treason, and most dangerous from its
religious parlance and palaver. Yet the old
maxim in this case holds true.
" Crelum non. animum mutant,
. Quip trans mare currunt."
Dr. Converse here, at heart, was what be now
is openly'and malignantly in Richmond: We
knew it to be so at thetime, and were therefore
prepared for his wbole - subsequent conduct.
There are others who may profit by the exposure
we
,have made, for we fear their love of the
Union and peace would not bear transportatien
to Virginia. Those who cry "persecution"
when a traitor is ;exposed, are at heart traitors.
ADDRESSES AT THE HISTORIOAL !MOIETY.
(Continued from first page.)
THE Rev. Professor T. V: J. Wylie next ad-
Oressed the meeting as follows :
Mr. President; I beg leave to offer the follow
ing resolution
WHEREAS, Presbyterianism has a. noble his
tory, and its records are therefore worthy of per
petual, preservation,
Resolved, That the Presbyterian Historical So
ciety deserves and shall receive the encourage
meat of-all who desire the welfare of the Church
or of the world."
At this lateltour and after the eloquent addres
ses to which we have been listening, it would be
unpardonable, in me to detain this audience by
any extended remarks. It is principally because
I desire to manifest my cordial interest in the
Presbyterian Historical Society, that I say a
word.
The first question which the resolution sus ,
c
gests to us is, What is Presbyterianism ? Here we
do not mean to refer to it in regard, to the great
doctrines of Evangelical Faith, which it cherish
es, but as a system of Church government and
order. Viewed in this aspect it is simply Ministe
rialyarity and eccle,sictslical unity.
Presbyterianism implies that all ministers of
the Gospel are equal in grade and 'authority. We
have no popes, no prelates, although if there is
any value ';3r honor in the name of bishops, we
possess that to the, full. We consider that all ,
ministers are Presbyters, and that all Presbyters
who have charge of cOngregations are Bishops.
You, Mr. President, are -a Bishop—so am I—so
is any Presbyterian pastor. This is the true
New Testament - Episcopacy. -
nett, again, we consider ecciesiastical unity as
another element of Piesbyteri,snism. We do not
regard each separate congregation as having a
right to determine subjects of doctrine or disci
pline for itself, but we regard all the congrega
tions-of the faithful as forming,-one church. We
maintain that thethurch does; Cot consist of iso:
lated, and disconnected fragments but that it'
forma or ought to form one united, 'homogeneous
whole. Is 011ItIBT divided ? We think not, and
eons that we ' " that it is the duty of all who pro
fess the ti , eligion, to combine together under
one banner, on the basis of Gospel truth as a uni
ted host.. The unity of the whole Church of
Christ is one great feature of true Presbyterian
ism. •
If we look at Presbyterianism then, in this
form, we find it exhibits in the domain of reli
gion those great elements of liberty for which the
oppressed have sighed, and which true patriots
and philanthropists have died to defend "Equal
ity and fraternity;"—noble words, however much
perverted. Presbyterianism presents them in the
Church as our American system presents them in
the State. -
Now the, resolution asserts that Presbyterian
isin has a noble history, and this is so because
really its history is connected more or less with
the struggles which man has been making for
emancipation from oppression and moral and po
litical freedom, wherever the Christian religion
has prevailed. It is true that records to which
we have access-are but scanty.'.. We are sorry
that there were then no Presbyterian .Historical
societies to collect and preserve the documents,
which it would be so desirable to refer to. If
there:had been some. SAMUEL AGNEW to gather,
old musty books, and portraits, and autographs,
and relics of
more
kind and another, we , might -
have known more about these - :matters. Then,.
too, "what we have is generally from the hands - of,
those unfavorable to our cause. It is something
like the fable 'in /Esop of" the painter and_ the
lion. The artist had placed on his canvass a re
presentation of a man killing . a lion. A lion pose-,
ing by stopped to look at it. The painter in
quired what he thought of it: The lion replied, ,
if lions were painters-the - Character-of the picture
would be somewhat different,. Instead of finding
the man killing the lion, we should have the lion
killing the
_man. So in the history of the, Church;
we would not have the friends of sound doctrine
and pod order represented as, heretics, and seliis
maties,but the representation,would be reversed.
