404
[CONCLUDED FROM 4019T-FAGE.I
)cnen on the earth ? 'Behold, heaven and the
heaven of heavens cannot contain thee ; how
much less this house which I (we) have
built ?"
"Now, therefore, arise, 0 Lord God, into
thy resting-place, thou and the ark of thy
strength ; let thy priests, 0 Lord God, be
clothed with salvation, and let thy saints re
joice in goodness."
tontopentenct.
PROM OUR ROCHESTER CORRES PONDENT
BUFFALO PRESBIIIARY
This body convened in its annual meeting
in the North church of Buffalo, on the 13th
instant. Rev. Timothy Stillman, D.D. of
Dunkirk, was elected Moderator, and Rev.
William Waith, of Lancaster, Temporary
clerk. As Mr. Stillman is also Stated clerk
of the Presbytery, and Mr. Waith is pretty
uniformly elected Temporary, _ clerk, the
names of officers seem a little mixed ; and
yet there was no contusion in the business.
There was, however, quite an interesting
episode on the first evening, which deserves
special mention. Rev. Dr. Smith, pastor of
the North *church, was tukd‘ engagement
to lecture, in- the regular Winter's course,
before the Young Men's Association of
Buffalo ; and without knowing or thinking
of the time of the meeting of Presbytery,
had allowed his name to be set down on.the
Tirogramtne for that evening. The Doctor
handsomely apologized for the undesigned
conflict between his lecturr and the opening
sermon before Presbytery, which was to
have been preached by Rev. Dr. Clarke, the
retiring Moderator; and to compromise the
matter, the Young Men's Association had
sent complimentary tickets and a' cordial
invitation to the entire Presbytery to attend
the Lecture; whereupon the opening ser
mon was postponed to the following even
ing, and the members of Presbytery gave
themselves up to quite another sort of en
tertainment.
A PLEASANT SURPRISE
At the appointed hour, in spite of a driv
ing storm, the great. Hall, (St. James') in
which the lectures are . given, vas well filled,
and the speaker began. But all were evi
dently surprised to find that instead of a
lecture we were to have a Poem. No one
seems to have expected it, or imagined that
such a thing was possible. We knew that
the Doctor was a profound scholar, an, ac
complished rhetorician and orator, but we
had not dreamed that he was also a poet.
The theme was "Mammon or the prob
lem of Happiness ;" treated philosphically,
humorously, satirically and religiously; as
all these qualities were found in different
parts of the author's flowing verse. The
keenest shafts of satire were hurled with
great dexterity at the world of shams and
deceits; lighter follies were served up for
innocent laughter; white an air of real
seriousness, and .a vein of true philosophic
and Christian instruction ran through the
whole.
At the same time the .author's• fine pros
enee,'his magnificent voice, his correct ar
tfaniation. his almost perfect elocution
greatly heightened the effect of, the reading
or.delivery of the poem, and -really consti
tuted it one of the most agreeable entertain
ments of the kind to which it has ever been
our good forturre to listen. The audience
were evidently well pleased, and many of
the finer passages were earnestly applauded.
We had supposed that Anson G. Chester
Esq: was the Poet Laureate of Buffalo; but
after this he must look well to his laurels.
OBLIGATES TO-THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
ReV, William Waith„ of Lancaster, and
Rev. Sylvester Cowles, of Ranpolph, were
appointed clerical commissioners to the
next General Assembly ; and Andrew Par
ker, and Moses Bristol, both of Buffalo,
were appointed lay commissioners.
NEW MEMBERS
The following persons were received as
members of the Presbytery of Buffalo: Rev.
H. P. Bogue, from the Presbytery of Onon
daga; Rev. William Hancock from the
Presbytery of Albany; and Rev. E. P.
Willard, a licentiate, also from the Presby
tery of Onondaga.
Mr. Bogue is temporarily supplying the
Chinch in East Hamburgh ; Mr. Hancock
is preaching for the second church of Rip
ley, and Mr. Willard has labored as stated
supply, for a year, with the church in Dun
kirk.
A SORE AFFLICTION.
The church in Springville has been sorely
afflicted in the death of their pastor, Rev.
