The Christian index. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1872-1881, February 11, 1875, Image 5
BY JAS. P. HARRISON & CO.
4 WORD FOR THE INDEX.
A sprightly correspondent, in a letter
recently published in the Macon Tele
graph and Messenger, thus pleasantly
alludes to The Christian Index, and
the Franklin Steam Printing House:
“A gentleman on hoard seeing us at
tentively perusing that sterling sheet,
The Christian Index, which the witty
and able Dr. David E. Butler has so large
a share in getting up, borrowed the
paper. While he is reading it, we take
the opportunity of saying, and the wri
ter does so none the less willingly be
cause of the defeat of Estill, Harrison
& Cos. for the State printing, that, as a
denominational journal, The Index
has no superior at the South, while the
job office and publishing arrangements
of the company,in extent and complete
ness, aie without a rival, save one, in
the State.
“A recent visit and survey of their
rooms surprised us not a little. It was
not unlike some great Northern book
concern, such as the Harpers, and we
noticed among their numerous employ
ees many genteel and intelligent females.
This is as it should be. If we would
preserve from want and a life of shame
thousands of indigent but respectable
women, give them honest employment."
The London Baptist, in an editorial in
reference to the recent christening of
the infant son of the Duke of Edin
burgh, says:
“ It will interest some of our readers
to be informed —those, at least, who do
not know the fact—that if this half
Eussian prince had been baptized in
Eussja, ho would have been baptized
bv immersion. Nay, he would have
been immersed three times, for that is
the practice in the Greek church. If
the rubrics even of the Church of Eng
land were obeyed, immersion would be
the practice here. It is ordered in the
rubric that ‘ if the child may well en
dure it, the priest shall dip the child ;
but that, if it is weak, it shall suffice to
pour water upon it.’ Thus we have
the authority of both the Greek and
English churches —and the same thing
might be said of the Eomish church—
in favor of our doctrine, as to the
inode of baptism at any rate. If it
had not been for the \oo early intro
duction of the dogma of baptismal re
generation, we should have had all
these churches with us in favor of our
doctrine as to the subjects of baptism
likewise.”
A correspondent of The Index
writing from Kingston, Georgia, under
date of February 1, 1875, says: “We
have a good pastor here; his labors
are constant, earnest. He has been with
us three years, and his labors have
been blessed to a considerable extent,
although we are not altogether what we
ought to be.
“Our hearts are often made glad by
the many good tidings from all sections,
which The Index brings to us.
“Our little town is making progress.
Our people have tired of the whisky
traffic, and have a memorial before the
Legislature praying that ,the sale of
the poisonous stuff may be prohibited
within two miles of the town.
“Our 3abbath-school superintendent
is a live and good man, but he has
many difficulties to contend with, and I
fear he is much discouraged. We
think we are in great need of our
Sunday-school Evangelist. He might
do good by visiting us now. We
think that if our people would read
the Bible more, and The Christian
Index for refreshment, that our church
and Sunday-school would be more
prosperous. Brethren, pray for us.
“N. B. —The ministers, deacons and
church meeting of Oostanaula Asso
ciation, will be held with the church
at Kingston, commencing Friday before
the fifth Sunday iu May, and we hope
to see a general turnout of the breth
ren, not only of our Association, but
all who can come. We want you to
come.”
James Green, Esq., of New York, has
donated to Princeton College 8100,000,
which will be applied to the scientific
department of that Institution.
The Lutheran church in America has
2,568 ministers, 4,639 congregations,
and 561,372 communicants.
-—•—
Union College, Schenectady, N. Y.,
has received as donations, from various
sources, during the last year, 3250,000.
The Christian Index.
CHANCELLOR TICKER'S ADDRESS.
Rev. Dr. Tucker, the distinguished
Chancellor of the State University,
delivered an able and interesting ad
dress to a large and intelligent audi
ence on last Wednesday evening, at the
hall of the House of Representatives.
Governor Smith, the Judges of the
Supreme Court, members of the Legis
lature, and many other noted citizens
were present.
