TBE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN i AND GENESEE EYANGELIST. A Bel Iff loos and Family Newspaper, 15 THE INTEREST OV THE Constitutional Presbyterian Church. PUBLISHED EVERT THURSDAY. AT THE PRESBYTERIAN HOUSE, 1334 Ohestirat Street, (2d story.) Philadelphia. Her. John W. Hears, Editor and Publisher. Italian Jmitgbriaii. THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 1866, THE EXPECTED GREAT AWAKENING. Our readers do not need to be reminded of the widely prevalent expectations that arose in the hearts of God’s people as the end of the war drew near, of an unusual and gloriouß manifestation of the reviving and converting grace of the Spirit all over the land, as a compensation for the demoral izing influences of war, and as a prepara tion for the new era of history and of pro gress on which the nation was about to enter. The was so deep, so general, and so definite, that it partook almost of the nature of a prophecy. It seemed to spring from hearts on which the reviving Spirit was already moving, and was in the form of an earnest of the luller, greater blessing to follow. The venerable and devout Dr. Way land, on his dying bed, gave utterance to the most fervent and positive expectations of an unwonted out pouring of Divine influences upon the Church and the country. Other saints have passed to glory with the same pros pect gladdening their dying hours. Many of the Presbyteries, in their Narratives to the General Assembly at Brooklyn last spring, gave expressions of hope foi the immediate future of the Church, remarka ble for their fullness, deflniteness and warmth. They were opening wide their mouths according to the terms of the pro mise. Doubtless since the war is over, and the army for the most part disbanded, and new and not altogether unexpected difficul ties arise, and the spirit of the country shows itself, the urgency of our need of revival appears no less than before. The great problems of the pacification and res toration of the South to loyalty and to the Union, of the dispensation of justice to white and black, to rebel and to patriot, seem far from solution. The hope of a pure national administration, aiming, in the fear of -God, to do justice and to seek un selfishly the good and safety of the whole, is bitterly disaapointed and must be once more postponed. Meanwhile the immense material resources of the country are de veloping, the financial elasticity of the people appears in the immediate and large reduction of the national debt, and points to an early diminution of taxes, which again will react in the enlargement of all branches of business. Capital is being largely applied to the extracting of our in calculable stores of mineral wealth; one hundred millions worth of gold and silver are already produced in a year; and the opening of an era of unparalleled commer cial activity,—and it is to be feared of par amount worldliness, —is at hand. And not only must these evidences of extraordinary strength and prosperity attract in still greater numbers the immigration which has been steadily augmenting since the first year of the war-immigration made up largely of the ignorant, the atheis tic, the materialistic, and the popish masses of the old world, and eminently perilous to the sound morals, the religion, and the Bible Christianity of our country; but our own youth are ready to oopy the loose manners and to patronize the demoralizing entertainments, which have characterized the effete social life of the old world. And we find prominent men among our own native population volunteering to lead the foreign infidelity that infests our cities, in a crusade against the most important qf our Christian institutions. Scarcely has the smoke of war cleared away, and the favor of God revealed our National ensign victo rious over the dust of conflict, when we find ourselves in this, and other cities, as Detroit and St. Louis, plunged into a con flict for the maintenance of the sanotity of the Sabbath. We say the indications —some unex pected and some not—show plainly enough that the country needed and still needs the baptism of a great and general revival. The people of God at this solemn opening of a new era of the country’s history, ear nestly respond to the words of the leader ot Israel:—“ If thy presence go not with us, oairy us hot up hence.” "Victory alone cannot save us, as the signal deliverance of the Israelites at the Red Sea, alone, did not save them. An ungrateful people, for getting at once their obligations to God and to a large class of those who suffered and bled for their deliverance, disregarding the solemn claims of justice, hastening with greater eagerness than ever to their interrupted pursuits of gain and pleasure, tampering with God’s law, robbing him of the time he has set apart for himself, aping continental irreligion, frivolity, and disso luteness, it would Beem has only been saved from dismemberment and political ruin to New Series, Vol. 