E S ALLISON,I Earn PATTERSON, ALLISON & CO., Proprietors. NAAS IN ADVANCE. ringlr nr in Clubs,) 82.00 is /Jilin or TUE CITILS 2.50 ding uP TEN subscribers and upwards, tit led to a paper without charge, and not or the second ten; b Wild be prompt, a little before the year expil letters to JAMES ALLISON & CO., PITTSMTRGE, PA. For the Presbyterian Banner. hien of Colleges. 1. Colleges of Jefferson and Wash o approved themselves the in of great good, no one is dispose( No better proof of their useful Id he demanded, than 'the fact tha their alumni are' found oo positions in both Church am ,100 wog - flout the length and breadtl 1.11.,1 • But we here ask a question e ourselves have so often beet II 1 1 , 1 are two of them so contigu prim l :"? Why should there be two substantially under Presbyteriai i n the same Chartiers Valley ;.even miles of each other ? card this question seriously askedh: .erians and other friends of educe 'rem the East and from the West he North and from the South, am .er have been able to return an an which would be satisfactory to ow it i or even to ourselves. We have leard the question answered ina wad ld deem satisfactory to a disinter .nd reasonable man. The truth its ie individuals most influenced b: interests can see no need fur' morn ie of these institutions. The oiti Canonsburg, whose. convictions aro ;t profound of the vital necessity t( :at public of a College in his owl .own, can see no need of another .en miles off, at Washington. Not dweller in Washington see an 3 •eason why there should be a Colleg( seven miles of him, at Canonsburg is to be another within the corpo of his own borough. What end subserved by these. Institutions, ir separate capacity, which could not )3( • attained it' they were united so as tc one strong .and glorious College i mfidently answer, none—except it 3 gratification of some private prejw which had better at once be buried those families who feel themselveg their College, and dependent 'upon their livelihood,' would bettered • than worsted, by the union.. We have been convinced for yearg the great masse of the friends of Institutions, in this re g ion, were ly in favor of their union ; but recent more than verified our convictions, Le Synod of Wheeling, when it wag iced that one individual would give thousand dollars, upon condition of union, not a few shed tears of joy. of Jefferson vied with alumni of ington, in expressing their . earnest 3 Ihr the moms ,of the movement, College was then represented by mem• of its Board of Trustees. Among Om 1, there appeared to be no difference of The'excellent President of Wash on, with a disinterestedness which it table to his heart, warmly seconded scheme; although he could not shell • that its success might deprive hilt .. exalted position which he-now fills have indubitable evidence that th( interest and unanimity prevailed the subject was presented in th( of Pittsburgh. Nor are we permit to doubt that the Synod of Allegheny ld have entered into the movernew a zeal not to be surpassed by her sister is, Then when we consider that the ;term and elders composing thosettbtei Is aro the true index by which we an mauve the wishes of the masses of th , ids of the Institution's in a-vast regioo country, who can. doubt that the Prev Irian population from which both Col must expect their support, both as t oy and students, is overwhelmingly i • of their union. .ow the point we make here is, that ,T responsibility will rest upon the head those who, in total disregard of the wit an interested people fo'vnanitnously ea satd, will lend amr influence, to defeat 'meat so universally desired, and pron results of such incalculdble advantag if this much-to-be-desired nide ild be defeateli ; we are much mistake hose College officials, who are charge its defeat, ehall not be made to feel ir sorrow, against themselves and the liege, whose interests they have so ail alp misunderstood, the crushing weigl that wise public opinion which they ha , unwisely disregarded.. 11. But we do not urge the union mere Cause it is earnestly demanded by tl oat bulk of the friends of the two Inge ions. We are ready to -show that f ion would cure great evils and be prod; ' great good, and that hence the t mil is reasonable. Let us suppose that Presbyterians v lets in this region were able and will' fully endow — these two Institutions, hat they could be manned _with able .Pro fessors so amply supported that they could be permanently retained l thus putting each College on an equal footing with Yale Col lege, or Union College in the State of New- York. Who dries not see that this would be a useless, if not a reckless, waste of money and the time and labor of able and useful men ; all of which could in many other ways be expended with greater ad-. vantage to the cause of God and humanity ? Vet this, and nothing less, must be done, iF they remain in their separate capacity, or the, cause of sound education in this re gion must suffer. For it is certain that two starveling Colleges, dragging along a precarious existence, can never fill the Place of one well-endowed, permanent and efficient institution. It is notorious / however, that the friends of 'these Institutions are either not able or nor willing to give either one of them an ample endowment. We could have no bet ter evidence of this fact,.than that at this late day of their history, sucli is the ex treme poverty of both, that each may be said to be struggling for a bare existence. And thus will it ever be, unless they are united so as to concentrate on one Institu.' tion the energies and liberality which are now divided between the two, but for the most part lost to both. The friends of either Institution living contiguous to it, have not endowed it; and if we seek aid from abroad for the endowment of either, men, instead of giving us their money, be gin to ply us with that puzzling question : What is the need for two Colleges, under Presbyterian influence, within seven miles of each other ?" The difficulties against which both of the Colleges are struggling, and must ever struggle unless they are united, are palpa , ble to the