150 —AND — GENESEE EVANGELIST. PHILADELPHIA, SEPT. 17, 1863. JOHN W. MEARS, fqjf” Subscribers who are in arrears and liable to 50 cents additional charge on their bills, are notified that this charge will be re milted to such as pay an additional year, in ad vance of the present . We are Now making our city collections for the year just begun. Friends will please pre pare for the visit of the collector and thus save themselves and him the inconvenience of a second call. The time in which payments at the advanced rate can be made, is limited. HOW TO MEET THE SPECIAL OBSTACLES TO THE GOSPEL, New and even startling forms of error and vice do not imply any essential change in the fallen nature from which they spring. It is well for preachers and Christian laborers to bear this in mind., They should not suffer them selves to be dismayed or bewildered by the novel forms of opposition to the truth which, from time to time, confront them. Special forms of vice and error are prevalent at the present time, Great worldly excitements draw men’s minds from the calm contemplation of the truths of the Gospel and the remote super sensual realities of faith. Profanity, Sabbath breaking, the use of intoxicating drinks and of tobacco, and pleasure-seeking are largely on the increase, Scientific infidelity was, perhaps, never more formidable or more wide-spread, especially among the Anglo-saxon races of men, than now. All of these obstacles must be met in seeking the advancement of reiigion in our day. They wear an air of novelty; but they are not new. They are the motions of a carnal nature, devoted to self, impatient of the restraints of divine law, not liking to retain the knowledge of God. They are the old struggles of the sense against the spirit. They require, it is true, some change in the mode of adminis tering, but none in the remedy itself. They call for more wisdom, clearness, earnestness in presenting the Gospel ; hut the Gospel, brought home by the power of the Spirit to the corrupt heart, from which they spring, is still the divine and appropriate cure. We must not he distracted by these novel appearances, so as to turn aside from the sim plicity of evangelical preaching. With steady purpose, with faithful repetition, with unwaver ing confidence, we must hold up the cross, as the great need of man to day. We must indeed be all things to all men, but always within evangelical limits. We must indeed wisely adapt our preaehingand our labors to the circum stances in which we live, but never, never, so as to obscure, but rather so as to illustrate and magnify, more and more, the blessed, sav ing Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the only hope of men everywhere and under every form of delusion and sin. We must in fact learn to convert the pecu liarities of our time into accessories to our ef forts for the salvation of men. These peculiarities are not all obstacles, even the sinful forms of them. Great excitements, especially upon worthy and truly moral objects, are not to be regarded as hindrances to the spread of the Gospel. Preaehing is full as likely to go home to the aroused and sensitive mind, even when worldly topics engross it, as to the dull and listless and somnolent hearer. Isaiah preaehes a powerful sermon to the pleasure-seekers of his time, drawing his remarkable imagery from what he saw of the struggles and pursuits of his contemporaries. “Ho every one that thirst oth,” he cries, “ Come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money: come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread ? And your labor for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. ” The thoughtful preacher will feel that this is the time to gather up the manifold powerful testimonies of science and exploration to the truth of the Scriptures, while He counsels patience until the certain clearing up of new difficulties is vouchsafed. We will not be abashed; but will class the emergencies which he and the Master’s cause are called to meet, with those temptations and trials that do not overwhelm or discourage, but that develops new strength and reveal new resources in the good, and that even expose new weaknesses in the enemy, and give to the alert the zealous and the ingenious soldier greater advantages in the conflict than he has ever before enjoyed. Matthew Henry, commenting upon Christ’s preaching repentance says: Christ had lain in the bosom of the father and could have preached sublime notions of heavenly and divine things, that should have alarmed and amused the learned world, but he pitches upon this old, plain text: Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. This he preaches first upon; he began with this : Ministers must not be ambitions of broaching new opinions, framing new schemes or coining new expressions, but must content themselves with plain practical things, with the word that is nigh us, even in our mouth and in our heart. This is good and seasonable advice to day. AIMS OF THE ADMINISTRATION. We do not judge a man or a Christian by the manifestly exceptional acts of his life. Jnstice demands that we should look at his habits, his ruling principles, his aims, in order to gets right estimate of his character. The American people are most egregiously mistaken, if they go by any other rule in judging of the Administra tion providentially placed over them at this time. That it has erred, we may freely admit; but the worst errors it has committed are trivial, compared with the genuine patriotism and moral grandeur of the aims which it has steadily kept m vmw, and which it is gradually an d surely approximating. J The existence of one of the greatest, freest, and most beneficent nationalities on the globe has