Nathan Allen. He was apparently in his
usual health in the early part of October;
but 'soon after symptoms of derangement
manifested themselves,‘ almost as the first
outbreak of typhoid fever. He was soon
raving and unmanagable, and was sent to
the Utica Asylum, where he lived but four
days.
age was about forty ; and :he was a
good and useful man. The church mourn
for, him as for a very dear friend. He loaves
a if and three children—One born since
the father's death—to , wnora the loss is
utterly irreparable. But they are among
friends: The church continue the pastor's
ejtlory until February next; for the' hepefit
of the widow and her children.
NUMBER OP yin. BUFFALO PRESBYTERY
It embraces thirty seven ministers, and
twentrsix churches. The Attendance upon
the meeting was smaller than we had ex
pected; being only thirteen ministers, and
eleven elders. The proportion of the at_
tendance of the elders was larger than it
sometimes is, and was a pleasant feature of
bbe meeting. We are glad to see the lay
men take their share of the business and
the responsibility of these ecclesiastical
gatherings. Four, however, at least of the
ministers had a good excuse for absence,
being chaplains in the Union army.. The
Presbytery is loyal to the core.
STATE Or THE CHURCHES
The informal reports of members of Pres
bytery upon the state of the churches were
interesting and encouraging..
Lafayetfe Street Church of Buffalo, (Dr.
Heacock's) reports two Mission Sabbath
schools in successful operation ; in connec
tion with one of which a score of conver
sions had occurred within the year. Some
thing of a revival was also experiented last
spring in the Doctor's Congregation, with a
number of additions.
The .North Ciurch of Buffalo, also sustains a
large mission school, of some three hundred
scholars; and a preaching service during the
summer, as, a part of the same enterprise.
This church also reports a considerable in
crease of congregation, and a •large advance
in its contributions to benevolent causes. It
is a prosperous church.
At 'Ort:At's Mills, where the nei.
ford, a good man and true, has labored dilli
gently for twenty years, the prevailing spirit
of church improvement has seized thein, and
they' are remodeling their' chnich edifice ;
turning around the pews, papering, graining
and painting inside and out. We prophesy
that spiritual renovation and life will follow
this decent care for the appearance of 'the
Lord's house.
A.t Freclonia, under the, fai s thkl and:judi
cious labors of Rev. Dr. Wright, a pleasant
quickening was experienced last spring, es
pecially among
, the,youth ofthe,congrega
tion, and,aboutiwelitti - WeEe added to the
chtirch. • • • '• • ••• •
• There is Christian life_ an Poiver evidently
among, the young 'people of this congrega
tion. They have a juvenile missionary asso
ciation, which jnised. $l5O, the last year, to
send the gospel to the heathen.. This, we
need•hardly say, is more than tke sum raised
by some entire congregationa . as large as that
at Fredonia. r
ON REUNION
But one of the most interesting features of
this meeting of the Buffalo Presbytery, was
the discussion which arose the secbucl :day,
upon the subject of the reunion of :the two
branches of the Presbyterian church, Old
School and New. Rev. Dr. Milli, of New
York, and Rev. Dr. Thompson, of Cincin
nati, the new editor, were present and par
ticipated in the discussion.
All conceded that reunion was desirable,
if it could be real, or cordial and harmoni
ous some saw more difficulties in the way
thou others ; but all seemed to suppose that
those difficulties are fast vanishing out of
the way, and are willing to hope and labor
for the speedy accomplishment of so desira
ble an .end.,
THE STEUBEN CC.• S.-S. TEACHERS INSTITUTE
We before noticed the fact that such an
Institute, for instruction in the - art of Sab
bath-school teaching, was to be held in
Corning, by Ralph Wells, and R. G, Pardee
Esqs..of New York. It came off according
to arrangement, on the 6th, 7th and Bth
day of the present month, and was a de,
cided. success. More than one hundred
persons were present from out of town, and
at times the spacious church edifice in
which the meetings were held was crowded
with those in attendance. As this meetiff,
was something novel in its'way, interesting
in itself, and may lead to still greater results
in the - rfuture. We give a pretty full synopsis
of its proceedings, kindly furnished by ti r d.ear
friend who was present.
The Institution was opened on Friday
evening. with two addresses. One by. Mr.
Pardee upon the "History of progress in the
Sunday School work," and the other by Mr.