Yet even, as it is, there, is enough' to show that
wheneVer there.has been in the Christian world.
a struggle for liberty, for mind, for man---Presz
byterianism in its essential elementkhas been in
;volved in the contest: We might thus review
the history of the Christian Church, and we would
find that those who have contended .for religinus
.and civil liberty were Presbyterians. -The Cov
enanters were. Presbyterians-. , And -When we
come nearer still to our own times we find
_that,
those who achieved, our, own, liberties were to a
Very ,cnusiderable degree Presbyterians. My
friend and brother ,(Rev. Dr. Baird), who has
preceded me, has shown that the National Decla
ration of =lndependence may be traced to the re
a-ninth:ins passed more than a year'beforeat Meck
lenburg; North Ciii-Olitia,-fibm which some of the
most significant aild'stirring Declarations of In
are -copied. In this Mecklenburg
Declaration we find that Presbyterians had a pro
minent part. There is, however; a link •which
connects that Deolaration with the old,Covenan
ters which is not generally known. About one
hundred years ago, the Scotch Covenants were
renewed at Octorara, is this State, under the di
rection of Rev. Alexander Craighead. In come
(pence of the suspicion of the then preprietary
government Pennsylvania,,,that 'this was an
inelpienreiTert te.renounce the allegiance of the
British Crown; Craighead was"compelled tO
to North Carelina, and his' influence in that sec
tion of the country Where the Meeklen,burg De
claration was made,,had undoubtedly great-effect
in producing it. ; We -have in. our pessession the
only copy• we have ever heard. of or seen of the
Renovation , of the Covenants , at -Octmana, and as
we , read the , Aeeount,of the r trAnsaebion, of the
drawn- sword pointed North, South, East .and
West, defying all the enemies, of Christ:the Me
diator, we feel .that the, principles for which our
fathers contended are those which we have real-
Red in: a *great measure, at the Present day, As
one who is a true Covenanter, outside and inside,
and down;Pireugli acid through, we feel, that
we 'may glory in the Struggles' for liberty ivhieh
these noble men made, whom we all rejoice to
claim as our common parentage.
Our country is now engaged in a momentous
struggle, and when the history of this contest is
written, it is to be hoped that some records may
be preserved which will show what part Presby
terianism had in sustaining the cause of liberty
and law. The principles which our fathers have
avowed are such as we have defined. One of the
Westminster divines declared that " man was a
sacred thing, and could never become property
for man." This, after all, is the great issue at
stake ' and when, as the result 'of the struggle, it
it shall be found that " liberty is proclaimed
throughout the land to all the inhabitants there
of," we are confident that it will be found that no
department of the Church has furnished more
numerous and more valiant soldiers than our
Presbyterian family. Bright as are the pages of
the past with deeds of glory,still brighter will he
the pages which the pen of history is now recor
ding. These noble deeds it is the aim of this
society, to preserve in remembrance, and certainly
it should be cordially sustained. Mr. President,
I offer the resolution.
" The Rev. Thomas Brainerd, D. D., rose to se
cond the resolution offered by the Rev. Dr.
Wylie. He said he knew not why he was ap
pointed to speak last, unless it was because his
denomination was the youngest child of the Pres
byterian family. Though last, =it=was not, how
ever, least in numbers nor interest in Presbyter
ianism. Alluding to the lateness of the hour, he
said he understood a collection was yet to be ta
ken up, of which "fact some seemed to be fully
conscious,
as they had already left the house.
It was hardly necessary that he should make
a speech after the able and eloquent eulogies
which his brethren had pronounced on Presby
terianisni, and which he fully endorsed. It might
be proper, however, to allude, to one attribute of
Presbyterianism, which his brethren had failed
to notice and make prominent. He could not but
regard it as a noble characteristic of Presbyter
ians, that in enlarging and conserving the Church,
they had relied mainly on God's own Truth, by
which Jeans prayed , that his Disciples might be
" sanctified."