Dr. Tucker spoke in behalf of the
State University, and of education in
general. The address was luminous
with logic and facts; his illustrations
were classic and appropriate. His re
view of the rise and progress of the
University was full of suggestive in
terest, and many of his witty points
and apt metaphors were received with
prolonged applause. He set forth the
undenyable reasons for the sustainment
and promotion of a school of high and
classical culture, and enlarged upon
the wants of Georgia’s Alma Mater.
Dr. Tucker not only touched the
hearts of his auditory, but impressed
their minds deeply, and great good,
doubtless, will accrue through his ad
dress to the venerable Institute he so
ably represents.
A JI'ST COMPLAINT.
HEPnziBAH, Ga., January 27,1875.
It was a well established custom
during years past, for the printer who
received the contract from the Secretary
of the Associations convening in this
section of country for printing the min
utes, to send them to the store of
Messrs. Plumb & Leitner, druggists,
Augusta, Georgia, where they were, by
the kindness of Mr. D. B. Plumb, for
warded or declined, as the case required.
So well was this arrangement under
stood that it became almost a fixed
fact. A change has, however, come
over all this. I have been informed
that recently the minutes were printed
at the Constitutionalist office, and as
was the custom, Mr. Adams, the mana
ger of that -eataMishment, sent, them
to the store of one “ J. H. Alexander,”
who advertises himself as “ successor
to Plumb & Leitner,” and the package
was sent back, with the information
that “ this house has always been a dis
tributing place for Baptist documents,
but it is no longer such.” Now, Messrs.
Editors, if this be the case, all Bap
tists should be apprised of the fact,
and in making purchases hereafter let
them bear in mind this fact. I, for
one, think that if Baptist documents
cannot be distributed from there simply
because they are not of that faith, Bap
tist money could be spent at other
places more satisfactorily, and in future
I propose to govern myself accordingly.
Baptist.
In view of the facts stated by our
brother in the above communication,
would it not be well for the Secretaries
of Associations to have their necessary
printing done at some first-class Bap
tist printing house, where the business
would be promptly and faithfully done,
g,nd without the intervention or medi
umship of outside parties? The In
dex office has printing facilities unsur
passed by any publication house in the
country, and the experience of many
years testifies to the superior work
manship and popularity enjoyed by
this establishment.
Let the church, and every member
thereof, sustain Baptist enterprises, and
place their work into the hands of those
who “ know no such word as fail ” in
their business vocabulary.
For the Index and Baptist.]
MISS LOTTIE MOON’S HOUSE.
“Cast thy bread upon the waters : for thou
shalt find it after many days.”
“ ‘Cast thv bread upon the waters,’
Ye who have but scant supply —
Angel eyes will watch above it:
You shall find it by and by.
“ ‘Cast thy bread upon the waters,
Ye wbo have abundant store;
It may float on many a billow,
It may strand on many a shore.
“Cast thy bread upon the waters,’
Waft it on with praying breath;
In some distant, doubtful moment,
It may save a soul from death”.
Contributions received from January
30, to February 6.—Cave Spring Sun
day-school, per Thos. J. Davis, Jr.,
§1.25. Bethsada Church, Muscogee
county, Mrs. J. E. McKee, 50 cents ;
Miss Lillie McKee, 50 cents ; Miss Mol
lie McKee, 50 cents. A South Ameri
can coin, “no name,” §l. Tennille,
Washington county, G. W. Wood, 25
cents. Grimes’ Mill, Warren county,
Mrs. N. J. Goosliug and husband, §l.
Total for the week, §5 ; whole amount
to February 6, 8644.80.
RELIGIOUS, LITERARY, CORRESPONDENCE, EDITORIALS, MARKETS, CURRENT NOTES AND NEWS.
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1875.
SPIRIT OF THE RELIGIOIS PRESS.
