C.i)rtrqmtbinris.
FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.
(CONCLUDED.)
LospoN April sth. 1865
The time for our annual gatherings
draws near. They now usually begin
in April and extend to June. Prepara
tory meetings of all auxiliary. Societies
are being held all over the kingdom. In
our Presbyterian Churches, too, the note
of preparation for the coming Synods
and Assemblies is heard on every side.
The Synod of the English Presbyterian
Church meets this year at Liverpool, on
the Ilth of April. It is reported that
the Rev. Robert Lundie, of Birkenhead,
is to be Moderator. Mr. Lundie is com
paratively a young man. He was set
tled in Birkenhead, near Liverpool, about
fourteen years ago, as his first charge.
He is a sound, pious, devoted, hard
working young minister, and the appoint
ment, I should suppose, will meet with
the general approval of the Church,
which is more than can be said of many
of the recent appointments. The Eng
lish Presbyterian Church has this year
been making good progress. We have
raised a large sum for the payment of
all the debts on all our churcheS, and
also with a view to future extension on
a larger scale than hitherto attempted.
But I hope to be able to write you more
fully on these and kindred topics by
and by.
It is believed that Dr. Begg, of Edin
burgh, is to be chosen Moderator of the
Free Church Assembly this year. This
too, is an appointment which will '-be
received with very general acquiescence.
Dr. Begg is one of our most popular
ministers. He did a good stroke of
work in fighting the disruption contro
versy. It was from his lips that I,
when a youth, heard for the first time
the principles on which the Free Church
is now established, stated and enforced.
Since that meeting, I have seen no rea
son to change the resolution then taken.
Dr. Guthrie also spoke at the same
meeting. Since then, I have had both
these honored men, occasionally as
guests in my house, and that memorable
meeting, and its speeches, has been often
enough referred to. Dr. Begg was on
his way to the south of. France a few
weeks ago, to recruit his health, prepara
tory to the arduous duties of the Chair.
On his way south to I - guidon,. the-Wheel
of the railway carriagiOn which he
was, suddenly broke, the carriage top
pled over on the side, and was dragged
so for more than a mile. Fortunately,
the engine driver looked, behind„ and
saw the state of matters and stopped
the train, or the consequlences wbnld
have been fatal. Dr. Begg escaped
with a few bruises, and a nasty cut
above the knee, which will keep him in
his bed a few days longer. I called on
him this morning, and spent the fore
noon with' him. He lies at the Great
Northern Hotel, at the King's Cross ter
minus of the Great Northern Railway,
here in London. He is quite well, and
only suffers from the cut, which is heal
ing rapidly. I was rejoiced to see that
great massive head with so few traces
of old age, and to think that one of onr
soundest men, both in doctrine and in
the principles of our grand old Pres
byterian polity, bids so fair to see many
years of strength and of usefulness. In
my next letter, it is probable I may
have something to say on the great
questions now before us, the question of
Union, and that other, of " Innovations,"
which is likely to be discussed soon.
A question before Parliament excites
considerable attention at - present. It is
proposed to greatly modify and alter the
oath at present taken by the Popish
members of Parliament, as settled by
what is called "The Catholic Emanci
pation Act." The oath, it Appears, galls
honorable members of that persuasion.
It binds them, among other things, not
to attack the Established Church of this
country and of Ireland. They do attack
it with all the virulence possible, and
the oath stands slightly in their way.
So they mean. to- thrust the oath to one
side. And I have no doubt they will
accomplish f tleir desire. They will get
all they ask'-in this country, bit, by bit,
and little' by little.• As constantly and
as,.surelY as thee-incoming tide are they
ristai g and flowing on. Even when they
seEttn to lose ground and recede, it is
simply a gathering of impetus by which
they rise to a point yet further on and
up. The abrogation of the peculiar oath
is their latest demand. So soon as that
is conceded, they have another. I at
- tended last night a very large and in
fluential meeting held in the West End
of London, to discuss this question.