been assailed by a gigantic rebellion. The duty of preserving the national life has been committed to the Administration, and sincerely and manfully is it aiming to preserve it. The very principles of social order, the possi bihty of security to life and property and human relationships, the defences of civilisation against barbarism, have been assailed by violent and ambitious men, who have deceived themselves and duped their followers with the plea of the right of secession. There is but one course open to every right-minded magistrate at such an outbreak of mob violence—it is to draw the sword and prove that he bears it not in vain. It is the sublime aim of the Administration to up hold the majesty of law; to maintain the in terests of civilization against the savage instincts that still lurk amid some of its institutions, and ever and anon break out in open violence against the restraints laid upon them; to give new strength to good government everywhere and to all time. Editor. The present trial of the principles of social order is peculiar. It is to show their compati bility with republican forms of government. It is the greatest test of republicanism in the world's history. The friends of despotism and of the rights of the few over the many, were transported beyond the bounds of aristocratic equanimity when our rebellion broke out; and with a baste which betrayed their fears, cried out: “the republican bubble has burst.” To disappoint their hopes by triumphantly solving the problem of republicanism in this, its grandest trial, is the aim of our Administration. Slavery is intimately interwoven with the mo tives which led to this rebellion. It is powerful as a cause and a support to tbe movement. It’is a monstrous inconsistency with the principles of republicanism; It cannot be cherished and per petuated among us. Its victims are loyal, they are the staunch friends of our imperilled cause. They are brother men, who have been foully wronged, under the protection of that very Con stitution and Union which their masters have flung aside. The Administration, indirectly yet sincerely, aims at the enfranchisement and ele vation of three and a half millions of wronged and oppressed Americans. It aims to remove the deepest blot from our national character, to set an example which shall be potent in behalf of all the oppressed classes of mankind, to dig nify labor and bless the workingman in every clime. Contemplate these grand objects. To save the life of our nation; to vindicate assailed law, government and social order; to carry jeoparded republicanism through its greatest trial; to give modern slavery its death-blow:—these are the the noble and inspiring aims which the Chief Executive of our government undoubtedly seeks to accomplish, and which, by divine blessing he is attaining. Once achieved, history will have no more delightful task than to record and to expatiate upon them; nor will any of her pages be read by coming generations of men with more profound satisfaction than these. Who but wishes to aid in such achievements ? What American, what Christian man, but thank fully accepts the rare opportunity of the time; but prays for help adequately to meet its solemn and glorious responsibilities? What friend of his country and his kind but is scandalized and horror-struck at the spectacle presented by num bers of his contemporaries, who refuse to yield their sympathy to the Administration, who are so occupied with its exceptional errors that they become oblivious of its real and glorious aims; who are actually willing that the nation should perish, that law should be dishonored, that American Republicanism should be found re probate, and that American Slavery should be perpetuated, so far as their personal influence goes ? Shame, burn their cheek to cinder! History has a niche for them, too; as .she has for the tories of the Revolution j for the papisti cal Jacobites of England, and the Mamelukes of Geneva. They too will be read of, but with honest indignation swelling every true heart. Their names and deeds will add . to, if they do not eclipse, with bad eminence, the examples of selfishness and partisan meanness, and blind and obstinate prejudice, and weakness under trial, and baseness of soul, which history preserves to warn and instruct mankind. Reader! this is no time to indulge timidity, to try the vain experiment of neutrality, to weakly prate about “ keeping clear of politics.” All that is nothing less. than criminal, when such mighty interests are at stake. Now is the time to act, to spend, to suffer; now, if you can do naught else, give your vote at a time when a right vote is probably of greater importance than it has ever been before or may ever be again. THE DOWNFALL OF THE REBELLION. Chattanooga, Knoxville and Cumberland Gap have been abandoned or surrendered without a struggle by the rebels, and the armies of Rose erans and Burnside, after liberating East Ten nessee, have formed a junction almost unopposed. General Steele, has vanquished the rebels in the heart of Arkansas, and frightened them from Little Rock, the capital. General Blunt has re conquered Indian Territory, carrying our victo rious eagles far toward the head-waters of the great affluents of the Mississippi. Wagner, Gregg and Morris Island are in the hands of Gen. Gillmore, apd our troops hold Cummings Point in full view of the city of Charleston, which, lies at their mercy. 