most casual observer. Lord Ba con lamented that in his day such was the poverty of the I T niversities of Great Brit ain that it was difficult to retain distin guished men as Professors, because' they could obtain compensation much more liberal for their labor* other employments. But not only is there a continual drain upon the professional talent of those two Colleges flowing toward ether and better endowed institutions ; it ‘ is even worse , than this. If I mistake net, the facts are in.the possession et• the editors of the Banner, which bear me out in saying, that Profes sors have been oompelled to leave one or perhaps both of these Collegere v beoanse the_ 'Prospect of a oomfottable Flivelitocid. for then/ 091 ) 1 0N 'ma families` was rat from co; 1 1. - _u'slittrttt+,aft.t.... - i,,1--- .. a . . ittt, t,r---, VOL. XII. NO. 36 fain. The highest order of talents cannot be secured for these institutions, and re tained in them, in the present condition of their finances. Their union would be the sure remedy for this and other evils. M. A word here as to location. • Inas much-as both the editors of the Banner, as well as your present correspondent,. are all Alumni of Jefferson College,' we. might have no difficulty in, deciding the question of-ipeation in favor of Canonsburg. And the people of Canonsburg would agree with us, that their own village is the best possi ble place for the one college of this region. On the other hand, the people of Washing ton and the Alumni of their College,' are all probably fully convinced that no other spot presents so many advantages for an in stitution like the one in question, as the borough of Washington. But let me sug gest that the great people who look on at a distance may take a different view of the matter. What the people want is one first class college; and the location is to them, at most, but a secondary matter. And if Canonsburg possesses any overwhelming advantage over Washirigton, or Washing ton over Canonsburg, is it too much to suppose that such overwhelming adVantage would be discovered by a judicious and dis interested committee, such as would be se lected by the trustees of both institutions, to decide upon the site of the united Col lege ? But we contend that it is not necessary to locaic the whole establishment at the one place or the other. Why not so arrange, the matter that we will have a first-rate classical school, and a school for the! study of modern languages at the one_plade, and the College proper at the other ? It is our opinion, that a first-rate classical sel!iool is as muoh a matter of real necessity in this region, as even a first-class College oi Uni versity. It mightbe determined thitt the College proper should be located at the ope place, and at the other a first-rate classic al school, and an agricultural school in which, along with husbandry, the students 'might be taught mathematics, natural 'sciences, and the modern.languages. Then, -if after such a division as this, the two town could not otherwise agree aslo which pail, each would have, we see no reason why they might not refer the matter solemnly to God, and determine it by lot. The fact that the 'two branches of lan •in stitution, controlled by one. Board of Trus tees, and under the direction of one ,Preid dent, would be seven miles apart, 'so far from being an insuperable objecti6n, is nothing unusual. IV. But supposing every attempt at uni; ting these two institutions to fail : whatithen.? Answers to this question have already been attempted. Your correspondent, " John," suggested the locating of another Collu,e at Beaver, Pa., to be amply endowed: and the reducing of Jefferson and Washington to the rank of first-class Academies, to .be feeders to the proposed College. TO this scheme we offer no objection, if a sufficient guaratee is furnished, that we- will not• then' have three poverty-stricken Colleges instead of two, as under the present regi men. - The co Friend - of Education," then, as if antieipatirvg this one doubt, suggests the idea of attracting certain portions.ref the endowments, of the existing Colleges to the new institution, and concludes that, this, 'and the $50,000 offered on the conditional union of Jefferson and 'Washington; and 160,009 more l and as much more mo4ey as mut& be obtaited i imaCcon - stittitol-au piiieidOviiiient for a first-class College at Beaver. Again, we have information from a source, which is entirely reliable, that if such an institution were to be located at Steubenville, _as your correspondents' pro pose to locate at. Beaver, the people of Steubenville and vicinity would erect for it buildings to 'the value of $30,000.; To this also we have no objection, if it would not result in any way compromising the interests of that . very supeilor Female Sem inary which already exists in that 'city. One grave objection, however, obtains against all, these schemes. Their success must depend upon the harmonious working of so many diverse elements, that the prob abilities of failure - will be greater than in our attempts to unite the two existing ' Col leges. At the risk of rendering confusiOn of counsel doubly more confounded, we will offer another suggestion, which we think, being simpler, may be more practicable; and promise better success. If the proposed union should fail, it is not probable ;that both institution should be equally charge able with: its defeat. On the other hand it is not at all improbable that one of them might be altogether blameless in the' whole affair. Why then punish the innocent with the guilty ? If it be made clear then that one College• is willing to accede to the demand of the 'public as .to the union,' it appears evident to xis that the better plan would be to concentrate our 'energies and means on that College, and give it an am ple endowment, then .its present rival will be compelled, from its .very little ness, to hide itself under the overshadow ing wings of its all-powerful neighbor. Then the union would be, after all, accom plished. * For the Presbyterian Banner. etter from a Delegate of MS Christian Com mission. STEAMER GENERAL BUZIA