AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN
- GENESEE EVANGELIST.
ALRellitions and Family Newspaper,
iN THE INTEREST OF THE
Constitutional Presbyterian Church
,
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY,
AT THE PRESBYTERIAN HOUSE,
1334 Chestnut Street, (2d story) Philadelphia.
Rev. John W. Mears, Editor and Pitblisher.
Alen. 13. R. Matehkin, Editor of' News and
Family. Departments.
Rev. C. P. Bash, Corresponding Edittir,
Rochester, N. T.
gmtriran Ittollyttrian,
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19,' 1865
CONTENTS OF INSIDE PAGES.
SEOOND PAGE—THE FAMILY CIRCLE:
F ace to Face—Dr. Stilling: Trust in God—Roger's
Wolf—lntemperance — Moral Gott.rag:3 - -Salvation—
The Night and the Morning—" Tease and You'll
Get it"—Sabbath Evening in a Scottish Glen—A
True Story of Alire Moore—" Q;Brother,SaveMel"
—Wife and Squaws—Who is Old? •
rr
THIRD PAGE—RURAL VJOONOMY :
The Hyacinth—A New Fowl—Good Invention—
What is "Ono Horse Power?"
MISCELLANEOUS: Berridge and hisPastorate—The
Children of Abraham.
SIXTH PAGE — CORRESPONDENCE ;
God Everywhere—Third Presbytery of Philadelphia
—Meeting of the PreBbytery of the District of Co
lumbia.
EDITOR'S TABLE: Charles Scribner & Co.'s Books :
Broaden History of England, from the fall of Wolsey
to the death of Elizabeth " —Botta's "Dante as Phi
loso_pher, Patriot, and Poet"—Whateley's "Essays
on Some of the Difficulties of the Apostle Paul, and
in other 'parts of . the New Testament"—Children's
Department: Barlow's " Helen MacGregor; or,
Conquest and Saorilice"—The North American Re
view and Johnaluss—Periodicals and Pamphlets—
Literary Items. American and Foreign.
•
SIETIONTH no
.CAGERELIGIGITS INTELLIGENCE :
Presbyterion=Congregational—Reformed Dutch—
Methodist Baptist Episcopal— Lutheran -- The
Army—Missionary-;-Roman Catholio—Miscellalie
ous—Foreign, •
CHILD CONVERSION.
Why should not the faith of the Church
be up to its theory upon this subject? We
suppose the possibility, of the regeneration
of children at a very early age, to' be ad
mitted on all iands. We suppose that,
among Christians, there is no question re
specting the fact that it has occurred in
many instances; and generally it is treated
_ theoretically as not only a possible,, but also
a not improbable event. Almost every
-pastor who has been any length of time •in
his pastorate, has attended at the dying bed
of some dear Sabbath-school scholar, per
haps only four or five years of age, for
whom he has gained satisfactory evidence
of the saving work of the - Holy Spirit in
his heart, and of whom •he now unhesita
tingly speaks . as in heaven.
Except upon the most rasping construction
of the doctrine of imputation, no one pre
tendsrto deny that the child old •enough to
be a Abner, is also old enough to be a
(Ihriatitl, and we know not of any phase of
that, doctrine which excludes the possibility
of--the._deoisive spiritual change even in
infancy. In fact, it is upon this faith in
the power of the Spirit to reach the infant
heart with its renewing grace, that the
orthodox doctrine of the salvatir of infants '
is based. This point granted, we have
yet to hear any person maintain that the
influence which may regenerate before the
commencement Of what we call moral
agency, has its power necessarily suspended
for a given season, by the commencement
of such moral agency.
More than this, the whole structure of
the doctrine and ceremonials of our Church
in the matter of infant Consecration, pre
supposes that the• very early renewal of the
heart of the child is an event toward which
,special labor will be' directed, and which,
in praying faith, is to be confidently ex-'
peeted. Had this most rational pre-sup
position been carried out, what an army of
child communicants might to-day gladden
our thoughts of the "future of the Church !
