TUB AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN AND GENESEE EVANGELIST. A Religions and Family Newspaper, IN THE INTEREST OF THE Constitutional Presbyterian Church. PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY, AT THE PRESBYTERIAN HOUSE, 1334 Chestnut Street, (2d Btory,) Philadelphia. Her. John W. Hears, Editor and Publisher. Smetitstt bought for the divine com mandment, of the Quaker founder of our city and State, Wiiaiam Penn. It is the very law which that eminent legislator in serted in the original code of the State, which these retrograde reformers and raw immigrants wish to abrogate. » We are jealous of this distinction of Philadelphia. It is not less, or should not be less, a matter of interest to our citizens, than is our reputation for the general manliness of our thoroughfares, the abund >,e of our benevolent institutions, the ifort of our laboring population, and the id order and safety to life and property ich. we have maintained. Strangers New'York and from the great cities the West, who pass the Sabbath with exclaim with surprise at the almost : versal quiet and suspension of business ich prevail on that day. ■ It iB really a sathing spell from labor. Not only the of spindles, the roar of the blast jace and of ponderous machinery, the ink of anvil and hammer, and the uproar the wharf and the market place are sus ided. Not only are the great railroad ini deserted'through almost the entire , but only a handful of the very smallest ihe small dealers, who pretend to do a [table business, put down their shutters invite custom. No place of amuse it ventures stealthily to open its doors, nearest approach to such a profanation igthe infidel and spiritualist lectures and ites advertised for the day and even- And our chief thoroughfares, now tpied almost without exception with enger railways, and made intolerably y by the passage of cars every three five minutes of every day in the week, on Sabbath as quiet as if the Lord of Sabbath himself walked the streets, in jesty and in love. Are we Philadelphians tired of this? do we not feel that it is the only true ;e for our busy, weary, working popu ? Have we become ashamed of ohr ;ation as a God-fearing community ? Do. ;hink rich or poor would really be more oomfortable by importing into sacred day as much as possible of the lessness, the bustle, the disorder of the :, aggravated by the aspect of ungod is which it must wear ? Are we wil to yield what many would have us re l as a harmless concession, knowing it is as the letting out of water, the fissure in the dam that keeps hack the ige? Are we ready to put the good ir, the reputation, the wholesome Sab i-peace of our city in the hands of men ie whole idea of public morals is drawn i the frightfully dissolute cities of con ntal Europe ? Do we not know that je behind this war against the sanctity the Sabbath comes war against Christi :y itself, against Christian civilization, st the Bible, the family institution, mst domestic purity, against the very ,t of property? And not far* in the inoe glimmers “The red-fool fury of the Seine, Piling her barricades with dead.” There is no surer guarantee tor the future j, order, comfort, and prosperity ot city, for a continuance of its past hou ile record of loyalty to good govern it, than the maintenance, without de ;ion, of its present universal regard for •edness and proper uses of the Lord’s r. Change that, and we must at once irge our prisons, multiply our courts, rease our police force, and, in spite of see violence and wrong arrogantly [king our Btreets, and helplessly behold youth fall atpray to the dissolute morals they will now have so much larger op ,'tunity to copy from transatlantic models. We beg our Legislature to guard the >le repute of the greatest city of the imonwealth, and to do every thing in sir power to oonfirm and perpetuate an imple of sobriety so potent to the State large. 'tejsinjtaiatt. LPIIIV, uggle for we should usage of igainst us. and even le m every inly exeep- asserted. id always the large jrvauce of ■.his pecu : wise fore- ZSTew Series, 'Vol. 111, N"o. 11. THE DAILY PRAYER MEETING. On Tuesday of last week the meeting was held in the United Presbyterian church, Dr. Dales pastor. A tender influence was thrown over the meeting by the announce ment of the pastor, at the opening, that great interest prevailed in that and other churches of the same order, and by asking special prayers in their behalf. It was worthy of note that the first prayer of the meeting in this rigorous Scotch Presby terian church, at the request of the pastor, 'was offered by a Methodist pastor, Rev. Alfred Cookman. After prayer, Rev. Mr. Mears read a budget of fresh revival news from Williamsport, and