This has saved us from making little things
great and great things little. This has saved us
from appealing from God's own Book, to books
of tradition which were not God's own. To con
vert and sanctify men we have not been able to
avail ourselves of a hereditaiy apostleship, of
baptismal.regeneration ; of priestly absolution; of
grace on the heart, received sacramentally,
through the stomach. We have bad no splen
did outward forms to give an external symbol of
Church life, when the Holy Spirit.had failed to
give unction to our ministry and our worship.
We have not been allowed by -noise and cla
mor to appeal io the passions, and thus excite
religious rhapsody without thought. We have
been shut up to cultivate intellectual growth; to
bring the weight of God's truth in its eternal
motives, in the bands of the Holy Spirit to bear
on the understanding, the conscience and hearts
of our hearers. ' As we have had little to com
mend us to the poetic sensibilities, the worldly
taste, the superstition of our hearers, we were
compelled "to be mighty," if at all, " the
Scriptures." . •
It is said, a waggish Scotch minister seeing his.
".gude wife" sleeping in church, called out: "Ha
chef l I.did nae marry ye for your riches, for ye
had, nave; neither did I marry ye for your beau
ty; all the congregation can witness that;'and if
ye have nae grace, Rachel, I have made a sair
bargain on't." So with Presbyterians. When
we have failed in God's truth, we have had no
othe'r reliance, and this has shut us up to the
pure Gospel. This has given dignity to our con
troversies, and even to our unhappy divisions.
We have disputed not for shades of ceremonies,
but for God's noble truth.
,-We are satisfied, with three centuries of ex
periencei that ~ we lave .not over-valued truth.
Another experiment has been -- tried:for(Med
thousand years, the Church so called, relied on I
the incidental and the external.. It-bad the_ pres
tige of antiquity—of supreme authority—of apos
tolic succession—of an imposing ritual—of priest
ly vestments—of elaborate architecture--of fine
music---of the world's aristocracy, and govern
mental support and defence. What was the final
result ?
The world got into-the Church, and the " true
Church." came out, to find = CI ristianity. - We are
surprised that any in-our age and, land are turn
ing back to re-enact this exploded experiment:
Certainly Presbyterians will not follow them.
Dr. Brainerd said he
regarded the history of
our denomination, studiedand pondered, as the
Church's consciousness—its materials of self
appreciation, and self-respect. When claim to'
be a Presbyterian, I draw to myself the aggre
gated spirit, tone, and prestige of my denomina
tion. That I may be neither bigoted nor finati
cal, I need to know what my. Church has' been
and is.
History is the church's experience. We. can
not separate from our age, the.memory of youth,
and the events of life without loss. Neither can
a church afford to lose the wisdom of its expe
rience. We lengthen life, not as we prolong
days,' but as we live Mentally in the lona past
and 'future. He Who is at home in church his
tory, has sat in a hundred councils, been thrilled
by the best preachers,- stirred by - the best ex
amples of the pions dead, Witnessed the explo
sion of a hundred plausible heresies, caught the
impulse. of a thousand religious revivals,. and
clasped ha.nds with the "noble army of martyrs."
The Presbyterian, who like the fabled Salathiel,
has thus mentally passed along generations, live
ing and dying, may number but, thirty years, but
he is older than kethnsaleh,
As the Church grows , wiser by experience, we ,
owe it to, our children to gather up the history
of ,the past and Present, and embalm it for their.
use. To break the telegraph wire between the
past`and future, is a treason to unborn genera-
Church history is a means of Church unity.
We are divided as Presbyterians' into diverse
families, but our Presbyterian Historical Society
lifts us out of our chaos as, tribes, bears us back
to sit with common reverence and love at the
feet of Jesus, and gathers around us there the
blessed dead of our Church, whom we all delight
to. honor. The*;rock which divides the stream
may be huge and stubborn, but as the stream.
Was one in its origin,.its ) divided waters will meet
belOw every obstruation, and flow broader and
deeper"to the sea. With the same Westminster
Confession of Faith, and noble form . of, govern
ment—with the same origin, history, literature,
enemies and friends, Presbyterians have , : a real,
ii.trinsie unity, Which will ultimately find mani
festation in ,outward organic fellowship.
who then, let us love and wait on God. Some who
admit our Christianity, deny our churchisro ; but
so long as Jesus comes to meet our Sessions,
Presbyteries and Synods, we think no Bishops
nor Archbishops " will be -.needed to make a
quorum." .