1 These are the great tidings which have brought fresh gladness to loyal hearts, and new hursts of thankfulness to prayerful lips, during the past week. They are perhaps the most de cisive indications of the weakness of the rebel lion, and the most unmistakable premonitions of its early ; downfall that have yet been giveu. Lee’s army indeed yet remains, and may be des tined as tbe rallying point of the discomfited hosts that are now falling back from every other part of the field before our irresistible advances. But it is hard to rally men who are being driven from their homes and whose leaders have taught them that their highest allegiance is to their State. Besides Lee perhaps feels it necessary to abstain from risking his army in another north ward movement; f or , so l ong as it maintains its strength and organization, it will be an element m any negotiations for peace that the South may desire to initiate. We should be prepared, however, for any emergency. The rebel com mander should never again approach our peaceful valleys or threaten our railroads with impunity on account of the sluggishness oif our people. Even though it be a last desperate struggle sure to be disastrously and forever repulsed, it should not owe even the moat partial Successes to our over-confidence, apathy and immersion in business. It is plain, the rebellion is crumbling; its in trmsie strength is irreparably gone; and surely no foreign potentate will be found chivalrous or disinterested, or silly enough, to enter upon genian and smo*t tonudiisi an alliance with it in the very article of its death. That prospect, if it be a hope, is its only hope. It will be found delusive. We have reason to believe that, with the closing year, we shall witness the end of the terrible and bloody struggle that has convulsed our land and tried our government as never hu man institutions were tried before, and has written its bioad characters for good on all the coming destiny of mankind. The year which was introduced by the Emancipation Proclama tion, will be crowned by the practical overthrow of the rebellion. PROM OHE ROCHESTER CORRESPONDENT. . Rochester, Sept. 11th, 1863. Dear Editor: Two of our important Synods have been holding their autumn meetings this week,, that, of Onaondaga, at Syracuse, and that of Genesee, at Oslean. The latter, although it assembled in a somewhat remote locality for a considera ble portion of the members,.was largely at tended, and was a meeting of great interest. The Publication cause was very properly repre sented by Rev. J. W. Dulles, of Philadelphia, a gentleman with whom, doubtless, you are somewhat acquainted. He always makes a neat speech for his subject, and his cause has some warm friends in this region. The number is.believed to be increasing.. Rev. Henry Smith, D. D., of Buffalo, preached —as we are informed—a noble sermon before the Synod, on the Spiritual Church. It was listened to with marked attention and delight. Dr. Smith is a prince among preachers. It is no disparagement to others to give him a first position in this divine art. Both as to matter and manner, he takes the first rank. Western New York, as a whole, and the North Church, of Buffalo, in particular, were fortunate in se curing his ministrations and general influence for the cause of Christ in this region. And, speaking of ministers, we are tempted to name others. And first, it is J. H. Morron (and not Morrow, as we were made to say last week,) who is called to Broekport. We under stand, also, that Rev. Job Pierson, of Victor, has accepted the call given him by the Presby terian church in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and will soon enter upon the duties of the new pastor ate. Mr. Pierson is a man highly esteemed in this region, and we should much prefer to keep him heroin his pleasant pastorate, if it were so ordered from above. He goes, however, to a very interesting and important field, in one of the very best portions of the thriving State of Michigan. Our loss, to them is gain. The best wishes of his ministerial brethren will follow Mr. Pierson to his new field of labor. The venerable Dr. Cox was in our streets to day ; now seventy years of age, but looking hale and hearty. He still has a place at Le Roy, where his family have been spending the sum mer, although he now calls New York his home, and expects soon to remove his family thither. The Doctor’s heart warms in a moment, and his speech waxes eloquent when he touches the af fairs of the country. He stands firm for the government; be has no sympathy for her ene mies, North or South. And this reminds ns, also, that the Rev. Dr. Spear, of Brooklyn, passed through our city two days ago, returning from his summer vacation, which he has spent with. family friends in the beautiful and thriving village of Niles, Mich. Dr. Spear looks brown and hearty. He has evidently been trying some real exercise and recreation. And not that alone, but true to his patriotic instincts and noble con victions, he has, as we learn, been preaching on the momentous interests of the hour, in sueh away as to;stir up the wrath of the enemies of the government in Niles, as well as greatly to please its friends. The latter were so much interested in two of his discourses, that they procured them at once for publication. They were printed at. Niles, and scattered for a still wider and more potent influence; and this will make about half-a-dozen patriotic sermons of this able divine preached since the war commenced—all full of weighty words; all in full sympathy with the govern ment in its earnest endeavors to maintain its proper authority in all the land, and against all rebellion. The Doctor has done what he could for his country, in this day of; her trial. His record will bear examination. Rev. Dr.. Shaw has returned from his vaca tion, and resumed his pastoral duties, in this city. He is not quite so well as we could wish, but has gone to work among his numerous flock with his accustomed zeal and devotion. We may mention in