111, No.. 12. have a worse fate still. We therefore prayer fully and anxiously expect this great bless-- ing. It is indispensable to that purpose of good which we cannot doubt God cherishes towards this people. Humanly speaking, God cannot perpetuate our nation as a bless ing to mankind without largely communi cating to us of his Spirit. What, then, are the facts ? Certainly they are not a little encourag ing. We are of opinion, from the reports thus tar received, that nothing like so general a revival influence has been en joyed throughout the country since the great awakening of 1858. There is a heightened religious interest pretty much everywhere. And conversions are multi plied, in many instances rising to truly astonishing numbers. We do not remem ber ever before to have seen so many churches reported as receiving from forty to sixty additions at a time. The numbers in each case heretofore have generally been less, with exceptional cases reaching a hun dred or more. Now, while the exceptional cases continue "to be reported, the average of additions seems far greater. In one small city we read of one thousand conver sions. In another place,, one-third of the whole population is reported converted. Another small town counts three hundred conversions. In another place, a'congre gation without a church edifice, and using a court house, received over one hundred additions at one time, and eight hundred conversions, one-tenth of the entire popula tion, are reported. Not less than five hundred conversions are believed.to have occurred in a belt of Presbyterian churches in the adjacent counties of this State. The hearts of the people of God are drawn together, and union of effort, meetings of great bodies of Christians of every denomina tion, with their ministers sharing freely in the services, are so common as no longer to excite remark. There is scarcely a city or town of any size but gives some daily de monstration of tins unity. But' the movement has by no means attained the proportions contemplated by the-people of God, in their longing and ei pectations for eighteen months past. Many of our largest centres of population apd influ ence are scarcely touched. There is in some minds an anxious fear lest our large hopes shall be disappointed) and after all, the great expected revival turn out only a fond and pleasing imagination. How shall we meet the emergency? Have we any security for the fulfillment of our prayerful long i ings ? * SUPPORT OP THE MINISTRY. We have already spoken of. the Susten tation Fund of the Free Church of Scot land. -Light upon this vital point of church prosperity is welcome from every quarter. And we now turn to that furnished by the United Presbyterian Church of the same Presbyterian land. The Missionary Record of that body for February, reminds the churches that the Synod had appointed the first Sabbath of the month for the annual oolleotion in behalf of “ the Fund for the Better Support of the Ministry” in some of their weaker churches. The article pro ceeds to complain, justly enough it would seem, of tho inadequacy of the contribu tions to the object, the whole amount raised for 1865 being less than nine hun dred pounds sterling, ($4500 in gold.) A considerable portion of this amount comes from the congregations themselves receiving aid. The funds are employed in bringing up the, salaries to a minimum of one hundred and twenty pounds, ($600.) No congregation able to pay that amount •receives any aid from the fund, although the intention is to raise the minimum to one hundred and fifty pounds. There is a distinction between congregations receiving missionary and pastoral supplements, but we are not informed of the practical mode of carrying out the distinction. Some interesting facts are presented, based upon the very accurate statistical re ports of membership and salaries in the possession of the Synod’s committee. We may remark, in passing, that the United Presbyterian Church, in its business depart ment is the model church of Presbytery, if not of Protestant Christendom. So far as statistics can witness to the actual state of a church, they are thoroughly informed upon their own. And they can proceed knowingly and confidently in the manage ment of their internal affairs, when other bodies must go by guess work. The tables before us show to a pound, how much money must be raised every year to bring every “ stipend” in the church to whatever amount they choose to name as a minimum. It appears, from these tables, that three hundred and two of their congregations are giving less than one hundred and fifty pounds, and that contributions of a little PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, MARCH' 22, 1866. over ten thousand pounds sterling per an-1 num, would be required from the Church at large, to bring the stipends in each of these cases up to the minimum named. The inequality in the contributions of church members, in different positions, to the