from Auburn, and several other towns i» Western New York, of the most surprising and refreshing char acter. He also presented a request for prayer from a town in the northwest part of the State, in behalf of a prominent char acter whose home is in that place, but who travels over the country in a public capa city ; whose influence at his home is wide spread and deplorable, insomuch that the whole town would show-the effect if he were truly converted. The Christian people there are praying for him, and they ask us here to join their petitions. A marked sensation was made by the ad dress of Rev. Mr. Blain of the United Presbyterian church of Canonsburg. He based his hope of a general revival upon the fact that the Church was being revived first. The United Presbyterian Church had hitherto been very, careful in its teach ings, had fully comprehended and defended the principles of theology, but had been sadly deficient in heart. If Christ had come recently with the same appeal which he made to Peter, and said, “ United Pres byterian Church, lovest thou me’?” he was sure they could not have given him Peter’s answer, “ Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.” He hoped they were getting their hearts warmed. Were the United Presby terians going -to turn Methodists? No, but they were going to be heart-Christians. Backsliders and cold professors were rising to ask for prayer in their meetings. Mr. Blain spoke with unwonted fervor of man ner, as one who had got fresh hold Of the practical side of the gospel, and who was participatingin such a movement to a higher stage of Christian life, as he described to be taking plaoe in that branch of the .Church. Several requests for prayer were pre sented ; a most earnest, solemn, and power ful address to the unconverted was made by Mr. Cookman, when, at the suggestion of George H. Stuart, cordially seconded by Dr. Dales, an opportunity was given for persons interested to arise for prayer. Was it not a little remarkable, and evidence of the power of the Spirit breaking down distinctions and iormal usages, that, in a church of this 'order, such an invitation should be given, to be accepted during the singing of, “two verses of the seventy second Psalm,” Rouse’s version ? The in vitation was not altogether unheeded. The closing prayer was made by Dr. Edwards. On Wednesday, at the Sixth Presby terian Church, Rev.. Mr. Harbaugh, the pastor, prop osed a limit of five minutes for addresses and prayers, which has long been needed in these meetings. George H. Stuart said he had just received a letter from a young man living in the very neigh borhood of the church, who, although well educated and a man of talents, had been an open infidel, and had led a vile life, de scending to the lowest depths of intoxica tion and vice. At the opening of the war, he had enlisted} and blessed be God, through the agency of the Christian Com mission, his fearful downward course was arrested and he became a humble believer. This letter was written to express deep gratitude sto the instrumentalities of his change. Mr. Stuart asked for prayer that the man might be led to consecrate himself to the work of the ministry. Rev. Mr. Henry spoke of an extensive work of grace ! going on in Princeton College, where many | students have already been converted. On Thursday, the Rev. J. Hyatt Smith’s (Baptist) Church, was crowded in every part, and the services were deeply interest ing. In illustrating the power of prayer, the incident was narrated of a wicked youth, the son of a godly mother, who felt impelled, utterly against his tastes, to enter a prayer-meeting in a oity of central New York. Greatly wrought upon by the Holy Spirit, he rose and begged the prayers ot God’s people, exclaiming: “My mother’s prayers are troubling me.” He was con verted. It afterwards appeared that at the very time, his mother, in company with other pious women, in a oity eighty miles distant, was praying for him. On Friday, at the Old Pine Street Church, Rev, Dr. Brainerd read and com mented upon the ninth chapter of Ezekiel. PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 1866. He showed that the writer’s mark was not upon the formalist, nor upon the shallow and the cheerful only, but upon them that sigh and cry for surrounding abominations. Judgment would begin at the house of God, upon those who must surely be aware of the abominations, but who lifted not a finger to arrest them. This meeting took the direction of appeals to the unconverted and was solemn and tender. There is a number of inquirers in Old Pine Street Church and some hopeful conversions. The lower floor of the church' was full, but for some reason, very few pastors of any denomination were