~ with w hi e t, the worlitman " puerile Theologies continue I .,,Aive patierice." not/ - God, then it will If this is a correct view "much longer ~,, nristian 'rid forth , tote at least, df the "Apos ________ with to oned' the very first article :" I SIN AND SUFFERING IN THE UNIVERSE. become chance th 0 I 7° ties' Creed"—an„ Father ALmioEITY." GO(! ews Letters addressed to the Mon. Gerritt of Christ: Smith, of Peterboro. New York. in observed, I am not at Tiber- BY ALBERT BARNES. ~ave no desire to inquire into your views believes.) 3, LETTER V. tY , 11 . ' of your statements in your letter to me. 'HON.' GERRITT SMITH: DEAR Sin: In my ?li it must be evident that a man's views on the I have considered your whole subject, of religion, and especially on that last two letters to you, am _ s ubject consideredln , your letter to me, must be solutiongreatryMed bilis views of th'e, Saviour. of the difficulties involved in the , e; - sub* t , . :11(ritidt find in your letter !any distinct state- of sin and suffering onsidr• . ' in the u niverse ) views my closing letter, I propose to c p , I ; A -y.ng tit uteut-that you regard the salvation of men, either of religion which you have exp ;tit these 'cliffi- ' .i t retn sin in the present world, or from suffering of your ex lap your y s & I li Tin the world to come, as in any respect depend the foundation P '-' etf El , ' t,{ . ent ti' on the work of Christ, or as in any way con e and the question 16 confer happlass, cu , ~. ~,, l in . netted with an atonement for sin. But lam not better fitted than ry, ill , a f 'WOPIAO*OI I TS. i authorized--as I am not diSposed—by this fact and to make the ty, nor am I disposed, •nor am to infer that you hold that there is no such, de ., lam not atoimed aato yotin s ylews.on that pendence, but I may be permitted, to express my I sufficiegO outside oflourArta+. I know surprise that, if you do cherish such a belief, ' there should`have been no allusion - to it . in a subjerou'th*poitit? anti/iti I fild; it would not letter on Such a subject as the, salvation of 'men:' tv oarteoti in an sign's u i t' like this to refer to especially since you , have made " science'? :and „mad Viivis. 'TAN' that' limit, however, cour , "wealth" here, and the hope of amore ' ; favor:- teg:f, , I•eqiiiia nothing Vie a; fair interpretation of able condition"' in the future world, so promi • If , rt A 30tir biiitikAl 1 t - .shall make use of a proper vent. freedoraMot u iticlifigistent with courtesy, in a brief What I' do find on thesubject in your letter is . . but Atli Winiiihition of your views of religion, as embraced in the follewing items: ylitiiiiiielVittiiisied them, as bearing on the sub- (a.) That Christ-did not pretend ,to .know all ea ' t ) I r' • - ' the future. (p. 9.) • ' (11 1 nili• views of man : d , (b.) That the - only proof `that there is "an Ma , according to your view, is not only made eternal hell" is "one word said to,lave been spo- fiidg-14 point on which we should not differ— : nut ken by Jesus," (0 9,) implying that one word ii:sti'inade that he cannot, even by moral .infiu- frombim evn if . ascertainedc tc s have been utter ence exerted even by his Maker, be restrained ed b . Y hiM, would not have been sufficient to ea ; effectually from sin without vielkirighisfreedom, tablistt h a a docirine. o a what atground youhave and so made that if he sins he cannot be recov-said h he spoke only "one word" OD the' sub ered, even by divine power, except by his own, ject you have not inforthed the world. The NeW agency: ." He (God) has not the ability to save Testament certainly iepresents - him as having any man without the help of that, man." "When spoken many words on' that subjeat •' as very fre- God made man so great as to ' will and to do' for O m ar referring 'to' it ; . as • expressing . his , vieWs. himself, he made him too great to be saved by in the most decided and unambiguous language. the direct, and` unaided power even of God him- (c.) According todyour Viet We have no' eel.- self." (p. 9 . ) , taro evidence that Christ Spoke even that " One This essential- condition must be . the Sarni; word." You refer to it as a word ''" Mid. to have from the necessity of the case, in the future been spoken by Jesus." (p '9) you then pro- , world, whether in the world of happiness or the 0- . ceed to remark:` ' -- .