The National Baptist, commenting upon
the question “ What shall we preach?” holds
that there is no absolute uniformity in the
circumstances attending conversion. Some
contend that the milder aspects of the Gos
pel are sufficient to change the heart, whilst
others contend that fear and the full view of
eternal torment alone can provide. The edi
tor believes that the solemn, alarming aspects
of religious truths are essential to cause con
version ; but preachers should speak the truth
in love.
The Christian Union , commenting on the
undignified manner in which certain classes
of ministers engage iu political strife, and
degrade themselves by seeking the plumes ot
office, alludes to the recent race of some of
these fin- the chaplaincy of the Massachusetts
Legislature iu this wise:
“ The wire-pulling was simply disgraceful.
It is consoling to reflect that not one of these
self-nominated candidates succeeded, the
office having been bestowed upon a clergy
man who had too much modesty and self
respect to seek it. Such a scramble as was
witnessed in this instance, is calculated to do
more to bring religion into reproach, than the
office itself, however wisely filled, can do to
honor it.”
The New York Observer, alluding to the
remark of Hon. William M. Evarts, the
senior counsel for Beecher in the Tiltou-
Beecher case : “ The Christian religion is not
on trial here,” says:
Christians knew it before, and they wish
the world to know and believe it, that their
religion does not depend on the guilt or inno
cense of any man, or any number of men,
in any age or city. The founder of their
religion had twelve disciples, the boldest
of whom denied him, and another committed
suicide in an agony of remorse. If the
Christian religion were on trial when its pro
fessors are exposed, it would long ago have
perished.”
The Texas Baptist Herald, in a vigorous
editorial relative to Christian work in that
State, says:
“ The most serious lack of our own State
is pastors of churches who will look after
each member of the household of Christ,
aud engage each one in some way for His
cause. Eloquent sermons, personal inter
views, pastoral visiting and week night lec
tures, are but little more than “sounding
brass and a tinkling cymbal” if the mem
bers of the church aie not drawn out—every
one of them—to exert, to some extent, an
active, positive influence, by doing work of
some sort for the furtherance of the king*
dom of Christ and the Gospel of His
in the world.” jjM
The. Chicago Inlcri/.r makes a
appeal in behalf of the laborers in
sionary fields. It says: ’•ujS
“ So far from making “ hard times” a plea
for withholding contributions, it should
make them the irresistable argument for a
more generous consecration ef our substance
unto the Lord. The hard times strike the
hardest blow, not at our well-fed churches in
the cities and more favored parts of the land,
but at our starving missionaries on the Iron
tier, and the people around them. If we
must retrench, it must not be done by killing
feeble churches, which are the oily hope of
the abounding iniquity around them; it must
not be done by starving the missionary, body
or mind, but rather by knocking the spires
from our churches and selling them for kind
ling; by taking the cushions out and selling
them to the rag-man. Or if this be deemed
too much, we will retrench, not by silencing
voices on the frontier, but, if need be, voices
in the organ gallery. We will not build
two hundred thousand dollar churches, sus
tained by an annual expense of twenty
thousand more, and then complain of itie
frequency of collections. Rather imitating
the spirit of Christianity, we will seek the
riches that come by giving, and learn how
much better it is to distribute our substance
for the Kingdom than to consume it upon
our lusts.
The Texas Christian Advocate ventilates
the tobacco question in a pungent way. It
says that Mr. Spurgeon’s avowal that he is
fond of a good cigar, should not be made a
question of conscience but of taste. Though
personally opposed to the use of tobacco, the
editor is willing to compromise, and states
his terms of the compromise thus:
If Mr. Spurgeon will not insist that we
shall chew or smoke; if he will use only
good cigars; if he will not spit on the floor,
or parlor, or pulpit, and will be particularly
careful not to spit on a hot stove, his practice
in the matter will not cause a ripple to pass
over our conscience."