present. The condition of their own flocks is such, doubtless, as in some cases, to keep them at home. On Saturday, at Rev. Mr., Sutphen’s Church, a very earnest spirit of supplication was poured out, and a solemnity prevailed, which seemed to forbid almost any other mode of exercises. A gentleman from Boston spoke of the state of feeling in that city, as one of waiting and of hope rather; than of actual revival. Daily prayer-meet ings are held in at least four churches, from three of which he bore a request for prayer to the brethren of this union prayer meeting. The large daily union meeting kept.up in Philadelphia for so long a time, was amobject of interest and of encourage ments to Christians in all parts of the land. Appointments for the tenth week of prayer were announced. On Wednesday the meeting will be held at St. Paul’s M. E. Church, Catherine St. above Sixth; Thursday, Central Presbyte rian, Eighth and Cherry; Friday, First Reformed Dutch, Seventh and Spring Garden; Saturday, Tabernacle Baptist, Eighteenth and Chestnut. RELIGION AND THE WORLD. Some turn away from the humbling doc trines and duties ot the Gospel, under the pretext that they are gloomy, and that their acceptance is fatal to all enjoyment. It is true, they do cut down the shrubs of vain delight that encumber the soil, but it is to plant in their stead cedars of Lebanon- Worldly amusements are for the most part like Jonah's gourd, they wither in a night. Yet, when they are healthful, and harmless, and the heart is not set upon them, region does not frown upon them. .But in place of what it forbids, it substitutes what is in finitely better —joys that will endure when_ the eye finds no pleasure in seeing, and when music has lost its charm. When Whitelocke was Cromwell’s am bassador to Sweden,. he had interview with the great ex-Chancellor Oxenstiern. The latter, in reply to surprise ex pressed by the former, that he had with drawn from the “throng’of public and great affairs,” replied: “ business was a burden and much company irksome, yet I was able to spend some of my time in study,- and chiefly, I may say, solely, I did apply myself to the study of the Bible, wherein is all wisdom and the greatest delight to be found, and much more in practice of that Divine wisdom. You are a much younger man than I am, and I counsel you to make the study and practice of the word of God your chief contentment and delight, as it will be to every soul that savors the truth of God, which infinitely exceeds all worldly things.”* Is such testimony solitary? No, there are thousands who can respond to it—thou sands who have testified, or can now testify, that they never knew what joy was till they found it in the peace and hope which reli gion gives. Will you have no regard to such testimony, unbiassed, unbought? Or will you consult your feelings and taste rather than your conscience or your judg ment ? * Whitelocke’s Journal of the Swedish Em bassy, I. 303. BARNES’ NOTES AS A PREMIUM. In compliance with the suggestions of several of those who are acting as agents in procuring subscribers, we have made an arrangement with Messrs. Harper & publishers, for supplying Barnes' Com 'MENTARIES ON THE NEW TESTAMENT as a premium. We will send, postage prepaid, any one of the volumes, to the person pro 'curing one new subscriber, and remitting $B. For ten new names and §BO, we will send postage paid, the entire set of eleven volumes, free of expense. We yield a large part of our space this week in presenting the most important part of the address of the Committee of the Sabbath Union of this city. That committee consists of the Rev. A. Barnes, Bishop Simpson, Judge Strong, Judge Porter, Thomas H. Powers, Dr. Bomberger, Ex-Gov. Pollock, Dr. Stork, and thelate John P. Crozier. As might he exepected, in emana- ting from suoh a source, the document is worthy of general regard, and from the candor and calmness of its tone, the com prehensiveness of its views, and evident aim at the public good, must commend itself even to the opponents of the policy which it advocates. SYRIA. A letter from our Missionary brother, Rev. Henry H. Jessup, of Beirut, dated January 31st, contains the following para graph, on the late outbreak" on Mount Lebanon. The principal portion of the let ter will appear next week. “ As an element of trouble, there is a new insurrection' in Mount Lebanon, and the mail and telegraphic communication' with Tripoli by land, is interrupted. This minia ture rebellion is headed by a fanatical papal Maronite. named Yusef Keram, who, dis appointed in seeing the mountain govern ment in the hands of so enlightened and liberal a ruler as Daud Pasha, undetermined to rule or ruin Northern Lebanon. He led a thousand