smtriran tirt,sbyttrian. TIIURSDAY, DECEMI3ER 26,1867. lair The sudden death of Dr. Wm. R. Dewitt, the venerable senior pastor of the First church, Harrisburg, is announced, It Keured early ,on Monday morning, December 23d. It was the close of a long, honored and useful life, in the noblest of earthly . positions, the ministry of the Gospel. THE address of Rev. John M. Peebles, here,af, ter is Decatur, Burt Co , Nebraska, a rapidly set tling community, where he expects to organize a church. MISTAKES OP EDUCATED MEN.--The . Chris tian Union quotes our account of the Union meeting in Rochester, and credits into the . Evan gelist. The Methodist credit's Dr. March's fine contribution to our columns on the FRYEBURO ORGADi t:6 ihkUnited Xtates .1141.aeti lifi4iew for December. _ _ . THE WEEK OF PEAYEIL The EvangeliCal Alliance has issued its circu lar, inviting attention to the Week of - Prayer. and suggesting topics Euitable to, its ,successive meetings.' The following are the topic's suggested: Sunday, January --- ‘ 5. Sermons. SUbject 7he Person, Work, and Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. . _ . . . ..416 nduy, January 6. Th , aillpgivirg for.special and general mercies during; the past year, to Na tions, Churches, and Families: and Confession of Tuesddy,' JantiaiSr rayer for Hat for Kings and in authority . : for the observance of the. Lord's Day ;for the removal of obstacles in the way of Moral and Religious Progress; and for Internal and International Peace. Wednesday, January B.—Proyer for Families: for Schools, Colleges, and Universities: and for Sons and Daughters io. Foreign Countries. Thursday, January 9.—Prayer for Christian Ministers, and all enuaged in Christ's Service: for God'a ancient Israel ; and for the corning of our Lord Jesus Christ. Friday, January 10. Prayer for the, Sick . and Afflicted: for Widows and Orphans: and for the Persecuted for Righteousness"sake. Saturday, J.aututryli;-, Prayer for the Chris tian Church: for inorease of inginess and activity, fidelity and love: and far grace equal to the du ties and dangers of the times.. Sunday, January 12.—Sermons. Subject— Christian Charity-1 Cor. xiii. THE PHILADELPHIA TRACT AND lISSION SOCIETY, After having for nearly forty years labored, to the best of its ability, in the cause of GIVE EVANGLIZATION, finds itself at the close of the year with an EMPTY TREASURY ; every dollar that has been contributed to it: funds has been expended, under the watchful care 'of its execu five committee, in furthering the object "for which it was intrusted to them. The managers are now compelled to apply to their fellow Christians for aid to enable them to continue the operations of the Society, and con fidently trust that their appeal will not be disre-garded. Sad, indeed, would be the consequences to the tens of thousands of perishing souls in our city, who have little or no other religious instruction if, even for a single month, this Society has to withhold its distribution of 270,000 pages of Evangelical tracts, suspend its twenty-nine week ly prayer-meetings and its religious visitation, dismiss its seven missionaries, and disband its faithful and well organized corps of 800 tract visitors with their .fifty-five superintendents, and thus effectually put out the light which is shining in the dark placei in our Midst, to cheer the comfortless, warn the erring, and,guide inquiring soul to its Savinur.. ' Wiil YOU, Christian friend, do what you can to avert such a calamity? If you will, please send your contribution promptly to the Treasurer of ate Society, D. W. PRESCOTT, No. 218 North Delaware Avenue, to either of the members of the Executive Committee, or their agent JOSEPH SCHREINER, - NO. 1334 Chestnut Street. Signed by the Executhie Committee. DR. TALMAGE'S. THANKSGIVING DISCOURSE. Our townsman, Rev. T. De Witt Talmage, of the Reformed Dutch Church, has a decidedly Saxon way of "putting things:" - As appears' from his Thanksiiiling sermon of Nov. 28th, he does not think that, at any - time -- d - uring the last forty years, our nation has been in danger of rust ing from political tranquillity. We only wish that his trust that we have entered-upon the new era of a settled calm may prove as true as his' pungent review of the past is. But hear him " We are in•the last-days-of sectional controversy since the causes of dispute are being taken away. By a pleasant delusion 'we made ourselVea believe that our nation was at peace, until six years ago. But the majority of us have never seen peace be tween the North and South. Look into the Con gressional records of 1820, 1830, 1847, 1559, 1860; was that peace? No! No I It has been perpetual collision; it has been free labor against slave labor; tariff men against free trade; Massaclitteitts against South Carolina; Virginia Senators.:-against New York Representatives. Men coming . to Washingt6o . to make laws, have brought Bowie-kniVes to 'outs' them—altercation, challenge, duel. Charleston Mercury against Albany Journal. And yet, in the very time that Brooks was cudgelling Sumner, and Pottepwas thrphipOryorijandaltai rlB werestretch ed around Billiton Csmrt House to prevent the res cue of RigioWrottfthe hands ache tnarshali and all our Northern cities were in riot and bloodshed about the rendition of black -men /to their ilumers, and John Brown was making his raid, we thought we were at peace. . ‘• Pennsylvania tta bifi fi iii„;wasAlikkape„t Printin g press of the Alton (Ammer thrown intb - fhe river! Wfurthat?ipeace? - Was it.yeace in: 4820 r when the Mr Was hilt with 'Sectional iinpreedtrozi` THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1867. about the