• • -.• • world of woe, for it is, according to your view, -• ' ' the necessary condition of true' liberty'. There: " But, how far it is from certain„that he spoke it, and, especially, , that he in our it, intending it to hive can be, therefore, no certainty of ,continued, the meaning given to it our translation, aid by.our • much less of eternal happiness, in the heavenly ecclesiastical statidardel Although we'have sittisfac-' state, for all restraint there so as to make obedi-• tory.evidenoe that he spoke:substantially as the. New ence to the divine will certain would be a viola- Testament says he did, we have no right, to believe that his speechei were, word for word,,as recorded in, tion of freedoin ; nor can there be any deliver- that hook.” acme horn the world of woe, into which men may ' . • fill, by`'-divine power :--since : (a.) the divine According to this representation, we have no power in'lhis respect is exhausted in the precut evidenee that we possess any thing that he spoke. world; and (b.) man *ill be ." too great" 'there It. is. true that you say that "we have Patiafacto --greater there thanhere—to "be saved by the ry evidence that he• spOke substan4ley as . the direct and unaided power of God himself" 'God' New Testament says be did;" yet, if there is on , has thus, according 'to this view, made the 'mis-' certainty, in regard to: . this "one,word," "kis plain. take, or committed the absurdity,•of 'bringing that there maybe a like uncertainty in-regard to, powers ,and faculties into exigence, Which he any,other "word's said to, have been spokenly cannot contract; of making a being whoni he can him, th?t , is, tbere is an entire uncertainty as to not himself restrain or govern ;, of fbriningah'in-• what he spoke on aysubject ; 'or,in ether word's ) , telligent and- responsible agent, necessarily 'lin- his recorded Speeebes.in the New Testament are . mortal, who can destroy himself, and make hire- of no authority whntiver, and it would be wrong self forever miserable, in spite of all that God to found any doctrine on what, Christ is reported can do. Dark prospect this, for you-and me, and to have said. If lam not to, believe this " one , for the numberless millions that God has chosen, word" about, hell whyam Ito believe his "one to create upon-the earth, and. so .far as appears, word" About heaven ? Ile referred to the former for , the Inhabitants of all worlds. One would quite ae-frequentiy as he did to the i lattc. prefer at- least not to live in such a universe as. (4) Tha religion, according, to you, was s° this—in the unavoidable anarchy where rt,power- simple that it was not necessary toe attempt to less 'God attempts to reign over his own °ma: Pmve it- by P:tiragles• Thns,Pni.aY: • • • tures, but attempts, it in vain. , obi. this connection let me. so hew infinitely ii,b-. (2.) Your views of God: surd is the doctrine,, that, a religien,so• simple and, so, I have already, in part, noticed your idea of' • obviously true as 'is the ohrisitltoligion, needs to lie r poved by miracles. The Theologiesare .lint worth God, that he does all that he can to save men;• preying; and; therefore, no miracles are callid'for in that his power over them is @xhausted in. this . 1 their case." _ (p. 13.) life; that he has made man "too great" for.his control; that, as all this pertains to him easen- That is, all his claims to the power of working" tially, it.must extend; to the future world as well, , miracles were, false, and all that he did lo t this re as to this; and that, consequently, he would be spect Was to be traced to jugglery or deception , It was in no sense true that he healed the sick, unable to:saire men there, since man "too.great" for him here, must a fortiori be much more so or opened the eyes of the blind, or Made the there; that is, if the human faculties expand and deaf to hear, or raised the dead; and the Whole develope, themselves, there in any proportion. to story about Lazarus Was a fabrication—anina-, i what is done here. posture—a delusion. Yet no one