And we may add, that we never heard a
doubt expressed that the doctrine of child
conversion has the full sanction of the Holy
Scriptures, both in its teachings and in the
"examples which it records. Holy children,
rue lovers of God, and, as such, beloved of
him, are set before us by the Spirit of in
spiration, as examples which the -same
Divine grace which wrought in their
hearta, May just as easily reproduce in the
families of the' living generation. This we
- suppose to be the speculative belief of the
whole Christian Church.
But have we any hearty faith in it ?
With here and there an exception, does not
the shape which the church gives to its
efforts for the conversion of sinners, pass
over the flocks of little ones, and aim only
at the maturer intellect? When Christian
parents see their children pass their sixth,
ninth and twelfth year without affording
any evidence of conversion, are they not
tranquilized by the prevalent sentiment
that it is not yet time to expect such an
event—that, except in extraordinary in
stances, the saving change must be attend
ed with such views of the divine govern
ment, sin, the nature of the atonement, and
the system Or grace generally, as require a
more advanced state of mind? And even
in such Christian labors as are directed
specially to children, such for example as
the instructions of the Sabbath-school, is
immediate conversion generally a sought
and expected result ? Is not the more
general idea of the utility of such instruc
tion this: that the storing of the child's
mind with Bible truths, the teachings of
catechisms and solemn oral instructions, is
a wise pre-occupancy of his susceptibility
to impressions, which, in the riper stages of
his existence, may become an instrumental
power toward conversion
i )
bin
ri p /4 ,
*j4jk
etlatte
New Series, Vol. 11, Nif. 42.
Why is it that a child candidate for the
communion of the church is so often re
garded 'as a suspicious one? Such, in
many, probably most cases, is the fact. In
general it seems to be thought More neces
sary to make his examination a critical one,
and to require peculiar evidence of the
genuineness of his conversion, because he
is, a child, and therefore less .lik,ely.to be the
subject of a genuine saving change. The in
ference which we, have italicised may be
disclaimed, but we see, no way to discon
nect it with the premises.
In short, with a theory upon the subject
sufficiently sound to form, the basis of, a
wide movement for the immediate, ingather
ing of children into the fold, we find, with
isolated exceptions, that all effort :and hope
and faith respecting them prospective,
reaching forward to the time when they shall
'become old enough to be Christians. The
conversion of a child, if it obtains any con
fidence, is regarded as a sort of exceptional
case in the course of the Holy Spirit's
work in the world, and, to a sad extent, the
church, denies even to the children of, the
covenant, that faith of expectation, without
which blessings of grace seldoin come.
One part of the mournful 'fruit of this
inconsistency between our theory and our
faith, is the loss for a long period, of the
use of the Christian life of some who are
,
really Christians. We will explain onr
selves. We believe, that when the full
history of the work of grace in our world,
shall be finally disclosed, it will appear that
'some, not a few, who in mature life were
received to the Church as fresh converts,
were after all really converted in 'childhood.
In very early life, they had interesting
spiritual exercises, loVed Jesus. an' their
precious Saviour, and 'delighted to approach
God in prayer. When questioned, they
told this just as they felt it in their expe
rience. Their parents, pastor, or whoever
conversed with them, heard it with a sort
of pleasure, and yet iheir concePtions could
not take in the possibility that these were
cases of real conversion. They expected
from a child all the experience which ma,
ture converts generally relate; all the law
work, the eonseiousness.'tif "proud contro
versy with' God, the pangs of remorse, and
the vividness of the emotions in the change,
from rebellion to submission. Failing to
discover any signal Clemonstrations of this,
they passed over the simple story of love
to the account of the natural tenderness of
childhood.
Their spiritual care of such children cor
responded with their views of the cases.
Not regarding them as converted persons,
they placed them in no position which would
lead them to suppose themselves Christians.
