P6ii le 'L-klurrir4l.?xtsibutkri
New Series, Vol. VI, No. 41. JohnAWeir
Strictly in Advance $2.50, Otherwise $3. 1
Postage 20ets, to be paid where delivered. I
--Sixtyfive schools, We are told, in New York
City, have applied for a share of the fund, which
by act of the preceding State legislature was set
apart for denominational schools. It was under
stood that the appropriation was made at the in
stigation of the Roman Catholics, and for their
use solely, but from the wording of the law, it
was plain that other denominations might avail
themselves of its provisions. This we are glad to
know, they are determined to do, and among the
sixty five schools whose case the commission under
the law is examining, quite a variety of denomi
nations are included.
—Hanna's WEEKLY continues to do excel
lent service in putting vividly before the public
eye such facts, in the current history of Romanism,
as are capable of illustration. A recent number
gave a portrait-picture of the Polish nun, Barbara
Übryk, as she appeared after her merciless.impri
sonment of a score i of years. humorous carica
ture is given of the Pope, as a large old woman,
standing across a railroad track and trying to
frighten bank the locomotive of modern progress
by a huge outspread umbrella, labeled "Ecume
nical Council." Last week's issue opens with a
timely article on Father Hyacinthe,with a large and
elegantly engraved head of the famous preacher,
and may we not add—Protestant, of France.
DROUGHT AND FOOD.
After a period of prolonged and destructive
drought, we, in this section of the country, are
visited with excessive and equally destructive
freshets. In the month of August, less than an
inch of rain fell in the City of Philadelphia ;
upon the last three Sabbaths alone, we presume
as much as ten inches were poured from the over
charged clouds upon our soil. And from the
Potomac River, through the whole Atlantic slope
of country, to Maine, and Nova Scotia, the
ravages of the flood of the third and fourth' of
this mouth, have formed.a leading topic of our
daily news. One whole town of considerable im
portance in Maine, Eastport, has been nearly
swept away; and the less in one small section of
the small State, of, New gawshire, has ,been put_
at three millions of dollars. In Philadelphia, the
angry floods have rolled through the paved streets,
have driven the inhabitants to boats, have put
railroad tracks for miles under water, and swept
away great freight cars from the track; and water
works and factories, which had been nearly at-a
stand still from drought, were put entirely i liors du
combat from excess of the needed supply.
These excesses of nature are worthy of our
study. If they occurred only in worlds destitute
of moral beings, with only material interests at
stake, their meauing would be as unimportant as
many naturalists among us would even now 'have
us believe. But man as a moral being; as a crea
ture conscious of subjection to a higher than
physical law, cannot but feel that, these disastrous
extremes of nature are disorders and derange
ments. They are reflections in the outward
world, of the disorder-within him. They show
th&t man and nature belong together to one world,
and that a fallen world, in which things are going
amiss. The slumbering moral sense iu man, which
is proof against many serbons, will be roused by
these awful discourses of nature, preaching now
from the brazen sky, the rainless clouds, the
parched crops and the shrunken streams; and
post with thunderbolts, with stormy winds, with
floods lifting up their voice, and deep answering
to deep at the noise of their waterspouts. It is be
cause this is a fallen world that these things are
so. In a world of purity and perfection., it is in
conceivable to his mind that such excesses and
calamities should mark the course of nature.
But not less plain than the fact of excess and
contradiction in nature, is the fact that restraint
is laid upon the irregular movements of her vast
powers. The most consuming drought, the Most
terrible storm, the most devastating earthquake,
are so limited in their scope and duration, that
the race, as a whole, rarely suffer, even in a re
mote degree, from their effects. Even the fre
quent and terrible earthquakes of South Ameri
ca do not prevent the existence of flourishing
cities over the very centres of subterranean ac
tivity. The storm rages; the winds blow; the
floods rush forth, but ere long a hand interposes;
a " Peace, be still !" is uttered, which nature, 'in
her wildest moods, never fails fo obey. The ele
mentary forces which seem perfectly 'capable, and
often on the road, to wreck the habitable globe,
and sweep man and his works into oblivion, never
do it.. Always the storm comes to an end. The
smiling face of the heavens reappears, and God
sets His bow in file aloud in token of the cove
nant, to which the powers of nature are pledged,
to keep fully within those limits which the safety
a.id stability of the race dempd.