that ever lived ' I have now only to add, that, according to In our world; your view of' God, he is either absolutely unable, "aubstantially" ii"the records about Christ are true, ever professed or'pretended or indisposed, to interfere in any case , n the af- to 'work so many, miracles as he did; no one, 1 faiirs of the universe tly an act of intervention• therefore, stands before' mankind as so sinpen that could be properly called a "miracle:" that dous an inipostor. " is, where his own will and power would be the ' (e.) It is, according `to :,your view, if I under only antecedent or cause of an event. The uni-1 - stand you, whelly uncertain' what became of, verse, according to your view, is controled , by' Jesus' If the account in the New Testament is fixed and unchangeable laws—by laws that, are even "sU6stantially" true, it may .ben: assumedassumedin no case, to be interrupted or set aside by the that he was put to death on the crOssL-although . , this is not more directly or positively affirmed power of' God. - . ~ ,„.. This :view of `God you have expressed inthethan it is that he raised Lazarus from the, grave. , . following language.: But according to your view,'it is certain that • - there can be - no proof that he 'ascended:' to `hex "lt is entirely unreasonable to expect that our sei= " ven—though this is _more than sUbstantialiy” ence-enlighteneil age shall'hold to the Theologies, con a. structed in an age of darkness—an age, when it was. affirmed in the %Neil! Testament.' Thus konsaY, believed that the earth was a plane of only a few hurt- (P- 5 0 tired;miles. in circumference, and, yet, of such pant- "But lithe eyidenceis necessary to prove ,that, a mount, importance,, that the sun, m00n.,, and stars were • man hips died.' That his breathless body went Strriight- Made but to serve it—and an age, too, when it was way into the sky could hardly be believed on ' any, belie-red that (lad's dealings with His children, in- amount of evidence." stead of being directed by unvarying laws, were but. , the irregular and fitful impulses, now of His loVe and He 'must:, therefore, either have remained in' now of His hatred ; now of His revenge and now of His the grave, or, if he rose from the dead, he mist repentance. How is it possible that,Europe and Ame- have died again at Some time, and iti*sorne place , rica, having learried that, the earth is but & speck in and in some manner; liot even "'substantially" an illimitable universe, and that, the ,but laws, recorded. Which of these is the true statement which govern both leave no room fora passionate arid changeful God, and rue room for the toorkingloj'nuraeles in regardltorhim you have not informed us. —how is it.possible, l-say, that they dan much longer '(4) - Yo - Ur views of tile' Bible. ' • continue to hayepatience 'with these puerile, , Theolo-' Your views on that subject' arevery uneq'tu''*- gies r: (i ) ' 1 4 ;) From, the n power of God, therefore, there can , : o It is,' indeed the best of 4Ooks—lXrep i repository of be no hope for the.sinner.and the sufferer in the the sublimest inspirations, Principles arid' precepts. Mature world, and its you you= admit that man may sin Nevertheless, it, abounds in' foolish, Wan, and exceed .and suffer, there (page 7), it.,follows, ingly pernicious things. follows , that' so:farlts• silly,, and some of them very, revolting, stories about the Red Sea, the Suriand, .as God . is concerned, the sinner and-the sufferer there must be absolutely helpless. How far does 'Fi t'li t 'e he l control hne ckf an t d h e j sk n i e a isibL°Eti.'%wiiiTse God's ttirn e i r ngintt, r , s M aZ this differ in regard to what is dark' and inscrit-• - sending, 'lying spirits' into Ills' children, 'etc., tc , table from the common representations, among have ever continued to feed to fatness the superstition those who believe in the Bible, of the condition ~ of- Christendoin. The Bible's wicked• curse upon Co ot...the, wicked:in the future , world ? • ' ' noon has been the prevailing : _plea, with: so-called Christians for carrying fire, and sword into Africa ~Jiiuk my.eoneern ,with •this -statement now is and robbing": . millions ' '' her of tens of of her children. mesetyAs a representatiou.of your view of God Its causeless and cruel wars, charged on God Him-` as,a Being Of limitedipowers; as having, by mis- self, •justify every war and every murder. - Its one .for c tune , or accident, made men " • too 'great" for oliort line : 'Thou shalt not suffers, witch to live,' has . . 