The American Presbyterian. (Philadelphia) 1856-1869, April 20, 1865, Image 1

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    THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIA
GENESEE- EVANGELIST.
A Religious and Family Newspaper,
IN THE INTEREST OFTEN
Constitutional Presbyterian Church,
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY,
AT THE PRESBYTERIAN HOUSE,
1334 Chestnut Street, (2d story,) Philadelphia.
Rev. John W.ltieurs, Editor and PubliSher,
Rev. B. D. Hotehkin, Editor of News and
Family Departments.
Rev. C. P. Bush, Corresponding Editor,
Rochester, N. Y.
imMioramm . l
smtritait Urroirgitriatt.
THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 1865
CONTENTS OF INSIDE PAGES.
SECOND PAGE—THE FAMILY CIRCLE •
Abide with Us: for it is Toward Riening—A Saone
in Australia—What "Uncle Says"—Poetry. in Ser
monsA Second Robinson Crusoe—Driving Home
the Cows—A lost Child—Always Tell the. Truth.
For the Little Folks: Familiar Talks with the
Children.,
THIRD PAGE—EDITOR'S TABLE:
"The Three Wakings"—Andrews's "The Life of
Our Lord upon the Earth"—A, L. 0. E.'s "Exiles in
Babylon: or, Children of Light"—" The Missionary
Jubilee"—Emerson's " Essays"—Kingsley's " The -
Billyars and the Burtons"—Pamphlets and Peri
odicals.
gaTH PAGE—CORRESPONDENCE!
Jottings from a Pariah Journal—Our Earth and :
Race—Remarkable Conversion of a Jew, who was by
Profession an Actor—The Capture of Wilmington—,
John Ross. the Cherokee Chief—Books for Tennes
see—The Argument well put—Directory of:Presby
terian cH. S.) Ministers and Churches, Philadel
phia.
SEVENTH PAGE—MISCELLANEOUS :
" Ever Yours till Glory"—The Struggle of Evange
licalism with Rationalism in France—Music and
Martin Luther—A Thought for the Friends of Mis
sions—U. S. Christian Commission Receipts.
THE LAST VICTIM OF THE SLAVE
POWER.
In entering upon the duty imposed on us
as journalists by the astounding event of
the last week, we feel that we have the
heaviest and hardest task before us that we
have ever been called upon to perform.
Again and again have we essayed the work ;"
again and again we have, laid down our pen
almost in despair. Conceptions fail us,
language is inadequate to express the base
ness, the atrocity and the malignity of the
crime, the grief and amazement of: the be
reaved people, and the sudden and over
whelming revulsion of feeling froni intoxi
eating heights of exultation to - depths of
unutterable sorrow. If the first-born had:.
been smitten down in every househcdd
through the land, the lamentation could
scarcely have been more general or more''
sincere. Prayer seems to be the only really
suitable language at such a time as this: ,
Mr. Lincoln, as our readers are all aware,
was stricken down by an assassin, inlVash-'
ington, on Friday night, April 141 h, 'while
seated in a place of amusement, wither 'he
had gone to give the public an opportuniti
of seeing him after his return from Rich- -
mond. No private grudge was gratified: n
this act. Mr. Lincoln had no rancorous .or
murderous personal enemies. He had borne
himself too meekly and modestly in his
whole public career to excite jealousy, ri
valry, or personal animosity on the part of
any. No I the assassin was the' represen-1
tative of the dreadful, implacable, diaboli
cal spirit of the pro-slavery rebellion, the
fiercest depths of whose wrath he had stirred':
in crushing it as military power, It was
the culmination of that savage spite, of
which we had not seen the worst in the
dragonnades of Union mentlin the South, in
the carving of the bones of fallen Union
soldiers into trophies, .in the deliberate''
maltreatment, starvation, and murder of
myriads of Union prisoners at Libby, Belle
Isle, and Andeisonville. It is the final
flowering out of thE t ungovernable insolence,
that God-defying wantonness and rage
which the license of plantation manners
cultivates in the patrons and adherents of
American slavery.• Nine years _ age, it,
prompted the brutal assault of Brooks and
his comrades upon an advocate of freedom -
on the floor of the United States Senate ;
a deed for which they were lauded an.