The meeting took place in a very curi
ous place. The present Dnke of Wel
lington is a very peculiar man. Rebuilt
large and-costly stables, not, far from his
father's dwelling - house at Hyde Park
corner. Attached to Mese stables and
forming part of them, indeed, - is a very
large and lofty riding -school. It is
elegantly fitted up and furnished, but as
a riding-school, and is. used by his grace,
I believe, for exercise taking in wet or
wintry weather. It is lighted by three
large gas lustres from the roof, containing
thirty burners each. There, in a build
ing whose- area would have held from
ten to fifteen thousand, , was' gathered
about two thousand people, presided over
by J. C. Colquhoun, Esq., an old mem
ber of Parliament, a Scotchman, and a
man of sterling_ Protestant - principle.
The meeting was addressed by Sir
William Verne; M. P., the Marquis of
WQstmeath, the Earl of Cavan, and last,
not least, by the Rev. Hobart Seymour,
of Bath. This 'latter ' gentleman is
known as the author of several able
works on modern Romanism, and he
knows the papacy and its workings
better than most of our modern divines.
He spoke on the subject of convents and
nunneries, for more than a hour, and
made a
, most withering expose of the
whole system. The Earl of Cavan,
who also spoke, is a nobleman of the
real sort. He is an evangelical Chris
tian of the truest, gentlest, and most
genuine type. Wherever he goes, what
ever he does, Christ is wits him, first
and last, beginning and ending. I
know him well, and have often been
with him at little meetings where I have
heard him preach Christ, and him cruci
fied, with all fervor, and also with all
power. lam glad to say he does not
stand alone in the upper walks of life.
Many of the nobility now profess and
preach Christ with all simplicity and all,
earnestness. God hasten the day when
all shall know Him, from the very least
even to the very greatest. Amen.
PRESBYTERY OF MONTROSE,
The stated meeting of the Presbytery
of Montrose was held en the 11th and
12th inst., at Dunmore, Pa. This is
4me of the villages which have sprung
up in the valley of the Lackawanna since
the opening of the coal beds which have
attracted thither a numerous and diver
sified population. For several`ears,
Rev. T. R. Townsend has occupied Dun
more as a field of labor, doing his work
patiently and successfully.
The Presbytefy consists of thirty min
isters, and has under its care thirty-three
churches, covering a large territory. ,
The churches are mostly in a prosperous
condition, though quite a number of
them are feeble. Within the year past,
most of them have shared in the tokens
of the Holy Spirit's presence„ The work
of grace at Honesdale , has been 011130
great power and happy results.. Some
Sabbaths ago, nearly.:fifty united with
the church on profession of their faith.
Carbondale has also been blest with an
interesting season of-refreshing. •
It has been our sad office to make re
cord of the decease of Rev. Edwin E.
Merriam, who was ordained and installed
pastor of the congregation 'in Salem ,last
summer. - He brought, to hisw.e.rk: a
mind well stored with discriminttinc ,
and comprehensive knowledge of the
system of Divine truth. He had gained
largely the esteem and confidence of the
people' from whom his Master has called
him to so early a departure.
The eongregratiori" at Montrose had
been left vacant through the failing
health of Rev. H. A. Riley, after his
long and successful pastorate, com
mencing in 1839. Within the year
they have been furnished with a pastor,
by the installation of Rev. Jacob G.
Miller. Rev. Oliver Crane has been in
stalled pastor of the congregation at Car
bondale, made vacant by the death of
that eminently devoted servant of Christ,
Rev. Thomas S. Ward. We were also
called to dissolve the pastoral - relations
which, since 1833, had existed between
Rev. James B. McCreary and the con
gregation at Great Bend. He had re
linquished his charge by reason of ill
health.
As is customary with us, much of the
forenoon of Wednesday waS'deVoted to
reports of the state of the churches. The
season is always interesting and profita
ble. In the afternoon the Sacrament of
the Lord's Supper was administered.
Rev. Dr. Hickok, of the Luzerne Presby
tery, (0. S.)1111141 pastor of the church in
Scranton, participated in the administra
tion. Beyond question, our communion
was as cordial and as truly Christian,
as if we were members of bodies ecclesi
astically united.
On Wednesday evening .a sermon was
preached by Rev. Oliver Crane from
Rev. xix. 6. The text and topics were
suggested by the recent wonderful suc
cess which God has given to our na
tional armies in their efforts to suppress
the rebellion, We then knew only pa
tricitiC joy and• gratitude. Sorroiv had
not filled our hearts Ohe hour of the
nation's, great bereavement had not come.
April - 19, 1865. A. M.
Resolutions on the state of the country, adopt
ed by the Presbytery of Montrose, April 12,
1565.