pastoral support, is truly marvellous. The average payments of individual mem,' I I bers of small and feeble churches are fre quently far greater- than those of large and I wealthy churches To illustrate this fact, two groups, one of sixteen and one of seven teen congregations, are made up from these statistics, of which the Record says : There are seventeen congregations each I with a membership of not more than fifty I persons, some of these congregations being j in thinly-peopled districts, each member-of j which contributes for pastoral support an average of forty-five shillings a year. Then, | in contrast with these, there are sixteen con | gregations, each with a membership of up | wards of a thousand, in the midst of large populations, and contributing for stipend I an average per member of eight shillings and sixpence. Again:— The same table informs us of the relative position of two other groups of congrega tions. One of these groups consists of thirty-six congregations, with an aggregate membership of four thousand hundred and sixty-six, not one of the thirty-six having more than one hundred and fifty members. The other group consists of six congregations, not one of which has less than nine hundred 'members ; their total membership being five thousand eight hun dred and fourteen. These five thousand eight hundred and fourteen persons con tribute each at the rate ot scarcely eight shillings for stipend, and yet at this rate can easily provide in every respect an ade quate income for their six ministers ;■ where as their four thousand six hundred and sixty-six brethren, chiefly belonging to rural and village charges, cannot provide adequate ministerial support, though they contribute at the rate of more than twenty one shillings for the stipends of their pas tors. The article concludes as follows : The questiun now submitted for just and generous consideration is to tho follow ing effect:—Can it be held as consistent with our unity as a Presbyterian Church, that the six large congregations referred to, and others similarly- situated, should have nothing to do with the thirty-six small ones, and with the support of ordi nances among them ? If we look into the New Testament for an answer to this ques tion, we find it in these words“ Look not every man to his own things, but every man also on the things of others,” —a pre cept which the inspired apostle follows up with another of still more deep solemnity : —“Let this mind be in you which was alse in Christ Jesus.” STAMP IT OUT! For some diseases there is apparently no cure, and from some contagions no defence. Remedies and prophylactics are in vain. Amid all the bountiful and varied preparations of nature, and all the multi plied devices of human skill, nothing avails, in the slightest degree, to control or ward off the disorder. For the cattle plague nothing can be done but to stamp it out. The infected animals must be killed and buried deep at once, and none must be con veyed fiom the infected neighborhood to poison the healthy. It is like a fire, which must be absolutely quenched before we can be sure it will do no more mischief. So there is a degree of sin which must be stamped out. There is a hardness, an un belief, a presumption, a degree of rebellion, a persistence to the very last in the rejec tion of Christ, for which there is no Temedy. If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. The sin which defies all the curative power of the Gospel, must be put out of the way; must be eternally buried, must be cut off from all opportunity of in fecting the rest of God’s holy universe. It can no __ longer be dealt with tenderly or treated as something remediable. It has lad a life time in which to reveal any such possibility, and none has appeared. Now goodness, wisdom, sound principles of moral hygiene, justice exclaim: Stamp it out! And it sinks to hell. And is rebellion with its atrocities, with its unoured malignity, with its fatal power of infection, to be treated as some thing that can be managed, mollified, and transformed into healthful loyalty ? Speak ing not of the masses, but of the leadere, we say all past and all recent experience teaches one lesson: Stamp it out! An drew Jackson, in his last hours, regretted that he had not stamped out the rebellion with which he had to deal. And we are perfectly convinced that all attempts to restore the South to loyalty by ignoring their crimeß, by restoring them to political power, by yielding to the rebellious class their former preponderance over the loyal minority, white and black, only fix the venom of rebellion in their blood, an pre serve a nidus of infection that will pollute the whole polities of the country. Stamp \ G-enesee Evangelist, No. 1035. it out'by the capital punishment of the leaders; stamp it out by witholding the franchise from all voluntary active rebels, by insisting' upon the test oath, and by giving the loyal masses of the South a con trolling voice in