Thus, if the disorders of nature retnind us that
we are in a fallen world, and under the govern
ment cf a God who punishes sin, the limits to
these disorders prove that the element of mercy
enters largely into the conduct of its affairs; nay,
gives it character by: its predominance. The
drought at last is succeeded by the needed rain ;
the rain that comes down in such enormous
quantities, that the fall on the surface of two
counties in the State of New York during the
3d and 4th of the month, would, if collected, suf
fice to quench the thirst of all the inhabitants of
the earth for two years, is stayed before the dam
age has materially affected the prosperity of these
counties, or destroyed a single human life. . To
pestilence, to fire, to tornadd; a voice of mercy is
ever calling : "Thus far shalt thou go' and -no
farther." It is grace prevailing over nature.
It is a mediatorial hand that lays the curb upon
the vast and brute'forces of the universe. The
world is a redeemed world,"ancl therefore it is
not given over to devastation. We, see Jesus,
crowned with glory and honor; He it is who has
dominion over the works of the divine hand.
All things are put nuclei; His feet.
Behold the goodness and the severity of God !
Despise not, 0 man ! the riches of the goodness
and forbearance and long-suffering of God 5 but
know that the goodness of God leadeth thee to
repentance.
—lt has always been understood that Speaker
Colfax,.like every other pure-minded man, is not
only the uncompromising foe of _the iniquity of
Mormonism, but regards it as a 'nuisance which
can and ought to be abated. In his lecture de
livered to vast audiences all over the country,
soon after his return from an early visit to the Pa
cific coast, he put himself as a legislator; squarely
upon the platform of opposition to the toleration
of a community practising the crime Of polygamy,
-within our borders. If he has actually done no
thing to fulfill his pledges then made, we rejoice
at the recent telling proofs which he has given,
that his repugnance to the system is as deep as
ever. In his recent visit to Utah, be not only
refuSed a public reception from the perverse and
shameless authorities of theplace 4 _,Put he took
the opportunity of urging the" Mormons fooifie
voluntary abandonnient of polygamy. However
startling this illustration of the American right of
free discussion, we have no doubt the leaders
were wise enough to let it pass, without giving
any dark hints to their Danites—or whatever
other bandi of Thugs they have at command.
But the majesty of law is insulted, if to enforce
some of her most sacred commands, , she consents
to wait the result of mere per Suasion on the part
of one of her chief executive officers. Mr. Colfax
has done his whole duty as a citizen; he and his
chief owe something more than this to the law
which they administer. If
,no more, they are
bound, pointedly, to urge the matter upon Con-
MATERNAL ASSOCIATION.
The Maternal Association of Philadelphia held
its 10th anniversary last Wednesday afternoon in
the North Broad' Street Presbyterian Church.
The exercises were full of interest. From the
report made, it appears that several Bible readers
have been successfully engaged in missionary la
bor in connection with the Association, and str
tained by their contributions. Several of the
ladies also have been very zealous in the distrit u
tion of tracts, and in visiting those who are ready
to perish. These efforts have been owned of
God, and, doubtless, many have thus been rescued
from the hands of'the great enemy of souls.
It is also. interesting to know that these godly
women, connected with the different Evangelical
churches of our city, hold a monthly meeting for
' conference and prayer. Thisis attended not only
by mothers, but by their children, and by any
Christian females who choose' to come. Former
ly- these monthly meetings were 'held in different
churches; but now, on the first Wednesday of
every month, at 3 o'clock, these mothers in Israel
assemble in the lecture room of the'church on
the corner of Broad and Green (Rev: Dr.
Stryker's.)
At the anniversary, short and encouraging ad
dresses were delivered by Rev. David Cunning
ham, Rev.. James Y. Mitchell, and the pastor of
the church, Rev. Peter Stryker, D.D.
This Association is the offspring of a similar
society existing in New York `'City, and the
monthly meetings are held in concert with theirs,
and also those of other Maternal Associations.
It is interesting to know that the laannahs, and
Marys, and Lydias, and the Christian mothers of
our land, are thus in concert every month plead
ing with. God and consulting with. each other
about the highest welfare of their children, and
ours. God bless them May they have large
meetings! Above all, may they ever have the
1 jan7o
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1869.
presence of Him who dwelt between the cheru
bim, to cheer and instruct and animate them!