WHFAEAS, It has pleased Almighty God,
the Lord of Hosts, to give to the armies of
the United States recent great and decisive
victories over the armed hosts of rebellion
and recognizing our obligations to acknow
ledge the overruling providence of God in
these events ; it is therefore
Resolved, That with devout thanksgiving
to the Sovereign disposer of all events, we
hail the recent victories, and the fall n 1 the
capital of the ,rebellion, as the- harbinger of
Peace based upon the eternal principles of
justice and right, and that shall speedily re
store all 'our territory to the rightful authority
of the Government, and that shall be equally
a blessing to the North and the South.
Resolved, That while we .accord to the no
ble defenders of our country, both offiqrs and
. soldiers, the honor that is due them,. and the
sincere gratitude of our hearts-for the suffer
ing and toland privations they have so nobly
endured, yet we deeply feel that as a nation,
we should acknowledge God as having given
us the victory. •
_,Resolved, That in view of the terrible de
solations that this war has made, in the fear
ful sacrifice ot -human life, we tender to the
sorrowing and bereaved households and
hearts of our country, our sincere sympathy in
their bereavements, and feel our obligations
to do what we can in the several communi
ties where God has cast our lot, that no fa
mily of our fallen heroes, in the service of
*their country, shall be left to suffer in loneli
ness and poverty, without our substantial aid
and comfort in their afflictions.
Resolved, That we view with adoring grati
tude to God, his hand in guiding us as a na
tion during the years of this fearful struggle,
and that infinite wisdom, that has made the
wrath of man to praise Him, in causing a war
commenced for the purpose of extending and
perpetuating the curse of human bondage, to
work out its own final overthrow ; and we re-
THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN, THURSDAY, MAY 4, 1865:
cognize the. obligation resting upon the
churches of our land to meet the spiritual
wants of the millions so soon to be released
from bondage, by furnishing them the means
adapted to raise them in the scale of being,
as well as to furnish them with a living Gos
pel.
Resolved, Tha•kin the peace which we be
lieve so near at hand, we hear the voice of
the Master calling the churches of our land
to renewed consecration to His service—to
increased zeal and devotion on the part Of
ministers, elders, and naemlers in cultivating
the new fields that shall 'be opened to the• in
fluences of the Gospel; and in' every p s ossible
way to extend the glorious kingdom 'of the
Prince of Peace.
The following resolutions relative to
the death of Rev. Edwin E. Merriam,,;
were adopted by the Presbytery of Mon
trose, April 12 1865. •
WHEREAS, It has pleased our Renr"ialy
Father, to remove from his - earthly I ,ors
Rev. Edwin E: Merriam, who at the eof
his death was pastor of . the congre in in
Salem, and a member' of this Pie- a. terri
therefore
Resolved, That we regard our dep BOA
ther's youth, his natural and aei • &kit'
his devotion to his chosen woo. 441':"
meek, and humble spirit, as yen
great promise of usefulness in „,cfracla2!
Christ on earth, and A pausing I , ‘' urn
s
early .departure.
Resolved, That we recogf • die iviib
er.
eignty of God in this aillico %--
mit to Him who doe all , „s well
a s
ResoWed, That we rejo;Oki,, and : 'e '
timony to the power of tlieoo s l 3
- c at,
in the life of our brother‘tis . ° 11;
to God; and in his death, se wele°
entrance to joys of a higher spher se
in God's upper kingdolo.
Resolved, 'That we deeply sYn"l z
the church who have lost a helot- , am
fill pastor; and with all `thoc ho
the loss of a dear and valued! -nd a
th#O: 4
Resolved, That we regard s dea
second among our number, W . ri in a jre
especially his removal at • ontsel
ministerial course, as a 1,, admo
greater fidelity in our Ma- -r's cans
CHURCH ERECTIV , AND go
“
ASSEVLY. I. • ' ''l
-r, :?.. N .,
EDITOR, Or AMBO x -
OAN REs)4 :.-•' !:
-- •
The subject of church ereip' , l s
been. increasing4iin interest foie ;.il
.a4r:4.
years. It "wgl doubtless, con*, ! Pe
the next Asseiably for careful,ool
- But even, in this caslo,o
- few of our church Ja, niber
i fs
ministers will know the ' . ded ‘•
Probably not one in a tho . iad or
members ever read the "pl ,j...pf eli
erection, and not one in
our ministers. Believi
ject should be as clea,
possible, we propose 1
thoughts for the considi
Church.