their Government. EDITORIAL NOTES IN NEW TQRK, Arriving in New York one day lastjweek, we found ourselves at once enveloped in fog. And during dur entire stay, as we were told had been the case for days and weeks previously, we found ourselves and all surrounding objects wrapped in the same dingy, damp, chilly envelope, which finally developed into, a northeasterly rain- height of which we took our departure. Light broke in upon us as we neared Philadelphia, and a clear sunset seemed to speak of a better air and a more favored locality. But in that great, crooked, mismanaged, un-American city which we had just left, the tog was everywhere. Fog on the water, and fog on the land; fog down town, and fog up town ; fog among the masses, and fog among the leaders ; fog in business circles, among financiers, with buyers and with sellers, with manufacturers and-con sumers ; fog in the City government and fog in the courts of justice; fog alas! in the churches (we were not in Brooklyn) and fog, with rare exceptions, in the news paper offices; and right in the heart of the fog, in Printing-house Square, sat the subtle agent who, through the New York Times is vaiu|y,.efldeavoring to wrap the whole land in thesauie cheerless, chilly dampness. Thank God! The air we daily breathe in Philadelphia is clear of such “ conservative” chill and obscuration. And to whatever extent it may have spread in the National Capital, the Capitol itself is in sunshine, and truth, justice and righteousness are re vealed as the flaming pillars of the Con gressional policy. Will New York City never again be governed by her truly good and-great and true men ? Shall she ever stand a warning against the indiscriminate suffrage which has put the wealth and the iwerifrmf her population under the control Ignorant/the penniless, the reckless, | the papist, the rebellious, the blind and pre judiced opposers of the principles of Ameri cah'Ttepublicanism ? Can she hope to main tain her place as the metropolis of the New World, while her votes, her representatives in Congress, her leading presses and her general influence are persistently, arrayed against'the principles which have led our Republic to greatness, and in which its future destiny is involved? We verily be lieve that New York City must amend or decline. We cannot conceive of an ano maly so great as she now presents being prolonged or made permanent. New York Citymtist control and guide her raw popu lation in the interest of true freedom, and present a different aspect ft) the country and the world, or abdicate her present lead ing position We do not want the oppor tunity ever again given to her disloyal financiers to carry on a phrensied specula tion in gold, to gamble in the neces sities of the nation in the throes of a terrible struggle for life, and to add a thousand millions to the national burdens merely to satisfy their own greed. Before another war, the metropolis should be cleansed or changed. And if, by reason of her inland situation, our ' own stubbornly loyal city cannot aspire to the position which New York is in danger of losing, then Baltimore, admirably located to command internal trade and foreign commerce, the rapidly advancing metropolis and repre sentative in opinion of a free State, where rebels can have no votes, may hope to win the crown of commercial eminence on the continent. Of one thing we are sure: splendid harbors, great commercial advan tages, vast traffic with every part ot the globe, boundless wealth, will not, cannot avail, to maintain and perpetuate greatness, without healthful principle in the commer cial, social, and political life of the people. We did find at least one illuminated spot in New York. As we entered the saloon of a colored man near 'Broome Street, an entire stranger, our eyes caught a copy of our issue of February 22d, hung up in a gift frame against the wall. Closer exam ination showed that the artiele entitled, “ Vision of a Dialogue between the two Andies (Jackson and Johnson)” was the attraction. Over it was pasted a scrap of paper 'containing the direction, “ Read this.” Our colored friend explained that he regarded that article, which had been shown him by a customer, as worthy of a gilt frame, and he had procured the paper and hung it there. There was no fog in that establishment. Father Hyacinths has gone to Lyon* to preach * n th« Cathedral there. WHAT OCR FRIENDS SAT. With the design of introducing our friends to each other, we present extracts from a few of the many kind letters they have lately been sending to out office. The first is from a distinguished pastor in one of the great lake cities. He says “ My Dear Brother MEarS :—ln enclosing a draft for my subscription for the Americas Presbyterian to January 3d, 1867, I beg to ] say how greatly I admire the attitude and rigor of your paper, especially on the great National and Sabbath questions. While tearless and in the forefront of the faithful on the great ques tions