'costthehaein g an d .burning. ef. ManythouilndS of hin; (*teing incapable ofAionverting man if he innooentwomer aia l= fe,i lte=;fore should gc.astray,, by turpOweiOf his own'; and . fanoifuieiimecfn innocent won t an being so bouud i .fetteredi:and tompelled,‘ by 'guilty of the first ' sin, and its charging':chiefly upbn the physicalond Axed laws of the universe, that 'that:sin her pains in "child , bearing, hiWe iiiAe fai•qo hc • s eaffuotmitlikkin- this.world , or the next; inteie.• justify ,man in. staulpingher liiithtinterierlty and in , . )• , playing- the t rant over Lev. Itar re. 44 tin pgaq•l l )"' "Thlincle," ;or byi,theditectoperation , of , '' 'be the - Hater 7''' ' 4 " P.--c '' ' 9P ' -11 g 'q qd 'to ' of men, and of some even before they' his own power, to save a sinner : a part of the were born, must go far toward making it impossible fir i.ginal Comunntitatiarts. THE AMERICA PRESBYTERIAN, THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1868, for those who believe in such a God, to have just minds and loving hearts. In its own words, 'And what shall I say more?—for the time would fail me to tell of ' all the foolish and abominable things in this book, which ecctesiastical authority commands us to gulp down, or, 'without picking and culling,' as one of my good old ministers required. I said the Bible was the bestrof-books. It is such, when it is allowed to be read in freedom and with discrimination. But it is, perhaps, not too much to say that it is the worst of books, when read under authority, and with no liberty to call any of its words in question. This belief that every word of the Bible is true— how much evil it has wrought!"—pp. 10, 11. . . There are several partictildri here that .deserve special attention,„ My object in noticing them_ will not be at all to inquire into the truth or cor rectness of your representations of the. Bible= which is a Iloint riot before',us now—but to look at ,the book as, with this view, adapted to help us, out of our difficulties in / regard to the state of thingsactutillY existing in the world :`—the, fact of the introdiiction or 'sin 4114 thisery,"and the probability of the continuance' of sin drtsuffer ing beyoncl,;the grave.:—as a book adapted to , clear, up the. darkness; that rests, on. the subject, and to make the mind calm. The, particular thing's t'h'e Bible, aecording, yOur view of the' book, iihielr's4exii to claim Spaeial are the &lifting: (a.) " It f.s l the best Of books--a.repository of the , sulalimest inspirations principles, ,and, pre, cepts. , . (b.) It " cibatxds . fn i foolish NIS6 a j nil ingk peAidious ' has been the , oanse 'of all.the:lwrongs. dope. to Africa :—in your estimation, and in mine, not trivial,,or ,;. • (d.) It has , been We main support and cause of all the Persecutions against witchcraft; and of the =crimes Connected with suoh persecution. (a.) It ' has revealed a " moNsraous 'Crop." Thus you say, (p. 8,) of certain things Which oc curred among the Hebrew people " Their enor mities grew largely of their belief in that and - stoisisTnous Goo, Whit, un-' happily, became the God of the Christiiiti. 'nations. It , Prev,ents men, ,by its instrantions , and doctrines, from " havincr just Finds s and lovinc , hearts. (#.) There is nothing,certaid aboutit. ThuS yOu7 say, (p. 9;) of the SaviOur, " That it is far from,tertain that he , spoke what, is recorded of ~And, again Jou, say, ",,We,have no right te`helieve. that his speeches were, word for, word, as recorded. ill' that 'book." 