April 28,186 g. Mr. Joseph, Albree, Treasurer U. S. Christian Commission, .Pittsburgh:—When I received from you a commission for a term of service in the Army of the Cumberland, you requested a report of my labors. " At Nashville, Tenn., Bro. Townsend who had been commissioned at the same time, and libored generally in conjunction with me, reported in part at the middle of the term, and I authorized him to say, that what he had written would answer equally well for me. Since then, the general tenor of, our service, performed all at the same Station, has been so nearly the same as before as to endanger the aspect of staleness in any thingjdditional that might be said in that 'train. W bile the minutia of. occurrences that take place in the experience of dele gates are so numerous and so diversifie4, "that. if they should be written every one, I suppose that even 'the world could, not contain the books that should be written." A few things taken almost at random from my impressions and observations in the work, must suffice for this - communick Lion. First of all, the work itself is inter esting beyond expression—at least by such a pen as mine.- It is difficult to conceive how a man with the " mind, that was in Christ Jesus" could ever;. grow weary of labor in it. ,The delegate often meets a warm-hearted soldier, as faithful to his God as to his country, in whose eye stands the tear of spiritual emotion while he is told of "the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ," and gives the grateful assurance that in the midst of multiplied temptations such in strtititithis will enable him more boldly to ti stand up for Jesus." And when, after asking some noble,. manly fellow, "Is'your heart right with . God r he receives a neg ative reply almoit uniformly, it is,,e*pressed in stalk of o=o4 and With such PITTSBURGH, WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 1864. manifestations "of gratitude that any one cares for his soul, as to beget a joyful confi dence that the bread cast upon the waters shall be found after many days. In re turn for such questions and counsels, also for the. gift of Testaments, Byron Books, other little books for soldiers, and religious papers, I have heard, " Thank you,, thank you sir," with a frequency and warmth of utterance surpassing my experience in all the previous years of life. To no other class of persons is it more easy and delight. ful work to preach " the glorious Gospel of the blessed God," than to the soldier, whether in the barracks, camp, hospital or even the military prison.. In the last named place, generally the attendance is as numerous, and the attention as close and respectful, as anywhere else. An incident in my ex.perienee:there, may be admitted to record, i by way of showing the high es timation n which our COIIIMISSIOII is held by those who receive its benefactions and blessings. " At the close of a discourse in the prison, one day, a very pdrtly inmate, of in& coma rtanee, and, with a bandaged :neck stepped forward and presented me with five dollars for the Christian Commission. When I said, "'I trust I may regard you as a Chris tian brother," he replied, "No; I did pro fess religion when a boy,' but after Ward had reason to believe myself mistaken as to my experience.: but for a good • while past I have made no , pretensions that way. But my musings here during the past three weeks have deeply impressed me with the conviction that nothing else than_ the re ligion of Jesus can reach and relieve the wretchedness and sin of man, and that no other organization is doing so much :to ap ply it where it is most needed, as the Chris tian Commission." Just as he said; this, an armed guard approached him and said, " Captain, your case is coming up for in quiry we will go to Court." I found that he was Capt. J. A. Thornhill, of the 9th Tennessee. Cavalry, and had got into a quar rel with his Colonel, in which they had mutually shot each other. In the Penitentiary where convicts un der State laws were impriSoned, we 'Were allowed to meet and address them only on the Sabbath. Every one who .was permit ted and able, would come out and listen with an eagerness that seemed awful, and receive the papers and other reading mat ter as cordially as soldiers do. Not one of them seemed satisfied unless he coOd also have the privilege of grasping the preach er by the hand and thanking him for his interpst them, and also for his message. Having addressed them only on two gays, when they learned that I would be there no 'more, they seemed as sorry as would have been reasonable - to expect,' had my stay been among them for as many years. In Hospital-work, the sensitive -heart is deeply stirred by the' distresses of brave men .who suffer so much for the support of their*Government. And yet . it is highly gratifying, o find that in almost every in stance it is borne without a murmur or a Word of regret for having engaged in a war which brought such troubles upon them. If anything like regret was expressed, it was only because they were so long pre; vented from taking part in the glorious Work of their cotintry's deliverance from rebellions usurpations; or that they had not improved their time of health and com fort in securing peace with God and laying hold on eternal life. duly, Aigip iaiareery.able to artiettfate;and evidently at the door of death, said, in broken accents, " My, father and mother, my wife and daugh ter, are all in glory, and I am a poor, wretched, miserable sinner, lingering here on the borders of earth. When the last, died, she told me to meet her with .Tesus, .but still I have no interest in him." As he grasped my hand with almost convulsive strength, on being asked , if I should pray with -him, he exclaimed, ".0, I would like it very much;" and while I prayed, the cot on which he lay, quivered like an aspen leaf. But it is among the. thousands of refu gees from East Tennessee, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia,, and Mississippi, that the delegate sees wretchedness of the very darkest typ.e. Perseented at home for their Union proclivities, and stripped of all their property, unable to buy provisions at fam ine prices, many died of starvation. - Oth ers by the thousand have struggled through to Nashville, and, some still farther on in a Northern direction. When they are crowd ed into such houses as can be obtained for them, in the proportion of ten. to one that could with safety breathe the air, they - are largely smitten with measles, followed by cough and general decline, from which very few recover. Whole •families of, from five to ten persons have thus been carried to the grave in the course of a few weeks, and scarcely one 'has not been constrained to bury the dead out of Sight. 