As they grew up, they were taught, prac
tically if not preceptively, to hold them
selves as belonging to the world. They
supposed themselves entitled to. none of the
fellowship or Christians and comforts of re
ligion, and so stood aloof from them. In
short, as years went on, they lived with as
loose relations to religion -as are possible
with one upon whose heart saving grace
has wrought
Farther on in life, they became subjects
of fresh impressions,, which resulted in their
coming, forward to the communion of the
Church, where they were received as new
converts. Their supposed conversion was
in reality only the fresh awakening of the
grace which, from their childhood, had lain
almost dormant in their'hearts, simply . : for
the want of a practical faith in child con
version. Here were fifteen, twenty, or
twenty-five years of Christian life virtually
lost ; its service lost to the -Church, and
most of its comforts lost to the individual,
because certain people would not under
stand our Lord as in earnest, when he said
" Suffer little children to come unto me."
We doubt whether such cases are so very
rare as to deprive them of an important
bearing while considering the relations of
this subject to the prosperity of the Church.
We believe that a better sentiment respect
ing this whole matter, would have long
since given to the communion and work of
the Church some valuable members who are
now registered as the world's people.
But in an immensely greater proportion
of cases, the matter is even worse. The
natural result of the failure of expectation
of child conversion, is the failure of such
conversion. And so in a fearful number
of instances, it turns out. The most blessed
season for hopeful labor with an immortal
soul is lost. At least nothing that is direct
to the purpose of its conversion is done. It
is deliberately thrown upon the hazards of
those periods of life which are thronged
with embarrassments in the way of conver
sion, strengthed by cultivated depravity and
hallits of trifling with religion and eternity.
The flexible twig has grown into the
staunch oak, and people whom our Re
deemer's cause seems almost imperatively
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1865.
to need,are lost, to it, not for a few years
only, but forever. No:Ito, few of these were
children of the covenant, consecrated to
God with baptismal vows; but the privi
leges-otthe xiovenant were not appreciated,
the meaning of the promise annexed to it
was not understood, and its conaitigos were
not fulfilled. Faith failed, "to comprehend
so simple and yet sublime a fact , as a child
Christian. It may seem like putting a
cruel point upon the matter, but we sol
emnly fear that in too many cases parents
have brought their sweet children to the
altar, and, as they meant, dedicated them
to God, but have done it under the expec
tation that their first few years.would be
spent in sin, and then the blessing of
,the
covenant be fulfilled. The first part of this
expectation has been only too surely real
ized. The remainder—alas for fathers and
mothers who are now saying, " would God
I had died for thee, my son I my sons"
The subject grows under the peri. , We
do not propose to prolong it in - a series of
articles, but we do not feel . ourselves- dis
missing it.
THE REFORMED. CHURCH OF HUN-
In the heart of Europe there lie elements
of evangelical efficiency, 'which lie have
allowed ourselves almost entirely *liver- -
look in our calculations, as well as 'to omit
from 'our sympathies and our pra;nrs.
There are allies of f our Protestantism, and
brothers in the Gospel upon the vast plains
of Hnugary, too numerous , and too true to
be thus slighted. A. great Slavonic people
in whom an orientaLglow of temperament
is mingled' with a western'-love of freedom,
presented a remarkable flelll for the devel
opment of the religious consciousness, in
which)the genial and enlansive' spirit of
Protestantism might well 4d a footing and
,
a home. The Magyars of HungFy are the
Seetchmen of Eastern Europe, a liberty
loving and self-respecting race. The men
of this generation will not soon forget the
-glorious stroke for liberty made by the
countrymen of Kossuth, nor -the patriotic
lealnrthicristromptedL.tilit7. - brilliszt- leader
to cross the . ocean, and to master the
English tongue for the purpose of gaining
access to the American ear and heart. A
hero of classic mould, he moved across our
vision, sweeping all, hearts, and almost all
judgments, upon the powerful current of
his lofty and impassioned eloquence, as he
plead for his oppressed and struggling Hun
gary. That splendid and captivating dream
of independence from the tyranny of Aus
trii 'is passed; Austria itself has taken
warning, and especially since Solferino, has
been striving to walk in the path of con
stitutional right, and is, removing the chief
causes of discontent from her people.