Wells upon " Jesus as a model Teacher ;"
both admirabie and , instructive. Wednes-,
iday forenoon after a devotional meeting of
half an hour., was occupied by Mr. Wells,
first, in impressing in various ways upon all
the importance of 'Teacheis' meetings, fur_
fishing answers to the various objections,
showing how difficulties may be surmounted.
The institute then resolved itself into a
-Teachers' meeting conducted by Mr. Wells,
shoWing how to do it.
In the P. M. Mr. Pardee conduCted a
Teachers meeting. The teachers presented
their difficulties and questions for solution,
which were re.plied to by Mr. Wells and Mr.
Pardee. In the evening a crowded house,
fillingaltar and aisles, listened to a "Model
lesson," taught to a class of children by Mr.
Wells, upon the story of the two Wind beg
gars cured by Jesns. •
Rev. Thos. S. Beecher of Elmira followed
Mr. Wells with an interesting and instruc
tive address to Sunday-school Tea&era upon
their work. -
After the opening prayer meeting, Thurs
day forendon was occupied first by Mr.
Pardee in answer to the question " }tow
should the Sunday-school be conducted ?"
dwelling especially upon the duties and
functions of the Superintendent. Mr.
Wells followed with a practical illustration
of the best methods of Bible Class teaching ;
the Institute with Bibles in hand being the
class and Mr. Wells the teacher. The sub
jects of, this lesson were first, "The third
commandment;" and next, " The parable
of the wedding garment."
Thursday afternoon was occupied by Mr.
Pardee arid Mr. Wells upon the subject of
infant class instruction, by Mr: Huntington
(the Secretary of the N. Y. S. Teachers' As
sociation,) with reference to 'his own ex
perience as Teacher and Superintendent,
and by addresses to the children by Mr.
Pardee, Mr. Beecher and Mr. Wells. The
Thursday evening session closed up the In
stitute and some six or seven brief address
es were made byes many gentlethen present.
At the close, we sang with a hearty good
will "Praise God from whom all blessings
flow," and- adjourned with the Apostolic
benediction, better • fitted,. we believe, for
life's great work. GENESEE.
Rochester, Dec. 17, 1864.
THE NEXT UNION • MEETING of our
churches . will be held in : the Calvary
church:
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1864.
Our premiums are very popular at
the present time ; we are sending them
away every day. The sewing machines
are all gone and we therefore withdraw
them from the list. In their glace we of
fer a very valuable.list of books suitable
for a teachers' and Sabbath. school li
brary. As th,epublishers have recently
raised the price both of " The Life and
Times, of Tohn Huss* and Shedd's "His - tory of Christian Doctrine," wo are
obliged to ask a greater number of new
subscribers for these works. We 'still
offer them on terms which bring them
within the reach of every active worker
for the paper.
It should be understood that pre
miums are awarded for bona - fide sub
scribers onlf—not for names paid for
by the person seeking the premiums.
Ater No pretniumi given for &Isobel-Ip
tions of Ministers or Home Missionaries,
`unless they pay at full rates, the terms
being as low as practicable already.
'OA.SiI PREMIUMS, FOR NEW supspßiiiiii,s
For one suhscriner, paying'.full rates
in advance, seventy-five cents; for four
subscribers, paying in the same manner,
$5.00, and for more at the same rate.
For a club of ten,:pying club-rates, in
advance, $7.50.
ser _Retain the 'p enduing" and remit
us the balance.
LIFE-AND TIMES OF HUSS. HISTORY OF
These popular and valuable works,
each in 2 vols. Bvo., sent, post-paid, to
any address in 'return for Four New
Subiters, paying full rates in advance.
ASSEMBLY'S DIGEST.
For .Three new subscribers paying as
above, we will sen4post,paid, a. copy of
the Assembly's Mese.'
THE DIGEST WITH JOHN 41385, OR TlitE
For a club of ten, paying club rates
in advance, we will send, post-paid, both
the DIGEST and Jonrr Huss, or Shedd's
HISTORY, as may be preferred.
This elegantly illustrated piece of
music, the words of which were first
published as a prize poem in the Ameri
can Presbyterian, and which has been
sung with great applause, especially in
Western New York, will be sent, post
paid, fora single subscriber paying in
advance.