The " plan for the p
management of the
Fund" was " adopted
Assembly of 1854."
feeling on the part of Ai
is deficient. Various
been Made as to its ch;
ing became so strong ii
delphia, that a special
there "appointed to in(
changes are desirable,
and to report at the
This special report wa
sented to the Assembl:
at Dayton. This vat
Standing Committee on
whO reported to that A
Minutes) as rollows
feel it to be greatly de:
mation respecting muo
matter in this special r
to the churches, and re,
report of the special obit.
ferred to the Trustees oih
directions to publish
and with such additi
may deem useful."
The Trustees hay
the special report
tions" at the close.
.a careful perusal o
that there is a wide
as expressed in the
the " additions."
They agree—repot
this: (1) That the
signed to be perm,
there is now no real
nature of the plan.
differ materially as
and (2) character of
There are two dis,,
questions pertaining. ;,,kk.„
this plan:— ~,:q,-;",
f i ll : t .
I. Has the Asseini4. ar o
change the plan ? and - 106,
11. Is it expedient? _:;t- - f'
•,.'
These questions
. m --bc
by themselves, or con ()-
for if the Assembly h
expediency is at an en
question is decided ;. f
expediency that is not.
I. What then in re'
There are here throe
tions to the idea of sueh,
h tsn
there is a legal, semi . a( ,
and thirdly, a moral. — )ge e '
4:1 1 (
Assembly . not to chiaiKkih v
of the Fund and the,i*Art,; .
Either of these wouleitat .v
of a change, howeiriAhrpi.;
seem.
1. By legal obie l to n, it
imposed by the "liiWrof
the especial statut . :nor:
York," wherein it dei ce
said Fund shall be liOid
for the purposes afoAittit st
feeble congregal
of worship, in (
adopted by the
In quoting ti
the statute, the
says :—" The
Assembly of 18;
adopted, which
gislature of New
porate, the Trust
the Fuld in vir,
REF. EDWIN E. NERRIAD
granted by this statute ; and hence they.
cannot depart from the provi
statute without working a forfeiture of
the Fund itself. It will be seen that the
sions of the
Fund must be held and administered' 'in
conformity with the provisions of the
plan adopted by the said General Assem
bly.'
the plan itself, as the Tfustees
have attempted to show, the element of
permanency is a fixed and i r revocable
feature, admitting of no = alteration or
amendment. - Upon this feature of the
plan the statute besto,ws: a 'legal' and un
changing
the argument,
This is the argu
to
• • bestows
una ch reo a nv n te g , i a n tnh g da F e li w ty tio P ie„
ukt. g at obligation
" an uncuanging Permanency asthe fixed
and i rr ob„Die feature of the plan."
The h i gh c iasiveness of this reasoning
tor , h e r assertion) may easily be seen:
46„,r the act of incorporation does not
1 3 , 7 e in any way to any "permanency"
Fund. (2) It simply says that
;,',re Fund " shall be held for the purposes,
and in conformity with the provisions of
the plan adopted' by the said General
Assembly." Now if:-this as is affirmed
by the author of the additions, refers
merely to the Assembly of 1854, and the
plan then adopted—if, by " said General
Assembly," is not meant the continued
existence of that body, then no alteration
r c i ' t s , - or amendment could ever be made, for
r l at d it would " work a forfeiture of the Fund
, s ze itself." (3) But that "said General As
irc"e sembly" does not mean merely th&Sitting
h of 1854 is evident ; for the charter af
-BN' firms that the man ment of theF
und
4; at age
lih om "shall be vested in individuals, who
44.
rrid ). shall be elected, at such time as the said
IA General Assembly' shall appoint."
, „ ..d rt would seem frivolous to mention
;kis this,were it not for the fact that the as
o)f sertion of "legal" obligation is put forth
as beyond any doubt, and in such a way
as to mislead those who have not seen
the " Act of incorporation." This Act
does explicitly place the whole manage-.
merit of the. Fund, and alterations of the
plan, by amendmentiP under the control
of the General Assembly of the United
States, and this Assembly has , just as
much "legal" right, therefore, to change
the nature of its "Permanency," as to
change any other feature of the plan..