this connection, also, that his people were much interested in the minis trations of Rev. E. E. Adams, of your city, what little time he was able to serve them, and all deeply regretted that the pleasure of his vi sit to our place must have been so marred to himself and to his good lady by his sickness among us. We hope he is, ere this, restored to his accustomed strength and useful labors among his own people; and we trust, also, that he may sometime visit our city again, and under more favorable auspices. Rev. Dr. Pease, of the First Presbyterian Church of this city, who has been spending his vacation among friends in Yermont, was ex pected back this week, to resume his pastoral duties; hut instead of the good man himself, a letter comes, saying that upon the eve of start ing to return he was suddenly prostrated with severe, though it is believed not alarming sick ness. His people now will watch the mails with unwonted interest until they hear of his complete recovery, and see him again among them; for they think themselves a little more ■ fortunate than any other church and congrega tion in the choice of their pastor. The Doctor has won a very large place in their profound respect and affectionate regards ; while his gene rous, catholic, and co-operative course, in the late revival, commended him to the confidence of all. We trust he will soon be among us again, and about his accustomed duties. % Rev. Mr. Elliuwood, who has spent a. good part of his vacation at Clifton Springs, is ex pected back at his post next week. He had I wrought with all his might during the revival, ' is never very strong, and had been looking . much worn before his vacation, but has greatly improved, we learn, by the visit. His people, too, are prepared to give him a cordial welcome on his return. • And, since we are in the way of writing about men, we may as well mention another name. At this very hour, while we write, we , suppose the Third Presbytery of New York are | engaged in the solemn service of the ordination of Mr. C. C. Kimball, a graduate of Union Theological Seminary, and a licentiate of that body. He has engaged, as perhaps we have before mentioned, to supply the pulpit of the Presbyterian Church in New Hartford, N. Y., for one year. A call was offered him, but he preferred not as yet to make so permanent an engagement with anV church. His brief labors, however, with the church m ISiew Hartford, have been greatly ble~sed some - sty or seven ty having recently been converted. He seeks ordination, by special and earnest desire of his people, that he may be able to receive these lambs of the flock in due fprm to the covenant of God’s house. We chance to know that many of the good people of his charge felt almost as though they could not consent to have any one else perform the service. •It will be very plea sant to them to have this young brother, by whose earnest labors so many have been, in a few weeks, led to receive the Saviour, be the first to give to them the emblem of that Saviour’s dying love and saving power. We trust they may yet have many sueh happy scenes toge ther. Genesee. CHAPLAIN STEWART’S LETTER. Camp near White Sulphur Springs, Va., > September, 1863. 5 DRUNKENNESS IN THE ARMY. An ominous title, Mr.’ Editor, to a letter. Yet as a dream comcp from a multitude of thoughts, even so has sfae above heading from 'the enormous quantities' of bad whiskey now daily guzzled in the various camps by our offi cers. In writing thus',it is not forgotten, that the charge made by Joseph against his brethren, on their first visit to Egypt for corn, was not an enviable one: “Ye are spies; to see the naked ness of the land are ye come.” To write with any freedom on the suggested theme may not unlikely subject the venturesome Epistolary to a similar charge from certain quarters; “Ye are spying out and exposing the nakedness of the land.” In sueh a ease the extenuating plea will be: “He has no pleasure in tne deed; being himself attached to the army and jealous for its honor and good name.” Much of the reality moreover will remain unwritten, and no thing set down in malice—done, in order to assist in arresting, if possible, the alarming evil. Had the pastors of our. various churches any adequate conception as to the present enormity of the evil, they would: surely cry aloud and spare not until some' remedy be found. Did Christian, loyal, country-loving citizens know of the unblushing drunkenness among so many of ficers in the army, and the seeming danger of all being engulphed in a common drunken ruin, they would with united and sleepless irdportu nity besiege Congress, the President, Secretary of War, Comraander-in-Chief, Quartermaster General, &e., to unite in closing up, at once, each and every official flojodgate, through which such immense quantities of bad whiskey now flow into the army. “But how,” some one,may ask, “is so large an amount of intoxicating drink obtained as to create sueh an amount of drunkenness? Did not Congress some years since abolish whiskey rations in the army?” Perhaps so; yet cer tain it is that, by some authority, whiskey ra tions are occasionally issued to every soldier. And whiskey, without stinjt, is at all times offi cially famished to commissioned officers. By an army regulation, commissioned officers can pur chase from the Brigade, .Commissary, by personal application or by written order, for his own use, at Government prices, whatever provisions may be on hand, after rations have been furnished the private soldiers. A Brigade Commissary would hear less complaint from officers for lack of bread, meat, coffee and sugar than of whiskey. It must be always on hand. Our Brigade Com missaries have thus become extensive retail whiskey