But the deep sources from, which these
movements sprung, the intelligent, religious
convictions that have kept alive self-respect'
in the hearts of so:large a portion of her
population, are still there. The Evangeli-,
cal Reformed Church of Hungary, after
three centuries of struggle and oppression,
numbers _nearly two millions anclra half of
souls. Every adult connected With it can
read and write. The churches are every
where well attended; the Youth ,are cate
chized. There is a daily prayer-meeting,
morning and evening, and two meetings
each week for the exposition. of the Scrip
tures. In family circles, alsoithe Scriptures
are diligently read. The church has. a
tolerably thorough organization,*, and"en
joyed entire religious toleration and unmo
lested self-government from 1791 to 1850,
when the woman-whipper, Hayniu, stripped
them utterly of these rights. In 1859, the
government offered them a " Patent" for
arranging the affairs of the Protestanis. It
contained an offer of 95,000 florins yearly
and it was. warmly urged upon them by
their brethren in Germany. But with a
far clearer perception of the true interests
of the church as a spiritual organization,
atjd with their own indestructible spirit of
independence, they rejected an offer of help
which was vitiated 'by conditiOns of depend
ence on the civil arm, and the Evangelical
Church of Hungary-is by its own choice, in
the face of poverty, and in the midst of
powerful forms of superstition and Eras
tianized Protestanism, a Free Church.
This church, it seems to us, should be
sustained by the prayers and liberality of
evangelical Christendom. We are giving
to the little Free Church of France, great
in the names of its noble leaders, but with
only 2,480 members in all France. It is
well. We are helping to sustain the Free
Italian Church with 2001) members. That,
*Rev. Dr. Geo. Jeffrey, of Glasgow, who
visited Pesth in 1851, testified on the floor of
the 11. P. Synod, last May: 'they are a church
of noble and faithful men, differing, little from
our own in form of government.; their form
being much the same with that laid doWn by,
our forefathersin the First Book of Discipline.'
GARY.
too, is well. But here is an ancient, church,
bearing the honorable scars of three cen
turies of persecution, nursing in her bosom
the very spirit of Scottish and American
liberty, diligently cultivating, scriptural and
intelligent piety among her members and
housholds. A Free Church, two and a
half millions strong in the heart of Greek
.
and`Papal Europe'; it is poor;rt is ground
to the earth 'by taxes ; it is seeking to es
tablish a college, and to save from extinc
tion a • theological seminary. Surely, the
remaining churches of Christendom are
grievously uninformed, or culpablyindiffer
ent, or.! strangely unwise, if they = fail. to
'recognize or liberally respond‘to-a call for
help from such a quarter asthis. •
t h at
these
have already mentioned the fact tnat
•
these churches had addressed an appeal for
aid to the United Presbyterian Church in.
Scotland. The appeal was published in the
,
United Presbyterian •Missionary Record by
order. of the Synod, and in our issue of
September' 28th, large extracts were made
from it showing the present condition of
the church, its efforts in its own behalf,
and the particulars of the present 'move
ment, for the . endowment of educational in
stitutions. The concluding ortions of the
decument are as follows :. ,
Venerable r , Synod, • Respected Sirs.—A
whole church which, in the south-east of
Europe, separated and, cut off from you by
Roman, Catholic lands, exists quite isolated,
trims to you in need withbrotherlywords
of enticiaty
. May the Lord write in the
Book of Life each of your gifti, through
which you have - - rendered possible the rise'
of F single .congregations, the'building cif so
:many houses of God to =the glory of the
' ...Lord; rbutllON the question concerns the
existence, the spiritual reviving, and. the
future welfare of the whole Church of the
laud thereon aepenpent.