Maronites to Ghuzir, about, fifteen miles north of Beirut, and attacked Daud Pasha’s force, but was defeated. This was a fortnight since, and it was sup posed that peace was secured. But yester day news came from the North, that he had surprised the Turkish camp near Tri poli, and driven the entire force within the walls of the city, killing a number of the troops and some Turkish officers. A steamer wap despatched at once from here with reinforcements, and it is-.to be hoped that the arch-rebel will be caught and pun ished. “If the Turkish Government is thorough ly in earnest- in supporting Daud Pasha, the rebellion will be put down, but Daud Pasha is a Christian, and the Government is Mohammedan, and nothing in the shape of treachery and intrigue would be surpris ing on the part of the Turks. There are a thousand rumors afloat about the state of things in Northern Lebanon and the recent battle, but- Syrian rumors are as little to be depended on as the stories of the ‘ intelli gent contraband’ in the days of the South ern rebellion. "If I can obtain reliable news before the mail leaves, I will add a postscript.’’ A SUNDAY PAPER. The proprietors of the Sunday Press have steadily endeavored to make the impression, that their paper was full of improving and valuable matter, and that it was mere bigotry to endeavor to keep the people from reading it. Whatever such an argument for a Sunday paper might be worth, it turns out that the claims to respectability and utility upon which it is founded, can not be sustained. The Sunday Press has fallen into the in evitable slough of all enterprises in open violation of the fourth commandment. Im purity seems necessarily to follow in the wake of fjjabbath-breaking; with the fourth commandment, quickly falls the observance of the seventh. A Harrisburg paper, also published by a Forney, presents some pretty conclusive evidence in the form of extracts, which will not bear republishing, to prove this charge .upon the Sunday Press, and then adds : If this be the sort of Sunday reading usually furnished' by the Press, then we must most heartily commend the Philadel phia clergymen in their, efforts to suppress the evil of Sunday literature. If such moral leprosy as is contained in the above quotation, be allowed to pass the thresh |hold of the family circle, as Sunday read ing, along w|th reports of sermons and dis sertations upon loyalty, love of country, lete., without reproof, what will, in a short jime, be the moral condition of the grow ing generations? Do the parents'who Jake the Sunday Press into their families, for serious and orthodox edification, desire ,io have their little daughters taught that it (is “ prudish,” over nice, etc., to start or J)lush at * * * * Do they wanttheir little sons taught to believe that when a Wife proves to be “too pure minded” that that is a just ground of a divorce from iier ? j It is unnecessary to multiply words upon If he subject of such a Sunday literature, wherein everything pure and beautiful and fcacred—the virtuous and modest' instincts |>f womanhood—is scoffed at and insulted *s with a Voice from a New Fork dance Louse. ? California Items.—The San Jose Mercury says that the Presbyterian lehurch in that city has secured' the ser vices of Bov. James Wylie, of Bloom jdeld.———The Pacific, Feb. 1, says:— : A Presbyterian church, (N. S.) it is expected, 'V'U be organized at San Le andro, on ihe second Sabbath of Febru ary.”——Meetings have been held, for three weeks past, each night in Brook lyn, alternately in the Presbyterian and Baptist churches. An encouraging state of feeling prevails. G-enesee Evangelist, N”o. 1034:. LETTER FROM EAST TENNESSEE. A Confederate Preacher Approaching the Truth —Developments of Providence—lndi vidual Liberty—Fear of Negro Equality — An ex post facto Affair —Schools for Freedmen Sustained by Public Sentiment —About the Veto. Maryville, B. Ten'n., Feb. 26, 1866. Mr. Editor :-»-We rejoice with you in the revival spirit you are enjoying in the city of Philadelphia, and in the general progress’ of earnest Christianity throughout the North. It is your only hope, as well as ours, for securing all the blessed fruits of the war. Some of our churches in East Tennessee have been greatly strengthened by an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and are working hopefully for the future. A writer in the Christian Observer, a quon dam rebel preacher of the late Confederacy, who left us in consequence of his active participation in the rebellion, indulges in the following strain :—“ God’s providences are mysterious and incomprehensible to us. Certainly his ways are not as our ways, nor his thoughts as our thoughts. The Church in East Tennessee is almost entirely