feted all over the South, the ladies taking
a prominent part in celebrating the achieve
ment ; more lately it broke forth in a pert
feet pestilence of perjuries and treasons,'
coolly perpetrated • by men in the Cabinet,,
in senators' chairs and in command of the -
armies and military depots of their country;
and flamed out in the most monstrous and
causeless and bloody of rebellious; and now,
when we thought it prepared to respond
sincerely to overtures of clemency and of
pardon, it turns to wreak its undying rage
upon the person of the gentlest, purest,
most clement of rulers, who had succeeded
in thwarting its grand scheme of secession
and independence.
It is the very spirit of slavery thus un
scrupulously to strike down every institu
tion and every man that stands in the way
of its perpetuity and its growth ; to be reek-,
less of" oaths and obligations ; to trample
upon the most sacred restraints, and not to
be satisfied until it has struck its deadly
fangs into the most illustrious citizen of the -
Republic; has perpetrated a crime unknown
in our history, and martyred the first Pre
sident
of the Union, whom it could recog-,
Mae as its uncompromising foe. The noble
mind, the great soul, the heart full of
charities and pardons, the unstained public
honor, the devout and almost idolatrous of
fections of the people, the dignity and sa
credness of his position to which he had
been twice raised—these things failed .to
soften or overawe the violence of the slave
power. It must have ita victim: lt, took .
down the flag from Sumter on the 14th of
rtsbnitkian.
New Series, Vol. 11, No. 16.
April four years ago. It muttered, YOu
may raise it again, but at a fearful cost.
I :will turn your triumph- into mourning
and Mark the 14th of April, 1865, with
even-a blacker stain in your. annals, than
the dishonor of 1861 which you thought
to wipe away. •
While the plot to murder Mr. Lincoln
and his Cabinet was no doubt a product o
ebel hatred, and dreir its animus from the
Soutb.,4t is not at all unlikely that Northern
raitors aided in its., accomplishment. And
I . :men who never contemplated such an ac
as fie -- inurder of the President, but who,
by exhibiting in various degrees a disposi
;dim to tolerate treason and traitors, to make..
ight of their crime against the Country,.to
rame :excuses for them, to commend their . '
statesmanship and their valor, and to pre-;
-pare the way for their restoration to power
and influence in the' nation; in fact, „ al
`grades of rebersympathizers and lukewar II
atriots in the North, from Knights of 'the
: - Golden Circle down, whose opinions have .
gone southward on the wings of . the. press, , :
have got to bear a part of the;responSibilit ,
.f this great -crime. They helped to nerve
• the arms of traitors to strike the fatal blow,
If the treason of the South is a patios.
blunder, and not an infamous crime, wha
is the murder of Mr. Lincoln but one of
series of blUnders ? . What ground does it:
ord for horror and - indignation ? Ye .
who have seen but a light degree of crirn
1. i ality in rebellion, and who have shrunk
om calling -it-by its right name in your.'
iublic deliverances, look at its last victim,
and think, if you can, of your share in the
awful deed which laid him there.
If any think that in this blow are the
eeds of our national dismemberment, let
him but look a little deeper, and see with
What a'single pulse of patriotic sorrow; and
affection the universal heart of the people
is beating. Such a vow of consecration to
the cause for which Abraham Linceln died,
will be uttered over his coffin, as never was
ecorded in heaven, unless it was when - the
States G-eneral of Rolland gave theinselve
new totheir country over the remains ;of
the martyred. William, the First Stadt
holder. Never was our country or our
cause dearer to us than now, since it num
bers one so illustrious and so beloved
among its victims. There is not a mother
'mourning a son in his soldier's grave, bu
eels her own personal griefs lightened at
the thought, that the honored chief magis
_trate shares in the martyrdom of the low
iest fallen soldier boy. There's not a
aimed or wounded patriot but moves Dior
lightly on his crutches, or loses half the
min of his wounds, in the thought of the
tar more deadly blow struck at the very
centre of the nation's,hope.and affections;
here is not a man of business but will bear
is share of the public burdens the more
,cheerfnily, and ask what more he can do
•nd -suffer for a cause so atrociously as
:aulted. All that powerful class of feelings,
that depth of sympathy, that tender and
mournful gratitude, that gushing indigna
tion, called forth by a signal martyrdom,
come clustering round the cause for which.
