Newspaper Page Text
The Christian Index.
BY JAS. P. HARRISON & CO.
INDEX AND BAPTIST.
Publication Rooms—27 and 29 South-Broad Street
Editorials.
Frederick the Great said: “As for my
plan of not sparing myself, I confess it the
same as before. The more one nurses one’s
self, the more feeble and delicate does the
body become. My trade requires toil and ac
tivity, and both my body and mind must adapt
themselves to the'ir duty. It is not necessary
that I should live, but it is necessary that 1 should
act. 1 have always found myself the belter for
this method. However, I do not prescribe it
for any one else, and am content to practice it
myself.”
No character in history is so remark
ably unique, so intensely peculiar as
that of the old war-king of Prussia.
In spite of many blemishes that darken
his life, and many acts that provoke
our execration, his life and character is
a study that has pe nuliar charms for
those who find, in the dissection of
human nature, ceaseless employment
for the critical powers of the mind.
How full of practical wisdom is the
old hero’s motto! “It is not necessary
that I should live, but it is necessary
that I should act.”
It is action that makes us worthy
of life j life without action is a contra
diction ; the value of life consists in
the opportunities afforded for actions,
and he that avails himself of these op
portunities, and, by the healthy and
steady exercise of his faculties, makes
himself the constant author of good
and noble actions, reaps the full har
vest of his existence, and establishes
his claim to earthly eminence and im
mortal reward.
What is it that men want most? It
is not talent, but purpose ; not learned
tbeorv, hut intelligent application; not
complicated machinery, but practical
work ; not power to achieve, but the
will to labor. Then success will fol
low. A good purpose must sanctify
talent; theory is useless, unless it is
tested by application; where will is,
the power of achievement is very apt
to be ; a determined will can create the
necessary power out of its own forces.
There is so much wasted talent in
our day ; it refuses to be confined in
legitimate channels ; it attempts great
things spasmodically, and spurns the
beaten path of the tried for the wil
derness of the novel and the quick
sands of the inexplicable.
Purpose, devotion, a single eye to
the er,d to be attained, resolute appli
cation, hard work and a cheerful spirit
will overcome almost every obstacle;
without these, talent is of little use to
its possessor —a fragrance that “wastes
its sweetness on the desert air.”
♦
Thinking Evil. —One of the deplor
able signs of the distrustful disposition
of society is the readiness with which
anv rumor detrimental to the charac
ter of our neighbors gains credence.
There are motives, and causes, and
unavoidable accidents that very often
precipitate us into a conjunction of
affairs, out of the usual order and
monotony of ordinary occurrences. The
suspicious mind, on the alert for any
thing that would serve as “a hook to
hang a doubt upon,” at once puts the
worst coloring possible upon his neigh
bor’s action, and gloats over the pros
pect of making a human being misera
hie by unwarranted or illegitimate sus
picions.
Charity, common sense, the logical
sequences that unbiased minds draw
from the past and the present, the un
reliability of circumstantial evidence,
the indignant protest of the slandered,
are of little avail to the mind determin
ed to be prejudiced and self-satisfied by
the allusions of evil thinking. Lot
without potent cause where the evil
tongues Bilenced when the Saviour ad
monished them : “He that is without
sin among you, let him cast the first
stone.” It is always best, at least it is
more in accordance with the spirit of a
professed Christian, to think well of our
neighbors instead of evil, and not to set
our judgments against the unfailing
verdict of a wise and merciful Provi
dence. ,
Sin may have a residence, but it
has not a rule in the believer’s heart;
but in the heart of the unrenewed it
has both.
CASTELAR
The London Times publishes the
great speech recently delivered in the
Spanish Cortes by Emilio Castelar upon
the religious toleration article. This
is one of his splendid points :
Are you afraid of a rival? Sire, you do an
honor to Protestantism if you think it is so true
as to be able, in a fair race, to outrun Catholi
cism. But if it be not true, this religion of the
state —if it be not true, brother deputies, what
then? Magna est Veritas, et proevalebit. If the
Roman Catholic creed be true it will prevail
by force of truth; if Protestantism be true it
will prevail, and ye cannot crush it. If this
liberty of conscience be of God you cannot, if
of man you need not, crush it.
It is somewhat surprising that a free,
mighty, clear, splendidly republican
character, like Castelar’s could spring
out of the depths of degradation, the
chaotic darkness of the priest-ridden
mind of the Spanish people. It shows
that the living spark of truth glows on
under the lava-dust of centuries, un
dimmed in pristine brilliancy, waiting
for an auspicious moment when it can
appear to gladden and to warm the
world, either through the soul of a sin
gle individual, or in the sublime erup
tion of a National revolution that casts
the shadow and the splendor of anew
era across the mighty vistas of history.
Spain has but one Castelar ; in him
seems embodied the ancient intellectual
power of a realm to whose potency the
world did homage ; he is a gem of the
past, in a modern setting; and its bril
liancy is almost painfully intensified by
the and reary darkness that environs it.
The Qalaxy remarks on the celebra
tion of anniversaries:
This making a jele of birthdays, and our
merry-making at Christmas : is it not some
what incongruous with the fact that such pe
riods always mark losses ; losses of a part of
our lives, and with that loss so frequently the
loss of a part of our family or of our circle of
near friends? On this day I have one year
less to live than I had at the same time last
year ; why should I be congratulated therefor?
Christmas is here 1 Yes; but someone who
was with us on a previous Christmas is not
here. Is not the sorrow of that memory more
to me than the regular rejoicings which per
tain to Christmas, which is always sure to
come?
This is the complaint of an unquiet
soul, too much engaged in contempla
ting the instability of temporal things,
and unduly depressed by their depart
ure.
Birthdays, whilst they mark the pas
sage of the years of one’s life, by that
very fact become the milestones on the
road to eternity. If our lives are true
and good and fruitful, should we not
rejoice over the progress we are mak
ing from year to year to a higher and
a brighter, and an unending existence ?
Such loss is gain.
At Christmas we rejoice over the
glorious fact of the birth of the Re
deemer ; we celebrate the advent of the
Son of God, who came to rescue a per
ishing world, and to return God’s err.
ing children to the Father’s bosom
through the efficacy of His blood, sbed
on Calvary. Is the memory of a
friend, who has passed “over the river”
before us, to obscure the rejoicing of
such divine commemoration ? Is not
an eveanescent sorrow lost in the broad
and heavenly effulgence of a risen Sav
iour and an open Heaven ?
Billiards. —There are six billiard tables
in Princeton College, and the President of
Yale College desires that billiard tables may
be provided for the Yale students.
And then, what next ? Card tables
and faro hanks ? The descent from
billiard tables to the latter adjuncts of
a gambling hall, seems to us to be
direct and easy.
Can these great and influential schools
for the education of our representative
young men find no other modes of rec
reation for the students than games
that promote the lust for gambling,
and that exert a baneful influence upon
habits of industry and economy ?
What points are gained by such sports
in regard of health? Will not the dele
terious results of this incipient prac
tice of gambling far outweigh the
questionable recreation afforded by it ?
We will begin in our next issue an
interesting and valuable essay, from
the pen of an eminent writer, discuss
ing Episcopacy, Apostolic Succession,
the Baptist churches, Pedobaptism and
kindred subjects.
The essay will run through several
issues of The Index, and will supplant
i ‘ Our Pulpit” for the time being.
Literature Secular Editorials Current Notes and News.
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 1876.
THE SIMMY MORNING HERALD.
We have before us the first number of the
Sunday Morning Herald. It is published in
this city, and edited by Bridges Smith, Esq ,
a practical printer of acknowledged ability ,
and one of the sprightliest and most versatile
writers on the press of Georgia.
The object of the paper is to furnish a faith
ful record of the week’s news and passing
events, and to be a pleasant companion for
Sunday rest. The number before us fills these
conditions bountifully. There is elan about it.
A gossipy, crisp, pungent, wide-awake, go
ahead spirit, that augurs well for its permanent
success, and a bright station in the galaxy of
Southern journals.
Over-worked, panting, realistic Atlanta needs
just such a finely-flavored, happy-hearted,
sans souci sheet; and the valleys and hills
of old Georgia will be all the better, too, by a
weekly visit of this charming iriend from the
‘ Capital,” with his budget of news, and his
gossip, and quirks, and pranks, and merry say
ings.
The temper of its editorial management is
trenchantly expressed in the following para
graph from one of its editorials :
“The design of the Herald, given in another
column, is to fill a hitherto open chink in At
lanta journalism. It does not, nor would it
seek to, interfere with the dailies, or its noble
literary pride, the Sunny South. Neither does
it interfere with those two staunch weeklies,
The Christian Index and the Georgia
Grange. It has a field to itself—an unbounded
play-ground, in which it can roll and tumble
without being in anybody’s way.”
With the vim and enterprise which charac
terizes its conductor, and the cheerful humor,
and unfailing literary resources of itp editor,
we have pleasing anticipations of the rapid
success of the Herald, and cheerfully add our
quota of applause and encouragement to help
fill its “outward bound” Hails, and to lighten
its labors to reach the open sea of prosperity.
DeKalb County Sunday school
Convention. —The eleventh anniver
sary of the DeKalb county Sunday
school Convention, held at Decatur,
was a very pleasing and successful one.
The various schools were fully repre
sented, and a large assembly of people
was present from all parts of the
ccunty, and adjoining counties. The
services were edifying, aud the shiging
and addresses of a very interesting
character. A resolution, offered by
President W. G. Whidby, was adopted,
to observe the 28th of December next,
as a day of fasting and prayer.
“A. wonderful tiling in a seed !
The one thing deathless forever—
Forever old and forever new,
Utterly faithful, utterly true—
Fickle and faithless never,
riant lilies and lilies will bloom ;
Plant roses and roses will grow ;
Plant hate and hate to life will spring ;
Plant love and love to you will bring
The fruit of the seed you sow.”
- 0
Pamphlets Received.— Annual an
nouncement of the Hospital College
of Medicine of the Central University,
Louisville, Kentucky.
Prospectus of Culpepper Female
Institute, of Culpepper, Virginia, for
session 1876-77. (Session opens Sep
tember 13th.)
From Messrs. Phillips & Crew,
Booksellers, Atlanta, Georgia, where
it is for sale, we have received a val
uable compilation entitled : “Chatta
nooga, Tennessee, Hamilton county,
and Lookout Mountain.” By Louis
L. Parham.
This little work gives a detailed
history of these localities of great value
to immigrants and all who desire to
imform themselves of the material re
sources of this favored section of the
South.
These golden words of Bishop Hun
tington are well worthy of being re
produced: “ We want in you a Chris
tianity that is Christian across count
ers or over dinner tables, behind the
neighbor’s back as in his face. We
want in you a Christianity that we can
find in the temperance of the meal, in
moderation of dress, in respect for au
thority, in amiability at home, in ve
racity and simplicity in mixed society.
Rowland Hill used to say he would give
very little for the religion of a man
whose very dog and cat were not the
better for his religion. We want fewer
gossiping, slandering, gluttonous, peev
ish, conceited, bigoted Christians. To
make them effectual, all our public re
ligious measures, institutions, benevo
lent agencies, missions, need to be
managed on a high-toned, scrupulous
and unquestionable tone of honor,
without evasion or partisanship, or
overmuch of the serpent’s cunning.
The hand that gives away the Bible
must be unspotted from the world.
The money that sends the missionary
to the heathen must be honestly
earned.”
LITERARY GOSSIP.
—The peculiar ber.t of the German
mind is shown by the fact that out of
the 12,516 books published in Germany
in 1875, only 900 are devoted to fiction
and the drama.
—Macaulay’s renowned contempo
rary, Mr. James A. Froude, in respond
ing to the toast “History,” at the
Lord Mayor’s banquet to the repre
sentatives of literature, recently given
in London, said among other things,
“ What I wish to say of the life of
Macaulay is, that whatever may have
been the lives of authors of past times,
his at any rate is an account of one of
the most pure and noble lives that have
ever been laid before any country.”
—Mr. Julian Hawthorne is living in
the neighborhood of London. The
Athenceum suggests that he may follow
up his “ Saxon Studies” with some
English ones. If he does, it is to be
hoped that he will confine himself
more strictly to the truth of facts, and
give less play to his fancy and less rein
to his national prejudices than he did
in his superficial “ Saxon Studies.”
—Ten editions have been sold of B.
F. Taylor’s charming book, “The World
on Wheels.' 1
—Byron was a groat admirer of Wal
ter Scott. Alludi ;g to the Waverly
novels, he said, “ They are a library in
themselves—a perfect literary treasury.
I could read them once a year with new
pleasure." And yet so strongly were
the critical, dissecting powers of his
mind developed, that he could not forego
the chance of applying his critical scal
pel even upon his favorite. In conver
sation with a literary friend one day, he
said, after reading one of Scot.t’s novels:
llow difficult it is to say anything new.
Who was that voluptuary of antiquity who
offered a reward for anew pleasure ? Perhaps
all nature and art could not supply anew
idea. This page for instance, is a brilliant
one; it is lull of wil. But let us see how
much is original. This passage,” continued
his lordship, “comes from Shakspeare; this
bonmol from one of Sheridan’s comedies ; this
observation from another writer : and yet the
ideas are new-moulded, and perhaps Scott was
not aware of their being plagiarisms. It is a
bad thing to have a good memory.
—Emilio Castefar, the Spanish pa
triot, statesman and author, is a man
of unique genius and dominating lit
erary power; but he has the passion,
the fire, the picturesque artistic mind
of the South, the fervid imagination
that burns like a cloudless July sun;
but in his criticism he lacks cool, calm,
self-balanced power; his judgment is
carried away by the flood of his impul
siveness, he becomes a special pleader
for his favorite and ceases to be a dis
passionate dissector of facts, an un
biased historian. This fact is illus
trated in his recent brilliant work “Life
of Lord Byron and other Sketches.”
He condenses his opinion of Byron in
the following fiery lines :
Poet 1 mighty poet 1 men knew not the im
possibility of having grand qualities without
having also great defec'.B. They know not
that all extraordinary virtue, all surpassing
merit, is horn of a disproportion between hu
man faculties. They know not that the per
fect sense of hearing has a relation with the
imperfect sense of vision ; and, at times, the
perfection of imagination with the imperfec
tion of conscience.
Nothing can be more illogical than
this. Are great virtues impossible un
less they grow ont of great vices ? Is
discord the parent of harmony ? Can
not perfection exist unless it is counter
balanced by imperfection ?
Our idea of true greatness is an
evenly balanced character, great in all
its parts aud moving greatly and in
harmony to the accomplishment of some
great end. Great crimes may be over
shadowed by greater genius, but it is
none the less deplorable, that such
genius should desecrate its divinity
and become the blind tool of infamy.
Genius such as this simply increases
the scope of crime, and augments the
power of evil.
-■ ■
Dr. Battle’s essay on the Human Will is
spoken of favorably. We were interested in
the chapters published in one of our exchanges,
but have not yet seen the volume. —Alabama
Baptist.
Would it have been too great a
stretch of charity, or journalistic cour
tesy, to mention the name of the “ one
of our exchanges” in vhich you saw the
chapters that interested you, brother
Baptist? Was it not The Christian
Index ?
—A man may weaken himself by
always poring over his own weakness.
GEORGIA NEWS.
—There will be a Convention at West
Point, on the 14th of September, 1876,
to nominate a candidate for Congress,
from the Fourth Congressional Dis
trict.
—The Jewish citizens of Albany will
soon begin the erection of a synagogue.
—Au average cotton crop will be
made in Dougherty county.
—A Young Men’s Christian Asso
ciation has been organized in Dawson.
Colonel L. C, Hoyl was unanimously
chosen President of the Association,
and J. G. Parks, Esq., was elected Sec
retary.
—An interesting revival is in pro
gress at Pray’s Mill, in Douglas county.
—Dr. Joseph Dillard, of Crawford
county, Georgia, has a pecan tree which
yields him nine bushels of nuts every
year. He finds ready sale for them at
six dollars per bushel.
—The cotton crop in Franklin county
is from one to two weeks late.
—A bear weighing eight hundred
pounds was recently killed in Charlton
county by Messrs. C. C. Courson and
J. F. Rowell.
—The case of ex-Treasurer John
Jones is now being heard in Atlanta
before the Auditor, J. M. Pace, Esq.
—The Methodists of Butler are
going to build anew church next fall.
—There are five hundred young men
out ot employment in Atlanta.
—The first Congressional Democratic
Convention will be held at Jessup on
the 6th of September. rgggg
—A Convention will be held in
Gainesville, on the 13th of September,
to nominate a candidate to represent
the Ninth Congressional District in
the Forty-fifth Congress.
—The (Jartersville Express says:
Within the last week SBOO have been
paid to our land-holders in cash for a
new article of trade, baryta, which
abounds in our hills to a large extent.
The same paper ssys: Such a crop of
corn has not been made in this and
adjoining counties for a dozen years.
Farmers speak of low prices for it—
say 25 to 30 cents per bushel.
—A Convention of the Democrats of
the Fifth Congressional District will
meet in Griffin, September 13th, to
nominate a candidate for Congress.
—Mr. Jordan, a workman in the
steam planing mill of Longley & Rob
inson, Atlanta, was killed last week bv
coming in contact with the moulding
machine.
—Grapes and peaches are being
shipped from Griffin in considerable
quantities.
—The Georgia State Horticultural
Society was organized in Macon on the
I6th. Mr. P. J. Bcrokinans, of Augus
ta, was unanimously elected President.
The following additional officers were
elected Vice-Presidents: First Dis
trict—A. L. Hartridge, of Chatham
county; Second District—John Stark,
of Thomas county; Third District
S. H. Ruinph, of Macon county ; Fourth
District—D. C. Schutze, of Troup coun
ty ; Fifth District—Samuel Hape, of
Fulton county; Sixth District—John
M. Stubbs, of Laurens county ; Sev -
enth District—J. J. Howard, of Bar
tow county; Eighth District—J. P. H.
Brown, of Richmond county ; Ninth
District—Robert R. Bloomfield, of
Clarke county ; Secretary,] J. S.‘New
man, of Fulton; Treasurer, D. J. Pe
ter, of Bibb.
—Jonathan Norcross, of Fulton
county, was nominated by the Repub
licans assembled in Macon last week
as their candidate for Governor.
—The Rome Courier says :
The mute boys are putting up some very fine
boots, gaiters and shoes at the Asylum at Cave
Spring. Some are setting type, and are mak
ing No. 1 printers. The State is doing a no
ble work in giving these unfortunate boys and
girls a good education, and learning them
good trades that will enable them to earn a
good competence and live comfortable in their
old age. It is a charity that Heaven will bless.
—A most promising revival is in
progress in Elberlon. Saveral conver
sions have taken place, and the altar is
crowded at every meeting.
—Out of 12,000 white people in
Troup county, there are only 315 white
farm laborers in the county.
—Col. BeifLockett has compromised
his suit wit'll the German stockholders
in the B. and A. Railroad matter. The
Germans agree to pay him SIOO,OOO.
$3 A YEAR IN ADVANCE
—Mrs. Bond, the wife of Dr. W. V.
Bond, a leading citizen of DeKalb,
committed suicide by hanging recently,
in a fit of mental depression caused by
long sickness.
The Trustees of the State Univer
sity have repealed the sumptuary law,
fixing the maximum of the price of
board, but very wisely provide for
cheap board, as low as $12.50 per
month, which can be had at the Rock
College and at the College Homes on
the campus. They have also wisely re
pealed the law providing for a vote every
four years, upon the professors, and
there is evidently a sentiment among
the thinking men of the State to make
the tenure of olfice by professors as
securely as possible, by requiring a
vote of two-tkirds of a board of trus
tees to displace a professor.
—A fellow calling himself Jame3 D.
Gess was arrested near Cartersville.
Ga., a few days ago, and upon his per
son were found several counterfeit
nicklos, and different kinds of metals
for the manufacture of the same. He
failed to give a bond of $2,000, and
was sent to jail to await trial in the
United States Court.
NEWS OF THE WEEK.
DOMESTIC.
—The first bale of Alabama cotton
was received in Montgomery, on the
12th.
—The business portion of the city of
Westport, New York, was destroyed by
fire.
—Wade Hampton is the Democratic
nominee for Governor of South Caro
lina.
—Many store-houses were destroyed
by fire in Quincy, Florida.
—Congress adjourned on the 16th.
—lt.is rumored, that in a recent fight
with the Sioux Indians, Gen. Terry
whipped them badly, killing seven
hundred and wounding “ Sitting Bull."
Terry is said to have lost three hundred
men.
—Railroad strikes and sarious dis
turbances have occurred in Indiana.
—Speaker Kerr died on the 10th
inst.
—A bill was passed by Congress in
creasing the regular army.
—Rich gold diggings have been dis
covered in other parts of the Black
Hills country.
—Secretary Chaudler has organized
the commission authorized by the Indi
an appropriation bill, to treat with the
Sioux. They meetinOmakaon the 28th.
Recent reports of Indian fighting are
now wholly discredited at headquarters.
—The order of consolidating the
Internal Revenue Districts throughout
the country, is completed and submitted
to the President. Thirty-five collectors
will be removed, to take effect on
the Ist of September.
South Carolina is consolidated into
one district, with D. Cass as collector.
The Third and part of the Fourth
Georgia, has Isham Fannin as collector;
the Second and part of the Fourth,
Andrew Clark. Alabama is consoli
dated into one district, with Prelete B.
Barker as collector.
FOREIGN.
—Servia and Montenegro say they
will fighl together to the last man,
rather than be subjugated by the
Turks.
—The Servians are losing most o£
their strongholds, and the Turks are
rapidly advancing upon the capital.
—Dispatches from Belgrade say there
is a sudden change in the position of
the parties. The peace party had en
tertained anticipations of the success
of their policy, in consequence of the
hopelessness of the military situation
and the return of Prince Milan from
the field, but the arrival of Russians
and other foreigners to enlist in the
army, has been taken advantage of by
the war party to create the belief thai
one power at least, will support Servia
in good or evil fortune, and the talk is
now of continuing the war. The Turks,
purposely retard their advance, to give
opportunity for negotiations, but the
peace party is unlikely to succeed until
the Turks win another victory.
—The Catholic or clerical party in
Colombia, is in open rebellion against
the govenment of that republic. Sev
eral battles have occurred.