The Baptist Journal and Messenger , in an
able article in reply to the wild Spencerian
philosophy that “ God and future life being
unknown to us, they need make no part of
our thinking,” and that “faith is trust in in
conclusive presumption,” says:
“ This is the gilded and draped skeleton of
despair. * * * Faith, in the Chris
tian sense, is a trust in God on the ground of
His trustworthiness. It is fundamentally an
act of reason and knowledge fairly proved,
and it calls emotion and will to action by a
divinely-ordered law of our nature. Even
the humblest Christian has a rational basis
for his faith, receiving knowledge, not by
hearsay, or priestly or parental dictation, but
in the exercise of all his faculties. Thus we
justify faith to intellectual men.”
By private advices we learn that
Eev. W. E. Lloyd has not responded
definitely to the call to the pastorate of
the church at Opelika. It is the un
derstanding that in the event of his ac
ceptance, he will continue to supply the
church at Auburn, aud be assisted at
Opelika by Dr. Tichnor.
Eev. Z. D. Eobey has settled at Cus
seta and devotes one-half his time to
the church at that place.
INDEX AND BAPTIST.
Public*Hon Rooms—27 and 29 South-Broad.Street.
WHAT IS ORIGINALITY !
A recent writer aptly says : “As for
an editor’s actually begetting a column
of original matter each day, or half a
column, the thing is not even attempted.
His L pics must be fresh, and pertinent
to the times; yet it is, after all, the an
cient repeated.” And he says, further
more: “No mortal man can produce
two good, healthy sermons a week.
Bushuell, Beecher, Leighton, Luther,
Robertson, Stanley, are constant sources
of inspiration to the most fertile di
vine.”
A maxim says, “ there is nothing
new under the sun,” and it is true.
All the elements of our nature; all the
precepts of truth; all that the mind can
conceive of primary qualities, are “ an
cient” as the universp itself ; hut this
fact does not hinder us from achieving
a certain qualified originality, consist
ing in placing ancient truths in new
lights, showing their diversified aspects,
illuminated by the light of new discov
eries, and making apt and pleasing
applications of maximal truisms to the
times we live in, and the needs of an
inquisitive and intelligent age.
To give anew and unexpected turn
to thought; to clothe the inherent and
understood ideas of the human mind
in fresh and attractive garments, either
in the form of didactics, history or
fiction, gives employment to the best
powers of tbe mind, and sufficient scope
to originality of treatment.
VULGARITY IN VERSE.
We indulged in the hope that the
verbal vulgarities, made to dance in
rythmic measure, the verse mannerism
intioduced by Bret Harte, and largely
liMjiiiited, had died, having long since
readers of taste and culture.
■Ltliat Bri-t, Harte still taps
vein, and blows the froth
pf hm ephemeral notoriety in the line
of vulgarisms in verse. A poem (?)
of his recently published begins with
the line, “Bill was the cuss,” etc., and
ends with —“ P. S., ’Twas Bill’s shirt,
not the boss’. I tell you Bill was one
of the hosses.”
The body of this thing is in keeping
with the head and tail, in suggested
profanity and outspoken vulgarity.
And still this scribbler nonsense is
described as “a representative Ameri
can author!”
MOONSHINE.
We have received from the author,
A. C. Harness, of Philadelphia, Penn
sylvania, a pamphlet just published,
entitled, “ The genius of Democracy ;
or, the Fall of Babylon.” He asks
us to assist him to compass his ob
ject, which is, he says, “to get up a
discussion —a hot and earnest discus
sion—on the merits of modern civi
lization and its boasted reforms,
and the feasibility of a pure Democracy,
a government without taxes, a church
without tythes, a money without usury,
a people without poor, a world without
sin.” In fact, he wants us to precipi
tate the Millenium, and change, the
earth to Elysium.
Sorry to decline the modest little
job, at least for the present. The
Utopian dreams of Plato, and the
hasheesh visions of French commu
nists, is a field wo leave entirely to the
humble Harness.
DIVERSIFIED FARMING.
The very numerous readers of The
Index who are farmers, will be glad to
read the prize essay on “ Diversified
Farming,” by Professor E. M. Pendle
ton, in this issue. It is taken from the
Georgia Grange, a valuable journal de
voted to the interests of the Grange,
and the official organ of the Patrons of
Husbandry in Georgia. The article is
scholarly, interesting, and full of valu
able information, and commends itself
to the attention of every intelligent
Southern farmer and planter.