Pray, 0 pray, dear brethren, to the God
of grace; from whom, cometh down every
good gift, ' . that.as he has hitherto done won
ders for us; and has continually -protected-
and shielded - his. Hungarian Evangelical
Church in so many dangers, he may still
fnrther be gracioutno....us; that he may
keep and protect, our churdhes, maintain in
them the pure preaching of his holy word,
the ministration of his holy sacraments ;
that he may strengthen ns in faith, awaken
'ouriTriirte,te,love,-tract-to the assured hope
of eternal life. The grace of the Lord be
and abide with us all. Amen.
We cannot doubt that our churches and
liberal men - would be very glad to be put in
connection with the Reformed Church in
Hungary through some such agency as the
American and Foreign Christian Union.
PROGRESS OP OUR BRANCH IN PHILA-
DELPIIII."
--The review of the past twelve years in
the history of our brandh of the• church,
shows a degree of progress in this city and
vicinity, which is matter' .for devout grati
tude to God, and for the highest encourage
ment to the friends of the cause. Let, any
roxte 'look for a moment at the roll of ' the
third and fourth Presbyteries in the minutes
of the General Assembly for 1853, and
then let him turn to the lengthened roll of
the present year, with its heavy columns of
figfires,, and he will be amazed at the con
trast ' Then the two Presbyteries num
bered 57 ministers, now they number 71;
then they 'counted 38 churches, now they
are increased to 52, almost 50 per cent;
that_year they reported 257 members, re
ceived on profession, and 236 on certificate.
This year they report 417 additions on 'pro
fession, and 454 on certificate. The total
of membership was then put at 7,422, with
eight churches,. "starred." This year the
total Is 10,086, with but four churches
starred, a gain of 2,664, or over 35 per
cent."
Turning to the third and fourth Presby
teries of New York for comparison, we are
writ& with such facts as the following :
While their ministerial force has increased
from 67 in 1853 to 113 in the present year,
their churches numbering but 31 twelve
years ago, have increased by but six, up to
the present time. Nevertheless, the mem
bership of the thirty-one churches in
1853 : was 7,573, and in 1860 the thirty
seven churches had 10,741 members on
their rolls. From these, however; should
be deducted the churches in Montreal, and
Ahmednugger, which reduces the total mem
bership to 10,285 in thirty-five churches.
Our - New York brethren undoubtedly push
the policy of concentration to an unwise
extreme. With the advantage of popula
tion- one third greater than ours, they have
.failed to 'distribute their forces, so as to
meet •its. great wants, and to secure the
fruits in their own growth. We look, how
ever, ere long, for the developing in that
important and wealthy section, of that vig
or for church extension which certainly
lies in the very nature' of every earnest
member of our body. .The proofs, that it is
not altogether wanting in that quarter are
manifest in. such* enterprises. as those at
Genesee Evangelist, No. 1013.
Stamford, Bergen, and the Church of the
Covenant in the city itself.
But for the present, the church in our
city must carry the palm for zeal, liberality
and far-seeing judgment-_iri occupying
territory, and taking or strengthening
positions to meet the spiritual wants of a
growing population. Leading layman
amOng,uS of great wealth have felt this, to
be the most _ profitable and satisfactory
method,of applying their large benefac
tions.. Moving cautiously,. planting Sab
bath-schools, and securing eligible sites be
forehand, doubtless with many a humble
prayer for light, very much in the manner
described in Mr: "Cummings' paper, upon
the origin of the Oxford Street Church
.enterprise, which' we published last week,
they have ,begun almoit immediately. to
witness the iynik of their labor, and to reap
that reward of success which is not often
denied to the truly enterprising worker for
Christ in this field.,
Within the limits of the city there have
been organized and supplied with edifices
in the last twelve'years, Calvary, now num.'
bering 302 members; Olivet, 239 'mem
bers; Tabor, 273,• Worth Broad Straet,
364; Mantua, 2d (Chapel,) 29; gender-'
ton, Tioga street, 49; -,Yir.harton Street,
(built by legacy,) 105; 'received from the
the building
other branch and the building completed,.