LIBRARY OF TEACHERS AND SABBATH
SCHOOL BOOKS. ~
Tasonias' LIBRARY. .'Taylor's Sunday School Photo
grabs, (New.*) Hart's Thoughts on Sabbath Schools,
(New.) The' Golden( Censer, (New.) Darling's Closer
Walk. Cedar Christian, (New.) . Madana'Gasparm's Ves
pers. DO. :Human SorroWs, (New.) Egypt's Princes,
(New.) Life of Hannah Moore. Christian Home Life,
(New.) 'Sketches of Eldquent Preachers, (New.)* Me
moir of E. J. Hawes. Guizot's Love in Marriage, (New.)
Annals of the Rescued. Life of Major Vlindeleur. An
cient Egypt, (New.) Memoir of Wilberforce, (New.). Me
moir of Mrs. Jukes., (New.) ,r- .^.
Tea ins-SlM:al' Smoot.. 12 me. books : Margaret's
Secret, (New.) Joseph the' Jew, (New.) Roughing it
with Aliok 'l3 . ily. 16 mo. Elegant Series, by the Misses
Warner, called "Ellen Montgomery's Book Shelf, in 6
vols., viz ; Mr. Rutherford's Childien, Sybil and Chryssa.
Hard Maple. Karl Krinken. Ca4per and his Friends,
,/
(New.) Newton'soK ing› High ay. Where is the
Harm? (NeW.)-• Gospel among the Caffres, (New.) Mar
garet at Home. Sea Drifts, (Ne v.) Heroes for the
Truth, (New.) Fred Lawrence. ,Money. Three Me-
Morials of Fallen Christian Soldiers :' The 'Sergeant's
Memorial: Soldiers of the' Cum rland; Bryant Gray
(All New.) Capt. Hammond. Co r Bearer. 18 mo.
Todd's Elegant Series: Mountain ems, Four volumes
of Illustrated Tales and Anecdote 'n Dr. To'dd's best
style. Story Truths, a Series of fo volumes.,Carrie
Allison. Walter in Samaria. Wa r in Jersalene.
Cannibal Islands, (New.) .1-hepherd of Bethlehem, c s A , ~ .
L. 0. E. Jewish Stories, (A. L. O. .) Day . Break, A.
L. 0. E.) Progress or Sequel to Je ry. Our Birds'. '1 e
Silver Casket, (A. L. 0. E.) The Re el Reclaimed, (A. L.
ti
O. E.). Father's Coming Home, (N w. Margaret War
ner. How Charley Helped his Mother (New.) The two
Councils ; (New.) Jennie'sEible, (New. The Poor Wea
ver's Family, (New.) The late IssueS f the American
Tract Society: Dora Hamilton, Bloom of Youth, Plea
sant Path, :Walter Martin, Johnny, 'Madeline, A little'
more, Jesus in 'Bethany, Our Katie, Marrs Falsehood,
Scotland, Chloe, Katie Seymour, 1 wish I was poor, The
Missing Boat, Gospel Workers, Sketches for4he Young,
Ernest. The. Straight. Road, A. L. 0. E) Our Father
who art in Heaven. Also Boyd's Shorter Catechisms, ,2
vole, and Lessons for the Little Ones.
* By "New," we mean recently published. -
,
The above list making a total 6f over
eighty-five volumes, of desirable and
valuable books of undoubted fitness for
Sabbath school purposes, will be given
for twenty-five new names, paying at
full rates, or for THREE CLITI3B.,Of TEN
EACH paying at club-rates, in advance.
TER GLORIOUS SIMOESSES OP THE
NATIONAL _ARMIES.
,The air of last week was jubilant
with the notes of victory. The arrival
of Sherman's conqUering army almost
unopposed .on the sea-coaliti;and'- their
capture of an important work in the
defences of Savannah, itself would have
made ari :epoch in the war., There was
something sublime in the :emerging of
this great expedition fiom the mists
which reports from panic-struck, yet
audaciously-lying rebels _had thrown
around it, but _which were scattered all
at• once, by the brief despatch of that
noble' Christian soldier, Con. Howard;
to Admiral Dahlgren : " We liave ?net
with perfect success, thus far. The troops
are in fine spiriti and near by
And what a giand march has this of
Gen. Sherman's 'army been I Com
mencing really at Chattanooga, in May
it swept aside, out-flanked, out-mano3n
vred, defeated, time and again, the rebel
army opposed to it: it seized one strong
position after another, •itheld open long
lines of communication in its rear, cap.-
tured the fortified city which was its
first object,on the first of September, at
a distance of 138 miles : from its base,
and then, on, the 12th , of November,
leaving the only army which had made
ii ditorial ytt 00.
