,
11 1,;v, JAMES ALLISON; T,
rADITORL%
EOBERT PATTERSON,
JAMES ALLISON & CO., Proprietors,
TERMS IN ADVANCE.
Niam (Bingly nr In Oluhe,) $2.(13
1/aLlyseto i.Y iFFI.IIIII OF TOO CITIFF 240
Motor/ 'lending no TPN Subßcrlbere And rtpwarde, will
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n e newaleahonlii be prompt, a Little before the year expire'.
Direct all lettere to
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•
PITTSBURGH, PA,
For the Presbyterian Banner
Letter from Siam.
BANGKOK, Siam, May 9, 1864.
PEAR BANNER :—This little kingdom is
d r ained principally by three large streams,
which flow South or Southwest, into the
The Bampakong on the East, the
lensin, or M'enana Chowpagn, in the mid
do, and the Taohin on the West. These
three constitute the principal arteries of
the kingdom, although there are other
minor streams of considerable importance.
All these streams are connected together
by a series of canals and creeks, winding
and twisting through each other, so as to
form a kind of intricate net.work. These
p r o the highways of the kingdom, and con
„orently so many avenues of trade to the
capital. Boats of all sizes and descriptions
aro constantly seen winding through these
mats, or floating upon the bosom of these
broad rivers. Daring the dry season, one
s pecial work of the missionary is to thread
these weary canals, and ascend these broad
rivers, and distribute the Word of Life to
the perishing natives. Occasionally, too,
he makes a bolder push out into the Gulf,
and visits some province two or three hun
dred miles down the coast. On the present
occasion, we concluded to take the Taohirt ) as
a region as yet comparatively little visited
by missionaries.
Imagine a native boat about forty feet
lona, and about six feet across the beam,
and in the oentre a small cabin, about
twelve feet long. This cabin serves as
state room,. dining saloon, sitting room, &c.
Then imagine the missionary, his wife,. and
three or foar children, as the case may be,
stowed away in that small cabin, together
with stores, beds, bedding, cooking utensils,
and other indispensables, for the journey,
and you have a pretty good picture of the
missionaries in Siam, upon a mission tour.
upon the deck are five or six swarthy
natives, acting as boatmen, to propel the boat
with oars when necessary, but when a
breeze springs up, to hoist sail ) and then
stretch themselves upon deck, and perhaps
sleep in the broiling sun. This mission
touring is the only means we have of enjoy
ing a little respite from the din and filth of
this watery city, and at the same time it is
the only means of reaching a portion of
this people with the Gospel, and obtaining
a knowledge of the country.
The Taohin is a broad, crooked, and
rapid stream, discharging a vast volume of
water into the Gulf, and were it not for the
obstructions at its month, vessels of several
hundred tons might ascend to a considera
ble distance. The region near the sea is
under the influence of salt water. This
region has been devoted chiefly to the cul
tivation of sugar-cane by the Chinese.
Vast numbers of Chinese, of all dialects,
flock to Siam every year, and indeed they
aro now the chief producers of the king
dom. Some of the more wealthy have
gone into the sugar business, and employ
vast numbers of Ooolies. On each bank of
the river may be seen vast fields of sugar
cane, and in some places it is out down and
collected into heaps, ready to be put into
boats and taken to the mills, which stud the
banks of the stream in great numbers. The
cane is ground upon a crude, wooden concern,
simething like an old-fashioned cider mill,
only on a much larger scale, and is turned
with buffaloes. The juice flows through
pipes from the mill into a kind of tank,
whence it is taken in buckets to the plane
of boiling. A kind of furnace is built,
about ten or twelve feet high, in the top of
which a large iron kettle is placed. The
whole operation is conducted in rather a
primitive style, and like all sugar mills,
ono who uses much of the article, had bet
ter shut his eyes while visiting them.
They manage, however ) to make some very
pretty sugar; and very cheap, too, which
makes a person wonder, after seeing the
crude processes through which it as to
pass. A young Chinese nobleman, in
Bangkok, has sent to Europe for an im
proved steam sugar mill, which is expected
shortly. A missionary speaking only Si
amese, can do but little for these multi
tudes of Chinese, and if ever reached at all
by the Gospel, some of our Boards at home
must send missionaries especially to them.
Leaving the sugar district, we came into
a farming neighborhood. The Palnyra be
gan to rear its lofty head, which indicates a
rioe.growing region. Occasionally a plan
tain garden was- seen on the bank of the
river; the broad leaves, split by the winds,
were ” streaming in shreds" in the breeze.
The inhabitants of a farming community
generally live in little villages upon the
bank of the river. During the day they
work in the fields,
.and at night return
home. The houses are built of bamboo,
and covered with the leaf of the Nayfra
palm, or a kind of thatch made of long,
coarse grass. They are generally more
comfortable than most of the bamboo
houses in the laity. In these villages the
houses are placed very close together, and,
6) far as a stranger can see, and especially
1, European, they appear to have all
things common.' They live thus in
communities perhaps because they are
somewhat clannish, and partly for mutual
defence. Like all country residents, they
are comparatively free from many of the
vices found in the larger cities, such as
gambling, drinking, the. Ttie temples, too,
become scarcer in proportion to the dis
tance from the city. The priests are gen
erally lazy, arrogant, and ignorant. They
aro looked up to by the people, and indeed
they are the ,Professors of the country, and
thus they are spoiled. The temples are
the public schools and colleges throughout
the kingdom. We entered one of these tem
ple grounds with an alinful of books. The
priests' novices and boys gathered around
us, to the number of about thirty or forty.
We commenced telling them, as well as we
could, the story of Jesus, but that only ex
cited their ridicsula. We tell them they
are wicked, and mast be lost unless saved
by Christ; but that is equally absurd, for
they have been laying up merit for years.