admission of Missouri as a slave State ? Was it peace, in 1835, when in- New Hampshire a college was destroyed, because in it colored youth were educated? Was it peace when South Carolina uttered her nullification ? Was it peace when the Presbyterian and Methodist Oharelles—because of this very difference—were rent with a fracture that shook all Christendom ? No ! On both sides all vituperation, " irony, billingsgate, scorn, revenge, falsehood and blasphemy have been exhausted. And there is no man under fifty years of age who has seen anything worthy of the name of peace. It has been war of tongue,twar of pen, war of type, war of trade, war, of church, w.ar.of Congressional dispute, war of dirk and..pistol, war bitter fUrious, re lentless and consuming. The nation was not more cer tainl,y in _qpnflict at Shiloh . and ,Atlanta._than. it„,bas bc'eti for thirtryetri,.:Now thoughthereis yet astrong swell of tlieAtiolihred.settiiiie Shall ilodn "hava-noth ing to fight about, and Congresses and Legislatures will have tiine`to "Consider the..agrimil , ti,ral, mining, in th a e ti c,ll4%t et e:* : 7g ,,l 4 : 4l : l . at 7 l : l , ~7 11. !, nt4412. ,-.7; ts of FROM OUR ROOHERTER GORRESPONDENT. DS4,TA . #.34y. " The fathers; tither& are Lthey ?" The grave is new 'gathering =may. , of them itane . ttof the best known and best beloved of our city, CM'S TER DEWET,,P.D.,I4O):, at eighty three years of age, -was gathered., to; hie -mit on. Sunday -last, : and his, funeral, was 44..tendecl.cg Wednesday, at the Plymouth church, by a' large concourse of our best citizens.'' No oi;ielms passed from among us for a long. time .more generally known, more generally respected and beloved. He graduated at Vann's . College in 1806 ; studied theology with the celebrated Dr. Stephen West, of,.S6:lolthria6, Iliasa_•,..NSOACO.Psed by the Belk:shire, Asseeiaticin l in 1,8:0,74,na11ect te, tutor "u _ Alma... Mater mAI 84 was years later made :Professor iof Mathen sties and ":Natural Philosophy' -theamp In 1827 Prof. Dewey resigned his position in Williams College, and took charge of the 'Gym. , nasium," or IlicA Schoel, for .boys, Bitt.sfield, Mass. I n 188'6 re'rbirOd to this cit y and be came Principal Of a sithilar. iiistiantion 'here, which position he occupied for fourteen years, and then, in 1850, he became a Professor in the new University" here established under the auspl2 - ees of the Baptist denomination, and did faithful and active service until some time in 1864, when being 80 years of age, he honorably resigned his position. But even then his activity did not cease. He was constantly busy with his studies and his investigations, keeping a careful record of t.be weather, lecturing in schools, attending examinations and public meetings, making ad dresses, taking an interest in all public affairs; and all apparently with the zest and sprightli ness of a man of forty rather than eighty. The great Plymouth Church was filed on the occasion of his funeral. The Scriptures were read by Rev Mr. Wines, of.the Pirst, Presby terian church. An address was made by Rev. Dr. Anderson. President of _tbe University, in which he pronounced a glowing eulogy upon the character of the deceased. He said Rochester had been highly favored in having such a teach— er so long:time among us All had been taught : by him; all had received benefit from him; we felt his, power in the street ; his presence was an inspiration and a benediction. As a man of science and learning lie was sound and wise in judgment, clear and exact in statement ; kind and courteous to his associates ; enthusiastic in his love of the truth, recognizing God also everywhere and in everything ; patient and sympathetic in his intercourse with the stu dents, patient even with dullness and wayward ness ' • always young in his own feelings, remark ably fond of youth, seeking their acquaintance, delighting in their sports as well as their studies, and so " he never grew old." A general scholar, his speciality was the natu ral sciences, in which he was really one of the pioneers. Natural , science -maybe said to have been created since lie began tO - teach: In Bota ny especially he was high authority; on the sub ject of grapes the highest in the country. . W. P: Cogswell, Esq. ' one of our ablest law yers, spoke in behalf of his former pupils of.thp Rochester High School. His speech was beauti- , ful, and was a glowing-tribute of respect and af fection. Dr. Dewey was an educator, in the strictest and best sense,of the word; he did not merely cram the mind, but he dre4- it out, and taught it to do its own pr , ,per work. He was also genial r and pleasant with his scholars, cheerful compaition 'and friend ; and alwaya parting instruction, , The .calk by the river's bank would be - turnedinto a j Padant lecture on Geology ; the stroll through the fields would fur- LAI delightful lesson on Botany; the visit to the workshop of the artificer would be turned.into instruction in mechanics. His pupils all loved him, for they knew that he loved them. Mr. Cogswell said he never knew one to do anything intentionally to pain him, and his interest in them did not cease when they left the school. He r still frellowid theni; ea often sought to know of - their welfare. • a - -.Rev: Mr. Ha!flat, the- pastor of Plymouth elliiieli';'NlOWM in afeW very 'tender and touch ing remarks upon Dr. Dewey's religious character; bat said little, as he gave notice that he should preach a funeral sertialoli'itext Sabbath. • His religious character - `was simple, pure, con sistent, and always abounding in hope. He had been in_ failing healih for Kinctmonths. He knew the end was near and spoke ot it frety.