0 with what untold, untenable *ails of agony does the so-called Confederacy sound the knell of its coveted nationality as it dies in the very act of struggling into birth ! Of the gratifications enjoyed in our 'Work, that of Christian brotherhood among the delegates, notwithstanding the great variety of their denominational connections, is fax from being the least. Never before-had we so good an opportitnity to " behold how good and 'how pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." Many a brother ,whose acquaintance was formed within the brief period will be viewed again and again on a bright spot of the tableau of memory while she performs her office. Nor brethren only. Sisters, too, in appropriate departments of the same blessed work, vie with the delegates and even excel them in their self-denying de votion to toil, and in their happy influence on the grateful recipients of their servi , Of3S. . • With Mrs. Dr..Tohn Harris, a Philadel- of world-wide reputation for self sacrificing zeal respecting the welfare, tem poral and spiritual, of soldiers and all oth ers who suffer in any way in consequence of "this cruel war," T formed an acquaint ance that will be regarded as one of the joys of life. Also a gratifying acquaint ance was formed with Misses M. E. Moor head, H. S. Lathrop, and L Shaw, of Pittsburgh, Pa., (who are doing a toilsome but noble work in the " diet, kitchen " of the Cumberland hospital) and with Mrs. Capt. Horner, acciedited agent from. the State of lowa. With some Of these a few of us had the pleasure of a hasty drive to " the Hermitage," and saw with no common emotions, the grounds, the vault,the mansion, the parlor, and portrait (taken eight days before death) of that heroic man, who, in the opinion of all leyal Americans, would have crushed in the laud this fearful_rebel lion, had it been his lot to have filled the Presidential chair just before the incoming of the present administration. A lady of our number, by special favor, was-admitted. to the private room in which he died, con taining the bed on which he breathed out his patriotic soul to God, and a stand sup porting a well-used Family Bible, open, and on it his glasses lying as he left them almost nineteen years ago. Was it won derful 'that . she , - came out with cheeks. bathed in tears that would not cease to flow But by all delegates in - our department, should be regarded as guilty of criminal . omission, if I failed to mention the main spring of our comfort and efficiency at the Nashville Station. Rev. E: P. Smith, of Pepperal, Maine, the General Field Agent of the Commission for the whole •Army of the Cumberland, is remarkably qualified both by nature and grace, for the critical, responsible, and influential post which he fills so faithfully. His accomplished lady, also, in chargetof a household varying from twenty-five to ;forty-five, some of whom are coming and going daily at very untimely hours, never seems tdfeel pur annoying en cumbrance, elicit: tho Ugh weighed down;by prolonged dom&tie affliction. She .wnfild always address ;:kind word to. delegates, or turn upon their a beaming countenance, which made their labor light, and thn very place seemed hortne-li ke. Respe.oting - F.i R. Ewing, their active as sociate in-the Business Department of the Commission, irbear to record my-impres sions, lest. they ~ hould be set down fto the score of partiality to my own county, his native place andfiome., In short, if -t .eople df - oun'eongrega: tions could b. •.e.,9 tearful' eyes, w. ,:ilteen;th; channels of supply for this • 6f human institutions, would be Wideried:and deepened:to a glori our extent. In conclusion, have only to say that during, forty daysp within the drmy-lineS (two of which were wholly taken up in travel) I preached 81 times, prayed 64, of ficiated at two funerals, distributed 30 Bi bles, 374 TestainentS, 70 SOldier's Hymn Books, 560 small 'books, 100 pamithlets, 2,465 religious ,papers, 12,000 'pages of tracts. I now return home with feelings of over flowing gratitude:4o' my- congregations and to God, for the privilege of a:first vacation in a pastorate of a - quarter of i.eeritury. ALEX. DONALDSON . . Less , -and Moro. Two prayers, dear Lrd„ in one— Give me both less ind more; .- Less of th' impatientlworld; and more of thee, Less of myself, an all that heretofore .. , Made me to slip I ere willing feet do rimy And held me back f m where I fain would be— Kept me, m=Lord, from-thee! All things which mosk I need ' - • Are thine ; thou Wilt bestow Both strength and shield, and be *my willing guest; Yet my weak hea4kes up a.broken reed, Thy rod and staff doth readily forego, And I, who might berieh, am poor, distressed, Arid seek, but have not rest. How long, 0 Lord, hey( long? So have I cried of late. As though I knew not What I well do-know : Come thou, Great Master-Builder, and create Anew that whichris igine ; undo my wrOng— Breathe on this waste, and life and health bestow ;- Each plant Of grace make grow. Hear thou this prayer, -and then— Wh4 then?