arising out of the war, you do not forget that there are also other questions to be can vassed and considered. Without the “sensa tional” which the somewhat affects, your blows are just as true and just as strong, and because without the alloy of the above, are vastly more telling to my mind, though a hearty sympathizer with the general position of that powerful organ, than even its vigorous strokes. May God ever hold you true, firm, fearless.” A venerable divine of Michigan writes : “ I am delighted with the bold and firm stand you make against the Sabbath breakers. I trust the ministry and .churches will rally nobly to the rescue and prevent the Satanic legislation proposed.” A pastor in Central New York writes^— “We all continue to like the American Pres byterian very much, and why should we not, when such valuable matter is contained in every number even to the last, the articles on the first pagk of which are worth twice what the paper costs us.” Another says:— “The Presbyterian is regarded with increas ing favor in this place, and I hope its circula tion among us may be largely increased.” Another: — “The paper continues to hold its high place in our esteem as a conscientious, patriotic, spiritual paper.” A pastor on the Hudson writes:— “Enclosed please find for my year's subscription to the Presbyterian ; money right cheerfully paid from the pleasure and instruction we have received for your excellent paper. We. have rejoiced at the manly and decisive tone of your columns in regard to the reconstruction problem. It is cheering to hear a trumpet with a certain sound in the midst of such a con fusion of half-measures and miserably tempor izing. ‘ Right' ’is such a straight path. Cor dially yours.” A pastor in Erie County, Pa., writes “Rev. J. W. Mears, Dear Sir: —l rejoice in the abundant revival intelligence, and in the abundant material for promoting revivals too which the American Presbyterian contains. Two articles in your last, I read last evening in onr special prayer-meeting. Your paper had, earlier in the season, and now has, more of “revivals” in it than any other paper that I see. I have often carried it into our prayer-meeting to "aid mem stirring up ourchureh prayer and effort. And then what you have published sbout Mr. Hammond has been especi ally valuable.” A layman in East Pennsylvania writes : “ Give my compliments to Mr. Mears, of the Presbyterian, and tell him that I congratulate the readers of that paper in having for their favorite journal a patriot as well as a Christian for its editor. , “Does the President receive a copy of the paper? I hope so.” REVIVAL IN PEORIA, ILL. [We are permitted to make some extracts from a private letter written to a gentleman in Towanda, Pa , concerning the awakening in Peoria, Hl.] Children's meetings have been held every afternoon, and not only children but older ones have attended in very large numbers, and have been blessed. Between two and three hundred children have gone forward around the pulpit when Mr. Ham mond asked those who loved Jesus to do so. There with smiling faces and happy voices they sung from the “ Praises of Jesus,” while in the pews were anxious ones, with tearful eyes, asking the way to Christ. I have great reason myself to rejoice be cause of Mr. Hammond’s coming. My oldest brother, fifteen years of age, has for two years carried a burden which of late has grown heavier. He wanted, as he thought, to be a Christian, and yet he was opposed to these meetings, and his mother was obliged to command him almost to attend. But it seemed impossible to come within the influence of the Spirit, so manifestly present in the meeting and not be touched. To-day he is a happy Chris tian. My little brother eight years old also thinks he loves the Saviour. When asked if he was only going to be a Chris tian as long as Mr. Hammond stayed, he said no, he was going to love Jesus all his life. He said if the school boys made fun of him they would have the worst of it. One little girl who came to the meetings and gave her heart to Christ, was turned out of doors by a cruel step-father because she would come. Yarious classes are being reached. A minister of the city was passing down the aisle, when he found before him a gay and fashionable lady. He sat down and talking with her, found that her sins had become a burden. Passing on, after directing her to the Lamb of God, he found a strong man who had probably resisted many invitations to eome to the Saviour, bowed down with a sense of his own sinfulness, and humble as a little child. Then in another pew he found a little ragged child, who had proba bly wandered into the meeting, sitting alone weeping, and he spoke to her asking her if she wanted to find Jesus, because she I T E B M .