The members of the Western Georgia
Co-operative Grange, recently iti ses
sion at LaGrange, passed a resolution
strongly opposing the re-enactment of
the lien law.
GEORGIA GOSSIP.
Incessant rains have retarded farm
ing operations.
The calling of a State convention is
still being agitated.
An academy has been opened at
Pittsburg.
The LaGrange Female College build
ings are to be completed at once.
Anew county is to be formed out of
Thomas and Decatur, to be called
“ Lawton.”
The cotton factories of this State
employ a capital of nearly four million
dollars.
Hon. Benjamin H. Hill addresses the
citizens of Hall county on the 13th
instant.
Capt. John T. Hall and family, of
Meriwether county, will emigrate to
Colorado next May.
An infant daughter of A, J. Smith,
Esq., of Cedar Creek district, Coweta
couuty, was recently drowned in a
spring on her father’s farm.
The farmers of Heard county raised
2,455 bales of cotton last year. Corn,
102,308 bushels.
Col. W. R. Brown, one of the oldest
and best esteemed citizens of Houston
county, died on the 4th inst.
Dr. P. R. Clements, formerly a well
known citizen of Americus, died at
Mariana, Fla. recently.
Mr. J. L. Eichardson, a highly es
teemed young man of Griffin, died in
that city last Thursday.
Green Blount, of Pike county, was
fatally wounded some days ago in diffi
culty with a man named David Bor
ker.
A boy was arrested last week in Ma
con, who, by means of duplicate keys
to the lock boxes at the post-office, had
succeeded in purloining over three hun
dred valuable letters.
On the 20th instant, in Washington
county, Allen White, aged 80 years,
was married to Miss Martha West,
aged 24.
General Joseph E. Johnston is Presi
dent of the “ Survivors Association of
the soldiers of the late Confederate
States, resident in Georgia.’ ’
Messrs. A. Dunn, O. Holland, Jr.,
and E. T. McMullin, were elected by
the Monroe Agricultural Society, dele
gates to the State Agricultural Society,
which meets in Thomasville on the 25th
inst.
There are 115,330 white polls in the
State, and 84,220 colored. There are
402,500 children between six and
eighteen years of age. The total school
fund paid was $265,000.
The colored people in Georgia own
property to the amount of §6,157,798.
Included in this are 338,769 acres of
land.
The people are awaking to the hor
rors of the liquor traffic in this State,
and petitions from all sections of Geor
gia are before the present legislature,
praying that the retailing of liquors be
prohibited by law.
A bill has been presented to charter
a railroad running from Beaufort Dis
trict, South Carolina, direct to Macon,
thence through Troupe or Heard coun
ty west to the Alabama line. The
capital stock is to be six million dol
lars.
There are 27,535,639 acres of im
proved land in the State, valued at
§96,511,935. There are 6,654,159 acres
of wild land, valued at §2,191,854.
This makes the aggregate value of
land in Georgia §98,803,789. The
county richest in land is Bartow j hav
ing 253,651 acres of improved land, and
39,673 acres of wild land, valued at
§2,099,039. The next richest is Floyd,
whose lands are valued at §1,958,337.
The third is Chatham, with lands val
ued at §1,917,018 ; the fourth, C0bb—
§1,726,880; the fifth, Richmond—§l,-
625,861; the sixth, Fulton—sl,s9o,-
179; the seventh, DeKalb—sl,ss7,-
295; the eighth, Washington—sl,s46,-
s4O; the ninth, Gwinnett—§l,sl7,339 ;
the tenth, 8ibb —§1,509,445 ; the elev
enth, Sumter —§1,188,714; the twelfth,
Burke —$1,477,352 ; and Troup comes
thirteenth —$1,476,333. The poorest
is Charlton, wherein is the Okifiaokeo
swamp, giving in $72,542.
Pulyreized charcoal, placed in a
cistern, will render the water pure.
S3 A YEAR IN ADVANCE.
EUROPE IS AIOIS.
The dark shadow of grave events
which the near future is casting upon
the horizon of Europe, and which can
not fail to affect our own community
in many and serious ways, is thus
alluded to by the leading journal of
the old world, the London Times :
In the gloom surrounding us, “one thing is
perceptible—ail are arming. Germany is arm
ing tin masse; the surrounding nations, in
cluding tlie best of the word, cannot do other
wise.” And why does Germany arm every
man of her mighty forty millions? There is
no single power on the continent that is able
to cope with her on iier ordinary peace foot
ing. There are no political objects upon which
any of the surrounding powers could concen
trate and ally themselves against her. There
is no question of boundaries in dispute—and,
in brief, there is nothing in the commercial,
maritime, 1 political, or civil situation upon
which a casus belli can naturally rest. There
is one danger, and one only, for and against
which Europe is arming: and that is the mis
chievous, intermedling, unscrupulous power of
the papacy, which is busy fomenting discord
and war, and compacting belligerent alliances
in every European State except Russia. The
last-named Empire is calm and peaceful, re
posing in the plentitude of her united power
—because, and only because Jesuitism, Ultra
montanism, and Papacy in its hydra-headed
forms has no footing on her soil, and no
means of acquiring the necessary hold upon
the superstitions of tire people.
DOMESTIC NOTE*.
Trains are running through Hoosac
Tunnel.
The Senate has rejected the Canadian,
reciprocity treaty.
The Episcopal college at Racine,
Wisconsin, was burned last week.
Petitions have been presented to
Congress against the revival of the
duty on tea and coffee.
During tbe recent cold weather, a
a number of people were frozen to
death on the prairies of Kansas.
Rev. James Dekoven, D.D., has been
elected bishop of the Episcopal diocese
of Illinois.
The amended Civil Rights bill has
passed the House of Representatives,
and is now before the Senate. It will
probably become a law.
The book containing an account of
the scandalous life of George IY ~of
England, and for which interested par
ties offered recently a reward of one
thousand pounds, has been discovered
in the office of a lawyer at Louisville.
One thousand pounds is, certainly, an
enormous price for the life of a worth
less King.
TENNESSEE NEWS.
Gen. B. F. Cheatham has been ap
pointed Superintendent of Prisons.
Large numbers of emigrants to
Texas and Missouri, are passing
through Nashville.
Col. James L. Gaines, the new Comp
troller, has entered upon his offioial
duties.
Governor Porter’s first message to
the General Assembly, is receiving high
praise.
Capt. White, the notorious horse
thief, and who recently escaped from
jail, was captured by a party of men,
and, resisting arrest, was killed near
Henderson, Tennessee. He w r as once a
very respected citizen of Shelby county.
Governor Porter, speaking of the
public school system of Tennessee,
says:
The people of Tennessee recognize
the necessity of affording free educa
tion to all the children of the State.
The system now in operation is a wise
one in many respects, and ought to be
made the subject of the most friendly
legislation, such legislation as will
make every child in the State its bene
ficiary. The general sentiment of our
people is favorable to the cause of pop
ular education. Our prosperity de
pends on the maintenance of the sys
tem inaugurated two years ago, and, if
any change is made, it ought only to
affect the details in such manner as
will afford increased educational fa
cilities.
Our esteemed Bro. J. W. Ellington,
alluding to The Index, says:
“ The Index is improving decidedly.
It is now a very oood paper. Some
articles recently published were very
fine, and have the ring of the genuine
metal. Prof. Willet’s “Rejoinder" is
a triumphant answer to Dr. Clark.
Dr. Hillyer’s sermon was “a feast of
fat things”—the very pith and marrow
of the gospel. ‘ Satis.’ Hope you may
‘ go on to prosper.’”
The apple crop of Connecticut for
last year, was by far the best for
many years. Its value is estimated at
§2,000,000.