Let, us: mark our love to our Church by our
liberal, contribution to this Society.
An addre.ss was expected from the esteemed
and eloquent'pastor of the church, the Rev. Ar.
J. B. Dales, but to the general regret, the late
ness of the hour induced him to decline. •
The resolutions Were adopted, a collection
taken up in aid of the Society, and on motion of
Rev. Dr. Cornell, seconded by - the Rev. Dr.
Edwards, the following officers were elected for
the. ensuing. year:'.
President,, Rev. Albert Barnes , -Philadelphia ;
Pa.
Vice President's, Rev. C. 'O. Beatty, D. D.,
Steubenville, O. • Rev. George Duffield, D;D.,
Detroit, Mich; Rev. Peter Bullions,-D.D., Troy,
N. Y. • Rev. George Scott, East Palestine, O.;
Rev. Wm. L. Roberts, 40p)tiuton,:priva t ..
Baird,Corresponding . Seerctar e y, Samuel D.D., Woodbury, N. J. -J.
.
Recorchng Secretary r itev. J B Dales,
Philadelphia, Pa, ' _ . •
.Treasnrer • and' `Librarian, Samuel
Esq.
Executive Committee; Rev. John C. Backus,
MD., Baltimore, Md.; Rev. Alfred Nevin, D.D.,
Samuel Hazzard, Esq., Rev. Benjamin J. Wal
lace, D.D. ' Rev. Thomas J. Shepherd, Henry J.
Williams, Esq., Rev. John B. Dales, D.D., Rev.
Joseph L. Cooper, D.D., and Rev. Samuel 0.
Wylie, Philadelphia, Pa.
Nix toublizatietto.
The Sermons of Rev. Messrs. Rice, Hague,
Ganse, Adams and Vinton, on the Sabbath, de
livered last winter in New York city, under the
auspices of the indefatigable - Sabbath Committee,
have been collected and published in a handsome
12mo. volume; under-the - title of the CHRISTIAN
SABBATH. The first is by Dr. Rice, on the Ori
gin
and History of the Sabbath; the second by
Rev. Dr. Hague, on the Authority and Perpe
tnity of the Christian Sabbath; the third by Dr.
Ganse, on the Duties of the Sabbath; the fourth
by Rev. Dr. Adams, on the Benefits of the Sab
bath, and the fifth by Rev.- Dr. Vinton, on the
Civil Relations -of the Sabbath. These are care
-fully prepared and eloquent discourses, embody
ing a great amount of valuable thought, argu
ment and information on their important theme.
The view of the committee's labors and successes
prefixed to the sermons, is one of the most re
markable records of moral reform in a great city,
achieved by the dicine blessing on the diligent
and careful use of the simplest means, that is to
be found in the •annals of Christendom. It is
a potent example to Christian men and patriots
seeking the moral elevation of their fellows and
of their country. New York : R. Carter & Co.
For sale by C. S. Luther, 138-1 Chesnut street.
THE -PULPIT - AND OUR NATIONAL CRISIS, is
the title of a 'Sermon recently preached and pub
lished, by Rev. Dr. Rice, in which he seeks to
clear biinself from sympathy with the enemies of
his couitry. Dr. Rice makes some very fair
statements, but inasmuch as he consents reluc
tantly to speak on the subject at all, and as not
one passage in tliesermon breathes a hearty sym
pathy- with the Government, but stops short at a
necessary acquiescence in its policy, and inas
much as we find a great deal of lamentation
about the dreadful evils of war, and prognostics
—much in the style of the London Times—of
difficulties yet, to come in managing the revolted
inhabitants when they are subdued, we must pro
nounce the defence, in most respects, a failure.