ABOUT PREMIUMS,
;pIUtISTIA#
HISTORY OF 'DOCTRINE
CHILDREN OF THE BATTLE-FIELD
any show of resistance contemptuously
in its rear, it abandoned its communi
cations and pushed forward, penetrated
three hundred miles more of hostile
territory, subsisted itself plentifully
upon the enemy, and in one month
reached a new base of operations, 300
miles distant from Atlanta, and four
hundred and thirty miles from the base
it left in May. This great achievenient
places Sherman and his army upon a
par wilqi the greatest fighting men of
any age.
Upon the 'beels of this joyful an :
inuncernent comes that of the utter
Overthrow of the army left in Sherman's
rear, whichhad been sent north to imi
tate and nearalize the effect of Sher
,
man's march through the South. The
powerful army of Gen. Thomas was all
Obstacle doubtless quite unexpected to
the ebel I eaders;who have been proelaim
ing the exhaustion of the fighting force
of the N,ortg. They too; expected,
likeSheri:can; to find themselves'unop
posed in their March to the Ohio
River. But as Sheridan routed Raily,
sent to coulteract Grint's movements
in the East, so Thomas has routed and
scattered and disarmed the rebel invad
ers of the West. 'Unlike many of our
previous victories, this has been so
easily W6n, that the conquerors have
been able to follow up their advantages
by a vigorous and destructive pursuit of
the discomfated rebels, so that every
day increases the magnitude and deed
_
siveneSs of the results.
Other movements on land and sea
are in progress, and ere another wpek
goes round, still grander and more deci-
BIVEI ach theas in all probability
will have to be "iiicorded by a joyful and
. ,
adoring people.' The rebellion is virtu
ally over, ,
qrry RELIGIOUS ITEMS.
Nzir LOCATIOI4.—The church edifice
at 'the corner of Wood and Eleventh
StrCeis-is in the prncess of refitting for
the use of the 2nd. Congregational
church'in Philadelphia, by whom it has
been leased.- it is.expected to be ready
for occupation in a few days.
- A WELL BESTOWER LIBERALITY.-WO
learn through The Presbyterian, that
the Seventh Presbyterian Churcb of
Philadelphia — has contributed to the
Christian Commission a sum sufficient
to erect a chapel tent in the army •of
the Potomac, and has - determined that
it shall be called after its pastor, Rev.
Mr. Crowell. Other churches are mov
ing in this good' work, which promises
with the blessing of God, to be produc
tive of great spiritual benefit to oar sol
diers.
ACOESSIONS.—The Standard reports
an addition of twelve members, (nine on
profession) to the Trinity Presbyterian
Church, '(/ S.) Rev. Mr. Ewing Pas
tor, on the 11th inst.; also " large ac
cessions to the membership of the Fif
teenth Presbyterian Church."
INSTALLATION.—The installation of
Rev. Alexander Reed, as Pastor of the
Cential PTesbyterian Chirch, (O. S.)
took place on Sabbath evening, the 11th
inst. under the order of the Central
Presbytery. Rev. Dr. Conell, the Mo
derator, presided, and - - proposed 'the
conititational 'questions ; Rev. J. =M.
Crowell preached from the text,'" The
Bower sowetli the word ;" the charge to
the pastor was delivered by Dr. Mtisi
grave, and 'to th people by Dr. Henry,
prayers. by Dr. Cornell and Mr. Crowell.
We are told that, notwithstanding the
exceeding discomforts of locomotion on
that eVening, the house Was well filled ;
also that the 'exercises were well sus
tain.ed' throughout. '
REQUISITE OP A RELIGIOUS PAPER,
An esteemed correspondent in a re
cent -letter; says :
" Yon know. Dr. Chalmers used to
tell his students never to preach a ser
mon without having a word in it adapt
ed to lead the -sinner at once to Christ.
And so I have thought . that, a good
newspaper ought to- have at I(iast one
article each week, written with the sole
and express
. ; purpose of leading the
perishing to believe and .be saved.