«• . „ w .. Per annum, in adrai-ce: By carrier, SR IWvemU additional jifter three months. Clabe. r Ten or more papers, sent to one addres payable strictly in advance and in one remittance ByMail, $2 50 per annum. By Carri er? $3 per annuls: Ministers and Ministers 9 Widows, $2 50 in advance. Home Missionaries, ~s2 00 in advance. Fifty cents additional after three months. Remittances by mail are at onr risk. I , ”°sta^e.—Five cents quarterly, in advance, pain by subscribers at the office of delivery. cents per line for the first, and 10 cents for the second insertion. unesquare (one month) $3 00 „ two months.. 5 50 l „ three “ 750 | „ six '• 12 00 I mt. *ii .one year 18 0 I The following discount on long advertisements, in ! s®™* for *nree months and upwards, is allowed: — I Over 20 lines, 10 per cent off: over 50 lines, 20 pe I cent.; over 100 lines, 33J4 per cent. off. was a sinner, or because sh.% wished to be happy, and various other questions. She answered yes, but said she, “ I want to oome to Jesus because I have no father or mother, and no friends; I want Jesus to be my friend.” She hoped she could say be fore she left, “ Now I have found a friend Jesus is mine.” Quite a number of young men, many of them students of the Commercial Colleges, attend, and appear interested. It is hoped that muoh good will he accomplished among that class during next week’s services, which are 'to be held for adults. The morning prayer-meetings at half past nine j o’clock, fill the N. S. Presbyterian church. The other meetings are held in the O. S. Presbyterian churoh, that being the largest. I A young man spoke, this morning, of the wondrous things the Lord had done for ! his soul. He had long been thoughtful on the subject, but his stubborn heart refused to yield, until Wednesday evening, at the young men’s prayer-meeting, he felt that he must take Christ for his Saviour. He said be used to think it was unmanly to be a Christian, but now he thought itwas much more manly to confess that he loved Jesus. The meetings are creating a great interest throughout the city, and through this part of the State. * The deep conviction of sin which many of the children manifest, is a sure evidence that this is the work of the Spirit and not of man. I sat dowu by one little girl, about ten years old who said she did not love Jesus. When I spoke to her of the love of Jesus to her, and of her sin and ingratitude in not loving him, her lip quivered and her eyes filled. ‘Kneeling down, she prayed to him to forgive her, and on rising, she told me she thought Christ 'had heard her prayer. Many other interesting cases, doubtless, might be mentioned, hut these facts are sufficient to show that God is blessing the labors of his servant in the outpouring of his Spirit upon this wicked city where there is so much need of a great work of Divine grace. Yours truly, Peoria, 111., March 10, 1866. ELEVENTH WEEK OF PRAYER. Wednesday, First United Presbyte rian Church, comer of Broad and Lom bard Streets; Thursday, Christ Church, Green Street, below Sixteenth ; Friday, Scots’ Presbyterian, Spruce Street, above Third; Saturday, Central Metho dist, Yine Street, below Thirteenth. Bey. E. E. Adams, D. D., has been suffering from an affection of the throat for some time past; and being con strained, with the advice of his physi cian, to suspend the use of his voice, his congregation, North Broad Street, have voted him leave of absence for six months; continued his salary and will supply his place meanwhile. The people and pastor part with deep reluctance and pain, but the congrega tions hold together quite well, and hope to welcome Dr. Adams to his wonted post of usefulness at the close of his en forced vacation. Mn. Jessup’s Plea foe the Native Protestant Female Seminary. —We need only remind our readers that one of Mr. Jessup’s admirable letters from Bei rut will be found on our Correspondence page, to insure its attentive reading. We trnst biß appeal for the necessary funds to complete the new building for the Female Seminary in charge of the Mis sion will receive from American Chris tians a prompt and generons response. A disappointment in regard to certain subscriptions constrains Mr. Jessup to pause in his important work, and renew his appeals for aid. We trust they will not be in vain. The Drift of Feeling. —The Pres byterian of this city copies from an ex change the notice of a “well-ordered Presbytery,” and says:—“We are not sorry to have to add that the Presbytery so commended was in the New School branch of the Church, for-we rejoice to find there so mnch of a proper watch and care of the churches under their supervision; but would it not be well if equal zeal and watchfulness were seen in] all our Old School Presbyteries ? And if the providence of God should open the way to a reunion of the two. Churches, will affiliation with such Pres byterians do our side any harm,?” Rev. Professor Chas. Hodge will preach on “ the Inspiration of the Bible,” at the Tenth Presbyterian Church, next Sabbath evening. The Minister of Public Worship has interfered to hinder the National Church of Paris from superannuating its infidel pastor, Paschond. J. H. J