- My soul shall wait and ever pray--41l prayers, dear . LOrd; in one— Thy will O'er mine in all this mortal state- Hold regal swaY. To thy commands, Amen ! Break from my-waiting lips till work is done, And crown and glory won! ' - • For the Presbyterian Banner. The Reflex Influence of the Mission on the Whites. ()rine& co r - 7- • ; ... . . to show th eat good had resulted to t owe. Indians from-what was long known as the "lowa and Sac Mission:4We will now pursue the work of the. Mission a little farther, and see some of its benefits to : the surrounding whites. These are a part of its good fruits, and a pleasing return to the Church and people of God. True godliness and philanthrophy are ' like leaven':-they diffuse themselves in every direction, and are as valuable in one three tion as another. In every nation, he that feareth him and wcirketh righteousness is accepted of him. The Mission was established long before the Territory, or State of .Kansas; was or ganized, and it turned out to bein the north-east corner of that Sfate, about five miles from the eastern and ten from the northern boundaries. Hence it - is only ten miles south of the fortieth parallel. There is perhaps no finer farming country than the region in which the Mission is located—a soil unsurpassed in fertility— high'and dry, with springs of living water. The prairies are large, but interspersed with timber. The Missouri River is near for commerce, and the country is tapped by a railroad landing at §t. Joseph, Mo.; and Atchison in Kansas. Over, this region the great line of travel westward te, Oregon aid California—commencing in 1849—and more recently'to Pike's Peak lay, hringing to the view of the enterprising traveler this inviting countay. Like a city set. on an hill, it could not be hid.' As soon as the Indian titles to - the land were extin guished in 1865-6, these lands were ea gerly sought, and taken up by an enter prising and resolute class of people. The Mission was a point of attraction to which the more thoughtful and Pious, who had regard for churches and. schools, drew as near as they could. A church had been organized as early as the'year 1842; made up of the Mission' family, and a 'few of the natives who had become pious. The Mission has always been favored with regular ministrations - of the Gospel, and white neighbors, like minded, soon swelled the church to over fifty members. Not content with these advantages and,. in accordance. with the spirit of the times, they had an eye to edu cation, and a view to the good of coming generations. Encouraged -by influences from the Mission, they took. the .idea of laying early and deep the foundation of a literary institution which, with. God's blessing, may be a vast benefit to this whole region. Thefollowing notice and history of this young - Institution is found in the Hole and Foreign Record for 1861, pages 222-3 icAs early as the Spring of 1857, a . school was' commenced in a log cabin, and has been, kept up with increasing strength ever since. Qtr log cabin soon became too small, and it gave place to 'a comforta ble frame building in the Fall of the same year. This building, with the green& (about ten acres,) and all pertaining to it, was tendered to the Highland Presbytery. Presbytery accepted the offer, and styled it g The Highland. Presbyterial Academy,' at the same time appointing nine Trustees to take charge of the Institution, and with a request_that the said. Trustees obtain from the Territorial =Legislature a, charter, that they might, hold, the property as a body corporate. In the Winter of 1857 and 1858, a liberal charter was obtained under the name of the ?Highland University.' The nine persons originally appointed- by Presbytery were the persons incorporated; and thdir sueeessors, elected three each year by Presbytery, perpetuate by the terms of the charter the existence of this Board. The charter also provides for the higher judicatories of the Church taking of the Institution, should they see at to do so.. -Since the charter was ob -taied, anew edifice, forty by sixty feet, of brick, has been erected, and is now finished. It contains one large chapel room, two large school-rooms, - two recitation rooms, an apparatus and library room, and a com modious entrance hill We have- also, mainly tlirough the liberality of Mr. Len nox, of New-York, -an- apparatus worth nearly seven hundred dollars, and' the In stitution is unencumbered with. debt." This was written, more than two years ago. Tin:Lep since bave been terribly try ing, and - especially on institutions of learn ing. 'Some have been crushed out, while many have been suspended; but'this in fant college has; with the good hand of God upon it,'been able to -keep above water and even make some improvement. The Board of Education. has .lent an helping hand. The school during the year past has. num . bered as many as sixty studentiat a time. Under the Divine blessing, we confidently rook for abright future for this young in stAution—it .maybe long after its . present founders and friends 'are dead; and after many trials, and perhaps reveries, ‘ but its success cannot bo reasonably doubted. From this Mission as _a. starting point ; agennieii:4ipluia; ge, two Mier'. Missions and imirove ittents for= lemma' I:ibex boarding schools, were commenced. One among the Kieka poos and one -among the Otoes. These provements still stand, though the Mission and school work has been suspended ; but we may venture to hope they have been in some' way an advantio.e to these tribes. from the Mission,.preaching has been: ex tended to the whites in different directions; with more or less success. The church in Oregon, Mo was organized by an agency From this Mission' The church in Savan nah, Mo;, and the 'church in- Richardson County, Nebraska, have been strengthened, from here, and the church at Dellevue was organized and is now ministered, to by a brother connected sixteen -years with this Mission. _Many other points have received help and encouragement. . The highland -Presbytery,. now extend ing over Kansas and part of Nebraska, 'had its origin in this Mission, and was made up entifely of missionaries of our Board. N`OW if in view of these small -com mencements—small as they may be at the present—we consider that the.country .is yet in' its. infancy; that it is in a formative condition; that it is early seed time with us; `thad as yet not one_ hundredth part of the resources of Kansas and Nebraska are developed, and that a - dense and busy pop ulation must one day swarm over these fer tile plains and mineral regions, our _Church and her people may be thankful for what they have been permitted to do. -When peace and security shall have re turned to our nation, as they will one day, and when nations shall learn "war, no mere, but shall " beat their swords into plonghsiares and their spears ;into; this central part of .our. great Continent must rise to a power and influence not inferior to any on earth. Ana now we venture to. hope that then it will be seen that the, grain of mustard seed planted at the lowa -Mission shall have beaome a " tree so that the fowls of the air cam, and lodge in the branches thereof." . S. M. IRVIN". A. D. F. It [PREPARED FOR. THE PRESBYTERIAN BANNER.] • THE MatoEs of Capetown, Grahams town and Qrange Free State have issued the a ally if the diocese of Natal " : Brethren in Christ—We think it our duty to inform you that, after long and anxious delibera tion, we have come to the conolusion that pur Bishop has not been charged falsely with erroneous teaching, that he has open ly proclainaed opinions which are at vari ance with the belief of the.Chureh in all ages, and of our own branches of it in par ticnlar, and are, in our judgment, subver sive of the Christian faith, In consequence of this it has been the painful duty of the inetTopolitan r with the advice and consent of such other Bishops of the province as could conveniently be assembled, to de prive him of his office as Bishop - of Natal, unless he shall 'within a specified time-re tract the false teaching which has been condemned. Should he, byAlod's grace, be led to see the grievous errors into which he has fallen, and to renounce them, we shall have won back,a brother to the faith, and your Bishop shall he restored to you. Should he refuse to do this, - he will no longer have any authority from Christ or his Church to bear rule.in the Church of. Natal, or in any way to minister in divine offices; and the deity will be released from their vow of canonioal-obedience to him, and will not be at liberty in any way to recognise him as their Bishop. Let us earnestly pray to God that he may be re covered, and .yet again uphold that faith. which he once pledged himself to maintain, but which of-late he has sought to over throw. We are' not unmindful, brethren, of the sorrows, and anxieties, and perplexi ties 'which • have &nine upon you, through the - falling away from the faith of your chief pastor.. 'lt is our desire to bear you continually in remembrance before the throne of. grace, that,. not being tossed to and fro by, every wind of *sin doctrine, you may stand last in the faith which is In, Christ Jesus, as that faith has been held and taught by the Church from the begin ning, and may walk worthy of the. Gospel of Christ. It is possible that your Bisb.op may return to - Natal before receiving the metropolitan's judgment. If so, you will remember that the. sentence does not take effect till the 16tla of April next, when the period for retractation will- have expired. THE LAST negotiations with reference to John Wesley's Chapel, City-Road, London, have now been completed. City-Road Chapel was built upon leasehold land, the lease of which has been more than once, we believe, renewed; and, on the expira tion of the existing lease, the l►roperty would have fallen into the hands of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners; the corpora tionk,„of the city having an annual claim upon it tilrlB67, after which it would have been alienated from Methodism. Some time since, the freehold was purchased of the Mcclesiastical Commissioners on equi table terms. This purohaie was not effect ed, as maybe imagined, without difficulty; and the trustees of the " Cathedral of Meth odism," and, indeed, the Connection gene rally, are under obligations to friends, in high Tuirters, who facilitated what might otherwise have, proved impraCticable. No otheeloss of a property that the Connec tion could possibly suffer could have been for a moment comparable to the of that' Venerated spot where' the remains of Wes ley and his, early coadjutors lie. This ca lamity has been averted; and after some delay in the later negotiations with the city authorities—a delay which has been worth £1,200 to the trustees--the'premises are now, so far•aa. it is - possible to secure prop erty for any purpose, secured to Method ism forever. In addition to the liberal subicr,ipdons of the trustees, a.speeial fund was raised, as some of our readers will rec ollect, for the enfranchisement of the prop erty. The subscribers in that fund will now see with pleasure their intentions fully and" finally realized. • "And we trust that the place will henceforth be kept up in a EUROPEAN SUMMARY, WHOLE NO. 608. style worthy of its grand and venerable as sociations. IN THE introduction to his address, at the recent Annrversary of the French Prot estant Bible Society, Mr. Guizot, the dis tinguished statesman and author, said : " GENTLEMEN Your Society, and all the Bible Soaiefles in the Christian world, are in our day put to a severe lest, and pre sent a grand' spectacle. - Everywhere, in Germany, in. England, in France, the at tacks' against the Bible renew and raulti ply theniSelves. The authenticity of the greater part of the writings of which it is composed, their dates and their authors; are contested. What is of still greater gravity i their divine inspiration is called in question. What iejthe effect produced by these, attacks upoq Bible,Societies in gen eral, and your, own included ? Ate they 'discouraged, or rendered lukewarm, or even embarrassed by them? Not in the, least. On the contrary, they redouble their zeal and activity. Look at what is now taking place in. Germany, in England, in France,- in Switzerland, in, the United43tatei; and •in Prussia - -Every ` day the labors of the Bible Societies' take a'indre eiteit'ded de "velopraent; Uveryl day their missions and their publications l are spread , more widely abroad.. The more the Bible ia contested, the greater the number of devoted defend era who arise to affirm it and to send it forth. The .Bible renews itself through trials, and ite battles lead but, to new con quests.. This, is not a faet_peculiar to our times. 