'tii.). l Tfteg3ible is, according to your 'vie*, full of fttlseh r oods.tllt‘midoubtedly affirms thaeChrist, after his i reanrrection .from the dead, ascended to hcaven, l ., But,, you Ba.h ! (p. 5,) ",But little, evi. 7 den& is necessary to prove, that a man has died. Thatllis bieithless body went straight Way into the Teardcy be believed `on any alizient oker(fience." :And thus you say, (p.. 14;) that , in.the,divArke administratkon,iunder, the unvary,- inglaws,, , whiph govern the universe , ; there "no rborn for the ioorking of miracles," and that the world cannot much longer " have patience with the whiehteath these things Ant the 3,3ible is fait Of iniraeles. They 'are its; mg warp and woof. They enter into its very,,, Structure. _They are,tounslqn almost every page. Yet,- according to your : view all theses from w,nntn:q . to 'end; are, falsehoods; the account of the creation' of 'the- world, and of man; the ac count •of the. deluge; and , of the destruction of Sodom a,n,d, Gomorrah; the, account' of, miracles in Egypt, and of the deliveranee,,of the Israel-, ites, and of the passing through the Re Sea;. the account of 'the Inearnatieh of the:trn edeeer, andArf- his , healin4. the sick, and 'restoring blind, the lanie, and the deaf; the account of. the raisingpf .Lazarus, and of his own-resurrec tion and ascension. No book is so full of mar vels and miracles as the pita. Not Herodotus or Livy; dat eien the Iliad or the iEnend; not the.lnferno of Dante; Or the Paradise Lost; and; therefore, on ,yOur 'thsory, no. book is so full of falsehoods, as the Bible.. Is this , then the best of Books f" is, there, for benighted man, no better guide , 143 a fOthre world; no better, safer instructor than this'? Yes :'the works of Seneca' and Ciee`ro are better r forAhere are not so many falsehoods in them. The Koran is better, for it does not pretendto record•the , work - ing of mira cles by the PrOibet. There are many books that are riot things; that do not sustain the wrong's against'Africa; that do not reveal a monstrons'? God ;'.that do not record "foolish' and abominable, thins ;!' that do not on almost every page record a falsehood., Such 'al)* as the Bible is , according to your view, is wholly unreliable ai 'a history; Wholly'unworthY of God, as a revelation j' WhdllY Valteless Man' PS traveler to anotheruivorld'; wholly undesirable in' its influences , on the: morals , and the happiness of mankind. How this *book 'can be called the. " best of books," is a mystery which I „shall not attempt If this is the b'est'' of books, which is thelspiii..st of bookil'' ' Such, then, .are your views of man, of God, of Christ, of the .I4lp, kdonpt now say that they are erroneous viers T -for, ; that.is ; not the point, before uls'; I only siy. that' 'they are your views. You ask me tooxeliange thY . Orri long-eherished' opinion's for. these; , in order that I may obtain light and peace imregard to the dark things on earth whiph,perple,men ; regard, to ,the, am solved Myiteries of the futureworld.. .It r ill probably occur to yOUr'orn mind this • Stage of the inquiry, that I shall not be likely to em'i'rate your suggestion. Whether your. views will Se more satisfactory to ,other men than they are to me, is not,,for me to • , I havenow gone over the main pi s ints in your letter, wind finisfie'd what' inteoded to say. I have endeavored' 'to be cciurteous,'but,•St • the same tioio have. d'esired ,- to - write-you such a letter that you would nclt be likely to .write me' another. You will,„at least, I think, give me credit for rail kayinc , ° giien,you i occasion to do , this any, designed inisiepreientntion of your views. ' Thus we pass on—you and I tcivia'id theend t of our journer—arifend to either of 'us . not LOW far distant. You,,if have , correctly understood your views with..a belief, that man is Barnacle that there, can be no security that he will. not sin while iiithis'World, and' in any . future condiEidni that no power'cairbe prOperlyeiertedto.prevefit hisosirmitigiwithout iviblatidg his freedoin; .that 'by so endowed asithusjo sin, - aud,thns to set Is Mager at e ance,,he shows his I real ' lie can stl 1-1. t " ,! greatnegs; that can so sin that his Creator. cannot recover him except by his own agency, or in other words, can do nothing to effect this without violating his freedom; and that all this is essential to just views of moral agency, and must exist in the future world as well as in this, and consequently, that there can never be a state in which man can be secure from