If the provisions of the plan itself im
pose a constitutional obligation not to
change its permanency; then this " doc
trine" and "great idea of 'permanency"
is "tied," but not by any legal enact
ment of the State, - since that is modified
by the plan itself
This leads •us to the constitutional
right, or the obligation of permanency,
affirmed to be inherent'in'the provisions
of the plan itself. Thiii we will consider
next week.
April 19, 186'6.
THE INFATUATION OF CRIME.
BY , REV.._ DAM:EL BAMER, MD
The great crime which has startled
the world, and covered a whole nation
with the drapery of mourning, wasiong
premeditated, thoroughly .planned, and,
executed with perfect success. And
yet, even judging from his own point of
view, what has the assassin accom
plished for himself or for the guilty cau.le
which he desired to serve ? Has he
shaken tbe, stability of the Government ?
Not in the least. Has he conferred
dignity and respect upon the waning
power of rebellion ? On the contrary,
he has only covered it with contempt
and detestation in the eyes of all man
kind. Has he strengthened the hands
of those who have toiled four long years
and fought a thousand battles' for the
destruction of this nation ? He hlts
taken from them the last remnant of en
couragement to sustain a desperate and
galley cause. Has he " avenged' the
South ?" The South itself already con
fesses that he has slain their best friend.
Has he made it easier for the disobe
dient to secure pardon and protection
from the country they have betrayed
and wasted ?
.He has only armed the
sword of vengeance with fiercer, light
nings than ever flamed upon the guilty
before. Suppose that he had escaped
detection, and that for years he is at
large, reaping what profit he can from
his crime, then still what has he
_rained ? Has he secured for himself such
a notoriety as can give satisfaction to a
depraved and ambitious mind ? Alas
unhappy man, the greatness of 'the
guilty fame which he has acquired, is the
mountain of torture under which his soul
must writhe and groan in - ceaseless
agony. He has kindled the fires of hell
in his own bosom, and the breath of
wicked applause will only supply them
with fuel and keep them burning. In
whatever, deep darkness he hides him
self, wherever he flies, oia land or sea,
strange fears shall take hold of him; in
every face he will see a look that pierces
him as with a sword; in every voice he
will suspect the disclosure of his crime_;
in the deepest solitude remorse will
whisper the words of the first murderer,
" every one that findeth me shall slay
me." Whether arrested or not, from
this time forth, he is a fugitive and an
outcast for whom the earth has no home,
the human heart has no sympathy, and
the laws of nations no protection.
Henceforth there is no man in all the
world whom he will dare trust, there is
tg in which he will feel himself
To his disturbed and guilty
ion, the crowded street will
sh the foot-falls of the overtaking
.s of justice. The wilderness
lan with horror through all its
).nd winds and strains against
ialment of his crime. The tem
ill gather, and the waves will
their voices, and the deep will
for the destruction or the vessel
, t !
which bears him to other lands. Ail
the continents and islands of the earth
will stretch out their rocky promontories
in threatening, and forbid him to pollute
their shores with his unblest feet.
tude can no longer be solitude to him,
but peopled with furies. A vulture
shall devour his heart; and there shall
be none from whom he can ask sympathy
or help. Millions of eyes will be watch
ing for the terrible secret which he car
ries in his tortured bosom. The walls
of his bed-chamber will catch the
whisper of his dreams. The empty air,
and the yielding waves, and the Solid
earth will keep the traces of his flight.
Thus, to his guilty conscience, it will
seem that the whole creation has con
spired against him;- and though he
should never be overtaken by human
justice, the time may come when, in his
despair, he will choose death rather than
life,_or pray for madness as a blessing.
Such earthly reward would the assassin
have secured for hiniself Upon' the sup
position that he had been as successful
in eluding pursuit as he was in commit
ting his crime.
Such are the inevitable consequences
of successful crime, sooner or later, to a
greater or less degree, in any, case.
Though, retribution may long delay; it is
sure to come. Though the ministers of
vengeance may linger in the Pursuit,
they are certain to overtake. Long and
triumphantly as wickedness has reigned
in this world, the justice of God has
never slept for a moment. The human
heart was never made to keep the terri
ble secret of guilt, and it must come
forth or torture and devour the heart in
which it is kept. The human conscience
was never made to be at peace with sin,
and it never will
. be at, peace with it,
though it may seem to slumber and keep
silence for a time.. God'made the world
and the universe for the habitation of
righteousness, and he has appointed all
the ordinances of eternal law - , and all
the elements of resistless power, to sus
tain righteousness and punish iniquity.