Many preach with the hope that as they
preach " the. truth" it will sometime,
like good, seed, spring up and do good,
but it seems to me that ministers and
papers ought often to COl4O as ambassa
dors from tne-court of heaven and de
mand an instant submission."
,The suggestion seems to us full of
practical wisdom, and a fruit of true
Christian zeal. Besides trying "to do
our part , in the editoria,l department, we
should be glad to publish suitably writ
ten 'articles, of the kind indicated, from
the pens of correspondents.
NOBLE.—The Third. Church, - Pitts
,
burgh, always reliable, has again been
faithful to its historic character. It has
just forwarded to our Committee on
Home Missions a contribution of $2500.
This added to a recent donation -from
its, Sabbath School in tho same line,
and to the value of missionary boxes
made np, rolls up the amount to. $3OOO.
Now. for Philadelphia.
HORRORS OF A REBEL PRISON.
The develoAtents 4 of Rebel barbarity at
Andersonville, throw even Libby and Belle
Isle into the shade. History has no parallel
to the accounts brought by exchanged pris
oners now in Annapolis—accounts fully con
firmed by the physical condition of the nar
rators; Liverpool sympathisers are impor
tuning our government to permit their com
missioners to come with their contributions
of gold to the rebel prisoners in our hands,
whom we are all the while sending back
sleek and hearty ; but who has heard from
that quarter the first effort at humane inter
ference in behalf of our men at the South,
dying of nakedness, filth, and starvation, or,
what is perhaps mBre merciful, shot down
like dogs for venturing to stretch their heads
over a prescribed linein, a mournful and vain
gaze for some sight of relief coming—they
know not when or from where? The Press
contains a long letter from Annapolis, giving
an "account of things there seen, and. stories
Of what is not seen, almost =too horrible for
Publication. Weshrink from recording such
revelations, but these are things which must
be known, and we 'subjoin extracts as sam
ples of, the whole. Are -those who conduct
this rebellion men, or are they fiends?
- i came to this city when the - telegrams
told me that our, transports had brought
here all that was left of our captured soldiers
when rebel brotality had done its worst. I
came expecting to see horrors such as
never saw befere. I came here with my own
mental pictures of what woful wrecks man
mutt be after months of systematic starva
tion and barbaric ill-treatment--after tor
tures and trials such as no Christian or en
lightened people had ever imposed upon
those who fell-into their power by the for
tune of war. But when I saw these poor
fellows I discovered that there were some
things which even the imagination may fail
to correctly, portray ; some realities which
fancy on its freest wings, can never exceed.
Opportun.ely, a special commission appointed
by the Sanitary Commission to inquire into
the condition of the releated prisoners,
kindly gave me every opPortunity to gather
such facts as were proper for public informa
tion. This commission of which Edward
Delafield, - M. D., a prominent - physician of
New. York city, was chairman, and Ellerslie
Wallace .D. Rev. Treadwell Walden, W.
H.,.Rawle, of this city, Governenr M. Wil
kins, Frederick S. Winston, and Herbert
Turner, of New York, were members, made
a very careful examination of a large num
ber of the prisoners, commissioned officers
and privates, and:gathered a great variety of
interesting and astonishing facts not hitherto
developed, which it is their intention 'to pre
sent to the public in a - formal
,repert at an
early day.
It is related that when the transports ar
rived in the Severn river, with their motly,
suffering freight, among'all that great collec
tion of mfirmity and weakness in every fore
many poor - fellows, who had wasted away
until all hope and desire of life had become
extinct, were found •dead, lying cold and
rigid, with opened eyes, on the decks.
Their faces were turned to the heavens,
Which had been for months their only shel
ter. Their agony;was marked in faint lines
which their wasted,.pinched faces furnished
hardly room to trace, and in the twisted
limbs, expanded chest, which even to the
last strove to contain its breath, and..in the
contorted muscles. Their other character
istitims- were shared with 'them by the living.
All the men were filthy, ragged or naked,
and swarming with vermin. They came to
" God's country" with scarce enough strength
to articulate -their joy: Their limbs were
palsied and stiffened with a scurvy which
marked them everywhere ; their bodies were
smeared all over with the excrement of
their diarrhoea, in which they were com
pelled, from sheer weakness, to lie ; their
hair was matted with filth of the same char
acter ; some; with their limbs and bodies
filthy as they were, were swollen by •dropsy
to such an enormous tension as to suggest
the idea of bursting to' the pitying eyes that
were bent searchingly uppn them. Lice of
great size swarmed over them—ravenous,
torturing—living 'in burrows in the flesh,
honeycombing it all over with their dwelling
places. They , were almost the bulk and
shape of grains of wheat. Their bites were
keen—their combined attacks exerueiating.