To secure attention we have to touch a more
tender point. Their pride must be hum
bled. We ask them a question at which
they are at once brought to a stand. By
looking round about, and referring to the
works of nature by which we are surround
ed, we ask them who created the world and
all things in it. After some hesitation, we
set the usual reply, Kert eng "—literally,
born itself," or came by chance. We
then proceed to tell them the impossibility
of such a thing, and then point to the evi
dences of design in all things, and thence
to the Great Designer. We tell them that
their religion does not speak of the crea
tion of all things, and cannot be the true
religion. Indeed they acknowledge their
god to have been but a man, with no more
power than themselves, We also tell them
that in many other things the Siamese have
been mistaken. That formerly they con
sidered Siam the greatest country in the
world, but now they have to* acknowledge
that it is but a small kingdom. That
theta nations which hold the Christian re
ligion, possess the highest state of civiliza
tion, and are most prosperous and happy.
These remarks bad the desired effect in se
curing attention , and, after distributinc ,
Bowe books, we eft them reading, at the
top of their voices, the history of creation,
and some of the Gospels, and tracts of
•
• .
, :,....• .
: „...
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~.,:i...,.:tta nntr.
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~......,,. oat: . „..
":. .7 • • •
,
, .
•"...
. ~. -',
!..': ' • ' •
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411 .
'.....,. ~.„/
VOL. XII. NO. 46.
different kinds. The principal work going
on among the farmers is, threshing out
their crops. The rice had been stacked up
since harvest, and had become perfectly
dry. A threshing floor is made upon the
ground, after the manner of those men
tioned in Scripture. A kind of fancy tree
is made and set up in the centre, upon
which are placed some of the best heads of
the rice, we suppose as a kind of offering.
The sheaves are then placed around the
tree, and when ready, ten or twelve buffa
loes are diiven rapidly around upon it.
They are all tied abreast, and are fre
quently changed—that is, thOse on the
outside of the ring are brought to the in
side, and those inside are taken to the
outside. The threshing is done at night,
because the • heat is so great through the
day, that the buffaloes could not endure to
be driven so rapidly. These threshings
appear to ,be general frolics, something like
the corn huskings in some parts of Penn
sylvania.' Old and young of both sexes
appear to be present, and the merry laugh
is heard . at quite a distance. The rice once
tramped from the straw, the latter is taken
away, and the paddy collected in a heap ;
and when the wind rises, it is thrown up
with a kind of shovel, in order to winnow
it. •In some places, too, they were burning
over the /ads. During the wet season a
very lughriant growth of tall grass, or
jungle springs up, but daring the dry sea
son it becomes dead and dry.. The ground
is therefore generally burned over, before
the oommencement of the wet season, in
order that <it may be ready for ploughing
when the rains commence. It makes a tre
mendous fire, and we saw apparently hun
dreds of. sores all in a blaze. The usual
topic of conversation when the.folks meet,
is similar to that of the same olass of men
everywhere: " How did your rice turn
out ?"
There is a total lack of variety in the
scenery all along these rivers. When a
person has seen three miles of it, he has
seen the whole. One mile of even the
little Juniata is worth the whole of it.
There is not even a pleasing legend con
neoted with it, to give it interest. Where
such a thing is attempted, it is so fabulous
that 'it becomes disgusting. We visited
one place of notoriety, some distance from
the river. It is said that a certain king of
Siam, upon the birth of a son, was told by
a soothsayer that the son would one day
cost him his life. Fear haunted him un
til be sent the child away to Cambodia:
When the son grew up, and learned who
he was, he collected an army and started
to attack his father. The father heard of
his coming, and marched' out to meet him.
They met upon this spot, when the father's
army was defeated, and himself killed. A
very high pagoda was erected upon the
spot. The present king has rather a dis
position to multiply places of renown, and
has consequently opened a canal from the
river to the pagoda, a distance of about
fifteen miles. The old pagoda he has en
cased with brick, so that it has become a
modern pyramid, whose base covers an area
of about four acres. It has become a place
of resort for priests, and others, from
Bangkok. It is the last place, however,
that a European would go to for pleasure.
The canal stops short, and the water is
stagnant—mosquitoes swarm in thousands
—at mid-day the sun pours down his rays
unmercifully; and, not a shade tree offers
protection from the scorching heat. _ The
tourist here, *hen going to a distance,
must carry every thing he needs, with him,
as scarcely any thing can be bought on the
way. Indeed, the natives themselves carry
all their provisions with them when on a
journey. A person could scarcely buy a
at chicken if he were sick and dying for
soup. They will tell you they have none,
whilst you can see numbers of them run
ning around. After several unsuccessful
attempts to get one, we met with a boy,
who, for the money, offered a favorite hen
he had. •We gave him all he adked, one
fucvng (seven and one-half cents) and-car
ried off the prise, d'zid were very glad to
get her. She proved to be a laying hen,
and was perhaps the' boy's only treasure.
These people generally manifest the
greatest curiosity to see Europeans eating.
They flocked around our boat in numbers,
whenever we were about to partake of our
meals. They watched with intense inter
est, every time the elbow bent, and the
spoon, laden with, rice and curry, passed
into the mouth. They generally leave,
however, under the impression that ours'
is rather a difficult mode of eating. If such
is the impression they receive when view
ing • the simple board of a missionary, what
would they think could they see the pon
derous courses of a modern fashionable
table f Their mode of eating is most prim
itive. They use the fingers. When we
look at them, we almost feel that they are
about right in their conclusions, and al
most long to get back to the old mode. It
carries one back to Scripture times. We
would willingly dispense with each one
dipping his fingers in the same dish, and
it few other incivilities; but upon the
whole we rather admire their mode. There
is a freedom from restraint which we cannot
help but admire. There is apparently no
fear of violating some of the minor rules of
-table etiquette. We fear, lest in an un
guarded -moment they might commit the
unpardonable offence of -opening an egg at
the wrong end, or by some mistake, put the
knife into the mouth, instead of that most
unwieldy of all table furniture, the split
spoon. The person who gave to posterity
the simple knife; fork, and spoon, was cer
tainly a benefactor of the' race; but it
would have been well to have stopped
there.