Every act of disobedience to God is an
act of self-torture and self-destruction.
A man might as well attempt to over
turn the movitains or push the earth out
of its orbit with' his single hand, as hope
to secure, happiness or peace of mind in
opposition to the: claims of duty which
' God appoints. This one great crime
which surpasses all: others with its ap
palling atrocity, is only a more extraordi
nary illustration of the utter madness
and folly of forsaking the service anti
the protection of the holy, the mighty,
and the merciful God. Sin, in all its
forms, is a mistake, a terrible and fatal
mistake. The pleasures of sin are only
such as delight while they destroy. To
do wrong in any respect, in any, degree,
is always to suffer loss, loss of peace,
loss of happiness, loss of Capacities for
good, loss of the great end and purpose
of life, and if persisted in, it will ensure
the greatest loss the universe ever de
plores, the loss of the soul.
Whit is life ever worth to one who
commits any great crime profit or for
revenge ? He cuts himself off from the oc
cupations of men, from the delights of hu
man society, from the protection of hu
man law, from the approbation of public
opinion, and he kindles ,a fire in his
own bosom " which unconsumed is still
consuming." What is life worth to
him? And what will existence_be worth
to the soul who, by persistent transgres
sion, arrays against himself all the laws'
of duty and happiness, which God has
made for the _peace and welfare of the
universe ? What rest, what home, what
hiding-place will there be for him who
has rebelled against the throne 'and
government of the -supreme soVereign,
and never sought reconciliation through
repentance and faith in the offered terms
of mercy ? What shall become of those
who all their lifelong, have refused to
accept the_greatest sacrifice that the in
finite God could make for their forgive
-
ness and salvation ? .1 ar.
THE ASSASSINATION AND THE, AS
SASSINS. -
R.xv. Mss --Dear Sir : The
following article has already appeared in
. •
one of our highly resimctable dailies, but,
from want of space probably, was some
what curtailed. Will you be ,kind enough
to print it in extenso in your esteemed
columns, if space can be spared ?
"The foul and bloody act is done ;
The most arch deed of piteous massacre
That this (or any other) land was ever guilty of."
A deed contemplated long-' ago--a deed,
the incitements to which have been wan
tonly indulged in, both' in the secret and
public cabals of the conspirators, from
Richmond to the furthest confines of
Texas, during all the past four years,—
*bile more detailed and positive utter
ances in the same - vein, varying from the
subtlest inuendoes up, or down, to direct
offers of 'money, have teemed in Southern
newspapers during the same period, as
a reward to any murderer who might be
found capable and ready to undertake
the bloody work. At length these in
citements, coupled with the eoolest de
liberation; and the most ingeniously de
vised plans, and all energized by`infernll
malice, have accomplished, too success 4
fully, their fell purpose. The deed is
done!
We are now, it is ardently hOped, to
hear no more of the late new -vamped,
but stale and squeamish, drivel about
"erring brothers," which long ago be
came a stench in the nostrils of all who
scout the idea of a brotherhood" like
that of Cain • for it is coming to be be
lieved that lenity to a score or so of
polished but blood-thirsty barbarians,
were savage cruelty to thousands of
their innocent victims, who limp or creep
in maimed or shattered ruin around us;
and still more, perhaps, to other thou
saunds, who, in the event of their escape
from justice:, would hereafter surely suffer
at their ruthless hands. It is also now
asked, on all sides, if criminals 'of the
blackest type that ever cursed the world,
not their miserable instruments merely,
are to go unpunished, to stalk abroad
with brazen front and defiant swagger,
what ARE the crimes which, in our future,
shall be deemed punishable ? What be
, comes of all'sense of justice in the eyes
of men, and of that universal shrinking
from overt acts of violence, even among
the depraved, generally accounted, so vi
tally essential to the safety, nay, to the •
very existence of civilized communities ?