Abraham Lincoln gave his life. , Never
was there in this land such a deep and
niversal sentiment for rooting out every
fibre and vestige of rebellion and its cause,
as since it became known that it had made
a victim of the Chief Magistrate, and had
nearly done so with his most trusted coun
sellor and his son.
There will be no illegal violence. Every
m Ovement of the sort should be sternly
discouraged among civilians or the military.
A reckless, blind dealing out of revenge
might disorganize the North as much as
the rebel conspirators themselves could
:desire. But let the law take its course.
Let the demands of justice be heard. Le
it appear that law has a penalty, and let
not her officers fail in their duty, whcin the
most stupendous crimes call tor the most
condign punishment. Let mistaken leni
enoy come to an end. Let the sentences
of our courts record the burning, honest
hatred of the people for the great crime
perpetrated against , our country and on
race. Let us 'show that we are not about
to be - swamped in the fathomless bog of
sickly senti l mentality. Let us show that
we consider national honor and unity and
life so precious, that it is as much as a man's
life is worth to lift a finger, against them,
se he lofty or lowly, be he a great general
at the head of his armies, or a crawling
conspirator setting fire to populous hotels,
•be he the assassin of the President, or an
bettor of such deeds North or South.
I et us purge the land of treason and of all
-ho would tolerate or defend it. They,
• ho think this country of such little worth
'that to plot against its unity and its exist
ence is a trifling, offence, have no busineis
within its borders, and should be compelled
to go and search for A country which, in
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 1865.
heir judgment, is worth preserving. They
Rho, have been conspicuous in plotting and
ndeavoring its overthrow, should be con
:picuous in expiating their crimp. Courts
.f justice and executive functions are an
empty name, are mere - child's play, and
ad better be abolished at once, if there is
no work for them in such an emergency as
this.
Ten days ago, when the news of th •
favorable terms given to the rebel gene
ralissirno in surrendering,' came to our ears,
nd when there seemed tO: be danger of
general breaking down of the sentiment of
national justice, we felt persuaded - that : :
disaster so overwhelming would not be per
mitted; we were sure that God, by ,som•
_providtntial interposition would prevent the
utter demoralization of the people, and
would tone them up to the stern and
demi. duties necessary in a proper disposi
tion of the rebellion. He has done it. In
way utterly unexpected and afflictive,
he has opened the eyes of the blind to the
malignant and implacable character of th•
rebellion. He has removed the one most
disposed to a policy of leraencey, he has put
'IA° his place a man of such antecedents tha
e may expect a Jacksonian treatment of the 7
:uilty sources of our troubles. The dan
vr, we think, is past. The wisest and
us ost favorable of all the many providences
of God towards this nation may be wrapped
up in this dark event. Let us trust Him
nd commend to his.protection and guidance
the man to whose untried -hands the rein's,
of government aye intrusted in
.this critical
hour of our history:
CONDITIONS OF PERMANENT RE
- VIVAL.
" Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that
heidowintin shall-overtalreihe 'reaper, and the
treader of grapes him that soweth seed and the
rhOuntains.shall drop sweet wine, and all the
hills shall melt."—Amos 9: 13:
-It is not to he expected, nor indeed de
iced, that the church should be perma
nently in a high state of excitement on the
great subject of religion. The thing is im-'
i'ossible. A lengthened strain upoe,,th•
eelings, like tha commonly associated with
revival, would be followedlooner or later
.y reaction; and coldness and deadness in
very close proportion to the preceding de
!ree of excitement, would be sure to fob
ow. We do not, therefore, design to en
mirage the idea that a so-called revival,
with.its multiplied meetings and unusual
labors, must be viewed as the normal state
of the church. We urge a truly revive.