over run and occupied by missionaries from the North. What will be the end of all this, will be developed in the providence of God. We ought to feel that the Lord reigns.” When apprised that the minister who wrote the above was one of the members ot Union Presbytery who voted against or daining Rev. Wm. Lyle because he was an anti-slavery man, and who voted to ostra cise all Union ministers and elders, you will perceive that he has made considerable progress since theo. He did not want the Lincolnites here —but they took the coun try and he withdrew.. The churches here had been overrun and torn up by rebel preachers, and when the Southern despot ism.was overthrown, they chose loyal min isters, partly from the North, and identi fied themselves with'our General Assembly. There are four Northern ministers in Hol ston Presbytery, seven in Union Presby tery} and one in Kingston Presbytery, and if their loyal congregations are satisfied with them, they need not be concerned about the conjectures of their refugee cleri cal brother in Alabama. The masses of the people here discovered that the worst men they ever knew were not born in the North, but in their own midst, and loyalty rather than the place of nativity will be a prevailing consideration with them for years to come, in determining who shall serve them as ministers, lawyers, or statesmen. This will doubtless be one of the develop ments “ in the Providence of God.” Efforts may be made here and there to revive old prejudices against Northern men, but in almost every instance they will fail. If there is any one question settled by the war, it is this, provided always a man is loyal, he may take and circulate what paper he pleases, and adopt and defend the most radical reconstruction measures ; he may subscribe for the New York of Chicago Tribune, or the Independent , or the Right Way ; he may circulate Helper’s Compend, or Sumner’s speeches, or those of Kelley ■ and Thad. Stevens; he may be in favor ot 1 negro soldiers’ voting, or of impartial suf frage in all the rebel States or throughout 1 the # Union, if it be known that he has his opinions and can give a reason for them, and has nerve and mauhood enough to maintain them. After the Government of the United States has solemnly abolished slavery, for a man to raise the stereotyped cry of Aboli tion, is to write himselt down as a fossil oi “ auld lang syne.” By common consent he is associated with the overthrown aristoc racy, and, like Judas, politically, he soon will sink •“ to his own place.” , There are some who profess to be afraid of negro equality, who may be manipulated by the artful demagogue, and led to take a wrong position —but most of them are good men and true, and if disenthralled from •their prejudices, will come out right. I have just returned from a tour through Anderson, Campbell, and Scott Counties. In one neighborhood I found a large family of children, none of whom could read, and yet they dreaded negro equality. I told them go-far as they were concerned they need have no fear; that there were over a thousand colored people at Knoxville who could read, and were, therefore, ahead of them—that unless they started a school in their neighborhood, the probability was, that they would.never catch up with the freedmen; that I was no candidate for office, aud comld therefore tell them the honest truth adaout it without fear or favor. Sabbath-schools and day-schools for the freedmen are being,’ organized all over the State, and in this section of Tennessee public sentiment sustains them. The whis ky-drinking class get top-heavy sometimes, and feel almost enough ol South Carolina chivalry to interrupt them, but since the TERMS. _____ Per annum, in advat.ee: „ __ Mail, BS. By carrier, JWvcenfe additional, after three months. Clube. -Ten or more papers, sent to one aadres payable strictly m advance and in one remittance ByMail, $2 50 per annum. By Carriers. $3 per annum: ministers and Ministers’ Widows, $2 50 in advance. Home Missionaries, $2 00 in advance. Fifty cents additional after three months. Remittances by mail are at our risk. Postage.— Five oents quarterly, in advance, paid “r subscribers at the office of delivery.. advertisements.—l 2% cents per line for th« tust. and 10 cents for the second insertion. One square (one month) ...$3 06 ~ two months- - 556 ~ three “ 756 „ six "... . 12 00 .one year 18 0 IheioUowinE discount on lons advertisements, in serted for three months and upwards, is allowed: — Over 20 hues, 10 per cent off; over 50 lines, 20 per cent.; over 100 lines. 