In another direction the query also
arises, if crime may be estimated by the
extent of its range, the number of its
Victims, and the deliberate iniquity_ of
its malice aforethought, where, inthe_
records of all history, is to be found a
parallel to that of the conspirators-'and
direct agents in this gigantic villany we
call rebellion? and what, indeed, should'
be the measure of their retribution ? They
have Made treason, with all its blasting
accompaniments perfidy, incendiarisrn,
and assassination in every revoltingform
—familiar as "household words" over
the entire length and breadth of - two
continents. They have swept the seas
with the torch of conflagration and, ruin,
and their hecatombs of slaughtered hu
man beings, what arithmeticians Shall
enumerate ?
The shocking spectacle of our maimed,
mutilated, and starved fellow-citizens,
chiefly of the flower of our youth, who
miserably survive as mere wrecks, the
havoc of rebel shells ; rifles, and torpe
does, and the starvation of rebel stock
ades and foul dens they call prisons,
plead trumpet-tongued around us ; while
other uncounted thousands, in a." still,
small," but yet more terrible - voice, call
from their weltering graves for justice
ai our hands " against the deep damna
tion of their taking off." •
Signally hideous, indeed, is the guilt
of these monsters, and no less signal
should be the doom pronounced upon
them. May their_ fate, meted out by
stern, but " even-handed justice," be so
conspicuous, so striking, to all future
time, as shall deter, nay, appal, all em-.Y
bryo villains from a like career. On this
principle, and in this spirit,'" re-adjust
ment" will succed, and will give confi
dence to mankind in a tranquil after-time,
and, among ourselves especially,. will
make union and peace doubly welcome
and dear, by ensuring their permanence.
NOTE.--Frau one who has been called
to participate personally in the great
agonies which have so long ravaged our
homes, can apology for the above senti
ments be needed ? If so, after the fate
of the late illustrious victim of insurrec
tionary barbatity, the writer may say,
in extenuation of this paragraph, that it
wai, not Jong since, his happiness to
have been for months domiciliated be
neath the roof of that great and good'
man, was a partaker of his gentle hospi
tality, knew well .*kis frank, sincere na
ture, goodness of &art, and noble prin
ciples, was a surprised observer of the
immense pressure of his public cares,
'and the absolute marvel of 'his cheerful
endurance of incessant toil for the.good
Of the 'entire American people. As may
be supposed, the result - of all this was
to create an ardent attachment to the
possessor of such exalted virtues.
Who ; in like circumstances, could fail
of being shocked at the announcement
of his martyrdom by the hand of an as
sassin, or aroused to irrepressible feelings
opabhorrence toward those who instiga
ted the devilish deeil ? E. D. M.
HOME MISSIONS.
On applications received from the
churches they serve, the following minis
ters were commissioned by the Presbyterian
Committee of Hoine MiSsions, at their last
regular meeting. Twelve of whom were
under commission last year:--
Rev. Samuel Ward, Unity, Illinois
J. W. Marcussohn, - Lockport, N. Y.
" J. Woodruff, Penfield, New York.
" John MeMasters, Pittsfield, Pa.
A. D. Chapman, Brooklyn and Mal
com, lowa.
" W. H. Bird, Sandoval and vicinity,
Illinois.
" S. H. Ashman, Rural, Wisconsin.
George F. Davies, Mount Pleasant,
Illinoii3.
John H. Beckwith, Evans Mills, New
York.
" Chauncey Francisco, Hopewell, N. Y.
Jhfin Lyle. Utica, New York.
" J. A. Grilles, Saginaw and Carrollton,
Michigan.
" James Gordon, Oakland and Otisville,
lowa.
" John L. Chapman, Irvins. and Mays
ville, Kansas.
" Courtney Smith, Portland, N. Y.
MUSIC AND_MARTIN LUTHER.
Charlotte Elizabeth says: "A taste for
music and its high gratifications, must cer
tainly elevate the mind. I do firmly be
lieve that the man whose bosom yields no
response to the concord of sweet sounds,
falls short of the standard to which man
should aspire as an intellectual being; and
though Satan does tearfully pervert this so
lace of the mind to most vile purposes, still
I heartily agree with Martin Luther, that
in the abstract the devil hates music.' "
WO34All.—We are told that woman was
the last to leave Paradise. Adam crossed
its threshold first. No wonder that some
trace of Eden, lingers in her nature yet;
'although like vein of gold in the quartz, , ,,
we must sometimes crush the rock before
we find it. All do not wear their good
qualities upon the surface.—J. Frederick
&ma.