ate, with such phenomena as are consis
tent with the usual, every-day duties of the
Christian, or as the Holy Spirit in his in
nite wisdom and sovereignty may choose
to bring to pass. .We urge the essentials
of a revival in the hearts of Christians, and
n the whole conduct of the church; in the
dministration of ordinances, in the plans
activity and -evangelization, in the pre
vailing views and hopes of the members
nd the ministery. The church must be
permanently, not fitfully, revived; the piety
.f individual Christians must be habitually
higher, instead of fluctuating between ex
tremes and settling for the most part into
the extreme of coldness.
A state of permanent, as of transient, re
vival is due to the. Holy Spirit alone. A."-
ple, humble, prayerful dependence on
his power and grace must be cherished, a'
clear view of his office-work must be gained;
he must be sought, honored', recognized as .
he sole source of the efficacy which is ex
pected to attend upon our efforts. All our;
olanning and doing is but motionless ma-7:
ohinery, is but the spreading of canvass in,
- calm, is but the carving of dry ehannold`
through the sand, without his aid, ivithont
he fulness of his life and power. Yet lie - r
is not *more necessary than he is really_
We need but to believe in his nearness and"'
his graciousness, and he is here. Nay, he
is doubtless among me when we do not
sus
peet his presence. He comes unto his own
and his own receive him not. He is movin
often upon the hearts and consciences o
men while we refuse to believe it. To o
oubting eyes all around may be lifeles
nd barren, when, if we would but " anoint
our eyes with eye-salvo," we would see tha
life and refreshment were- coming upon
God's heritage, and truth was moving pow
erfully upon the consciences of unbelievers'.
How often we learn that persons, whoa._
outward appearance betrayed no interest
ersonal religion, have for years been troti,
f led with a sense of sin, and have longed in
vain for some word of sympathy and noun
,:el from. God's people. Even children tell
us the story of years of anxiety and of
groping after the Saviour, when 'we saw
othing but thoughtlessness, folly, selfish
ness, absorption in the little interests o
the present.
The Holy . Spirit is far more ready to
dwell among his people, with abundance o
gifts and graces, than we are to have him.
otpietimes it is necessary for them to be
7 We have occupied so much of our space
..
eminded that he is a sovereign in his mode 'as is available, in thus imperfectly present
if appearing. He will come in ways which ''ng otir topic. It is our conviction that the
..,ay not always commend themselves to church should turn from that dependence
heir taste or judgment. He will use such upon spasmodic spiritual movements which
nstrumentalities and work in such methods 's -so labitual, and should aim to reach thi
a they. would not use,•and theyare ready ondition of a perinanent and ever-growini
o comibide that he Is not in them. Cling- Revival of 'their Religion. -
,
ng to their'own - standards of the Spirit's _
anifestationS, embraced• it may be, as the
esult of years of active - service in the.
I ord's vineyard, they are slow to recognize
nything which contradicts or fails to con
orn to those standards, as the work ofthel"
qiitt. Ands() it may result that a per-,
..• anent revival of religion, or. an apprOxi-.
ation to it, is hindered -from lack of
, a 1
'road and comprehensive: spirit, from *I
. elief which refuses to accept those
• es l iations graciously vouchsafed "in tie
idst of the years." No doubt there will
• e variety and novelty in the movements of
he Holy - Spirit, when he goes forth 'to take
uller pOpsession of -the church and the"
orld, and it is certainly quite ,as, great a
• isaster .to . miss him with his blessed and
:lorious_influences from over-caution, as .
• fail in' exercising due discernment -be
ween the true and the false. A perina
ent state of revival in the • church
ertainlycall for a candid, charitahle;
I.3inable spirit in which there shall he'
oom for: the thankful acce,ptance of ill. the-
odes of operation chosen by the God of
nfinitelesources and adaptations.
"Novi :there. are diversities of gifts, bn
he sameSpirig and there are differences
.f•adininititration-, but the same Lard an. •
here afe'diyersities of operations, but it is
he - same 'dod3which work'dth all in all."