The Chinese thought to improve on the
fingers, and invented the chop-sticks, and
they must consider it a complete success,
for they make no attempts to improve upon
them. But what Bursipean that ever saw
a Chinaman alobberirlt, and blowing over
his bowl of rice with a pair of chop-sticks,
does not long to Bee him go back to the
more primitive fingers?
We are now enjoying our hottest season.
The sun at mid-day, shows no pity. At
night it is generally close and sultry ; and
although you may have slept tolerably well
through the night; you rise in the morning
wet with perspiration, and feeling as lan
guid and weary as if you had not closed an
eye. We have, also, had a little taste of
the rainy season again. • Although' the
heavens had been clear and brazen for
months, and it appeared as if it could not
rain again, yet about the usual time for the
rains to commence, the sky one day became
suddenly overcast, the thunders began to
rumble in the distance, and soon the rain
was descending in the gentle shower.
As if to compensate in part for the warm
weather, we are now enjoying some of our
richest fruits. _Among these, th — e mango
stands perhaps first—a yellow, rich, juicy
fruit. Have you ever eaten a mango ?
Altar dinner, we will have a ders,rt. Here
comes a dish full of the yellow fruit. Roll
up your sleeves nearly to the elbows, and
have a basin of water standing by your
side to wash your bands occasionally. A
finger-bowl will answer the same purpose;
but that in the eyes of. some may appear
extravagant for missionaries. A towel or
fruit napkin is also indispensable. Some
PITTSBURGH, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST, 3, 1864.
say the fashionable way is to slice the fruit
off close to the seed, and then eat out tie
slices with a spoon, but that is rather a
slow process, and besides some of the beet
of the fruit is thus lost. And who need
be particular about these smaller matters,
unless perchance he may have an opportu
nity of dining with some of our English
friends. We prefer utility to fashion, and
consequently, take the peel clear off before
commencing. - After all the precautions
that can be taken, however, a person is
likely to find the juice running down over
his beard, and perhaps extending even to
the skirts of his garments. After all the
difficulty in eating it, however, the mango
is delicious.
Next, comes the mango-stine—a tart,
pulpy, fruit put up in lobes, within a dark,
walnut•like shell. Break the shell and lift
out the lobes with your fork, and they melt
in your mouth. Then, there are the pine
apple, and several other -fruits, not at all
difficult to take.
But, the fruit of the season, among the
natives is the durien—a large fruit aboUt
the size of a man's head, and has a prickly
shell. Within the shell are lobes, each
containing a seed surrounded by a white,
pulpy substance, insipid to the taste, and
which emits an effluvium of the same na
ture and even worse than that emitted by
a spoiled egg. As the boy said about the
skunk, when ripe it Can be heard at quite
a distance. Olfactories unaccustomed to
the smell, van scarcely endure it. Not
withstanding, however, the natives pro
nounce it the best fruit of the season; and
we are sorry to say the taste of some of the
older missionaries has become so vitiated
as really to enjoy it.
In regard to the great work in which we
are engaged, the heavens are yet apparently
as brass. We try to be faithful in our labors,
and occasionally we get a mercy drop which
encourages us, and confirms the promises;
but there is no evidence as yet of any great
work going on among this people. The
French - Jesuits have lately had a success.
They received about three hundred• at one
time—there was, however, only one Siam
ese among them. The Jesuits have been
here for over two hundred years, and can
now number their converts by thousands,
yet they have had little or no success
among the Siamese. Their 'members are
chiefly Chinese, Cochin Chinese, and Indo-
Portuguese, a nondescript mongrel race,
the result of the early adventures of the
Portuguese in the East. The transition
from heathenism to Catholicism is so easy,
that we wonder that they have not met with
greater success It requires no change of
heart, or conduct. Their converts are even
worse than the native heathen. Besides,
they are now offering French . Trotection,
and other inducements, to all who will join
them. The Siamese they received lately
was high priest of a temple, and a noble
man of some distinction. At last accounts
the news had not reached the King's ears.
In the meantime the . Jesuit priests have
taken the man uniler their protection, to
await the royal storm, if there be any.
The Fiench have got a foothold in Co-
chin China and Cambodia, which may re
sult in the taking of Siam, eventually.
They have made a treaty, offensive and de
fensive, with the Prince of Cambodia, who'
is tributary to Siam, without even consult
ing the King of Siam. He has protested,
which is about all that he can do; but they
don't appear willing . to give up any thing
e - q
they have Ruirt - T. The Siamese - allthert=
ties sent Pays Rat, a nobleman of some dis
tinction, to Cambodia, to see what was go
ing on; but when he got there, he liked it so
well that he did not return, and has secret
ly taken all his family away. The King's
gunboats - have gone down, together with a
small army, if possible, to "bring up the
Prince and Pays Rat. Should the latter
gentleman be caught, his bead will likely
pay the penalty of his desertion.
We have been anxiously waiting for the
news of the opening of the Spring cam
paign at home. By the present mail we
have it, in the English papers, in substance
as follows : " Spring campaign epen in the
U. S., and everywhere adverse to the Fed
erals." The facts, too, go to confirm the
statement, to some extent. Sherman
obliged to retreat -to Vicksburg. Gil
more's forces repulsed in Florida. Kilpat
rick repulsed with severe loss in the rear
of Lee. We await with anxiety the next
mail. Yours truly, MeD.
FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.
LONDON, July' 9, 1864
LORD PALMERSTON'S vigor has been re,
markably illustrated all through 'the pres
ent session of Parliament, even while occa
sionally the gout has held him in painful
durance. But in the party conflict which
has been awakened in connection with the
failure of the Conference of the represen
tatives of the different Powers of Europe,
concerning the Dano-G-erman question, the
Premier has been tested afresh. Night
after night he has occupied his usual seat
on the Ministerial bench—his arms,
as is
his wont, across his breast, and his hat over
his eyes—scarcely ever changing his posi
tion. ' But when the great question was
fairly to be discussed—that is, whether
there would be peace or war, and when,
along with this, came the other question,
"Shall, or shall not, the ministry be kept
in -office?" Palmerston has shown great
pluck, cleverness, and physical power.
Thus, last week, when the strangers' gal
leries overflowed, when not only every
member's seat was occupied, but some
were compelled to stand, and others sat on
the floor—while angry attaches of Foreign
Ambassadors could find no room at all, and
a crowd waited in the lobby, vainly hoping
for entrance, Lord Palmerston began his
speech. One of our public writers thus
remarks on it : " And now, readers, you
have, we suppose, read his speech. If not;
read it forthwith, and please to remember
this: that wonderfully lucid and admira
bly-arranged history of the complex Schles
wig-Holstein business, with the narrative
of the proceedings - of the_ Conference, oc
cupied an hour and a quarter; that it was
delivered in clear, sonorous tones, without
break in its continuity, entirely from mem
ory and without aid from notes; and that
the man who delivered is will be, if his
life is spared, eighty years old next No
venajor I"
List week, also, Lord Palmerston rode
on hmieback all the way to Harrow on the
Hill, and back again to Loudon. The an
nual celebration before the breaking up of
the school for the holidays, was celebrated
at Harrow, the Prince and Princess of
Wales being present at the festivities. He
is an old Harrovian himself, and once sat
on the benches where Byron and many
other remarkable persons sat, his name be
ing carved on the desk, ' 4 F. Temple,"
(Temple is the family name,) like those of
othels, his cotemporaries, many of whom
became illustrious in the Church, in the
ArMy and Navy, at the Bar 7 and on the
Bench—but most of whom are gone to the
grave, while he enjoys a green old age, and
has the respect and affection even of his
political adversaries.
A VOTE CF CENSURE OD Ministers (oc
cupying, and almost absorbing, public at
tention,) has been moved in both Houses
of Parliament. The hungry Conservatives
have been balked, baffled, and tantalized in
being apparently oil the very verge of
office several times, and yet by very small
pro Palmerston majorities, unable to grasp
the coveted prize. They, as an Opposi
tion, have their rises ; but the great mid
i dle-elass, the commercial public; and the
thoughtful friends of peace, retrenchment,
and reform do not wish them to pass over
from the "shady side" of the Speaker's
chair to the ministerial benches.
Tux DANES have been driven out of the
Island of Alsen, and the brother of the
King has gone direct to Berlin, and his
object, it is said, is to preserve the mon
arehy from destruction, by proposing that
Denmark shall become a member of the
German Confederation.,
THREE Nzw BISUOPS have been " con
secrated " at Canterbury Cathedral—in
front of the shrine of Thomas A'Becket,
and very near to the spot .where he was
murdered. They wernDr. Francis Jenne,
an Evangelical and a fine scholar, to the
bishopric of Peterborough; Dr. 0. F.
'Brornby, formerly the Head Master of a
Collegiate School at Cheltenham, and
rather "high" in' his views, to the bish
opric of Tasmania; r and,..Dr. Samuel A.
Crowther, to the -bisitopric of the Niger.
The last named is a in of color. I bpi
seen him ere now, xotiffiall, at the
Anniversary of the khureh Missionary So
ciety. He, is a native of Africa, has `un
dergone many perilOand endured much
toil and hardship. 40 was once a slave;
he was among the ftrO fruits of that truly
evangelical and excellent Institution above -
mentioned, which vii4ll recognize no man
who is not thoroughly ; sound in the faith,
earnest and devotedyiand Which in India
and elsewhere enjoins and cultivates kindly
fraternal cooperation:with other Protestant
Missions. Not very long since, a young
clergyman who had been acereditedi-by,,an ,
examining chaplain et the Dish%) of Lou-' ;
don, and ordained by the Bishop, wad
jetted when he wished to -become a misZ'
sionary of the Society: The reason: way:,
that he was found to have loose views- on
the question of Justifiation, and to Mani
fest Rationalistic teneencies. `4l.
EXCLUSIVELY EARLY info nation has
been given me by the Assistaft Secretary .
of the London City Mission,.iiith. regard,
to " Special Religioni•Services in .Thea.
tree" during the past tv6elve months. The,;
facts and figures are vely striking.
-4- Gross At=
Theatre. No. 'ifr:f Services. tendanee. '
Standard, Shorediteh 89,000
Pavilion, Whiteehapel 26 57;000
Saddler's Wells, Clerkenwell..26 •-• 81,200-
Vieterie, Lambeth ' 13 , 19,500
Marylebone, New Ch. Street..l2 8,600'
Fifth course of services,
1863-64 ' .103 • 150,500
Previous'four courses - 559 . 865,100!
,
Since commencement 662 1;015,000
Tracts, with notices on back of each, • '
distributed stii. 'course 193,006
Tracts distributed previous courses
Total, since commencement 661,800
MISSIONARIES TO CABMEN, and Cab
men's Clubs, (rooms where they can come
and have social intercourse, without strong
drink, and where Bible classes for tliem
selves and their wives are conducted, and
addresses are delivered,) are a- distinct fea
ture or the spiritual and moral Tromps in
Lonsiou. CalimaSteis als4.l4ve ileArt,oon
vetted to Christ, and many - ottirat — cliiii
now love the Sabbath rest and worship, be
cause the Holy Spirit has taught them to
believe in, and Love the Sabbath's Lord.