South Western, 120 ; received from the
German Reformed, Market Squake, 336 ;
resuscitated, and, new edifice built, German-
Street, 147. Churches which lave built
themselves new houses in the same time, are
Walnut Street and'Kensington. Tim years
ago a census of the entire indebtedness'of
our churches in and near the city was
taken, and a systematic and combined effort
was made to sweep off the entire amount.
It was successfully carried out, mainly
through the liberality of one man, and a
most important element of strength from
that moment entered into our':church ex
tension movement. There was not a weak
niember lagged behind that needed looking
after. And now we find ourselves fairly
embarked in another first class enterprise,
that of Oxford street, the walls of whose
spacious ...And handsome ohapel are -.nearly.
up, and the promise of which= is beyond
any of those yet undertaken, calvary
self not excepted. While the rural por
tions of the two Presbyteries show such
signs of progress as the new organizations
'and buildings of Darby 2d, Reeseville, Fair
field, Springfield, Vineland, Hoekendaqua,
Mountain, Beverly; making in all, within
the bounds of the two Presbyteries, fifteen
new organizations, with 'buildings ; one
church resuscitated and supplied with a
fine building; , two organizations .acquired
from other bodies, one of which has been
largely, aided in building; one first class
building in anticipation of an organization;
two new edifices erected by older churches,
and six other feeble churches entirely re
lieved of debt; or twenty-seven enterprises
in the field of church extension, in the last
twelve years.
Confining our view to the city itself, we
find ten of the new and acquired organiza
tions within its limits, beside the one church
resuscitated, the new enterprise in progress
in Oxford street, and four of the
churches relieved of debt by the effort
already referred to; in all sixteen, instances
of effort in church extension, mostly wise,
vigorously pushed, and in a position to en
courage the best hopes for the - future.
Since 1852, (we have not the data for
1853 at hand,) the other branch have ac
quired by transfer'and organization thirteen
churches in the city limits. Four of these
are in the rural districts, all quite small,
one is a feeble Gerinan Church, and one is
for seamen; another called Trinity in Rich
mond reports 40 members. The 2d Church,
Germantown, reports 49 members. Be
sides these are West Spruce Street, 392
members; Westminster, 275; Kensington,
450; Alexander 145; and Princeton 139.
They have also removed and built a hand
some' edifice for the organization now called
West Arch Street Church. We do not
know to what extent their chnrohes are or
have been in debt, or what, if any, special
efforts have been made to relieve.them.
The absolute advance of the Presbyterian
Church of both the leading branches in
this city for the last seven years, may be
thus summed up :
Old School, one church, 128 members.
Nelv School, including Oxford Street,
seven churches, 940 members. -
" THE COMMUNION WEEk."—This little
treatise selected by our Publication Com
mittee, from a larger work, by an evangeli
cal clergyman of the Church of England
is admirably fitted to prepare the communi
cant for approaohing the Lord's table. It
contains a meditation on some passage of
Scripture, questions for self examination,
resolutions, a prayer and a hymn; for each
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day of the week, preceding the Commu
nion Sabbath. d rich tone of evangelical
feeling pervades the little book which is
brief enough for the necessities of the
busiest. Pastors add church sessions could
not do a better work than to put a copy in
the hands of every communicant, a week
before the sacramental occasion.
CONFIDENCE IN PRESIDENT JOHN
SON.
It will be seen that our East Tennesiwe
correspondent declares that the people of
that section have not yet seen cause to
yield the confidence, which as loyal men,
they had long cherished in their fellow
citizen and late Governor. We are very
glad to hear it. We hear with pleasure of
true men anywhere, who while disapprov
ing, as we do, most decidedly of the lenient
policy of the President, still wait patiently
and trustfully for explanation of what they
do not understand, and for conclusive
evidence, now wanting, of high and whole
some statesmanship in his dealings with
- the rebellion.