Others were, in addition to these ills, afflicted
with " groanclsores." Their bones pierced
through the tightly-drawn flesh, redueed by
starvation ; and at the hips,, shonlder-blades,
and ether,projecting,:portions of the botdy,
the sores werefOrmed and peopled - with - hi
deous; slimy maggot% whose every-motion
was untold agony ,to the unhappy , sufferer,
who had neither the means, the strength,
nor perhaps in the stupor of suffering, the
will to remove them. There were but, few of
these, however, though as the soldiers tell
us, on their oaths, such sights were quite
common at "Anderson." But the poor
victims died too fast for any large number
to accumulate at one time. They might be
seen at -all points; gasping under-their horri
ble pains, the maggots disporting, eating,
piercing nearer, nearer, every day, to the
vitals. In some instances they formed lines
of communication between one sore , and an
other by eating little conduits for somesklis
tance under the skin. Through these ways
they traveled in lines, the living arcade over
them heaving up and down as they moved.
No care was taken of these martyrs, no
medicine was given, no facilities for even a
very . moderate attempt at cleanliness, and
they , died by scores, to be buried like brutes,
in great heaps in unmarked graves. But we
will not continue this reference to life at
Andersonville. Qur friends ef in the Commis
sion will soon preAnt these fa, 'and others
far more horrible, in a detailed way, and we
will- confine ourselves simply to what .might
be seen at the Naval Hospital w4 l aif, on the
Severn river. - - •
In our tour through the hospitals We saw
these released men, black with sun-tan and
the smoke of the pine fires over which they
bent as they cooked the .food that mocked
their hunger and robbed them of their lives,
They were in " God's country" now. The
grand old stars and stripes waved over'them,
and the notes of their own sweet national
music were wafted through the casement to
their grateful ears.. Attentive nurses in the
Union's blue hovered round their bedsides,
anticipating
.every want, and watching with
a more than brotherly tenderness each
change of symptom. Words of cheer, as
surances of returning health, were coaxing
back the red blood to their wan cheeks, and
lighting up their hollow eyes with a gleam
of hope. But, alas!'there were and 'are
cheeka—hundreds of them—that will not
glow, and eyes that will not sparkle ever
more. " One hundred and fifteen have up
to this morning already died in hospital,
and the fate of many more is sealed. No
medical skill can save them—no love, no
hope lure them bank to life again. Rebel
diabolism has exhausted. the life-spring,
quenched the life-lamp. Otte may gurgle
yet a little while, the other glimmer, but
both are ebbing, both shall disappear.
A course of Lectures commenced at
Olivet church, in this city, Dec. 22d. •
BOOKS RECEIVED.
Messrs. Ticknor & Fields have issued
in holiday style another of Carleton's
popular books .the war called " FOL.
LOWING THE FLAG." It is beautifully
bound in red cloth gilt and has a number
of spirited illustrations. Carleton is one
of the most popular and genial of Army
Correspondents.
The same publishers have issued in
Blue and Gold, an edition of "Famcn
ARDEN." Both these"volumes are for
sale by'J. B. Lippincote di Co.
Messrs. Sheldon & Co, of New York,
have also issued in season for the holi
days "WALTER IN CONSTANTINOPLE," one
of Dr. Eddy's very popular series of
Juvenile Travels. Also another of
Jacob Abbot's excellent 'find instructive
series on American Ristory embracing
the Wars of the RevillUtiOn. Both of
these volumes are handsomely printed
and illustrated.
Conumnus, Orno.—The 2nd Presby
terian church of this place, Rev. E. D.
Morris, Pastor—a church, said by the
Christian Herald to be "far less remark
able for wealth than for harmony, zeal,
and self-sacrificing spirit of its member
ship"—has just disembarrassed itself of
a heavy debt upon its beautiful house
of worship. There were two subscrip
tions of $25,000 each and one of $15,000.