4 For nineteen centuries the Bible has sustained attack after attack, and has passed 'through crisis after crisis, which have always had the same results. In the fifteenth century, at the time the revival .of pagan antiquity filledathe world with surprise and admiration, the Bible: was neglected and thrown aside—almost dor mant.. At that period with what book did those who wished to awake faith and a Christian spirit in the souls of men, arm themselves? With the Bible! A. second time Rome and Greece were conquered by the Bible. •It was in the name of the Bible, and to restore its empire over all hearts, that the reform of the sixteenth century was brought about, and the spirit of Bibli-' cal faith had a still greater in; this reform than the spirit of liberty.: Two centuries later, at the close of the eigh teenth Century and in the coroMencenaentlif our own, -the Bible was again subject, to fierce attacks; it was dained and :seemed greatly weakened. What then occurred ? Bible Societies were formed; Bible mis sions were spread all over the earth; treas— ures of life and of money were spent for the _l3ible cense; and it has reappeared more powerful than it was before it received_ those shocks." INSTIGATED, periqips, by the example of France, in her recent efforts " to-restore the Latin race to power in Mexicoi7 Eng, land seems disposed to secure a foothold for the Anglo-Saxon in Ce:ntral America. She has long desired a cotton-producing re gion, more promising of results and more accessible than " her Indian possessions, whilst she also covets a good transit route across the Western continent to her domain on the Padfie coast, and to her Australian colonies. Captain Pym, of th; Royal Navy, has just secured from 'the Govern ment of Nicaragua the -right to construct, a railroad, across the isthmus, the funds lor bi h • • • • u• -- • • " ig •ra a +me, may soon Prove to be rivals also in the ef fort to effect aledgment upon the Ameri can continent, and to secure the largest share of the rich commerce of the Pacific. Tan POP.r. addressed an , Allocution to the Emperor and. Empress• of Mexico, in the chapel of the Vatican, before giving them the communion, -in which he says : " Great are the rights- of the people, and they must be satisfied; but greater and more sacred are the-rights" of the Church, the spotless spouse of Jesus Christ. :You will therefore respect the righti - of the peo ple and of the Church, and' thus labor for the temporal and spiritual welfare of your subjects. N. For the Presbyterian Danner Army Chaplains. MESSRS. EDITORS ,:-Some time ago, there was an article in the Army and Navy JouAal, in which the editor treated this subject kindly, but acknowledged himself puzzled:•by the "flat contradictions " of the, authorities which he quoted., He is not alone in his perplexity. I think I un derstand the occasion of the haze which. surrounds some. honest minds, attempting to judge of this class of persons fairly. In courts and in inquiries, weighing the evidence is generally thought necessary and helpful to a- just decision. This pro cess embraces the w4ighing of the wittiesses too; that is, their opportunities for obser vation, and, their disposition toward - the parties are items which must be • thrown into the scales. A general may not know half as much about a - chaplain as many anoth .er man does; and his title conveys no weight to his opinion, if his judgment, like Fal staff's discernment in the dark, springs from " instinct." -The editor says : "A General officer, in conversation with us not. long. since, de clared that the chaplains in his department were a set of time-serving rascals, fopder of luxurious ease, more grasping, not only of less use, but far more injurious to good order and good morals, than any other men in his command." The editor adds : " Upon repeating this statement to another gentleman who _.had seen a great deal of army chaplains; he expressed his amaze ment, declaring that those with whom he had come in contact were holy men, the magnitude of whose labors would never be known; till the last day reveals their mercy, hiving kindness, and Christ-like self sacrifice." Though modesty might diselafin some what oI the glowing ardor of this eulogy, yet any one with half an eye can see that the fablio of the General's statement, warp and woof,•is libelous and false. Look on this picture, and on that." The General's is, like those of irapatleue artists, innopentof perspective, very decided in'its outlines, and very dark in its filling up, without a ray of light, or a tint fairer than India ink. The "fiat ecintrad.ction," between the General arid the gentleman, need not have puzzled the editor. They looked with different eyes. Hence carica ture and monstrosity in the piatiire of the one, and the " human face divine" in - that of the other, are drawn frOm the same original.' Weigh.the.witn.esses. And the honorable.title of General will draw attention to his unhandsome utter ances, and perhaps gain for there some, credence. It is not a Colonel-4e might be mistaken ; not a Captain—he might pre- varicate ; not a private—he might lie ; it is nothing less than a General. Well, it is some comfort to know that this is the, only GGeneral who has spoken such hard thing!. And, besides, there is internal evidence in his speech to convince any candid mind that, it is not the expression of - a calla and sOber convietion, but the excited utterance of intoxication, either throUgh anger or drink. THE PRESBYTERIAN BANNER. Publichtion Office : GAZETTE BUILDINGS, 84 Fats ST., Pirrestrzoni, PA. 8511TII, ENGLISH & 00., 23 NORTH-6Ta fir, Paul*, P. ADVERTISEMENTS: PAYMENT IN ADVANCE. TRANSIENT ADVERTISEMENTS, 10 Com a lan for each Insertion. A liberal reduction to thaw who adver tise largely. SPECIAL NOTICES, 15 Owls A Imns. EDITORIAL NOTICES, or CARDS, on wand page. sis CENTS 'A Marx. OBITUARY NOTICES, 6 CINTI A Leas. I presume there are no persons who feel and lament the delinquencies cf cLaplains more than they do themselves ; but justice to the churches, the country, and the Sa viour's cause, will not allow them to appro priate the untrue and discourteous epithets of this anonymous officer. Yours, truly, J. F. MaLmtEN. Re Strong Be strong to HOPE, 0 Heart! Though day is bright, The stars can only shine In the dark night. Be strong, 0, Heart of mine, Look toward the light! Be strong to BEAR, 0 Heart! Nothing is vain ; Strive not, for life is care And God sends pain; Heaven is above, and there Rest will remain ! Be strong to nova, 0 Heart: Loye knows not wrong; Ilicist thou. love—nreattavo even > were not long :Dad thou - lovti heaven, _Thou wouJcist be strong! ADELAIDE A. PROCTOR BREVITIES. We may well regard the first stirrings of human emotions as ktoly—regard them as the firstlings for the altar of Qod. The book of Psalms is a chamber of holy voices, echo answering echo, deep calling unto deep, with the enthusiasm and rapture of adoring ecstacy andlearful love. Decision of Charaeter.