sin, and there fore from suffering. Thus, too, you hold in re gard to God, that his power is limited by the hu man will, he having made man so " great" that he cannot control him; that he does all that he can to save him from ruining himself, but in vain; that exhausts his power in this respect ftresent life, and that man enters the eter nal world with no hope of help from his Maker ; an that o unself is so boundan controlled by: the fixed and inexorable laNis of themniverse, that he cannot interpose even by miracle to aid and save man. Thus, too, in regard to Christ, you hold that we have no certain knowledge, of what he said at any time ; 'that even if' we were' assured that he' had made an affirmation on any subject, his word%would not establish its :truth ; and that it is impossible to prove that, he .asce4- ,ded to heaven in a bodily form._ rWhat became of that Saviour, whose existence you do not deny, 'but - assume, you do not' Say; what he for mane you: 'have not inforitied us; what he taught we have no ,means of .ascertaining.. Thus, also,,in regard .to thg, Bible. You profess to censider it, as the ‘‘ best of books," but at the 9£4lll ‘ e time +describe it, as a . book of no pradical value • 'a &kik' ihaereveats, a' do l d that' cannot' post:4l;ly lbe laved, honored, or adored; a 'hook full of pnerilities , and trifles; a bocik not reliable as a history and:full.of falsehoods; a, book in re lation to which we have,no possible means • of determining what is false and what, is true; a hick& that - has been the occasion of `ntimberress crimes, wars,' persecutions, and acts of tyia.nny and oppression in the world; a book r therefore,' wholly worthless and valueless as a guide to an other world. I on the other hand cherish the belief that man; thofigh 'free, may be restrained, converted from siniland made secure in holiness-consistent ly with;his freedom; that God has the power to convert,ancl save,most hardened offenders, and to sanctify the vilest of the race . ; that he rules the universe with infinite wisdom and goodness, though We 'may not he able now to comprehend' the 4.eascin of, his doings.; that there is 'an all sufficient Saviour provided , for man, and that, through him, ,salvation , , on, easy And reasonable terms, is sincerely ofiered.`to, all mankind; that God has given to man a ievelation—not foolish, pnerile; contradictory; 'absUrd, but;a safe and , reliabluguide in all that ie Dean nary or desirable, for man to knowlor:to believe in order to salvation that a sinner may be saved, and that when saved, his salvation will be secure'for ever and ever. • , Trythe main labtein regard to the introduc tion.of' sin and woe into our world, wodo.not--. we ogatnt=differ.. The facts are before our eyes 7, and we cannot deny them. In regard also to the'existenets or sin and woe beyond the grave net' differ' essentially, for you have ex pressly-admitted 'that they will exist there. - For myself I-confesa that all-this is dark. I. do not unclerstani,it,uow;. I do.lnot, ,hope to be able• to understand it is thispresent life. But ,I enter tain no doubt that - it emzy be understood, and that it is consistent with the idea that God is just, and wise, and good; that he is worthy of universal confidence, adoration, affection, and praise:—and such a,,Ged I believe ,presides over all. Your system seems.to me uot only to, ..offer. no explanation, of these fach3, but to involve the whale'silbject in ae l epei " and gloom—in worse than,Egyptian darkttess- , —tt darkness . which; if you will, allow me to quote from'a book which you say is full of " puerilities" and "absurdities," is " as the shadow of death ;, a land of darkness as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death without, any ordd, and where' the light Is dark ness!), Job it. 21; 22. It isnot,probable that at, nry time of life I shall materially change my views in, regard to subjects the study of which • has constituted my main employniefit for more than forty years; nor can I suppose that you will materially change yours. We shall probably both .of'us-leave the world cherishing the opinions which we .now hold on the Most, vital subjects which can occupy, the at