Next Sabbath evening Rev. Dr. Stryker, by
request, is to preach a sermon before this Asso
ciation in the North Broad Street Church. He
ought to have a full, house. If the mokhers are
interested to heat: his words they will go and take
with them the fathers and the childten.
THE NATIONAL DEBT AND THE HEIWOF
LIQUIDATION.
Secretary Bcnitwell addressed a crowded 'Audi
ence at Horticultural Hall,. in this city, on
urday night last. Most heartily was he,wel
comed by all the friends Of a policy of lionOty;
thrift, and correct business principles in the man
agement of national, as well as personal affairs;
and most signal and clear was his testinalan:y to
the . necessity, ;importance; and practicability ,of
such a course. The entire policy of the adminis
tration, as he understood it, in regard to the puh
lic 'debt, was that it is Ito be paid, principal and
interest, according, to the terms of the contract,
and in coin, or that which men will receive as
the equivalent of coin, without any abatement
whatever. And this, he continued (after the
plause following this .announcement had sub
sided), not so much—though that indeed would
be sufficient—because they have intrusted their
property to this country upon the pledge- given,
but because, the opposite course would develop in
forty millions of people such a disregard ofright,
and the principles which underlie individual and
and public ,prosperity, as to render them the
scorn .of the nations through all ages.
In the course of his remarks, Mr. &Atwell
showed how the poor, the depositors in savings
banks, and those who would be compelled' to
handle a greatly depreciated currency, would suf
fer even more than the rich, by the proposed
payment of the debt in an enormous issue of
greenbacks; and added : " I would say, never
was a more insidious and dangerous delusion
submitted to the laboring people of this country,
than that there is any safe way for them, e':xeept,
to maiptain the doetrineflim .pubil 9 4slat
to be honestly paid."'
He showed that the existing debt is much less
in proportion .to population and property, than
the seventy five millions debt of the Revolution,
which our fathers did not hesitate manfully to
assume and honestly to pay. During the eight
years of Mr. Jefferson's administration twenty
six millions of debt were paid; an example which
was much and deservedly applauded, and which
we are abundantly able to follow. Our ability to
pay the present ,debt is proven by what we have
already done. Instead of owing some , three
thousand three hundred . millions, as we should
be, if no payments .had been made since 1865,
we owe to-day less than two thousand five hun
dred millions, having actaiallitpaid twenty-five to
thirty-three per cent. of our vastvdebt, in the four
years 'of exhaustion immediately following the
war. (And - as the Secretary, we believe, did not
add, we have been able to pay very nearly in
gold, too, for loans received in an eitreinely in
flated currency.. The difference between the
currency price of bonds which the Secretary is
now buying;and gold, is scarcely ten per cent.,
while the currency for which the bonds were
sold, at a depreciation from par value, was worth
on an average, scarcely, one-half as much as gold.)
In the seven months of the present administra
tion we have paid off fifty-six' millions- of the
debt; or at the rate of one hundred millions , a
year.
If we were to pay a hundred millions of dol
lars a year, which we can pay if the present sys
tem of taxation be permttted to remain, the pub
lic debt will be extinguished in less than four
teen •.years. If we pay fifty millions a ye ar ,
which we can pay and annually reduce taxation,
the interest-bearing public 'debt will be extin
guished in less than twenty-two years. And if
we pay but twenty-six millions a year, and reduce
taxation, as we
. may, to a very large degree, the
interest-bearing debt will be extinguished in
about thirty years. • r„
The question of our ability Myy be Considered
settled, all over the wnrld. Why should there
be the difference of one per cent. against our
credit, as compared with that of any other na
tion It can only be due to want of faith in our
disposition to pay our just debts. Let that doubt
be removed, and our debt could be funded at
probably four-and a half per cent., and thus: our
burdens of taxation largely diminished, without
retarding the day of final payment.
These are wholesome and cheering words. And
their impression will . nothe,lesened by, the an
npuncement, thus early made, that the next
monthly statement from the Treasury will stow
a further , Teduction of ten.millions.
WASHINGTON CITY-MEMORIAL CHURCH
PROPOSED.
The Presbytery of the District tof Columbia, in
session October 6th, agreed to the plan of Re-
Union by a vote of fifteen yeas to one nay.
The Presbytery' of the Potomac (0. S.), also
agreed to the plan by a vote of fifteen yeas to
four nays.