Hence these men 110- longer send out their
cabs and servants on the Lord's day. Oth
ers, not necessarily spiritual men, adopt
the same principle, .and so it has come~ to
pass, within a few years, that there are
now 2,100 g 4 six-day " cabs. All London
cabs, numbered above 10,000, are of this
class, and every year they increase. The
wives and children of the cabmen thorough
ly appreciate the boon ; and the men them
selves are of a superior ()lass as to trustwor
thiness, a )briety, and self-respect. A series
of meetings is being held at the Cabmen's
Clubs, King's Cross, in connection with
invitations to tea given by the Cab and
Omnibus-men Sunday Rest Society. Lord
Shaftsbury was one of the earliest promo
ters of this movement.
WORDS IN SEASON have , been lately
spoken by the Rev. William Brock, an em
inent Baptist minister, at Bloomsbury
Chapel, London. To large congregations
on successive Sabbath evenings, he has dis
coursed on the topic of " Future Punish
ment," and in the following. order : Ist.
Its reasonableness. 2d. Its righteousness.
3d. Its certainty. 4th. The eternal char
acter of future punishment. Mr. Brook is
%fine specimen, both in mind and in per
son, of a Christian Englishman. His coun
tenance is frank, open, and manly; his fig
ure is robust and stalwart. Since his coin
ing to London some ten or twelve years
ago; he has labored in season and out of
season with large results. He has in at
tendance on his ministry the elite of the
Baptists of London, including Sir Morton
Pete, M. P., who was the instrument - of
bringing Mr. Brock to the metropolis, pro
viding at his own cost, a large and commo
dious chapel.
Mr. Brock has also preached his annual
" Sermon to the Young Men and Maidens
of London." The hour was very early,
six or seven o'clock A. M:; but the crowd
was so great, that .tbey could scarcely be
accommodated.
Mn. SPURGEON has lately preached a
sermon on " Baptismal Regeneration," in
which, with conclusive logic and by the
language of the Prayer Book, he proved
that this dogma is undoubtedly taught in
the Baptismal Service of the Church of
England. He s therefore declared his con
viction that the honest men are the High
Churchmen who hold and teach this doc
trine; and that the Evangelical party in
denying the doctrine, and yet remaining in
the Church of England', are sinning both
against consistency and truth.
The Record has been very wroth; it re
minds the preacher of "The Gorham De
cision," by which Evangelicals and High
Churchmen may each hold their views and
yet be consistent members of the Church.
The acquiescence of the Evangelicals and
the Record in that decision—that paper
having denounced the doctrine as " deadly
heresy," convinced all men without the
Church, that there was little to be expected
of such men in the way of Free Church
development and sacrifices for conscience
sake. That alas is the policy which still
prevails. . ,
• Mr. Spurgeon, last week, publicly stated
that he had lost the friendship of many
Evangelical Churchmen, including that of
the Honorable Arthur - Kitn tird, M. IP.
But he said boldly : "If I were to lose
every friend I have on earth, I should still
adhere to my convictions that I have stated
nothing but the truth, and I am ready to
answer for that sermon at the bar of God."
NOT LONG SINGE, I was present at Wil
lis's Rooms, at the annual Conversazione of
the Pure Literature Society. I found as
sembled even a larger number of ladies
and gentlemen than last year. Lord Shafts-
bury, as usual, occupied the Chair. The
periodicals, and specimens of books sup
plied both to country districts and the col
onies, were exhibited around the great
room. The periodicals—a numerous fami
ly of great and varied merit, mostly illus
trated—were suspended from a cord which
passed across the centre.
This Society does not- publish 'books or
periodicals. ft neither issues any new
books of its own, nor derives any profit
from commercial transactions. Its efforts
are directed to the .-circulation of pure lit
erature, in the most comprehensive sense
`of the term. This it effects, first by the
publication of a catalogue of such periodi
cals, books, prints, diagrams, &c.; secondly,
by grants of libraries, at half price; third
ly, by acting as an agency in the metropo
lis, in order to, supply persons, schools, and
institutions in the country. The offices of
this Society are at 11
. Buckingham Street,
Strand, and a visit by any` Christian stran
ger to the:beautiful room, in which are ar
ranged libraries, prints, and pictures, can
not fail to give pleasure.
Good literature, the more widely it is
circulated, always tends to thrust out that
which is evil. One thousand libraries
have already been supplied, and each would
p_robably be used . by 75 . to.
Hew cnaouragilklttjte
pure some years isgoild%
lotion of 52,000; last year it was `reduced
to 10,000, " showineasaas said by a gen
erous.esupporter, of- this movement, "that,
where good literature is put into competi
tion with bad, the latter- is destroyed."
Happy
. the7family whose icwspapers and
periodicals supply water from pure un--
peisoned springe I 3 7 14 . ...',J. W...
,
. ; [Origina]- 3 „ -
, "Precious Jesus' ,- r •
...
Precious Jesus, thou haat ealte4 them
. From this ettallowy vale of t;
We are waiting, *itching, weep,`
4 -.96tamtssea still with doubts4iid fears.
- OVllf.efgwe the rising murmur„,
~
All we,linger. tearfully ;
.„ .0,
1411,3 6. altoh'wtifi of sorrow bear int , „
Cr ETer nearer, nearer thee- -,. -
,
/ Precious” Jesus, then west with them
..- Till life's last rough billow. passsd;
Soft the whisper—parting whispe„r—
-" Precious Jesus!"-home' at IrWt. •
- .Home at last, beyond the river, -.,.