tention of the human mind. We shall leaie to our Mende and to the'world; so far as the world may feel any interest in know ing what we -believed, these, two 'very different systems as the result of ,the studies, the reflect ions, the observations, of our somewhat protrac ted lives. For myself *hire — living, and as a legacy to.,my friends ends when I. j am deacl,,l wish some Veitei 'systemthat ihich - you have proposed, and which - I -have 'so freely examined; and ,I desire to leave to the world, so'far as the world shall care, any thing abont what I believed, when T. shall pass away' from among the living, my deep and unalterable 'conviction that every singer under the•divine government is in danger; that: there is beyond the grave, a world of just and eternal -retribution; that there will ,be a judgment of all mankind,;—but that there is a way of salvation from the wrath to come for all men'; •that Christ has died as the great atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world; that the benefits of that sacrifice are freely offered to every man, on :terms simple, reasonable, and easi-, ly complied with,; and that. God. has given to mankind a 'Revelation, not puerile, trifling and absurd—not'deepening the darkness of our ' con.: dition—but full' of light, 'a safe 'and sufficient guide td another and a better world. I am, with great respeet, truly yours, 111 - ah,adoo kuduin, is a Hindu, who for many 'years has been studying Christian truth. His mind is full of it, and he • does not hesitate to avow his convictions and declare the truth to his, neighbors. 'But when his friends press him with 'the aro•ument that. Christians even believe the Hindn,deities to be veritable • gods, else why, do'they'support them, he is confueed and per plexed: understands me when I tell hi e - Must judge of the faith and views of :Christians by..their own . Scriptures and religious practice ; and that this support of the temples and, idols is :only out of complaisance to the views and wishes 'of the Hindus, and yet he quickly replies, "YeS, lit very support of idolatry' is' .' part - of that practice °tour Christian. Animal, -and the part .which theanost;prominent eyes' of all the idolaters of india."—Rev.' R. G. Wilder in "Bombay Guardian." ALBERT BARNES REV, A. M. STEWART'S LETTERS-VIII (AUSTIN, NEVADA.) As we live in a land of magnificent distances, and are withal an unsettled people; no marvel need be felt that my present communication is dated at this place—so far inland, that it is neith er in the East nor yet in the West. OCCASIONS OF MY COMING After my arrival in the Golden City, the Capi tal of the West, a week.wai spent very pleasant ly. During this time various jottings were made for the Presbyterian; all of which will answer months hence as well as now. A meeting of our Pacific Committee On :Tiome Missions was held soon after my arrival. At this meeting the im pression prevailed that the, interests of our Church at this lone out-post in Austin, were lan guishing ; perhaps ready to perish. This, was much to be delirecitted, as it is an luiportaiatpoint and the out-post of our Church on the Pacific coast. After consultation, the inquiry, was. made, whether I *wild go at once to Austin and spend . . aP 'month or more " Certainly; my' mission to the Pacific Church was .to gn ' -" and very pres ently, I was, on, the read. The distance between San,Francisco and Austin is about five hundred Miles due eaStivard., As the trip has been the DMA interesting;va`ried and - picturesque I haVe ever taken,li . brief account' thereof not be uninteresting to.the Atlantic .reader. 4 .4 II Tam JOUR NEY ''LeaVing San Francisco at 4 P.