2. Springing from tins enlarged belief in
he Holy Spirit's immediate readiness to
onvert and to save, will be, a confidence in
he immediate efficacy of, the, word preached
nd in the means employed„and a prayer-,
ul expectancy of immediate and large re
:ults. Sinners will be expected to yield
hemselvet3 to Christ, not only after long
i,ieges‘of argument and indoctrination, but
rem'aired'assaifft the weapons o
ruth upon conscience and the heart. The
preaching and pastoral labor will be with
ore evident regard, so far as the impeni
. ent are concerned, to direct results. The
L reat and simple truths of, the gospel will
more largely relied upon for effect, and
e standard of good preaching will be
Jo ore closely approximated to the measure
•if its fruits in the conversion of men.
3. A permanent revival will fuld all of
od's people converted into active workers
or his cause. There will be no delegating
I responsibilities to official persons in such
time; each one will bear his own burden
Odle seeking to help one another. Con
,:re-gations will not regard their pastors as
hired to look after their spiritual interests,
,:o that they may have leisure for entire de
otion to things temporal. Parents will
~ o t unnaturally devolve the spiritual train
,ng of their children upon Sabbath-school
eachers; while Sabbath-school teacher
,
elieve their consciences. by a blind and
ormal routine of Scripture instruction.
nut Christian parents, neighbors, teachers,
hurch officers and pastors, will each and
1, feel themselves adherents of a common
`ause; soldieit in a common contest, co-la
orers in a great, a glorious, and an arduous
•nterprise, in which no .one has a greater
nterest than another, but where, much
ather a generoui rivalry should prevail,
nd where success would be the joy and
nspiration of all.
4. There must doubtless enter largely into
a permanent revival, a specific attitude‘of
ggression on the part of God's people to:
ward the kingdom of this world. Per
:zonal effort for the salvation of souls must
te understood to constitute pare of the or
t iitary duty of Christians. Timidity, stiff
4. ess, reserve must give place to holy bold
.. ess, and to tender interest in the spiritual
elfare of men. The lips of Christians.
-ill be unsealed, and their unostentatious
stimony for Jesus will be heard no more;
-:s a strange and embarrassing sound, or as
;savouring of an unwarranted pretense of
zanctity. Many Christians thus speaking'
nd working for Jesus, will keep each other
;n countenance, and the world will be in
.we of them. The unconverted will feel
hemselves assaulted on all sides. The
e from the pulpit alone, like an attack
in front, they are prepared for;
but when all the people of God •begin to
labor piayerfully and earnestly for their:
,alvation, they will feel as if there was no'
escape. They are sarrounded and they
ust surrender. They will not be suffered,
to relapse into coldness and indifference.
They will find themselves in the midst of
a steady, quiet, persistent religious interest,
hich will keep their 'consciences awake,
and their minds employed on the great con
cerns of salvation. -
=PEN
Genesee Evangelist, No.. 987.
Doubtless there is trialin victory as truly
assi.n..defeat.. In granting to us our earnes
orayers and long-deferred wishes, God lay
ponAis the most solemn responsibilities to
ourselves, to our contemporaries, and to
.posterity. We may s 6 use our victory that
:all its real fruits shall slip away from our
grasp; so that no real strength shall bo
dded to our government, and no real eon- ,
rmation given to the great principles for
which such rivers of blood have been shed"
:and such vast treasures expended. Are,
,we about to do it?