They are waiting till we cams ; '.
"Death no more the links shill sever;
When they're clasped in that sweet 'home.
Precious jesus, thou art faithful, ,
Ever faithful, ever true ;
Thou halt trodden life's lone pathway,
Thou hist pressed death's valley tee,
And from oat the upper temple, -
Reaching to thy children here,
Comes a sweet and holy presence,
Precious Jesus, ever near.
We would trust thee, Saviour, trust thee,
Clasp - thee closer to our hearts,
Find thee dearer &Leach loved one
From the earthly home departs ;
For we know that they are with thee,
That they now thy glory share,
And we know that we shall.meet them,
Precious lesiis, meet thern'there.
868,006
Imr the Preßbyterlan Banner
Six Weeks in the Potomac Army,;
OR,
HOW THE SICK MAN GOT WELL.
NO. V. • -
Camp Parole— Burnside's Corps—An
napo ts.
— "Pageants C Let - the worm - revere us '
For our people's rights and laws,
And the breasts of civic heroes
Bared in Freedom's loly cause."
Our Commission Rooms here are of still
less pretension
Yes. The temands of the Ninth Corps
are but temporary, and those of Camp
Parole are not large. . Besides,-the build
ings in general, here, are but the , passing
structures of a camp.
Well,
"Man wants but little here below"--
Yes, but Father T., Agent for our work
in camp here, has a good deal of true Irish
civility about him. It was tested last even
ing, however, when he would carry our
two-story carpet bag up from the platform.
Its weight led him to inquire whether we
had not been to California!
Doesn't it contain more than you will
need ? •
Possibly. But we always like to go pre
pared for any event. Besides, it is said
that " raw recruits always carry extra bag
gage," and why should we be an exception
Volunteering, last evening, , to preach to
the " 94th New-York," without your sup
per, was, rather unexpected; what kind of
a congregation had you? .
About one hundred men and one woman I
and besisles giving good attention, they
made excellent music. Chaplain. Cook, of
this regiment, is a musical man himself,
and has ; evidently trained his men to sing
—a practice which they seem to enjoy.
But ,I did n't go to bed supperless The
" lunch " in my haversack came just in
place, after service. I breakfasted with
the Chaplain, this morning; and, in
cluding the Colonel, the Q lartermaster
and his wife, we had a nice "mess."
Where only men are expected, it is unu
sually pleasant to see a tidy lady grace the
table. Flow did you rest last night ?
As well as could be expected in my first
experiment in army blankets on the floor I
But Bro. G., who undertook to elevate him
self on three boxes of - unequal height, and
with open spaces between, couldn't .quite
make the connection, and was obliged - to
come down to, our humble position' in
search of sleep
promised to take you round—let us go.
Really, Camp Parole is quite a neat
affair ! Rows of barracks, in line, all
white-washed t streets between, and alleys,
after the fashion of a town, neat and clean
—a comfortable place for the temporary
abode of paroled soldiers.
Yes; and I don't believe you can find a
town'. or city in the United States where
the streets'and alleys are kept so perfectly
clean and neat as these. And these Head
quarters, adorned with evergreens, shell
walks, and white fences, make a Pleasant
impression. The hospitals, too, standing
apart, but in range with each other, neat,
clean and airy, are all that could be de
sired.
What was the trouble, to-day noon, that
all the C. C. delegates rose in a body and
left the dinner-table ?
Didn't you see . that , officer's wife, soon
as she had fairly entered, turn on her heel
to leave?
Yes
And therefore we left ! The fact is, the
C. C. does n't run this concern at all. We
are but boarders here, with these officers
and their families, who claim—and proper
ly, we suppose—the preference. The, table
is too small to allow us all to be seated at
once, and by some mistake too many of us
took places at the same time to-day. Hence
the lady's discomposure, and hence our ex
it. But fearing lest our leaving en masse
might be construed as a discourtesy, and so
to the injury of the Christian Commission,
two of us returned, resumed our seats,
made the necessary explanation, and en
.deavored to do die agreeable generally, as
WHOLE NO. 615
well as we could. Would prefer, however,
an establishment of our own.
Did you hear those two soldier boys at
prayer, last - evening, in the adjoining
room ? -
Yes. As they passed in, one of them—
Willie," the boy-of-all-work about the
Rooms here—said, " Mr. C.; we are going
to have our evening devotions, now, if it
will not disturb you; and said it with a
child-like simplicity that was pleasing
With quiet voice, first one prayed, then
the other—for themselves, for the army,
and for the Christian and Sanitary Com
missions. I suppose' it was them I heard
last evening, also, when they closed with
‘, Now Hay me down to sleep," &o.
Such manifestations" of simple-hearted piety
are pleasing, when, as ".in this ease, they ap
pear to be entirely unaffected.
What have you been doing to-day.?.
Exploring the Ninth Army. Corps;
,most of which fies between this ()amp and
Annapolis, on either side of the railroad—
distributing, the while, reading . matter
among: the men, and making appointments
for preaching to some of the regiments
on next Sabbath. Saw Gen. Burnside
among them, on horseback. He is large
and portly. But' _whide his ' appearance'
omething ~..,__ ... respedtV 'There is,- nevertheletts,
about him that reminds us of an
vergrown boy ! He is said to be quite
filendly to our Commission, however.
Sene: of the camps are very prettily ar
raqed—tents in right lines '
streets neat
aiinJelean, and ornamented with ever
greens; looking as though the boys ex
pected. to live here all Summer. The
" 56th Mass." seems to take the lead in
fitting up with taste. Their Colonel treat
ed no courteously. But he may be
.some
what severe in his discipline. Some of his
men seemed to think so, at any rate; and
the man ,whom I saw obliged to make his
regnfar, " beat" with a stout barrel over
his akoiilders, his head protruding through
its bcit6n, and his feet to be seen just be
low its : month—as also some ten or fifteen
others, who spend the live-long day, and
night too, on a small scaffold . at an eleva
tion of , about twenty, or twenty-five feet,'
may perhaps be considered in evidence
of the charge being true. Wonder if-some
testi degrading form of punishment for mi
nor faults, would not answer the ends of
military discipline quite as well? Visited,
in all, some eight regiments to-day, dis
tributing among them 145 papers, 100 sol
dier's books, and nearly a dozen New Tes
taments; .and begin to feel that this out
door tramping—free from wearing care, and
yet with an object in view—is geed for
" the"eick man.' Passing down from the
66th Mass., we met an officer who asked for
German papers for - his men, saying, with
an earnest frankness of manner that pleased
us, " lam a Catholic; but the prejudices
of former days are passing away, and I
wish to .do mY men, good." We answered
by saying:'" We 'have but one common
Saviour to trust in." " Yes," said he,
"We must-all be saved by the blood of
Christ." , -
You are about through exploring now,
are you no
Yes; and: mong us We have getup a map,
locating each regiment of.the Corps—some
twenty-five or thirty in all—and as there
is evidently a feint or a movement—by land
or water--r.foieehadowed, our Field Agent,
Mr. - S - I 'briled three of us to Annapolis to
morrow- niorningi-to go into tents, in the
Airy•-3na-clrirc e o wo r t s :Ur covumr-Orro-10.sy—._,
And this is Annapolis! Like most
Southern towns, it looks old; and has
many low buildings which exhibit but a
low order of architectural beauty.
Yes; and these, centres from which the
streets radiate like the ribs of a lady's fan,
are always a pest to strangers ! Bat the
Capitol is associated with the revered
Washington, and from its lofty dune the
scene is beautiful. Let us go up--,the go
ing will try your nerves, however.
How quietly sleep the waters of the
Chesapeake—on the one side—and as quiet
seem the, white tents that cover the plain
on the other. But how soon may fierce
winds disturb the quiet of.those waters'!—
and as soon those brave men be called to
mingle in the fiercer storm and strife of
battle! -
But we must go down to the Navy-Yarl
With its buildings, old - and new—its
long, brick walks, green sward, and its
water-laved walls—this Navy-Yard is de
cidedly the most pleasant place we have
seen, here. Arid here are C. C. Rooms,
too, withinlts walls!—pleasant rooms, and
well furnished with stores.
Yes; whet ever soldiers are, we must
have these; and wherever soldioYs go, our
delegates must follow them.
But I thought we were to go into
tents here—set up for ourselves, and be re
lieved of the annoyance of a boarding
house.
So did I. But now that we are here, there
is nothing of it 1 Our Agent has seen Gen.
Burnside, since last evening, and evidently
kn ows more than he tells us !
Well, I am beginning to see that some
body must gather information, and direct
your movements accordingly—cimmanding
and countermanding as circumstances and
changing circumstances may dictate; and
who, rather than your " Captain"? Nor
need you give yourself uneasiness, since
yours is not the responsibility.
And here, at 4 P. M., instead of tenting
in the Navy-Yard, we are riding on a rail—
fast as steam can carry us—no. one of us
knowing whither, save our Agent! But it
is ours to " obey orders!' C.
ror the Preebyteiian Banner.
Jefferson and Washington Colleges—Their
Union.
The subject announced' in the above cap
tion is one which, has engaged the atten
tion of the friends of literature and relig
ion for a time. And not without reason.
It is a subject intrinsically important, and
one which must, on the bare mention of it,
awaken a -lively interest in many minds.
The Alumni of these two colleges are scat
tered all over the land. They are found in
all departments of intellectual labor. They
are in the pulpit, on the .Tudge's bench, in
-the halls of Congress, and in the Profes,
oor's chair. They are preachers, farmers,
merchants, lawyers, missionaries and legis
lators. In this state of the ease, to speak
of the union of these two Colleges, is to
speak of. a subject whioh must awaken an
interest in almost all circles. The writer
of this article was absent fromhome at the
time this subject began to engage public
attention. Excluded from access to the
current religious periodicals at that time,
he is not thoroughly pasted in the early
history of this attempt at union. It may
also be stated without any impropriety, that
the writer is an Alumnus of 4effersen Col
lege. And by virtue of his Synodical re,
Wien, he has 'been, for the past ten years,
somewhat intimately connoted with Wash,
ington College. Being an Alumnus of one,
and having spent some time and labor for
the benefit of the other, he cannot but' feel
a deep interest in the issue of this attempt
t 9 qUIR
bee tin P3EititUtiM of lograiug.
THE PRESBYTERIAN BANNER.
Publication. Office:
GAZETTE BUILDINGS, 84 FIFTH Sr, Pirrimmitc, PA
SMITH, ENGLISH & 00., 28 NOSTII-6TH Sr., Pima., PA.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
PAYMENT IN .I..DP.ANCE.
TRANSIENT ADVERTISEMENTS, 10 OMB . * Lnri for
each insertion. A liberal reduction to those who after"
the largely.
SPECIAL NOTICES, 15 ORRIS A Liam.
EDITORIAL NOTICES, or CARDS, on second page. 96
Crum A Lox.
OBITUARY NOTICES, 6 Goon A LINZ.
This is his apology for offering a word to
the publio on this subjeot.
The successful consummation of this
scheme, it must be admitted, is highly im
p .rtant both in a religious and literary
point of view.
These two Colleges, in their separate
condition—taking into consideration their
proximity to each other, the present and
prospective condition of the country, the
number of rival institutions each claiming
a portion of public patronage, and the com
parative poverty of both--cannot calculate
on a very brilliant and prosperous future.