—A strong will deals with the hard facts of life as a sculptor with his marble; making them yield to his pur poses, and conquering their stubbornness by a greater stubbornness of his own. llMltility.--1n the school of Christ the first lesson of all is self-denial and humili ty; yes, it is written above the door, as the rule of entry or admission, " Learn of Me; for lam meek and lowly in heart." And out of all question, that is truly the hum blest heart that has the most of quiet in it.—LeiOton. • Good out of Evil.—God suffers a Christian to be wronged, that he may exercise his patience, and, commands the Christian to forgive the wrong, that he may exercise his charity; so that a wrong done him, may do him a double courtesy. Thus evil works for good. 11Spiniti0118.—Oh, how I long for• that blessed moment, when this poor, unworthy creature,, the last and least of all my Mas ter's servants, shall be called to put off this load of sin and corruption, and to mingle with that harmonious host above, doing homage with them in the blessed presence of my glorious Lord ! Value of Monients—Spare moments are like the gold dust of time ; and Young was writing_ a true as well as a striking line, when he' taught ,that " Sands make the ;mountain, moments make the year." Of all the portions of our life, spare moments are the most fruitful of good or evil; they are the gaps through which temptations find the easiest access to the garden of the soul. Inflaence.—One pound of gold may be drawn- . into a wire that would extend-round "our 5.116.% . g• a line r and cast its influence into eternity. Though donein the first flush of youth, it may gild the last hours of a long life, and form the brightest spot in it. Work while it is day. The night cometh. Holiness Essential. Holiness is that which God supremely requires in all his commands. If there were any thing more noble or morally excellent than holiness, we might have expected that God would have required us to pursue that supremely, and holiness subordinately, But he has expressly commanded us to pursue holi ness supremely, and every thing else in subordinttion to it. Reputation in lift.—The two most pre cious thinks on this side of the grave are our reputation and our life. But it is to be lamented that this most contemptible whisper may deprive. us of the one and the weakest weapon of the other. A Arise man will, therefore, he more anxious to deserve a" fair name than to possess it; and this will teach him so - to live as not to be afraid to die. Live in Earnest,—lt is a serious thing to live. It is the course of an endless exist ence whose future will be influenced by the present and the past. It is that which must receive a shape and perform its work by us. " To.be or not to be ?" id not the question. We are; and must exist forever. The life that is within us will continue, and develope itself evermore. It must thou be of momentous consequence to us how we.live. Trust in God.—To trust in God when our warehouses and bags are full, and our tables spread, is no hard thing; but to trust him when our purses are empty, but a handful of meal and a cruse,of oil left, and all the ways of relief stopped, herein lies the wis dom of a Christian's grace. Yet none are exempted from this duty; all are bound to acknowledge their trust in Him by the daily prayer for daily bread; even those that have it in their cupboards as well as those who want it : the richest prince as well as the meanest beggar. Whatever your wants are, want not faith, and you cannot want supplies.— Charnock. Our Work.—lf we would do much for the welfare of our fellow-men, or if we wish to be- useful in our Master's service, we `Must do our work as we pass along in life. Each hour has its appropriate duty, and if that duty is negledted the opportunity of 'usefulness is generally lost forever; for each succeding hour brings also its appro priate work, the doing of which demands for itself all our power of action. And yet how often do we defer present duty, vainly hoping for a more favorable time, or for more propitious circumstances—forgetting that the duty deferred is seldom done, and a more favorable opportunity can never come. To the Christian there is always some present work to be done for the Sa viour, and he will never be so well pre pared to do it as he is now, just when Providence places the work before him. Heaven's Attractions.—The wheels of na ture are not _made to roll.backward; every thing presses on toward eternity; from the birth of time an itnAtuous current has set in, which bears all the . sons of men to ward that interminable ocean. Meanwhile, Heaven is attracting to itself whatever is congenial to its nature, is .enriehing itself ;by the spoils of earth, and collecting within its spacious bosoru whatever is pure, perma nent and divine, leaving nothing for the last fire to consume but the objects and the slaves of concupiscence, while every thing which grace has prepared and beautified shall be gathered: from the ruins . of the world, to adorn the eternal, eity, "which bith no need 'of the sun, neither of the :moon to shine-in it; for the glory of God doth_enlighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof."—Robert Hall.