establishments; all furnished by the Government. A barrel often : issued by the canteen—about three pints at fifty cents —just as fast as the Commissary’s clerk can measure it. The results are fast becoming most deplorable. Our American character-is proverbially excit able, and without due restraint may readily run into any extreme. The ennui of camp life to the volunteer officer becomes often hard to en dure. The .excitement from; strong drink, thus so easily obtained and always on'hand, easily be comes a ready and frequent resort; The ruinous habit of having whiskey alpaost- invariably pro duced when one officer calls upon another—im polite, almost an insult, otherwise—the moral restraints of home, family, and social life all wanting; it need hardly be wondered at, that from former sobriety, frequent drunkenness en sues as a ready consequence. Of late, I tremble for any young friend, who gets an advancement from the ranks to the possession of a commission. Those at home, who may have a husband, son; or brother thus promoted had better put on sackcloth and-keep a long fast in dread of his near and utter ruin. The vortex seems so over whelming that he who escapes, must be well favored of heaven. Beastly—no I beg the beasts’ pardon— manly drunkenness among the officers has become un blushing, and no apparent effort or even thought of any accountability. A feWrdays: since, a regi ment of our brigade having completed its first year of service must needs have a celebration over the event—in other words an official drunk. Okmanly sports—such as climbing greasy poles and catching pigs with greased tails —were pro vided for the privates, A barrel of whiskey constituted part of the official repast. Many shoulder straps from neighboring regiments were present; and when , among these the fun grew fast and furious, shoulder-strapped coats were thrown off and the valorous knights, not with swords but with fistcuff, endeavored to de molish each other. Crowds of privates were looking on, and supposing that during the melee a fit time had come for them to, pitch in, began to bear, away sundry portions of the whiskey, and were finally restrained only by a strong, guard at the point of the bayonet. . In efforts to regain their respective regiments on horseback, the appearance of various officers, was ludicrous in the extreme;.and, but,for its sadness, would have caused hearty bursts of laughter from any be holder. One and another when passing near our regimental encampment fell off his horse like a sack of ■ meal. One valorous rider, .when opposite to w'here some of our horses were hitched under a large tree, insisted . upon the one he rode turning in thither as to .its own hitching place. The animal knew better but was constrained to obey by a vigorous application of the spar. Under the insult offered to its su perior knowledge the poor beast continued res-, tive while its rider in maudlin, drunken jargon, vainly attempted to persuade it he was in the right, and all the while mating fruitless efforts to get his right leg over its back in order to dis mount. The animal becoming at length indig nant, started off at a brisk pace towards its own camp, whereupon the luckless rider fell to the ground very much like a large lump of putty. The whole thing seemed to have been arranged for a drunk , much like a similar performance among a tribe of Indians as related by a certain Captain Smith. Said Captain was taken cap tive by the savages in early frontier warfare, and by them adopted in room of a brave, slain in battle. . By some trading operations with the whites' the little tribe on a certain occasion obtained fire water sufficient for a general drunk , as they with much significance termed it. The mfist deliber ate preparations were accordingly made for the operation. A day was set, and the evening pre vious, the young Indians tied in bundles all their tomahawks, scalping knives, and deadly wea pons} then climbing up some young trees, they drew after them the bandies, tieing them to the upper branches, a'nd in descending stripped off the green bark of the trees, thus rendering them quite as difficult to ascend as a greased ’ pole. Five staid members of the tribe were selected to sober —not to taste the fire water and act as a peace police. As the Captain was a newcomer, it was graciously, left to his option whether to drunk or sober. All things ready the melee be gan by copious imbibings; and while the drunk wSs coming on, the scene, as related by the Cap tain, was exciting and inexpressibly Jjpdierous. The unsuccessful efforts of the young Indians to climb the slippery trees after their deadly wea pons was worthy any modern struggle to ascend a greasy pole. Continued libations, however, overcome one after another till the last drinker was helplessly stretched upon the ground, and quietness prevailed till next morning} save a general grunting, much like a lot of fat hogs in a hot day. The next exhibition of the kind coming under the writer’s notice, the names of the principal actors will be given to the public, no matter what may be the consequences to this Chaplain correspondent of yours. My only object in writing of the matter is to call the attention of the voting community to its enormity, and urge them to unite in an effort to abate the shameless abomination. This may be in a goodly measure accomplished by pressing the subject so earnestly and extensively upon the coming Congress, as to have a law passed prohibiting, under certain penalty of death, the introduction of intoxicating drinks on any pretext into the army—hospital stores and sutlers’ evasions not excepted.