33H per cent. off. colored testimony bill has become a law, they are leading a quiet and more becoming life. There are 100,000 white persons in Tennessee who can neither read or write, and in five years’ time there will be much less than that number of the colored people of the State, who cannot do both ; and on the question of impartial suffrage, it is be lieved that the number of amnestied men who will favor it, will more than make up the defection from the Union ranks, in con sequence of wise and legitimate measures to secure it. Since the President’s veto and his . 22d of February speech, the people have been holding their breath’, and taking their bear ings. Governor Brownlow and his paper will stand square up to Congress. The reading of Trumbull’s speech has opened the eyes of many with regard to the possi ble break between the President aud those who placed him in his present position, and since the’intimation that the Test Oath ot Congress must be broken down to let rebels back into the Senate and House of Repre sentatives, it is more than likely that a con siderable majority of the loyal people of East Tennessee will stand by the Governor and thus, if possible, secure the legitimate results of the war. It may be several months before our people will have the matter all before them, and be thoroughly roused to the momentous issues involved. Our people will not easily be dragooned into the adoption of measures which will obliterate the distinction between loyalty and treason. Hebdomadal and weakly pa pers may try to check the progress of lib erty, and gather to their support the worst enemies of the country; by appealing to prejudice, and by stimulating sectional hate, they may blind a few, for a time, to tbeir true interests,, but the Republio will live, and those who have upheld its flag so bravely, will lay to tbeir helping hand in every hour of danger, and quietly put by any and every one of their cherished idols, where they obstruct the nation’s march to a magnificent destiny. You may inquire, what is to be the effect of the veto and of the President’s polioy upon Northern men who have cast in their lot with the Southern people. I have heard some mutterings and threatenings against these “interlopers and adventurers,” as they are sometimes called within the last few days, that sounded very much like the talk just before the war, but while Con gress stands firm, and bayonets are South of us, and the Governor, backed by most of the loyal thousands of the State, upholds the cause of humanity and freedom, there need be little apprehension. God has been stationing the right kind of men at various posts of influenoe all over East Tennessee, who will not be found wanting in the day of trial, and with a free press, a free pulpit, and a free Congress, with Divine aid, all will yet be well. Yours, very truly, F- S.—Rev. Mr. Le Vere has taken charge of the colored Presbyterian Church at Knoxville, organized last summer by Rev. J. B. Reeve, and has received some twenty odd persons on profession of faith. He will do a good work among the breth ren there. Important to Ministers attending the General Assembly at St. Louis. —Both branches of the Presbyterian Church hold their General Assemblies in St. Louis next May. As, on such, occasions, Commissioners are expected to preach pretty extensively in the churches, the question has arisen, whe ther it will be necessary to take and put on- file the test oath required by the new Constituton of Missouri, before at tempting to preach in that State. To obtain satisfactory information, Rev. S. J. Niccolls, a St. Louis pastor, made in quiry of the Attorney General, and ob tained in reply the following: My view is, that as the 10th section oi Article 11. of the Constitution provides that ministers who are required to take the oath of loyalty shall file their oath “in the office of the Clerk of the County Court of the county of their residence,” and as ministers who reside in other States have, of course, no residence here, and therefore cannot comply with that provision, it could not have been the intention of the Convention which framed the Constitution to require ministers residing in other States to take the oath, in order to preach while temporarily sojourn ing in this State. Respectfully yours,' R. F. Wingate, Attorney General of Missouri. So all will be well enough, unless some people politically and religiously wicked, merely out of Bpite to the oath, get up a few arrests, with a binding over of the strangers to answer to some secession court. Of course, nothing would come of it in the end; but it would serve the purpose of present annoyance, much to the enjoyment of certain parties. Can our St. Louis brethren certify that there is no danger of this ? Rev. Martin Moore, for many years editor of the Boston Recorder, died in Boston, March 12, aged sevenly-six years. Samuel Sawyer.