Let us not think that God • gave us vie-
iry, as an opportunity for resuming corn ;
ercial relations with the South; merel , '
to furnish us with cotton, rice, tobacco
.ugar, and naval stores; merely to reliev:
the national finances, nor yet to allow th:-
:uppressed feelings of esteem and affection
hjch some seem to have cherished fo
heir " erring Southern brethren," to fib
nrestrainedly towards their object 11,
id not give us victory solely, or mainly,
hat we might enjoy, the prestige of sue
ces,s,• or that our flag might be, crowned
with a brighter halo, or that our country
',,ight be united and that peace might re
urn. All these are insufficient, empty,.
transient by-themselves. In large measure,
'doubtless, he gave it to us as an oppoxtu
- J•ity to establish or to confirm great and`
;mportant principles in government, espe
cially in a free government. We are
rusted, in this hour of triumph, with the
is igh and unspeakably solemn duty of in
,-cribing these principles upon the con
:ciousness of mankind. With us rests the
esponsibility of contributing or4vitholding
he largest measure of support that can be
riven to free government in our age. Our
•• our years' fighting, our ( persistence in the
4 ace of delay, disaster, financial embarrass
el ent and partizan opposition at home and,
abroad, and our final success in confound
h•g. and bringing to naught the plans o
he rebels, have no doubt done much to es
ablish here and every where the principles
of justice and social order which they as
ailed. But now that we have overpowered
he leaders of the movement, have reached
ud laid our hands upon those who origi
ated, or who gave it strength, have gained
the objective, central object of the war, i
ould seem as if we are tempted through
~ ome of our best men and purest patriots,,
o deny our whole previous blood-stained
estimony, and while yet covered with the
• ust and carnage of a dear-bought victory,
• proclaim the guiltlessness of those wh•
ave caused us all this blood and tears,
this national disaster and disgrace, this four
'ears of gigantic warfare Is it for this
hat God has given us this victory ? Is i
that we may have the chance in grea
i.art to undo what has been done at such
"ncalculable cost; to take back the solemn
I eclarations which we have uttered with all
he emphasis of stern and dreadful warfare ;
o efface the bold and clear record which
e have given to history, of our abhorrence
-If treason against a free and beneficent go
, • ernment, and to make the world swing off
gain into troubled doubt as to the practi
cability of ever meting out justice to the
,!uiltiest and most dangerous of all; to
• hose-who disturb the peace of mankind in
he highest measure, and who open the
• oor to organized murder and rapine on the
-zrandest scale ?
Shall we make victory a minister of
:reater security to the ringleaders of rebel
-1 ion than defeat, by throwing over them the
protection of the entire, reunited nation,
nstead of the half of it ? Shall we cheris
sr even tolerate among us, for a moment,
'those whose immunity as long as they live,
11 speak' to the ears of the unthi4king
,ipeople in louder tones than the thunder o
• ur victorious artillery; will inculcate ove
nd over again the safety even of conquered
reason, while all that we have done and
'suffered for - its suppression will be like a
• ream when one awaketh ? Shall we show
ourselves so utterly unworthy of this great
,•ift of victory as to jeopardize, if not wan
- only to throw away the security to order,
o life, to peace, to republican institutions
,which it bringi? Shall we use it so as t•
eave the public mind in the slightest de
:ree doubtful whether, after, all treason is
Ii• einous crime, and whether a free govern
ent is indeed a sacred and divine ordi
ance, for which the highest degree of re
erence accorded to human institutions
WHY VICTORIOUS 7
TERMS
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• ance.
Home Missionaries, $l 5O inadvance.
Fifty cents additional after three months.
Remittances by mail are at our risk.
Postage.—Five cents quarterly, in advance, paid
y subscribers at the office of delivery.
Advertisements.-12}; cents per line for the
zt, and 10 cents for the second insertion.
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two months 5 50
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The following discount on long advertisements, in
- :erted for three months and upwards, is allowed:—
Over 20 lines, 10 per cent off; over 50 lines, 20 per
ant.; over 100 lines. 33% per cent. off.
it ust be enforced, by the severest sanctions
.? id penalties ?
These questions are suggested by the ex
traordinary course of some loyal jour
tnals since :the surrender of General
Lee. It would seem as if that event, or
he manner of it, has quite demoralized
_these organs. The cry for clemency has
J. een so sudden, that one would almost sup
ose General Grant had in some way
wronged General Lee or the rebellion by
crushing them. But why proltlitg the dia
oussion? Gott in his inscrutable provi
'dence, has suffered the rebellion to unfold
its Satanic malignity in a crowning act,
whict must silence even those who plead
.for clemency in the face of the records of
.Libby and Belle Isle and Andersonville and
SaliSmry. We point to the murdered
'corpse of our honored and beloved Chief
Magistrate, and in the name of that most
clement and long-suffering representative
of a wronged and assailed republic, that mar
tyr to country, we ask—not for vengeance
-but for justice upon those who vainly
sought to lay the nation as low and as cold
.she.