- If good brandy, or old Bourbon, be at any time furnished by the Government for our hospitals, the suffering inmates are seldom thereby either the wiser or the better. Better have the whole thing’stopped. The following item of comfort to our sick and wounded soldiers and their friends is now going the rounds of /all our daily papers} and hence can be no slander to copy the same: “ A commission appointed for the purpose have just discovered that some gross frauds have been perpetrated upon the Medical Department in the supply of liquor &c. An examination of the single article of whiskey has shown, that the most deleterious compound known, has been furnished for medical purposes, in place of the fine, pure article contracted for. In some of the hospitals, the patients have been unable to use a drop, while those who: have used it were made worse than by their original disease.” Not unlikely, from the bloated eyes and livid lips of many an official in our camps, that were the numerous barrels, of what is termed whiskey, which is guzzled here examined by a scientific committee, something deleterious might also be found in them. A., M. Stewart. EXTEND THE CIRCULATION. A true and necessary adjunct to, the pastoral work is the weekly religious newspaper; There fore we may. justly expect, to find a friend in every pastor and every active 'laborer for Christ on our field. During last winter and spring, our paper was the vehicle for the com munication of the most valuable and encouraging revival intelligence. Our columns contained the only regular original account of the great awakening in Western New York. Our corres pondence and news departments of, movements in the religious world, and especially in the various branches of our church, has been, and will continue to be varied, full and in a high degree instructive. We ask the co-operation of our friends in a truly good work,—an important branch of the work of evangelization. Certain it is, if we do not labor promptly to introduce a good paper, a bad one will introduce itself. PROPOSALS FOR INCREASING THE SUBSCRIPTION In place of a long list of premiums, we make one comprehensive offer to all who will engage in the work of procuring new subscribers. Un til'fuither notice we will give ; 1 One Dollar premium for every new sub scriber paying $2, in advance; (or $2.50 served by carrier.) CLUBS Clubs of ten or more, to one address:. $15.00. by carrier $2O. If the club is made up of new subscribers, paying in advance, : $5 will be paid to the person getting it up. Any one interesting himself to keep up the club from year to year shall have his copy free; Clubs of six by mail slo.—by carrier $l3 “ “ four “ “ 7. “ “ 9 SPECIAL TERMS TO MINISTERS AND MISSIONA- Ministers who receive their copies by mail will hereafter be charged $1,50, by carrier s2, always in advance. Home Missionaries and Theological Students will be charged $1, —by carriers $1,50 in advance. COPIES FOR THE ARMY AND BENEVOLENT PUR- Copies will be furnished for the army or for general .distribution on application, to our office at the rate of two cents apiece; to be delivered to the Christian Commission, at the rate of. 2i cents apiece; when large quantities are ordered a week’s notice must be given. PREMIUMS FOR THE GREATEST NUMBER OF BUB- SCRIBERS. To the Sabbath School of the church sending us the largest number of new subscribers over twenty, .we offer not only the cash premium as above stated, but in addition, a library of .well selected, large-sized, recent Sabbath-School books of 100 volumes. To the school of the Church sending ns the second best list, the cash premium and a library of similar volumes, 50 in number. To the school of the church sending the third list, a large, colored $lO map of Jerusalem. TERMS OF THE PAPER IN ADVANCE, By mail $2. By carrier $2,50. jjgk. 50 cents additional after three months. Advertisements, 6 cents per line for the first. ; 4 cents for each subsequent insertion, 40 cents per line per quarter, 65 cents for six months, $l.OO per annum. AN APPEAL FROM THE ARMY. An army chaplain writes to us from Wash ington as follows, of our paper: “All unite in saying that it is one of the best published. I wish we had a thousand copies to send out every week. Try and get some of your benevolent people to send to us five hun dred Copies of your paper for the army.” We can assure any of our readers who may be disposed to contribute to aid ns in responding to this appeal, that their donations could not go through safer or more experienced hands. If twenty-six persons will each contribute $lO, we will engage to send five hundred copies by ex press to Washington city, weekly, for six months. It is an excellent opportunity to bring religions influences to bear upon the army. Who will supply us the means for send ing the first five hundred ? SYNOD OF GENESEE. Few of our Synods excel that of Genesee, either in -numbers; strength, or vitality:, Occu pying the western portion of the State of New York, from. Rochester to Lake Erie, its cities and fine country towns manage to secure pas tors of a high grade of ability and excellence. There pervades this Synod a quiet yet strong denominational self-conseiousness, which is aided perhaps by the fact that ours is the domi nant religious power of.the region. One not a member of the Synod may say, that whilst it can boast of many worthy fathers and strong men of mature years, it has as noble a set of young mien as any Synod in the land. Synod met last week in Olean, a neat town in.Cattarraugus County near the Pennsylvania line, and on the Allegheny River. Surrounded by hills, the narrow valleys of South-western New York give but limited scope to agriculture. Lumber is the staple product of the region; and though vast quantities have been cat, these forest-clad hills will still yield rich harvests, from their steep sides. As the forests pass away, manufactures, grazing, and husbandry gradually take the place of the ruder occupa tion of the lumber-man. Clean is a town of about 2000 inhabitants. Its Presbyterian Church earnestly desired to retain our brother, W. W- Taylor,; of this city,, who preached for them for six months, but are most happily sup plied by the Rev. J.