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No. 25. - ■ Vol. 111.
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AGENTS FOR THIS PAPER.
AUGUSTA, J. & H. Ely.
COLUMBIA, J.Bynom,Esq.PM.ColumbiaC.H.
GREENESBOROUGH, A. H. Scott.
SPARTA, Cyprian Wilcox.
IR WINTON, Wilkinson Th. Sherrer, Esq. PM.
HARTFORD, Pulaski, G.B.GardinerEsq.PM.
POWEL TOM, S. Duggar, Esq. PM.
CLINTON, Jones Cos. J. W. Carrington.
SAVANNAH, S. C. & J. Schenck.
EATONTON, C. Pendleton, Esq. P M.
ALFORD'S P.O. Greene, C. Alford, Esq. PM.
ABBEVILLE, {S. C .) Rev. H. Reid.
SAND OVER, Abbeville, S. C Maj. U. Hill.
MARION, Twiggs, S. Williams, Esq. PM.
JEFFERSON, Jackson, Rev. E. Pharr.
LIBERTY-HALL, Morgan, C. Allen, Esq.
WATKINSVILLE, Clark .
H. W. Scovell. Esq. P. M.
RICEBORO', Liberty , Wm. Baker, Esq. P M.
GRANTSVILLE , Greene, Samuel Finley.
PENDLETON, S.C. Joseph Grisham, Esq. PM.
DANIELSVILLE , Madison, J.Long, Esq. PM.
ERVINSVILLE, Rutherford, N. C.
Rev. Hugh Quin.
ATHENS, Clarke, B. B. Peck.
MADISON, Morgan, Milus Nesbit.
/. INCO LNTON.Lincoln, Peter Lamar,Esq. PM.
SPARTANBURGU, S.C. J.Brannon,Esq. PM.
MILT.EDGEVILLE, Leonard Perkins.
ELBERTON, George Inskeep, Esq. P M.
DUB LIN, Laurens, W. B. Coleman, Esq. PM.
LOUISVILLE, Jeff'n, John Bostwick,Esq.PM.
MALLORYSVILLE, Wilkes,
Asa Dearing, Esq. P M.
WAYNESBORO', Samuel Sturges, Esq. P M.
LAURENS, S. C. Archibald loung, Esq.
WRIGHTSRORO', Q. L. C. Franklin, Esq.
MONTICF.LLO, Greene D. Brantley, Esq.P M.
CARNESVILLE, Henry Freeman, Esq. P. M.
SALEM, Clark, Raleigh Green, Esq. P. M.
NEW ORLEANS.
The following communications were received
and read at the late Sessions of the Synod of
South Carolina and Georgia, and were referred
to in our Editorial Remarks of last week. They
are now presented to the publick with the full
persuasion, that they will be read with interest,
and with a hope, that this affectionate appeal to
the wealthy and the liberal will produce the de
• sired effect. The Christian can hardly look
upon the picture of religion and morals here pre
sented, and at the same time reflect, that the in
habitants of this dark region are our fellow citi
zens as well as our fellow immortals, without ma
king, if practicable, some effort for their aid.
Albany, Sept. 29, 1821.
To the Moderator of the Synod of South Caroli
na and Georgia.
Rev. Sin,
Give me leave through you to present to
your Synod the case of the Church at New
Orleans. This statement was verbally
made by me to the Synod of Albany, which
lately sat in this City. It was regarded as
presenting a strong claim upon the sympa
thies and more substantial regards of the
Churches of our connexion. It was unani
mously and with great feeling referred to
the Ministers and Sessions of the churches
under the care of Synod, by collections or
subscriptions to come to the aid of that
Church—bereaved, embarrassed, and in
danger of being sold and converted into a
theatre. The Synods of New York and
New Jersey and of Philadelphia I have no
doubt will concur with this Synod.
As that region is remarkably destitute,
and specially interesting to the Church at
large, may we not hope that your reverend
Synod also will come to our aid? The case
is certainly emergent—and the importance
of maintaining the station at New Orleans
vast and acknowledged. Will you submit
these papers to the notice of the Synod?
The proceedings of the Synod in relation
to this case I shall be glad to be apprised
of as soon as convenient, at Philadelphia,
Care of Robert Ralston, Esq.
With great respect, your fellow labourer,
ROBERT F. N. SMITH.