THE CALVIN MEMORIAL HALL IN
GENEVA.
This structure has been undertaken, as
lur readers are aware, by the evangelical
Christians of Geneva. The Hall is de
igned for public meetings, divine worship,
Sunday-schools, reading-rooms and library -
for the working classes, as a memorial to
Calvin, the ground having been dedicated
to the object on the Three Hundredth
Anniversary of his death, May 27th, 1864.
• s, however, all Evangelical Christians are
:• nkerested in Calvin, and owe him• a cora
l" on debt as a Protestant Reformer, and as
he Qenevese alone are not able to carry
cut the object in a manner worthy of its
!road significance, (they estimate the.cost
• t $100,000), they are seeking help from
abroad. A meeting for the furtherance of
! e undertaking was held in London,
March 14, in the house of Arthur Kinnaird,
M. P. • Two delegates from Geneva were
0 resent, one of which made an address.
He gave some interesting particulars as to
-the moral and religious condition of Geneva,
and stated that Roman Catholicism on the
one hand, and infidelity on the other, were at
present making an amount of progress which
•• as distressing, and which presented a
loomy prospect for the future of the city,
nless some steps were taken to counteract
he evil influences which are now at work.
here were, however, many signs of the times
..hich were of an encouraging nature. A
eater regard for the sanctity of the Sabbath
as observable. Various sections of the
~o rking classes have been appealed to—
twenty of each trade—and they had been
asked whether they regarded the proper
• bserva i nce of the Sabbath desirable, and the
,resent disregard of it as evil, to which they
replied unhesitatingly and unanimously in
the affirmative. Religious addresses to the
working classes had been commenced by
Count Gasparin, and at first the attendance
:was but small. It increased, however, till
the room, which would hold only five hun
;dred, was full, and about one thousand five
undred endeavored to gain admission. This
.howed - the necessity of some commodious
edifice in which they could be assembled.
hey preferred not to erect a church. The
orking classes could not be got into a
hurch; but they would come to a hall such
s was proposed to be erected, and which
• ould be associated with the name of Calvin.
other countries as well as Switzerland had
profited by the labors of Calvin,it was pro
la osed other countries besides Switzerland
.hould contribute towards this Memorial
1: all. They thought that England should
L've £5OOO. In Geneva they
_were few, if
of poor ; sixty friends there had subscribed
5000, and one lady had offered £2500 on
ondition that England gave £5OOO. He
oped, therefore, that this would be done, or
-Ise they would lose not merely the £5OOO
hich,..according to them, England ought to
subscribe, but also the £2500 which this lady
ad generously offered.
No action was taken at the meeting,
which was simply designed as an opportu
ity to get the facts before some of the
eaders of public opinion in London.
EIGHT HUNDRED IN A DAY.
It has been our unspeakable privilege to
'tness, on a single Sabbath, and under the
se of the simple truth of the love of Jesus
or sinning and perishing men, as many as
•-ight hundred persons under conviction of
;in, seeking the Saviour, or rejoicing in - hope.
alf of the number were the children and
'oath in the House of Refuge, to whom
Mr. Hammond preached in the morning;
4nd the other half were in the Tabernacle
aptist Church, in the afternoon of the
. ...arne day, comprising persons of all ages,
• ut mostly children and youth of the Taber
acle, Western Presbyterian, and other
abbath-schools, and of Seminaries in the
eghborhood, whom Mr. Hammond had
seen addressing during the week. The
ihenomenon was as delightful as it was mar
: , ellous and unprecedented in the religious
istory of our city for a generation past.
'Let us be thankful, and remember the-en
couraging words- of the Psalmist; " The
'Lord hath been mindful of us; he will bless.
us."