-B. Beaumont, who came to them direct from Auburn Seminary. The Synod was received by them with cordial hos pitality. The Re\r. Walter Clarke, D. D., of Buffalo, was elected Moderator, and the Rev. : Wm. Waith, of Lancaster, Temporary Clerk. The opening sermon was by L, Parsons, Jr., and drew valuable instruction for ministers from the text, familiar, but worthy of remembrance, — “ Live upon him, Preeept upon precept,” &c. Be patient, endqring, .unceasing in effort. The < system of the Synod is to appoint, by a com mittee, each year, the order of exercises,for.the next, specifying the hour when and the, person by whom, the different discussions shall be , opened. The routine of business is thris inter-, mingled with the consideration of the benevo lent movements of the Church. The,hour for the discussions r being previously announced,-' the congregat ion of the place can time their at tendance so as to be present at them. At the present meeting, the subject of Home Missions was presented .on Wednesday morn ing in an interesting address by Mr, Niles, df Albion, who was followed by Dr., Kendall, Sec retary of Home Missions. In the afternoon the Publication Cause was ably advocated by the Moderator, Dr. Clarke, seconded by Mr. Dulles, the Secretary of Publication and Dr. Stillman, of Dunkirk. On Thursday morning the subject of Foreign Missions was discussed by Messrs. Fisher, Dallas and Heaeock, and in the afternoon the Education Cause was repre sented by Rev. Milton Waldo, whilst Sabbath School Literature was considered in the even ing. With an admirable sermon on the " Spiritu al Church” by Dr. Smith, of Buffalo, the Com munion service, meetings for devotional exerci ses, and business matters; the time was well filled. The alternations from devotion to' busi ness, and from' business to benevolence, with; an occasional five minute recess (an admirable institution for Presbyters who sometimes' find the spirit willing but the flesh weak,) gave life and spirit to the exercises.’ 1 u * ' i The affairs of Ingham University, a question as to the propriety of the reception of the testi mony of an accused person, and another as to, the policy of merging the Sabbath afternoon service in the Sunday School, exercised the wisdom of the Synod; whilst the report of most delightful revivals in Rochester and elsewhere, attended by the conversion of multitudes pi the young, refreshed its zeal and hope. The tone of the Narrative was encouraging. Resolu tions were‘adopted commending anew our mis r missionary and educational efforts, and promis ing to the Publication Committee the hearty co-roperation of the pastors with Mr. Howard, lately commissioned for this work, in the effort to raise $50,000 for that branch of Church ex tension. The Synod will meet next year in Albion. ARMY OF GEU, ROSEORAHS. ' WORK OF THE CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. Earnest Call for more Delegates. The following interesting letter is from the Rev. Benjamin Parsons, formerly a missionary in Turkey, now a delegate acting as Field Agent of the Christion Commission at the head-quar ters of General Rosecrans, —in the very front. Another of the delegates in that department telegraphs as follows: “ Nashville, Sept. 3d, 1863. “George H. Stuart, Chairman Send ten preachers.” Mr. Parsons writes about the work and the want of delegates as follows: “ Stevenson, Ala., Aug. 26,1863. “We occupy the only church building of the village. We have a meeting in it every nighty and the house is so crowded that manv take seats upon the steps of the pulpit, and those of the stairway leading to an upper apartment, and on the craggy rocks and boulders outside. More attentive, serious, and solemn assemblies of men I never saw, than are these of the noble sons of the West, God’s Spirit does seem to be present with power. And oh, how many benedictions fresh and warm from their hearts, do these sol diers pronounce on the U. S. C. Commission. The warm grasp of hand, the tearful eye, the earnest prayer, these indicate to us (what we are often told) that the Christian Commission has a very strong hold upon the hearts of the soldiers of this army. I can hardly conceive of an event that would cause more deep and extensive sor row and o-rief on the part of these soldiers, than would be caused by depriving them of the kindly offices of the Christian Commission. The officers, from rthe lowest in rank to the highest, seem, yery ready to grant us all reason able facilities for carrying forward our appropri ate work. The Lord* has granted ns a wide door and effectual, and we are, I trust, endeavoring to enter it and serve him in labors for the temporal and spiritual good of those thousands for whom Christ died. We are at present rather weak-banded, having only four licensed preachers on the ground, and four theological students. Of the latter one goes home'on Saturday, and two are too ill to do much more than merely care for themselves. The preachers are experienced pastors; strong, good men, the men most needed here. One good brother, Bev. Mr. Cushing, from Mass., is doing a precious work at Cowan, Tenn., in a field hospital and convalescent camp; hut he writes me his hands are more than full. ■; Here, in Stevenson, (which is a very impor tant point in a military point of view,) 800 hos • pita! tents are now being put np for the