FIRST PRESRYTERIAN Cifumn.—Ten
persons were received on profession to
the communion of this church, (Mr.
Barnes') at the communion last Sabbath.
THE NATIONAL PREACHER for Decem
ber, contains Rev. Win. Aikman's Ser
mon before the Synod of Pennsylvania
—"The Church's piety, the Pulpit's
Power." Also Moral Analogies of Cen
tral Park, by Horace Baton, of Palmyra,
New York; and The Better Hope, by
Dr. Sunderland.
.4 disijaito. -- Ntittiligotste.
Presbyterian.
Amphibious, but Good.—We have before
noticed a contemplated enterprise in New
York city, which now seems about to become
a fixed fact. The Presbytery of New York
has appointed a committee to organize a
Presbyterian Seamen's church. It is to be
called the ChurCh of the Sea and Land,
since it is designed for seamen, and also for
Presbyterians residing in the lower part of
the city, where there is no Presbyterian
church. The Rev. Alexander McGlashan
has charge of the enterprise.
Poland, Ohio.— Rev. A. S. McMaster
Pastor of the Presbyterian church in this
place, writes to the Banner acknowledging
a complimentary visit from his people, with
gifts to the value of $3OO, and adds ;—" The
congreggion recently raised more than
eleven hundred dollars to pay a balance of
debt on their handsome and commodious
house of worship and some smaller items,
leaving them without indebtedness to any
one. During the current year they have
more than doubled their contributions to
the missionary work of our own Church ;
and in connection with the rest of. the com
munity, from the beginning of the war, their
'contributions through various organizations
and agencies for the physical and spiritual
benefit of our soldiers, have been constant
add generous, amounting in the aggregate
to many thousands of dollars. And now
having in some measure brought the tithes
into the store-house of the Lord, they are
looking in hope of the Divine blessing from
heaven." ' -
No. Disbanding.—The Cumberland Presby
terian thus replies to a suggestion from a
leadirig minister of the Cumberland PresbY
terian church, that, in view of its being so
greatly,enfeebled by the state of things in
the southwest where its chief strength lay,
it should disband, and cast in its lot with
other denominatlons:—" We object, and
think we have a right to object, that the
Cumberland Presbyterian Church should be
published to the world; that because the
war has cut us off for a time from a large
portion of the Church in the South, and we
have had other trials incident to the war,
that, therefore, like the 'stony ground hear
ers' having not sufficient root in ourselves,'
because trouble has come we have been
looking round to see where we can best dis
pose of ourselves, and hide 'from the storm.
We repeat, this may be all true'with Some'
in Ohio. But it is not true' to the Church
generally. We have never seen our Church
in Illinois —and we believe it is so in Indi
ana—in a more prosperous condition. In
deed in all -the elements of permanent pros
perity, it has never_ been so much so. Of
course in Missouri, Kentucky, and where
the'war has raged, theChUrch is at a stand
still, some places destroyed, but nowhere,
even there, liave, we .heard, of the idea of
disbanding' the Church."
Methodist.
The Missionary Work for 1865.—The Gen
eral Missionary Committee of the M. E.
church, calls upon the Membership for
$625,000 for the support of its missions for
the coming year. This is to cover the whole
missionary work, at home and abroad. Of
Houle Missions three classes are to receive
marked attention--Ist. In the regions and
on both sides of the Rocky mountaina; 2d.
Missions for the benefit of Southern 'people
coming within our Military- lines; 3d. Su
burbs and neglected ,partsof large towns
and cities. The Ccirnmittee claim for Me
thodism a peculiai- adaiitation to each of
those fields. Concerraig the prospect of
securing the required amount, the Commit
tee says';—" The last reason which 'we will
mention 'for'venturing to call upon the
church for-six hundred and ttoenty : five thousand
dollars for our missions in 1865 is the deep
and 'general conviction which pervaded' the
Commithie, that the church was able and
Willing to contribute the money necessary
to maintain her missionary work in a healthy
and vigorous -condition. The only shade of
doubt which arose on this, question sprang
from some apprehension of the possibility
that the pastors of the churches, or some of
them, might not be diligent and faithful in
bringing the missionary cause before the
churches and congregations, and into the
Sunday SehoOls, as provided for in the Dis
cipline. Perhaps this slight apprehension
of the Committee will prove to be without
any just cause. Time will determine this
matter."