-M., June Ist, owe-commodious inland steamer, we were steam ed across bays,-through channels, and up .the Sa cramento River, which was pouring down a flood tide of waters from the melting snows of the Sierra Ile distance between gan Francisco and Sacramento is one , hundred atidilkentp five Miles; a- voyage similar to one con our upper Ms sissipi, Ohio, Delaware, or Hudson. The scenery, however,—hills, trees,. shrubs, grass, land, ran ches, taverns all looked foreignof 'another land RAILROAD Ftbm Sacramento next mornin,g, we took the cars; on the western end of the great Central Pacific Road, for the summit of the Sierra Nevada Moun tains, one hundred and five miles, .As on an At lantic road, we were whirled away over the lobg wide valley of the Sacrarnentd, nnAr' in all the gergeouS beauty of early California:summer—on to the conical hills at the base,of the great monn tain- range, covered with a beautiful growth of tall, straight pipes, with limpid 'streams running , around their baSe 'from the dill' melting no* above. Here is one of the early and rich gold fields.Where miners flocked in 1848-9. Many of the hills have been literally dug and washed down in search of the precious metal. We had only a glinipse and then on through spurs Of the mountain, up awful chairns, around cliffs, that, inlbok out of the Windows at3'their curves were turned, made the head-dizzy. Awful chasms and.canyons yawn ed. thotpandsjof feet below.,What .triumphs„of engineering andenergy ! Still on, and upward into the region' of banks and avalanches of snow. Our CondlictOr finally . shOrie'd,'" ginninit," not however tbe.antual summit Of the lnotintain, Summit Station. Here commences a: long tunnel, nearly Completed, through the mocintain top. On each side of the track where we stopped, large coinpanies of Ohinamen had shoveled the snow from the track and ptt6a uplo 'the height of twenty feet. SLzidHs With some difficulty ourselves and baggage were transferred from cars td immense Sleds, each drawn by six horses, and, we are .thus conveyed across the immOiate summit of the mountain, and over snow banks, how deep none seemed able to tell. To complete the winter scene, it snowed heavily upon us during the time of our .sleigh ride, and this on the 24 of June. When over the highest ridge we, were transferred to large stage wagons, and thundered doWn the slopes of the great mountain to Donner Lake, with a rapidity and seeming recklessness eminently western. Before the close of the present month, these famous, breakneck rides will forever terminate. The rail road connection will be complete, and the mission of the sleigh and the stage on the great overland route ended. lam glad my journey came in their' day. RAILROAD AGAIN From Donner Lake the railroad is • completed forty miles eastward down the Truckee River. No full sized cars can be gotten over the mountains until the completion of the railroad. Small truck cars have been constructed` for temporary use. To these we were transferred and run down the little river with its sublime.scenery,!`in fine style to Reno, the present terminus, of ,the road —quite a bustling,to7n all constructed within the past few months. -" AGAIN STAGES At. Reno we again took stage, and were con veyed in the night to lrirgitha City, Nevada, a distance of twentYL - one Miles. Here we were al lowed to rest the remainder of.the night. About Virginia city more;anon. ACROSS THE DESERT From Virginia city, Nevada,. to Austin is two hundred miles. Forty hours of constant staging took,us across the long, lone, dreary intervening space. The immense territory comprising the new State Of Nevada, is a portiOn of that mat inte rior of our continent fitly called a Bastin' Ibe-' cause surrounded by.vast mountain: ranges from which numerous streams of waterAlow down into this widely extended region. None of them, how ever, find their way to the ocean, but terminate ire sinks or lakes; which present a'ivide'gitent of muddy, saltish water after heavy'rabia;pet in the dry Seasons nothing bat wide bed§ of cracked mud covered, with a , white alkaline efflorescence, preventing all vegetable growth, „ale region through which we passed is one of most un interesting on the earth's surface; 'cut up by ridges. of bare rocky mountains witheintervening valleys of sand and volcanic scoriae. , For what purpose has the Lord_ left so vast a region without seeming hope of human tillage? The Atlantic and Pacific iides when fully settled and developed will have ample space across which to-shike'hands or on , which fitrld some grand :Jubilee!withoittoinfrbmingupcin thedanded rights of any save a few harmless Shoihonee Indians. A. M. STEWART
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