We are certainly gratified with the tone
of the President's late address to the color
ed troops of the District.- The whole scene
was unpremeditated. The President, when
informed of the presence of the regiment
hurried down stairs • without a hat, and
hunted ; out, amid the dense crowd of color
ed men, women and children that thronged
the doors and archways, a suitable place
from which toiaddress them. The address
is fiill Of kindly feeling. It opens with
hearty and grateful recognition of the ser
vices of the colored troops, in the war, and
it recognizes the right of .the colored man
to Et:place in this country, in the folloWing
unequiveoal language :--" You have gone
forth, and, as events have, shown; served
with patience and 'endurance in the cause
of your country. This is your country, as
well as 'anybody else's country." After
giving - the men sound advice as to the pro
per understanding and use of their newly
acquired liberties, he - proceeds frankly to
discuss the question of suffrage
" There is a great problem before us, and
I may as well allude to it here in this connec
tion, and that is whether this race can be in
corporated and mixed with the people of the
- United States, to be made a harmonious and
pennanentingredient of the population. This
is a problem not settled, but we are in the right
line to do so. Slavery raised its hand against
the Government, and the Government raised
its strong arm and struck it to the ground ;
hence that part of the problem is settled.
The institution of slavery is forever over
thrown.
"But another part remains to be solved',
and that is, can four millions of people, reared
as they have been, with all the prejudices of
the whites, can they take a place in the com
munity and be made to work harmoniously
and congruously in our system? This is a
problem to be considered. Are the digestive
powers of the Ainerican Government suffici
ent to receive this element in a new shape,
and digest and make it work honorably in
the system that has been incorporated?
"This is the question to be determined.
Let us make this experiment, and make it in
good faith. If .that cannot be done,then
there is another problem before us. If we
I are to become a- distinct people, although I
trust that the system can be made to work
harmoniously, and that the great problem
will be settled without going any further—if
it should be so that the two races cannot
agree, and live in peace and propriety, and
the laws of Providence require that -they
should be separated—in that event—looking
to the far-distant future, and trusting God
that it may never come—if it should come,
Providence, that works mysteriously, but un
ceasingly and certainly, will point out the
way and the mode and the manner by which
the people are to be separated, and to be
taken to their land of inheritance and pro
misefor such a one is before them.
"Hence we are to make an experiment.
Hence let me impress upon you the import
ance of controlling your passions, developing
your intellect, and of applying your physical
powers to the industry and interest of the coun
try, and that is the true process by which this
question can be settled. Be patient, perse
vering, and forbearing, and you will help to
solve this problem and make for yourselves a
reputation for the cause for which you have
been engaged."
One can scarcely imagine anything more
sensible, more sagacious, or more encourag
ing, than these words. We still wait for
the initiation of the " experiment" of
which the President speaks. Is the scene
to be the District of Columbia itself ?
CHANGES.
It has doubtless been noticed in our re
port of the meeting of the A. B. C. F. X.,
last week, that some changes have been
made in ,the list of officers.
Henry Hill retires from the Prudential
Committee, after having served the Board
long and well, both as Treasurer and mem
ber of the committee. James M. Gordon,
Esq., another ex-Treasurer takes his place
in the latter relation. Mr. Ward, the new
Treasurer, was for ten years the confiden
tial clerk of Mr. Gordon, is entirely familiar
with the business of the office, has been the
acting Treasurer, since Mr. Gordon re
tired about nine months since, is a deacon
in Dr. Kirk's church, and a man every way
trusted and esteemed. Mr. Clark, the
new Secretary, is a Professor in Union Col
lege, and is highly recommended for the
place to which he is now called. A. -L.
Stone, D.D., is added to the Prudential
Committee. ' -•-