We propose to build in this city a large church
edifice commemorative of the Re-union.
We, deem it of great importance to the inter
ests of our whole Church in this land, that Pres
byterianism shoOf be well and' respectably
maintained at the seat of Govermient, and that
our cause here keep pace with other denomina
tions and with the growing population of the
metropolis. We deem it due to Presbyterian
ism to have a Church edifice which will attract
the strangers; who in increasing numbers from
every. State, visit.the national . capital, and impress
them with our denominational zeal and devotion
to the cause of our common Lord.
kther denominations, are far ahead of us in
this respect. The Roman. Catholics are making
gigantic efforts to control the . religious sentiment
of the capital by the erection of magnificent
cathedrals. The Protestant. Episcopalians have,
in the past two years, erected:three fine churches.
The Methodist Episcopalians have their great
Metropolitan church, which attracts great
crowds, besides • other fine buildings.
Washington. has doubled its population since
1861, and it is still growinr , and increasing. In
the Northwestern part of the city—near to the
Presidential mansion—therl is now a pressing,'
necessity for a church. This part of the city
will undoubtedly become, in the near future, the
most important section of the capital. Whole
blocks of first-class residences are now in course
of erection. Here, too, is Mr. Corcoran's great
Arlington hotel, now nearly 'comp] eted ; and other
public• buildings, and a population of about
eight thousand, with but one small church, Epis
copalian, itr the neighborhood.
We desire to raise $150,000 to carry out this
enterprize; but owing to the absence .of wealth
among ' our own membership, the fluctuating
charceter of large; portion of our population,
and other obstacles peculiar to the capital, we
must depend greatly Upon. the liberal men and
women ';throughout the whole Church, for the
funds adequate.
The work will be undertaken as a speciality in
connection with the General Board of Church
Erection, and• Secure d. to! that Board by a rever
sionary lien..
Rev. John C. Smith, D.D., and Byron Sun
derland, D.D., have entered into this enterprize
With great zeal and hopefulness, and we are de
termined that the work must go forward. ;
Ycitirs, truly,
T. B. McFALLs.
REV. A. M. STEWART'S LETTERS. ILVI
TREASURE CITY, Nev., Oct. 1869
•
FUNERALS AND SERMONS
An ancient wholesome maxim was : " De . mor-
Nis nil nisi bonum"—"Say nothing' about the
dead but good." Charity with her generous in
stincts, prompts that when one is dead—laid
helplesss in the coffin, a freedom should be
granted froni earthly strifes as well as earthly
censures. It may be lawful to give the dead 'a
shaking and an airing, in order to vindicate the
living. On no other groundi can Mrs. Stowe be
justified in dragging.up to light and for a fune
ral 'sermon, the putrid; debased and morally
loathsome carcass of Lord Byron;, and thereby
so to offend anew the nostrils of the living. 'Was
it needed to vindicate history ?
But while we are not to censure the. dead
without the fulleit occasion, surely, by the same
rule; we are not to praise beyond. what the
plainest facts justify. As a minister of Christ,
commissioned to preach the simple,•earnest,
truth, I have never yet stood beside an open
coffin, with its lifeless tenant, whose funeral ser
mon, as'llie terM is generally understood, it was
my desire to preach. The first funeral sermon
proper is yet •to be preached, nor is an earthly
occasion likely to occur for .its delivery.
" LIE .LIKE A TOMBSTONE."
More lies are told by inscriptions in our ceme
teries than• in a New York police-court. What
enormous falsehoods are also too often littered by
professed ambassadors of Christ, over and, above
the dead ?
E'en ministers, they has been kenn'd,
In holy rapture;
A rousing whid at times to vend
-And nail't wi' Scripture."
By lying prophets the soul of many a one is
sent to heaven, whom Christ will never likely
know—persons whose whole lives belied the
Christian profession and character—persons from
Genesee Evangelist, No. 12221.
Home & Foreign Miss. $2.00.
Address:-1334 CheAnu. Street
whom neither earnest word or action ever gave
the least indication that they were, while in the
flesh, on Christ's side. The blasphemies of Po
pery on this subject should not be enacted by
those outside the Roman Catholic Church.
The lying profanities of making saints of open
and filthy sinners in life are notorious at the
funeral, of various secret and other so-called be
nevolent societies.