On the transfer of Louisiana to our gov
ernment in the year 1803, the inhabitants
were almost universally Spanish k French,
and embosomed within the Roman Catho
lick Church, which had been the establish
ed church. No Protestant institution exis
ted for some years afterthe transfer. Oc
casionally a travelling Baptist, Methodist,
Episcopal and Presbyterian Minister visited
New-Orleans. The city was exceedingly
sunk in dissipation. Irreligion knew almost
oo bounds. The Catholick inhabitants had
and still have, although 30,000 in number,
but one place of publick worship, besides
the Chapel of the Convent. The city,
from its local situation, presented great
’ promise of pecuniary advantages—Thous
THE MISSIONARY.
ands of our country men flocked thither from
all parts of the Union. Men of broken for
tune, and young men just starting in the ca
reer of life, without capital, hoping to rise
with the city, rushed there. Finding no
religious institutions, similar to those which
they had left behind them, and beset on
every hand by powerful temptations and
the stimulating example of others, very
many at once made shipwreck of their ear
ly religious feelings, their correct moral
habits, their health and their lives. The
human mind is prone to rush to extremes.
The legal restraints being removed, and
the provisions in support of a religious es
tablishment being destroyed, many men at
tached to the Catholick communion, re
nounced all religious principle. Infidelity
assumed an open, a bold, and scornful as
pect, and uumbers of our countrymen, born
and nurtured in the bosom of pious fami
lies, and Protestant churches, pursued the
same course. There are more professed
skepticks, rejectors of all religious princi
ple, in New Orleans, than can be found in
any other city in any other Protestant
country, in proportion to numbers.
In the year 1814, the American citizens
in New Orleans built a Church, which was
styled the American Church. A Presbyte
rian Minister was then statedly preaching
there. After its erection, a majority of the
trustees procured the congregation to be
incoporated as a Protestant Episcopal
Church, and the minister took Episcopal
orders, and still officiates in that church.
With this arrangement many were not sat
isfied, and declined attending upon his min
istry from the influence of rarious consid
erations.
In the same year, Messrs. Mills and
Smith visited that regipn in the service of
the Philadelphia Bible Society, and perhaps
as agents of some other associations. Mr.
Smith was sometime afterward invited to
take charge of a Presbyterian congregation
in Natchez,which had been organized some
10 or 12 years before, by Dr.flall, of North
Carolina—the venerable missionary and
apostle to the destitute, whose head is now
whitened by the snow 9 of more tJian 70
winters. A few other Presbyterian con
gregations had been organized within 50
miles of Natchez, in what is now the state
of Mississippi. The Presbytery of Missis
sippi, embracing the state of Louisiana and
Mississippi, had been set off by the Synod
of Tennessee.
The attention of the Presbyterian body
was turned toward that destitute region, as
one that ought to be occupied and cultivat
ed. The General Assembly, at their mee
ting in May, 1817, appointed the Rev. Syl
vester Larned, of the Theological Semina
ry at Princeton, a Missionary, who was
specially instructed to visit New Orleans-
About December, 1817, or January 1818,
be reached the city, and in concert with
the Rev. Elias Cornelius, now of Salem,
Massachusetts, laboured during the winter
to introduce some favourable change.
Their activity and zeal, and the splendid
and enchaining eloquence of Mr. Larned,
under the providence of God, excited and
enkindled an ardent zeal far the organiza
tion of another Protestant church. Inde
pendent of all other considerations, the
Episcopal church was found to be wholly
inadequate for the supply of the wants of
the American citizens. It cannot be made
to seat comfortably down stairs, more than
perhaps about 350 persons, and from 100
to 150 up stairs. A meeting of persons fa
vourable to the proposed institution was
held, and with great unanimity and ardour
a resolution was adopted to erect a Presby
terian house of worship. Measures were
adopted—funds subscribed—a call present
ed to Mr. Lamed. He accepted the call in
due time, and was authorized to contract
for buildiog the house. He returned to
the north, entered into contract for the
building, and returned to New Orleans in
December, 1818. When these measures
were taken the city was enjoying unexam
pled commercial prosperity. Cotton, the
staple commodity of a large portion of the
country above the city, commanded from
32 to 33 cents per lb. Sugar sold well,
and the western country produce bore a
proportionable price. Money was plenty
and in free circulation. Every man enga
ged in business felt himself safe in indulg
ing expectations that the great and desira
ble undertaking would succeed. Men who
had not large possessions subscribed and
paid 500 or 1000 dollars, besides after
wards purchasing pews after the rate es
four or five hundred dollars.
The corner stone of the church was laid
on the Bth day of January, 1819, and Mr.
Lamed preached for the first time in the
new building on the 4th of July in the same
year. Notwithstanding these measures
had been so promptly devised and so vig
orously and expeditiously executed, so
great and unexpected a revolution had
been effected in the commercial state of
the city, that the trustees, from the pro
ceeds of subscriptions and first sales of
pews, were not able to realize more than
$22,000. The amount of expenses incur
red was $52,000. The ground on which
the church stands cost SIO,OOO. The ac
tual cost of erecting the building itself, was
perhaps about $36,000. It is ninety feet
in length, and about sixty-five jn width,
GO YE INTO ALL THE WORLD AND PREACH TH# GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE.—Java Christ.
MOUNT ZION, (HANCOCK CO. GA.) MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1821.
made of brick, with the exception of the
basement story, which is built of stone. In
this basement story are warehouses for the
storage of goods, capable of yielding an an
nual income of $1,500, in good commercial
time*. The wall around the lot, chanda
lier, bell, and other necessary articles, cal
led for the expenditure of the remainim?
S6OOO.
The house will accommodate perhaps
about 1200 persons. One side of the gal
lery, capacle of holding conveniently 150
persons, is appropriated to the use of
blacks, and it is usually well filled. In
planning and erecting this house, the pastor
and congregation, warned by the errour
committed in building the first Protestant
place of worship there, thought it imperi
ously required at tbeir hands to avail them
selves of the favourable impulse then giv
en to the publick mind and the then propi
tious state and prospects of the commercial
community, by building not for themselves
alone, but for the thousands of strangers
annually visiting the place, coming from
the west and frem the north, sons and
daughters of their pious brethren, the rising
hope of the churches of God, spread
throughout our extensive, growing, and
enterprising country; for their own pos
terity ; and the rapidly increasing prosperi
ty of New Orleans—a city destined to be
come the greatest in our country, and per
haps, in process of time, the greatest in the
world. It it situated almost literally and, as
to any possibility of successful rivalry, en
tirely at the mouth of the Mississippi, the
great father of waters. His current, swell
ed by the tributary floods of noble rivers
and smaller navigable streams, passing in
its course, through regions of country the
most extensive, the most remote and dis
similar, bears on its bosom to that empori
um, the productions of soils the most fer
tile, and will hereafter bear the fruits of
the labours of millions of our countrymen
who shall cultivate lands now shaded by
the almost impenetrable gloom of solitary
forests. In return, the means of comforta
ble subsistence, and improvements in the
arts and elegances of civilized society must
go thence to them. It is impossible to set
limits to the magnitude and importance of
that city in its manufacturing, commercial,
social, moral and religious influence. We
cannot estimate the countless waves of pop
ulation which will constantly roll into its
bosom. With such prospects, the congre
gation must be justified, or at least excused,
for what some may deem their extrava
gance and imprudence in venturing to erect
such a house, at such an expense. With
such prospects, and with the unparalleled
popularity, both ministerial and personal,
of the pastor, they were justified in the
publick mind. No man entertained doubts
that, through his influence, under Provi
dence, the sale of pews would ultimately,
and that at no distant period, discharge the
debt incurred. Accordingly the city coun
cil, managed by Catholick influence, unhe
sitatingly extended to the trustees a credit
for SIO,OOO, and the bank a further credit
of about $20,000.
In this state of things it pleased the great
Head of his church, as it were in a moment,
to obscure the prospects of his church
there, and to shake the confidence of her
members and friends by withdrawing his
servant from that sphere of duty. By the
early fall of Mr. Lamed, the church is be
reaved, the congregation covered with
mourning, and filled with despondency—
the confidence of the community is with
drawn, & pecuniary embarrassments press.
The council has acted with a hesitating,
fluctuating policy, towards the infant estab
lishment : last winter it was apparently on
the point of recalling its letter of credit —
that recall must have necessarily drawn
along with it a like recall on the part of the
bank. The families of the trustees must in
the first instance have been ruined or injur
ed, and then the house sold at auction. In
this emergency the honourable Mr. Pay
dras proposed to transfer to the board of
trust a mortgage, which he held on the es
tate of one of his neighbours for securing
the payment of $40,000, on the recovery
of which he offered to lend for an indefinite
period, $20,000, to be alternately paid
over to the Female Orphan Asylum of
New-Orleans, sometimes called the Pay
dras Asylum, on their paying regularly
over to the asylum ap annual interest of 10
per cent, the legal interest in the state of
Louisiana. This proposal stopped the re
call on the part of the council. It was,
however, found on investigation, that the
son of the mortgagor bad a preferred claim
on the mortgaged premises, for $56,000,
and that this sum must be secured to him
before the mortgage could touch the prop
erty. Thus likely again to be cast upqn
the liberality of the council, the trustees
deemed it to be their duty to throw them
selves upon the sympathies of Christians k
Philanthropists throughout this union, and
especially to fly into the bosom of the Pres
byterian body, of which they are a constit
uent part. The church is the church of
that body, participating in its privileges and
united with it by community of feeling and
identity of principle, government and inter
est. Its pastor was the child of the Gener
al Church, educated in its bosom and sent
out by its authority. No one consideration
which induced the mission of Mr. Lamed,
and raised the hopes of the religious com
munity on witnessing the origin and prog
ress of those measures which promised
such great and lasting advantages to the in
terests of the Redeemer’s kingdom, has
lost an iota of its interest. On the contra
ry, it is an hundred fold magnified in its in
tensity. If this church be sold, in all prob
ability it will be converted into a Theatre!
This event 19 looked to, and this determin
ation is announced. The congregation will
be dispersed, grieved, disheartened, and
made nerveless. The good effects, in part
already realised, will vanish, and impiety
in principle and practice will the more
abound. This church is a sort of moral
light-house, erected for the guidance and
safe conduct of many a bark over the sur
ges and the shoals which have already ship
wrecked many—too many. If this light
be extinguished, may we not apprehend
that the darkness will b.e mightily aggra
vated ?
This sad catastrophe cannot be averted
by any exertions which that congregation,
unaided, can make. There are but about
thirty pew-holders, and of these not more
perhaps, than half a dozen can at present
do more than comfortably support their
families. The remaining pews cannot at
present be sold. If, however, from 12 to
15,000 dollars could be realized, the pay
ment of the remainder of the debt can be
postponed for some three, four or five
years. In the mean time the congregation
may procure some able, faithful and suc
cessful pastor, through whose ministrations,
under the blessing of Heaven, their num
bers may be enlarged, their pews sold, and
the whole establishment extricated from
embarrassment and placed upon a secure
and permanent footing.
There ajre in that region already some
encouraging symptoms, which Christians
should foster. The Presbytery of Missis
sippi consists of nine or ten members, and
has under its care two licentiates, and ten
or twelve churches. There are several
ministers and churches, both of the Baptist
and Methodist denominations. In general,
these churches and ministers are well uni
ted in Christian feeling and exertion. Be
sides what the churches of the two last nam
ed bodies have effected, a spirit of religious
charity has been excited and fostered.
There are several Bible Societies in that
region. A 9um of money, not less than sev
en or eight thousand dollars, has been paid,
within the last four years, lor the support
o£ missionary, tract, education, sabbath
school and theological institutions. The
Presbytery of Mississipi has recently resolv
ed itself into amissionary society fordomes
tick purposes. Their agent, in the course
of five weeks last winter, collected 500 dol
lars. A domestick missionary society has
also been organized in New-Orleans, whose
missionary is specially to labour in the pris
on, hospitals, asylum, and amongst the boat
men and mariners visiting that port. The
church at New-Orleans is usually well at
tended—mornings, afternoons and evenings,
whenever service is held. Os the attend
ants, a very large proportion, 9ay one half,
are commonly strangers, having no perma
nent residence in the city, holding no con
nexion with the congregation, and not yiel
ding any support to the institution. Still
much ground remains to be occupied. In
Louisiana there is but one Baptist house of
worship, one Protestant Episcopal, and one
Presbyterian church. It is not known that
one Methodist house of worship is to be
found within the limits of the state. There
are several stations where their ministers
bold publick worship. In the state, no
Sabbath is recognized by law. Civil pro
cess served, and all secular business trans
acted on that day, are valid. The theatre,
ball rooms, counting-houses, ware-houses,
and gambling-houses, are thrown open.
Os these last, exclusive of billiard-rooms,
there are in the city fifty, licensed by law,
yielding to the state an annual revenue of
$17,000. Their keepers often pay $2,000
rent for a single room id or near the best
established hotels and coffee-houses, and
$4,000 for refreshments, for soliciting and
entrapping the youDg and unwary—and
SIOO,OOO are usually spread upon the tables
within the compass of every twenty-four
hours. Sixteen thousand dollars have been
known to be staked on the i3soe of a single
throw of dice. Injustice, however, to the
state legislature, it should be stated that
last winter, after a hard struggle, the li
cence law was repealed from and after the
first day of November, 1821.
During Mr. Larned’s ministry, many
counting-houses were closed on the Sab
bath, which formerly had been kept open
—and since his decease many have been
re-opened. A few feet from the church
stands a cotton ware-house, whence issues
the sound of the songs of negroes at their
work, which annoys and distresses the de
vout worshippers within the church, and al
most overpowers the songs of Zion.
These things speak to the hearts of Chris
tians and Philanthropists. Shall this ap
peal prove ineffectual ? Shall this jeUgious
institution go down ? Shall the footing gain
ed at New Orleans be relinquished ?
The Synod of Albany have commendedi
this charity to the churches under their I
care—have appointed the Rev. Mr. Gris- ’
Price, Jf3vsoP r - ann. or,>
} $3,00 in advance. 1
wold, of Saratoga Springs, a special agen
to concur with the Rev Robert F. N.
Smith, agent of the church at New Orleans,
and have advised their ministers and church
sessions, by collections in their churches,
or by subscriptions amongst their people,
to aid in saving from destruction this threat
ened and interesting portion of God’s Zion.
They have also appointed the Rev. Dr-
John Chester, of Albany, an agent to re
ceive such monies as may be remitted tp
him for the use of that church.
ROBERT F. N. SMITH,
Agent of the Church at New Orleans.
The Memorial of the Tr ustees of the First
Presbyterian Church in the city of New
Orleans, addressed to those Christians and
Philanthropists , whose means enable them
to promote the cause of Christianity.
In the year 1814 the first Protestant
Church in this city was erected, through
the united exertions of American citizens
of various religions denominations. Its cost
was 15,000 dollars. The congregation
was afterwards incorporated and the house
has been since occupied as an Episcopal
Church.
In the year 1817 the late Rev. Mr. Lar
ned visited the city, as a Presbyterian min
ister. His extraordinary qualifications at
tracted general attention. A desire was
soon induced statedly to enjoy his minis
trations. Accordingly a resolution was
adopted to erect a Presbyterian Church;
measures were put into operation for ac
complishing this object, funds were amass
ed, Mr. Lamed was invited to take the pas
toral charge of the new congregation, and
he accepted the invitation. An elegant
house for worship has been erected at the
Cost of 62,000 dollars.
Donations and the sale of pews have
enabled the trustees to pay about 22,000
dollars. Thirty pews have been sold, and
sixty on the lower floor, together with all
on the gallery floor remain unsold.
Our pastor has been removed by death.
A debt of about 30,000 dollars hangs over
the church, for the payment of which the
trustees are individually responsible. The
congregation has no pastor, and, under ex
isting circumstances, is in no condition to
make adequate provision for the permanent
and comfortable subsistence of one. WheD
this church was erected the city was enjoy
ing unexampled commercial prosperity, a
large monied capital was afloat, and almost
every man engaged in business felt himself
safe in indulging flattering hopes that the
congregation would ultimately succeed in
its laudable enterprise.
We have experienced a sad reverse.—
Our animation has given place to despon
dency —our hopes are supplanted by fears.
Our city feels the pressure of pecuniary
embarrassment.—Business languishes.—
Capital is withdrawn from circulation.—
Pestilence has repeatedly desolated our
abodes, imparting terror to the inhabitants
of our city, and repressing the tide of pop
ulation, which promised new members to
our church and increased means for its sup
port.
Thus situated, that portion of our popti
lation to whom we can appeal for aid being
small, we have no means amongst ourselves
of averting the threatening evil. We feel
that our infant and imperfectly organized
congregation must be dispersed—our house,
now dedicated to the worship of God, sold
and applied to other purposes—and the an
imating hopes of ourselves and our Chris
tian brethren throughout the union extin
guished ; unless the friends of religion and
of mankind, whom Providence has endowed
with wealth and endued with the disposition
to apply a portion of that wealth to the
support of religious institutions shall inter
pose for our relief. Great is our exigency,
noble our cause—and bright will be the re
ward of him, who shall come to our aid, in
the approval of a good conscience, the
pleasing emotions of a benevolent heart,
the gratitude and prayers of the pious here
and every where, and the blessing of Hea
ven !
And with the hope of finding this relief,
and reposing special confidence in the Rev.
Robert F. N. Smith, and relying on his ef
forts, we have constituted him our agent,
to call upon the friends of religion and phi
lanthropy, throughout the union, to solicit
their aid, for the purposei before men
tioned.
Alfred Heskes,
Eben Fisk,
J. Brown,
William VVyer,
John Nicholson,
A. L. Duncan,
R. Davidson,
Joseph H. Hawkin.%
John W. Smith,
James W. Breedlove,
Trustees ■,
JVew Orleans, 14 th. May* 1821.
A poor Arabian of the desert was one
day asked how he came to be assured there
was a God ? In the same way (said he)
that 1 am able to tell by the print impress
ed on the sand, whether it was a man oc
a beast that passed over it.
We cannot think too highly of our i\o.tvrtt,
nor too meanly of oursslvept