Dr. Rice, with ill concealed egotism, intimates,
at the dose, that only the labors and spirit of
such ministers as, like himself, have ignored the
whole question of public duty in this crisis, can
save us in the , reater civil troubles which he
iniagines are yet to come. On the contrary, it is
morally certain that if therdoyally inclined peo
ple had been universally under the influence of
such lukewarm !pastors as Dr. Rice has proved
himself to be, even in this sermon, we would never
have had nerve to face the awful struggle, but
would now have been trader the moral and poli
tical "rile of Davis, Polk, Thornwell, Palmer &
Co.
Dr. Rice has one characteristic which has al
ways been a prominent symptom of clerical pro
slaveryism and lukewarm patriotism--an extra
ordinary anxiety.for the utter divorce of things
secular and things spiritual in the pulpit. Dr..
Rebinson, - of the True Presbyterian, may be
cited as the self-chosen apostle of this new gos
pel. We commend to them; and to all like
minded; the following language, found
. in the
Princeton Review, for January,lB6l: "The doc
trine that Christian mini : stea l ,- as e a rth, and
church c.ourts, have nothing to do with politics,
as all other theories either false or half true, has
giveaway like.townn the_touch of fire, when the
test question °eines: * * * The misfortune
is; that the clergy:and the church have riot hith
erto faithfully discharged their duty in this mat
ter. * * It may be one of the grade= ends
which God designs to answer by our present af
flictions to rouse the church to a higher estimate
of her vocation; to make her feel that if is the
prerogative and duty; as God's witness on the
earth, to testify in behalf of all truth, and against,
all sin; whether, in Magistrates or people, whether
in legislation or private conduct, and to teach
publicly and effectively that States as well as in
dividualinre bound to make the law of God the
rule ot their condnet."-
By the side of these manly and healthful utter
ances, how trivill is, all the special pleading of
the Fifth avenneTreacher and the editor of the
True Presbyterian.- - -
The sermon is puldished by Scribner, N. Y.,
and is for Sale by 'Lippincott & Co.,in this
city.
" THE LITURQI.OAL QUESTION, with reference
to the Liturgy of the German Reformed Church.
A Reportby. thc,Liturgical . Committee." This
report was:written by Rev. Dr. Nevin,-at the re
quest of.the'Sykrod, which seems to have become
confused' in the discussion of the question; and ac
cordirigliCalled upon the writer to take an ob
servation as to its position - arid the general bear
ings of, the question. The work is ably done,
but the possibility of the Synod leaving the whole
Matter of a liturgy to the individual taste and
conscience of .the ministry is intimated at the
close. Philida: Lindsay & Blaekiston.
WORHTNO !AND WINNING, OR THE. DEAF
BOY'S TET6MFH, is the fifth 'edition of Rev. W.
M. Thaye's little work on the life of the cele
brated biblical scholar Dr. Kitt°, under a new
title. The wonderful and inspiring story of the
poor deaf boy's progress from the poor-house to
the high place he occupied in the theological
world, is effectively: told, and forms one of the
finest lessons of Providence. to the young to be
found outside -of the -Bible. - 16 mo. pp. 340;
handsoniely' illustrated. Boston : Henry Hoyt.
For'sale at 630 Arch Street.
Mr. Iloyt has also issued, in very neat style,
Dr. Malan's little tract—THE Fox lIIINTER,
which is based= on , the text : Takes us the
foxes," &c. For sale at 630 Arch street.
We have also received the " Zane Street Girl?
Grammar Schoel Year-Book of Facts, for 1861-
62."' Smith, English & Co. This is a
fitting memorial of . the patriotism, zeal, diligence
and gopd taste of the young ladies of " Zane
street;" and is oite`of the fruits of our Common
School .systani of which its advocates need not
feel, ashamed..
T4s. - rawa's 119 ME MONTHLY, ARTHUR'S Homn
ALiciaZIKE, i rlin STUDENT AND SCHOOLMASTER,
for June, are all promptly in their places.
Tnn lassorT or THE SermOn, by R3V.
F. G. Clark, N. Y.
T. 14 RECEPTION OF MB.. BROWNLOW on the
part of the citizens 'ot 'Philadelphia, will take
place; at the Academy of Music on Friday eve
ma
JUNE 12,