sick of the army, (and hence'a great field of usefulness,) and an immense' structure for sheltering steam engines and government stores. From this point I have fine facilities for sending out dele gates to the troops scattered here and there, and also ‘for transporting reading matter and stores. The Lord be praised for granting us so wide a door. Now we want men to go to Huntsville, Ala., to Bridgeport, to Bellfonte, to Anderson, to Pikeville, Dunlap,' Jasper, and other points in Tennessee, and very soon to Chattanooga , and very probably Atlanta, in Georgia. Men of power, intellectual and spiritual, and physical, too, who want a good work'to do, and are willing to endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ for the spiritual good of the thousands here who are enduring hardness for their country’s good, can find just what they want here, and enough of it, ‘enough to spare.’” Those willing* to go, may apply, with testimo nials by letter -or in person, at the Central Office, 11 Bank street, Philadelphia, or if more convenient, at the New York Office, 30 Bible House, or to C. Demond, 4 Court street, ! Boston, Jos. Albree, 71 Wood street, Pittsbnrg, W- T. Perkins, 17 West Third street, Cincinnati,, or J. Y. Farwell, or at the Young Men’s Christian Association Rooms, Chicago. ' : The demand for Delegates ,in the army of the Potomac also is as great as that in the army of Cumberland. Another School. —Readers will notice the new advertisement of the Belvedere Seminary for Young Ladies, recently inserted, which opened on Wednesday of last week. The city references given are excellent authority and well-known to most of our readers. gjtas ef mt fltafte. Rev. Dr- March- The Woburn Weekly Budget, Sep. 3d, says, Our readers will be pleased to learn that Rev. Daniel Marsh, who is now detained in town by sick mess, is slowly improving, and it is hoped that he will soon be about again. The fatigues of Ms jour ney, under the affecting circumstances which called Mm here, were too much for a constitution, already reduced by a severe illness. Mr. C. A. Slack, late of Auburn Theological Seminary, was .ordained and installed pastor of the Westminster Church in Newton, Jasper Go., lowa, Aug. 29th. Sermon by Rev. Thompson Bird, of 'Des Moines, from. 2 Cor. ii. 15,16. Constitutional Questions and Ordaining Prayer by the Moderator, 'Rev. Asa. Johnson, Redfield. Charge to the pastor by Rev. J. C. Ewing, Winterset; ! and Charge to the people by Rev.. Fisk Harmon, Swede Point. Mr- Giles F. Montgomery, of Lane Seminary and a licentiate of Cincinnati Presbytery, was re cently ordained at Middlebury Vt. He is destined to the missionary work in Turkey. Rev- A- E. Kittiridge of Charlestown Mass., has been called to the pastorate of Howard St. Church, San Francisco, made vacant by the resignation of Rev. S. H. Willey more than afyear ago—ln San Jose a new Church is building to cost fifteen to twenty thousand dollars.— Rev. James Skinner for merly of Hamilton College,-has commenced preach ing in Santa Clara, with a view to organizing a Church. - ; Sacrifice for the Country. —lndividuals who at tended the General Assembly which met in tins city last May, will remember, with peculiar interest, the elder from Franklin Presbytery, OMo, Hon. C. N. Olds, of Columbia. His vigorous and stirring loyal - speech on the : Resolution enjoining allegiance to the existing administration, was one of the marked events of that rcmarkabie Assembly. It is not generally known that he had just given up a son as a sacrifice for Ms. country, and that ihe-patkos and earnestness of his appeals sprang from a profound and unusual source. It appears from a letter, published some weeks ago in the New York Observer, that the youth, whose name was W. W. Olds, enlisted as a-private early in the warand for the two years which he served, he never took a 'furlough. He was promoted, and at the time; of his death was a captain in the 42d OMo. He fell, mortally wounded, in the battle of Port Gib son, about the -lßt of May. The letter above referred to says.: , “He lived about four hours after he fell, gini-w away rapidly from the internal hemorrhage. He ■was caim;and rational to the last moment He told me to tell his father that he was now about giving up his life for Ms country, and. said he, ‘ had I two more Eves to live, willingly would I sacrifice them for the restoration of my country.’ A number of his men had gathered around, the tears rolling down their brown,’sunburnt feces, at the thought of losing their brave,,and noble young leader. The captain turned Ms face towards them and said, ‘My boys, I’m going to leave you, but don’t be disheartened; never give up; stand by your flag, and fight for your country; and, if need be, do as lam doing—die for her.’ He was now sinking rapidly, and Ms breatMng became very laborious and painful. He remarked to me, ‘ Doctor; lam almost gone, but it is all well ; tdlfar ther that J die in the faith !’ He seemed then to be engaged, in prayer, and soon after ceased to breathe. “So.died a brave, noble, and a, Christian soldier, loved and lamented by all who knew Min.” It is stated in .another letter, that in the evening, when his body had been prepared for a soldier's bu rial, Ms men, who had just come in from the battle, filed past the rude coffin in which he was laid, and with parched lips and powder-stained feces knelt and kissed the pale brow of the dead, while the hot tears testified to their manly grief. Acceptance of Rev. Dr. Shedd-— The New York Observer is informed that Dr. Shedd has concluded to resign the co-pastorate of the Brick Church and accept the chair of Oriental tmd Biblical Literature SEPT. 17
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers