Newspaper Page Text
178
C|e CJnrinat
TELEGRAPH POWER PRESS.
JOSEPH WALEEB,
Macon, Wednesday, Nov. 11,1857,
The Baptists Assailed.
“ Men of Israel help !” The Baptists of
Macon, with those in the regions round-about
are in danger of annihilation. Not from any
attack of the “ Philistines,” particularly, but
the learning and prowess ofja, Methodist
preacher. The Rev. James E. Evans, resi
dent pastor of the Methodist Episcopal
church in our city, has opened his theological
batteries upon them. As the work he has
undertaken may occupy more of his time
than he at first supposed, since he has called
out an opponent who neither asks for nor
gives quarter where the law of Christ de
mands defence, we will give our readers a
description of this new foeman, and first of
his
personal appearance.
He rises about six feet out of his. bootsj
has'a robust physique, a countenance radia*P
with a somewhat contented glow of Metho
dism, and though not an Adonis, is rather
good looking. It has been shrewdly hinted
bv some of his admirers, that if he fail in
logic, they will make an issue, on the symme
try and aspect of the outer man. This point,
however, his opponent has decided to con
cede, without debate.
In the next place, to show that the current
discussion may be regarded as having the
sanction of the entire Methodist society, it
may be well just to notice the
DISTINCTIVE POSITIONS
he has filled to the satisfaction of his denomi
nation. He is an ex-Presiding Elder of the
Columbus District; an ex-Financial Secreta
ry of the Book Concern, at Nashville ; and
ex-Pastor of the Methodiss churches in the
two cities of Augusta and Savannah. He is
very submissive to his Bishop, and goes
wherever he is sent, and at the very time
when the command is given. It is proper
now to pen simply a synopsis of his
THEOLOGY.
In doctrine, he is, as a thing of course, an
Arminian ; and in practice a baptizer of the
three-mode type. That is to say, if the mat
ter is left to him, he will sprinkle ; if the can
didate insists on being poured upon, he will
pour ; and if the applicant can neither be
preached, persuaded, nor laughed out of im
mersion—why, as a dernier resort, he will
immerse. Thus he becomes one out of three
things to all men.
Perhaps the most remarkable indication of
his fitness for the herculean task now upon
his hands, was his ‘ .
for the wordy contest. For more than a
month past, the Reverend gentleman might
have been seen threading the streets of Ma
con in search of books. The Baptist Book
store and the Index office were places at
which, for a season, he seemed to delight to
linger. Theodosia and Grace Truman, appar
ently—probably, only apparently—had capti
vated his susceptible heart. He did not rel
ish so well—or if he did, he did not divulge
the secret-Dagg’s Theology or the Iron
Wheel. The last wp saw of him was when
he left our sanctum with the debate of Camp
bell and Rice under his arm. This eagerness
for books at length began to attract atten
tion, and persons were led to inquire: “ What
is Mr. Evans after ?” But he proceeded with
his researches in silence, saying, now and
then, by his looks : “ Iknow what I’m about,
don’t you know I do?” “The citizens of
Macon shall soon see what they shall see.”
It is seldom that Methodists manifest as
curiosity as to Baptist affairs, as did Mr.
Evans during our absence at the Bethel As
sociation, particularly with respect to the
publication of the Christian Index. He had
numerous questions to ask of one of the com
mittee, such, for example, as these : Who is
responsible for the articles in the Index—the
Editor, the Convention, or the Publishing
Committee ?” “ Have the Index Committee
the right to dismiss the Editor?”—and other
questions of a similar kind. If his inquisi
tiveness was not entirely satisfied, we will
now inform him that the Editor alone is re
sponsible for the editorials of the paper, and
that the Committee have both the right and
the power to dismiss him. If then Mr. Ev
ans has any complaints to make against the
Editor, perhaps —the Committee would give
him a hearing of some, kind, at least. Should
his curiosity still be in search of news items,
we hope some intelligent Methodist will in
form him of the exact number of little ants
that eat and sleep in Mrs. Partington’s sugar-
But we must not omit to advise the reader
of Mr. Evan’s
SELF CONFIDENCE.
Jis is sufficiently illustrated by the fol
g card which appeared in the Telegraph
of this city about five days since:
“ It appears from the published Minutes of
the Rehoboth Association, h ® ld m f ors jJJ?
Sept., 1856, and in this city,Sept., 185 Vthat
the Association by vote, declared that the
Baptists ‘ ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO HAVE
THE DOCTRINES AND ORDINANCES AS THEY ARE
DELIVERED BY CHRIST AND HIS APOSTLES.
That it is therefore the duty of the Baptist
church, ‘ to withdraw church fellowship
and pulpit fellowship” from all other de
nominations of Christians. And moreover,
that ‘ it should be their purpose to set forth
their doctrines and ordinances as clearly and
forcibly as possible to those who are in error.
Thus plainly avowing the purpose to make
all the proselytes they can from other church
es to the Baptist church.
I deeply regret the necessity thus forced
upon me, as Pastor of the M. E. church in
this city, to defend the church I represent,
from such aggressions. But the responsibili
ty is upon me and I must meet it as best I
can.
The public is therefore invited to attend at
the Methodist church in this city on next
Sabbath at 3 o’clock, P. M., to hear a review
of the position taken by said Association. .
J. E. EVANS.” ’
This card brought the astounding intelli
fence fairly before the public, and the Rev.
. Landrum promptly appended the subjoin
ed note :
The quotations in the above declaration of
public hostilities to the Baptists of this city,
are taken from two circulars of an Associa
tion, and have no authority whatever over
any church. As the Rev. J. E. Evans, feels
impelled by a sense of duty to open a war
upon the Baptist denomination, of which I
am an humble member, I will say that it will
afford me pleasure to hear him. I hope all
the Baptists of the city will be present. —
Should his attack deserve a reply, I will try
to make it on the evening of the following
Sabbath, commencing at 7 o’clock.
SYLVANUS LANDRUM,
notes excitedgeneml interest and ex
pectation in the community, and the ap
proaching Sabbath was anxiously looked for.
Mr. Evans called at the Baptist Book Store
several times to announce changes in his plan
of attack, and submit propositions, but as
Mr. Landrum had not taken the initiative, he
had nothing to propose or accept.
The reader, will, doubtless, wonder why
Mr. Evans delayed so long before undeceiv
ing his church and the public as to Baptist
heresies. The pretence that a circular of an
Association in which Baptists claim to be
“ the only people who have the doctrines and or
dinances as they were delivered by Christ and
his Apostles ,” is a mere pretext , to serve a*s an
occasion to blind the public : the true reason
he unwittingly confessed in part to Mr. Lan
drum himself namely, “ The Christian Index
and the Baptist Book Store ” have
“ unsettled”
the faith of his people ! What these agen
cies have done, we know not as yet, but that
they will “ unsettle” the faith of Pedobaptists
and particularly Methodists, is just as certain
as that light dispels darkness. Dagg’s The
ology cuts up Arminianism by the roots. —
Theodosia second overturns’church hierar
chies ; Grace Truman settles the communion
question, and the Great Iron Wheel leaves to
Methodism not even the
“ Baseless fabric of a vision.”
If Mr. Evans can turn the Mississippi back
upon its source —if he can chain the light
ning—if he can stay the earthquake, or
the Ocean with his hand—then may he arrejst
the progress of religious freedom, which fe
only the synonym of the spread of Baptist :
e above from the consecj
utive developments of the week in relation tcf
this new phase of Protestantism which Mr.
Evans was about to inaugurate in Macon, wo
laid aside the editorial stylus to pause for the
approaching
DENOUEMENT.
The people of the city had been fully ad
vertised of coming events, and on Saturday
night expectation was on tiptoe. Mother
earth continued her journey from East to
West as if nothing very strange had happen
ed, and ushered in the Sabbath in good sea
son. The day was singularly adapted to the
work that had been allotted unto it. The
morning was dark and lowering, as if nature
had draped herself in sackcloth to mourn
over the obstinacy and rebellion of the hu
man heart that could substitute a plain ordi
nance of Christ by a human invention.—
About mid-day, however, the serial aspect re
laxed a little, having found relief from a gen
tle flow of tears, which a fertile genius, it is
true, might interpret as symbolical of the
spray with which Methodists say, the Israel
ites were baptized unto Moses, “ in the cloud
and in the sea,” or those crytal globules
which like pearl-drops, trickle from the bap
tized fingers of the administrator, on the
virgin brow of the eight-days-old infant; but
which we could, with as much reason, ascribe
to the out-flow of elemental sorrow on ac
count of sectarian disobedience. During the
delivery of the sermon, there singular
concurrence of agencies at work to intensify the
emotions which the speaker was endeavoring
to excite in the minds of his audience. The
sprinkling ‘ptb.Qut had advanced to copious
pouring, as if to illustrate the Genevan theo
ry of baptism, while thunder and storm bel
lowed round the house, emblematical of the
fulminations by which error has often
sought to intimidate and silence truth. The
darkness which attended this display of ele
mental commotions, was strikingly suggestive
of that condition of the human understand
ing which in this age of science, literature,
criticism, philology and thelogical attain
ments, impels men to cling to the dogmas
and puerile customs of the Romish hierarchy.
The preacher shouted for light, a desideratum
not easily obtained at that juncture.
Finally, a window was thrown open on the
lee-side of the storm, which luckily admitted
a faint reflection towards the pulpit—the
place of all others in the house, where light
was most needed. The gas was next put on,
but, like a spoiled child, it hesitated and blub
bered as if unwilling to illuminate externally,
when the rites of the church which the
speaker would fain have commended to his
audience, had their origin in darkness.
But we have to some extent inverted the
order of events. The time for the delivery of
this discourse had been admirably chosen.—
THE CHBIS’TIAN INDEX.
Whether it was the conception and arrange
ment of a single mind—of one church, or
more than one—we will not pretend to de
cide, but it happened to fall on the very day and
hour which once in three months has bo service
for whites at any of the other ch&rches. The
consequence was that many of the members
of the other Pedobaptist churches vere pres
ent, and the Baptists were there inforce. The
congregation comprised not less than 1200,
and in it was doußtless, a section ©1 the best
mind in Macon. We are proud to own, too,
that the citizens of Macon, as a -whole, are
not deficient either in mental acumen or edu
cational embellishments. We jrould have
cheerfully given fifty copies of the
the Methodist church for one year, if Mr.
Landrum could have had the opportunity of
following Mr. Evans before that intelligent
audience.
But the sermon ? demands th(h reader.—
What did he do ? —what say ? “Well, he ut
tered many words, but if the sermonhad any
vital issues , legitimate points, or concltsive ar
guments we had not the perspicacity to de
tect them. And with entire kiqfl’ ess to
wards Mr. Evans, and in. jfeatfce
gence of the auditirry, wh muißexpf ess* ‘tmf
conviction, that no intelligent mirld present,
discovered them. After the flourish °f trum
pets that brought the citizens together, they
had the right to expect something ; but if
Mr. Evans had designed t> inflict on the com-"’
munity in which his church is located, a first
of-April hoax, he could not havd succee
ded more successfully. For ourself we felt
as if “ sold” in the fullest sen si of that
word.
He spent thirty minutes with preliminaries
—fortifying himself against any report of his
remarks—claiming to be purely an extempo
rary speaker—explaining away sundry un
guarded expressions, dropped during his pas
toral visits, such as that the influence which
had moved a member pf his church to join
the Baptists, was “ a temptation of the devil”
—declaring that he wfs acting on the defen
sive, though his notice to Mr. Landrum was
that he felt it to be his duty to attack the
Baptists—and affirming the two circulars of
the Rehoboth Association to be the ground of
his defence.
He then, instead of announcing some prin
ciple for elucidation, some important differ
ence between the sentiments of his people
and those of the Baptists, formally, and mag
isterially, as we thought, uttered a series of
protests against Baptist faith and practice.
It was easy to see, that the Rev. Pastor of
the Methodist church in Macon, had becbme
a convert to the Rev. Albert Barne’s new the
ory of Protestanism, as developed in a so
phistical argument, entitled “ exclusiveism.”
The article is unworthy of the intelligence
and scholarship of Dr. Barney. lie taW the
■ V J -‘ U” saeli .
Fform of church organization or of baptism in
the New Testament, as to give to any one
class of Christians a right to exclude otthenT
from a claim to be recognized as a part of
the true Church of Qhrist.” This noti<sh of
Dr. Barnes is in direct conflict with the
views on this subject of the last Pastor’s and
Peoples Journal, published in this city. See
article under the caption of Church govern
ment, p. 234. *
In view of his notions of Church organiza
tion, Dr. Barnes has made various “ demtffi-j”
of the Baptists, and the Pastor of the
dist church in our city, has—in perfect har
mony with the dictatorial polity of the Metho
dist system of Christianity—pronounced his
“protests.” He was, however, the
echo —and a very poor echo at that—of the
distinguished Dr. Barnes, of Philadelphb~—
If any one will call at the Index office, we
will show him, in a little book, the very
“ claims and demands,” which Mr. Evani has
christened “ protests ” —that were heard hi the
Methodist pulpit on yesterday afternoon.—
Why did not Mr. Evans give Dr. Barnes
credit for his materials?
His first protest was against -The claim that
the “ Baptists are the only church that
PRACTICE THE ORDINANCES OF CHRIST AS THEY
were deliverer.” Strange, indeed, did it
appear to ns, that he had never learned this-of
the Baptists, till he saw it in the circulars,ow
two young Ministers of the Rehoboth Asso
ciation ! Neither of these Ministers is pet
twenty-four years of age ; yet, under the first
impulsions of anew life, they at once
grasped a principle, which Mr. Evans thicks
an “ imputation” on other ehurchc^^'^^f'.
the Baptists will defend, even
He “protested,” secondly ,
excluded from Baptist and
Baptist pulpits. He represented the Baptists
as differing very little from the Methodists—
only in the “ form” of baptism—and begged
most piteously, to be recognized as a bona fide
Minister of a bona fide church. Just at that
point, we could not exactly see the consisteii
ey of such a small difference, with the decla
ration of the Rev. gentleman to one of his
members, that the inclination to join the Bap
tist church, “ was a temptation of the devv
il !! But let that pass. There is a way, if
Mr. Evans is really sincere, in which he “can
enjoy the fellowship and communion of Bap
tist churches—a privilege which he seems sir
much to covet. Let him relate to the Bap
tist church a good Christian experience, and
with brother Landrum walk down into the
water, and the end so devoutly wished for,
will have been attained. As lie is a good
singer, he could he exercised in that depart
ment of worship, till perfectly cured of all
his Pedobaptist notions,when he might preach
the true Gospel of the Son of God.
His final protest was against the evil spir
it which denying fellowship to the Methodists
would necessarily engender. The Baptists
never create this evil spirit. They are not re
sponsible for it. All they do, is to propagate
their sentiments ; place light by the side of
darkness; contend earnestly for the ancient
faith, aim if Jthis makes proselytes, then the
Baptists are, as they ever have been, and as
we humbly pray, they always will he, prose
lyters. The fact is, they have done too little
of this Whd of proselyting, and we trust, that
from this time forth, they will do more of it.
If their books and their paper are to he pro
scribed —if they must suppress their cherish
ed principles in their Associations, and in so
cial intercourse, because a Methodist preacher
may “ happen” (?) to he present, it is time
to shake off these shackles of intimidation,
and let the world see who and what they are.
We shall say no more at present, lest we
forestall Mr. Landrum’s reply. After next
Sabbath we may have more to say, but till
then, we desist. Should Mr. Evansprosecute
his attack on Baptist faith and practice, he
will be met in a good but firm spirit. But he
owes it to himself, his church, the citizens of
Macon, and to bis denomination, to use argu
bment, arid not mere Reclamation.
Bethel Association.
On Saturday morning last, perhaps four
hours before day, we took the cars at the
► South Western Railroad depot, for Americus.
The “ iron horse” having taken a full feed of
pine wood, and filled his paunch with several
barrels of water—we hope brother Taliaferro
will not become nervous at the mention of
wood and water —off he darted at the word
go, for Fort Valley. By 7 o’clock we were
at the hotel in Americus, where our excellent
friend, Dr. Cooper, was waiting to receive
us. With him and his kind family we break
fasted, and then left for Friendship, where
the Bethel Association would convene.—
While arrangements were making for vehi
cles, Dr. Hornady, of Barnsville, drove up,
and offered us a seat in his buggy. A de
lightful ride of three hours over a good road,
brought us to the meeting house, where the
delegates from different sections were as
sembling.
The meeting was called to order, and the
numerous letters were read by brethren Ir
win, Mallary, and Root. The additions by
baptism were 454, and so far as we could
judge, the additions by letter were about bal
anced by deaths, removals and exclusions.
That staunch Baptist and friend to every
good work, Rev. W. L. Crawford, was unani
mously re-elected Moderator, and Rev. E.
W. Warren, a young brother of much pro
mise, Clerk. At this stage of the proceedings
a rain storm came up, and the congregation
as is generally the case at such times—instead
of sitting quietly in the houie, were not a
cLrop could liu.VG touched thVn, roHe-,_aiun
pressed towTtrCtefthe aSOriT m sfricn ‘confusion,
that it was impossible to continue with busi
ness. After appointing the committees on
business and religious exercises, a motion for
adjournment prevailed, and the Association
dispersed till Monday morning. We depart
ed with Dr. Hornady, to the residence of
Dr. Reese, an excellent physician in the
neighborhood, for supper, after which, ac
cording to previous arrangement,we took lodg
ing during the sessions with brother Ross.
Lord’fr-day came on most gloriously, with a
balmy atmosphere and the sweet caroling of
birds. Avery large concourse was on the
ground by 10 o’clock, when it was found ex
pedient to divide the assembly into two con
gregations. The Rev. C. D. Mallary preach
ed in the meeting-house, and Rev. E. W.
Wa*j*en- at the stand. Brother Mallary
preached the annual Missionary sermon, in
which he ably illustrated the excellency of a
knowledge of Christ. In the afternoon, the
stand was occupied by Rev. D. G. Daniel,
and the meeting-house by Rev. A. Sherwood.
At night, Rev. A. E.* Cloud preached in the
meeting-house, and on Monday, Rev. C. C.
Willis, and Rev. T. U. Wilkes, were the
preachers. Rev. J. H. Campbell, who had
only arrived ou Monday, preached the last
sermon on Tuesday to a very large congre
gation. Our Index duties did not enable 11s
to attend preaching during the sessions of
■the Association, but from what we heard, the
preaching was evangelical and effective.—
We should have stated that Rev. James O.
Cumbie preached the introductory sermon,
in which he warned the churches against con
forming to the wfcrld.
Tfra various benevolent enterprises claimed
the attention of the Body on Monday. The
> clajms of the Index were presented by the
editor, and he was responded to by a large
increase of patronage. If every Association
had done as well as the Bethel, the paper
would he well sustained, and an annual reve
nue might thus be secured for missions. The
zeal manifested in behalf of “ our paper,” as
it was called there, gave us much encourage
ment. Fifty-one new subscribers were obtain
ed, and sundry old debts collected. Others
not prepared to pay at the time, will remit
soon. A few more such efforts will enable
the publishing committee to strike off the
dead heads” at the end of the year, and
make the list a paying one. Some will be of
fended if dropped, but it is better to give of
fence to those who will not pay, than to keep
them in a good humor by breaking the Index
office.
The subject of Foreign Missions was next
taken up, when able speeches were made by
brethren, Daniel, Campbell, and Irwin. -
The Domestic Mission report was read and
followed by an excellent speech by Dr. Coop
er, of Am&ricus, and was succeeded by warm
and interesting speeches from brethren Scriv
en, Mallary, Irwin and others. On a propo
sition of brother Irwin, it was agreed to sup
port brother Hogue, of Americus, as a Mis
sionary to the Indians, and over S4OO were
pledged at the time for that object. A small
er amount was also pledged to provide the
colored people within the bounds of the As
sociation, with preaching.
The body adjourned till Tuesday morning,
when on assembling, an interesting letter was
read from brother Clark, Missionary to Cen
tral Africa. The Bible and Colporteur So
ciety at Macon, received the consideration of
the Association. It claims were warmly ad
vocated and urgently pressed. This new en
terprise evidently took a deep hold on all
present, and next year the churches will send
up liberally for its support. The Baptists
have had to depend on Pedo-Baptist publish
ing houses long enough, and there was a gen
eral intention manifested to look at home for
books, hereafter.
At 12 o’clock, A. M., the Association ad
journed without day, and when the parting
hymn was sung, many a tear glistened in the
eyes of brethren. It, was in all respects a
most cheering meeting. Not a note of dis
cord disturbed the fcarmony of the several
sessions. The people of the surrounding
neighborhood opened their houses cheerfully,
and provided sumptuously for their guests.
O! that the Association may prove a bless
ing to them all.
We met a host of good brethren there
with whom it was delightful to take sweet
counsel. Brethren Mallary, Perryman, Mur
phy, Crawford, Ross, Campbell, Sherwood,
and others among the seniors ; and Warren,
Cooper, J. F. Dagg, the younger Mallary,
Cloud, Wilkes and Daniel among those who
are young or in the prime of life, and may
yet do much good in the cause of the Re
deemer. The Lord preserve and guide them
in the right way, that when the lamp of the
elders shall be put out, they may be burning
and shining lights on the walls of Zion.
The next Association will meet in Albany,
but how many of those who comprised the
one just adjourned, shall live to attend, the
good Lord only can tell.
Baptismal Controversy.
In another column the reader will see that
the Baptists in Macon are in the vortext of a
Baptist discussion. No Baptist in the city
sought or expected this onslaught on Baptist
principles and practice. Mr. Evans’ card
came upon us as a thunder clap from a clear
sky. Not that any one was alarmed by it,
but that the entire Baptist Church was taken
by surprise. Our only fear, now, is, that
having discharged his first gun, he may “ back
out,” and escape from the field, amid the
smoke of this first discharge of Methodist ar
tillery. Brother Landrum’s \ reply on next
Sunday night, wg.foqr, urtll mtL&rr* vmpefftant
lousiness in some other part of the State, which
no Methodist minister can so well attend to
as the Rev. J. E. Evans. He is manifestly
unequal to the enterprise in which he has vol
unteered, but that is no concern of the Bap
tists. The old Baptist flag can only wave
from one point— the mast head —and there,
by the grace of God, it must remain. It shall
never trail in the dust while a Baptist lives. —
All we ask of our patrons in this emergency,
is an increased subscription list, arrear
ages paid up, and advance payments. If we
do not bring light out of darkness in this con
troversy, in connexion with the Baptist Pas
tor of this city, it will be because we can
neither have readers nor hearers. But we
shall have both.
[We do not seriously regret the typographical
errors of which our correspondent, “ Theophilus,”
1 slightly complains, since they have afforded an occa
sion for a display of a little excellent humor. Having
detected five misprints in two of his highly acceptable
letters—that is to say, two and a -half per letter—he
has turned them to good account, and at the same time
relieved himself of the “odium” which hg supposed
they might bring on a Professor of Belles Lettres and
Oratory.” Errors will occur, but since there could be
found only five in about two and a half columns of
printed matter, we are willing to absolve both the wri
ter and the “compositor,” and attribute their occur
rence to careless proof-reading. As this is an age of
compromises , if our worthy friend will write just a little
more legibly, we will try and read more carefully. —
However, good has been the result of these blunders,
since they have developed the important fact, that
“ bacon ” and “ peas” are gogd food for “ fine,”
Baptist pastors. The Latin woM ‘“sms,’” whose pri
mary synonym is “ swine,” but yhich our friend has
elegantly rendered “hog,” is the basis of the discovery.
We take pleasure in commending the following article
to the reader’s attention. —Ed.
Sundry Errata—College Domitories—Finan
cial troubles —change of tune—American
Tract Society—and explanation.
Philadelphia, Oct. 29, 1857.
I hope your readers will. not hold me re
sponsible for all the bad orthography and
bad syntax which appear in my published
communications. I have no doubt that in
the hurry of writing I am often inaccurate.
But I think the compositor in your printing
office ought to be willing to share with me
the odium which may be heaped on such de
fects. In my last, he makes me spell Penn
sylvania with a b where the v should occur,
and in jubilee he credits me with an e where
I gave him an i. In a previous letter I said
that there were 11 Jive Baptist Pastors in this
city who had been settled in the Southern
States.” My friend, your compositor, insisted
upon it that there were “fine Baptist Pastors
in this city,” &c. Now though this is cer
tainly true of some of these Pastors, it would
not have been modest in me to have said that
they were all fine. In the same letter I men-
NOVEMBER 1857
tioned that I was rns-ticating at Bethelem,
but your types announced that I was sws-tica
ting at Bethelem. Now since sus is the Lat
in for hog, and as we had bacon every day
for dinner, the statement which you publish
ed is true; but lam sure that I said noth
ing about the bill of fare. You remind
me of a worthy clerk who always on his min
utes made the church conclude ’‘inpeas,” in
stead of “ peace.” He was wrong ; for the
peas did not usually come until after the con
clusion and when we were at dinner. Excuse
me for referring to these matters. Ido not *
hold a grammatical blunder to be a very
grave offence; but as I was so many years a
Professor of “ Belles Lettres and Oratory,”
some people might think that I ought to know
how to spell.
Talking of Professorships reminds me of a
discussion which has been going on in some
quarters of late, on the subject of college
commons and dormitories. I perceive that
the old fashion plan which we imported from
Europe, of eating and sleeping in commons is
losing favor among some of its former sup
porters. After an experience of many years
in College both as student and teacher, I am ...
thoroughly convinced of the viciousness~of
the whole system. I fully concur with Dr.
Scott, of San Francisco, that “ he would rath
er a son or daughter be deprived of the ben
efit of a liberal education than to incur the
risk of placing them in an Institution where
the pupils eat or lodge in commons.” All
that is needed in the way of College edifices
to make the establishment complete, is a
chapel, library room, and recitation rooms.—
The apparatus, minerals, &c., might require,
if large, an additional building. The students
should be dispersed in respectable families—
such as the Faculty approve—and be requir
ed to be punctual and studious. No respec
table family would tolerate the rowdyism
which is common where young men are
crowded into buildings without any other
restraint upon them than what is supplied by
a Tutor, who cannot know a tithe of their
delinquencies. At Penfield, I believe, you
have one building used as a dormitory. You
would be better off without it. But the evil
there is somewhat modified, from the fact,
that one of the Professors, with his family,
lives under the same roof. When at Athens
I always advised parents to keep their sons
in private families. Their sleeping and study
regulations there are as good as anything of
the kind can be ; but the system is objectiona
ble.
I perceive that you are having a taste of
the “ hard times” in Georgia. Philadelphia
had the honor of setting the first example of
the suspensions of specie payments in the
present revulsion ; but you must not infer
that she is enjoying any privilege in conse
quence, There is nn nlmij^^ifcA'BaSpe&i 1
of business of all kinds ; and multitudes of
industrious people are calling for work or for
bread. The city supports a pauper establish
ment which costs upwards of a quarter of a
million of dollars annually. Besides this, a
much larger amount is disbursed in the va
rious private establishments. These, from
present appearances, will be taxed to the ut
most. if relief does not come soon from
some source, the suffering among the labor
ing classes will be unparalleled. These sea
sons of distress afford a fine opportunity for
the display of the Christian virtue of benevo
lence- And I must say they are not unim
proved. I have been surprised and gratified
with the generous distribution made by the
wealthy of the means which have been com
mitted to them.
The present commercial depression has con
siderably abated the zeal of a certain class of
philanthropists in behalf of the “ down trod
den” slave population of the South. Their
sympathies, in many cases, are exhausted upon
their own sufferings. A gentleman who re
cently travelled through a number of the
cotton manufacturing towns of New England,
where operations have been suspended for
want of money to purchase the raw material,
and to pay the morkmen, and where thou
sands are unemployed, heard on every hand
theory “more cotton,”“give us more cot
ton.” Last year when he visited the same
sections the was “no more niggers.”—
The truth is, our Northern negrophilists, (I
mean no reproach by the term, for every
good Master is a negrophilist) may at any
time find, under their immediate eye, the
most ample opportunity for the indulgence of
their favorite passion. I can see, in the course
of a fifteen minutes walk in this city, more
degradation and filth, and wretchedness
among the blacks than I saw in Georgia du
ring a residence of fifteen years. Whilst on
the “ vexed question” allow me to say that I
think that those Associations in the South
which have repudiated the American Tract
Society in consequence of the recommenda
tion given at the last annual meeting to pub
lish Tracts on the “wrongs of slavery,”
should, for the present at least, waive their
resolves of non-fellowship. The Executive
Committee now in office have determined
(and so proclaimed it) that they will publish
nothing whatever on the subject. They have
taken the responsibility of disregarding the
expressed wish of that portion of the Socie
ty who were assembled at the last Anniver
sary. For this step they have been com
mended by the more conservative anti-slavery
men of the North, and have been severely
denounced by the extreme party. Until the
present Committee is dislodged or departs
from the policy now published, I sincerely
hope that the Society will be received with
that favor at the South which it has hereto
fore commanded and to which so noble an In
stitution is justly entitled.