While the two, united on a proper basis,
might look forward to a future of high
honor and usefulness. That it may realize
such a future, there are at least two things
that an indispensable.
1. In point of literary merit it must be
made the College of the West. Its curri
culum of studies, its faculty, its libraries,
its literary Sooietien--in a word, all its ap
purtenanpes must be such as will place it
in the fore front Of literary institutions.
2. In point of religious influence, it
must be thoroughly Presbyterian. A Col
lege without religion may be an engine of
vast evil. K'nowledge is. power. But
knowledge without the controlling power
o,fl , angelical religion,ii as likely to be
nr, sininignt of evil , as' good. The Col
ic
left' nsibe sanctified by a strong infusion
of relki_enr. And a first class College,
formetSSe, the place of the two exist
ing onrand to be located anywhere in
the same - rea c ion, must be Presbyterian.
In the 'constitution of its Board of Trus
tees—in its Faculty—in its religious teach
ings—and in its modes of worship, the
Presbyterian element must predominate.
And yet it must not be so exclusively Pres
byterian as to be intolerant, or to ferbid
the . presence of students whose religious
preferences are different. Its spirit must
be Evangelical, while its literary standard
is so high and commanding as to attract
generous, aspiring youth of all denomina
tions. And now on what grounds can a
successful future be expected for such a
College ?
1. Sufficient patronage can reasonably
bnexpected from the field now occupied by
the two existing Colleges and from the
regions beyond. The people of the region
in question are intelligent, and 'Strongly
Presbyterian. And they will support such
a College. Able to judge of the value of
a good thing, they . will show it favor.
- Such
. a literary sun will be seen. Its
light and heat will be felt. And its attrac
tive power will draw patronage.
2. The amount of funds to be realized
from the present limited endowments of the
two Colleges--from the generous pledge
already made to the new College—and from
other appropriations that can doubtless be
secured—would be so ample that the build=
ings and grounds can be made commodious
and attractive. A large faculty of pious,
able, tried mencan be, secured. And all
the helps connected with modern educe,.
tional machinery can be se - cured. Such a
College, founded in faith and prayer, com
menced and carried forward in a spirit of
dependence on the Divine blessing, cannot
fail of being successful. But is such a
union practicable ? Can it reasonably be
looked for ? Not unless those who are
more immediately concerned, will show
such a spirit of concession as will merge
all party and local interests in the higher
considerations of the general good and
greater useful - n - 6m There are questions
_havinz__xeference to location, fends, the
present Fieliltibi, ifid — thd present build..
ings, which cannot be comfortably adjusted,
except in the exercise of the spirit
above indicated. If any one party will
E jty--" Such a College is much to be de
sired; but ours is the location, and we will
hear .of no other "—this course must at
once arrest all progres3.
These preliminary questions" are more
likely to be settled properly by competent
disinterested parties. And unless such a
reference of these points can be made sat
isfactorily, all the discussion on this sub
ject will be likely to produce no good re
sults.
The suggestion made by Mediator in a
late article in the Banner, for a convention
of.the Alumni of the two Colleges, does
not seem
_objectionable. The members of
such a Convention, coming from all parts
of the country, acquainted with the views
of the Christian public, intelligent and ca
pable of forming comprehensive opinions
on the subject, might reach snob conclu
sions as would be received by all parties,
and render important help in solving the
knotty. problem. B. A.
Nothing to Do.
4, Nothing to do !" in this world of ours,
Where weeds spring up with the fairest flowers,
Where smiles have only a fitful play,
Where hearts are breaking every day !
Nothing to do!" thou Christian soul!
Wrapping thee round in thy selfish stole !
Qff with thy garments of sloth and sin!
Christ thy Lord hath a kingdom to win.
Nothing to do !" there are prayers to lay
On the altar of incense, day by day;
There are foes to meet, within and without,
There is error to conquer, strong and stout.
se Nothing to do I" there are minds to teach,
The simplest forms of Christian speech.
There 'are hearts to lure with loving wile,
- From the grimmest haunts of sin's defile.
" Nothing to do !" there are lambs to feed,
The precious hope of the Church's need.
Strength to be borne to the weak and faint,
Vigils to keep with the doubting saint.
"Nothing to do 1" there are Nights to attain,
Where Christ is transfigured yet again;
Where earth will fade in the vision sweet,
And the soul press on with winged feet.
"Nothing to do!" and thy Saviour Eai I,
" Follow thou me in the path I tread."
Lord, lend thy help the journey through,
Lest, faint, we ory, " so much to do
—Congregationalist
Ministerial Responsibility.
I have ofttimes, not without wonder and
indignation, observed the strange con&
deuce of empirics in physic, that dare veu
ture on the practice of that noble art
which they do not at all understand; con
sidering how, for a little paltry gain, they
shrewdly hazard, or rather certainly de
stroy, the health and lives of men; and
have judged them worthy of as capital and
ignominious a piroishmant as those that
kill men on the highways.
Bat I have soon exchanged this medita
tion into another of more concernment to
myself; and my indignation hath quickly
returned into my own bosom, when I con.
eider how much bolder and more hazardous
an attempt it is for a man to venture on the
priestly office j
• to minister to the eternal
health and salvation of souls. How much
skill is requisite to qualify a man for such
an undertaking how great care iu the die,
charge of it
What a sad thing it would be, if through
my unskilfulness or negligence one soul
should miscarry under my hands, or die
and perish eternally I
We minister to souls. Souls ! Methinka
in that one word tbere,is a sermon. Im
mortal souls I precious souls ; one whereof
is worth more than all the World besides,
the priCe of the blood of the Sou of God"
411/f,