FUNERALS IN WHITE PINE
Notwithstanding, tho above negative discourse
on funeral sermons, your correspondent has be
come quite noted for his often-preaching at fune
rals .siuce coming into this wonderful mining
community.
Owing to the unsettled condition of society,
and the ill-defined legal tenure of property,
deaths by violence are sadly common. From the
many blasted hopes, utter wrecks and total fail
ures in life, suicides are far too common. Deaths
from drunkenness and from accident are of al
most daily occurrence. Deaths from exposure and
ill accommodations for living are more in pro•
portion to the population than itimore settled
communities. Deatli also makes his inroads,
here as elsewhere, by ordinary causes. And al
though this conglomerate of twenty thousand
people, is seemingly farther estranged from God,
than any the earth elsewhere sustains; yet does
there exist a very general desire—a religious
feeling, a superstition,—a something, which
prompts the living to have religious services at
the funeral of even the most abandoned. Being
the only Protestant minister within hundreds of
miles, calls to attend funerals have multipliel
from every side. My custom is, if possible, to
go and preach. I preached four times, at four
different funerals lately, in in one day. I never
preach to or about the dead, but always to the
living. I was called, a few days since, to the
funeral of a noted suicide, about, whose coffin,
when arriving, numerous candles were burning.
I preached to the people of faith, repentance
and, a judgment to come—and especially against
the sin of‘self-murder. At the funeral of one
killed in a, broil, I inveighed against the cow
ardly habit of secretly carrying deadly weapons ;
yet knowing that a large portion of my audience
had Bowierknixes and, loaded Colt's revolvers in
their pockets. At the burying of a:public func
tionary, who had died from drunkenness, I
preached strongly against the habit of using in
toxicating drinks. Yet in these and every other
instance, I have had an attentive and most re
spectful hearing. The seed of the Word has
thus been cast upon the waters which may be
found after many days. Not a few have been
preached to from whom a hearing could hive
been had under, perhaps, no other conditions.
An old Catholic priest has, for some time past,
been operating in these diggings. What the
ideas or the-order of the scarlet woman are about
burying the dead, are not fully known to me.
But for some cause the irreverend father has re
fused to attend the funerals of quite a number of
professed Catholics., In three instances I have
been.invited to hold religious services at their
funeials, and enjoyed thus an unexpected oppor
tunity of preaChing the truth as it is in Jesus to
Catholic assemblies. A. M. STEWART.
Presbyteries.—The Presbytery of Catskill
has approved Reunion on the last Assembly's
basis, nemine contradicente. They received Rev.
Andrew Montgomery from the Presbytery of
Debi Fare, who is engaged as supply of the church
at Jewett. Dismissed Rev. W. S. Drysdale to
the Presbytery of Wellsborough. Recommend
ed the cause of the Freedmen earnestly to
the churches to be placed on the list of objects
for benevolent contributions. Resolved to seek to
raise, not less than one dollar a member from all
our churches for the cause of Home Missions.
Also Resolved, That it is regarded as exceedingly
desirable that. contiguous congregations should,
when practicable, form themselves into joint
pastorates for the economy of our too meager
ministerial: force. On this subject there was a
very earnest discussion, if that can be called a
discussion when all• are on one side. It seemed to
be regarded as a matter vital to the interest of
the Presbyterian Church.
With a view Ito facilitate such an arrangement
between the First and Second churches of Dur
ham, located only three miles apart, Rev. Alvin
Cooper resigns the charge of the latter,
after la
boring in it for ten years with much comfort,
and with marked attachments strengthing from
year to year. /-
This is not (as you had got it from some
source) in order to a union of the churches,
which would be, by no means, ciesirable. But in
the hope that both being left vacant together,
they might agree upon' a man to serve both
churches, and thus, in .effect, give one man more,
to the work of the.ministry. If this can be ac
complished I shall cheerfully leave a pleasant
home and a people to siborn I am more strongly
attached than I expect 'ever to be to any other,
and go forth, to seek' a new field - of labor. I un
derstand the'First church of Durham have voted
a call to the Rev. Chisrles-Boynton, from. Wis
consin.' .E hope the Second may act in concert
with them. •
The church at Windham Centre have justre
constructed the interior of their house of worship
at a cost of $3,000, and 'the architect has car
certainly done his part well toward renderinz it
an attractive place. A. C.