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"Holy Bible,—Book Divine,
Precious treasure, tliou ait mine.*?
H. C. HORWA¥, Editorr
J. M. WOOD, )
J. 8. BAKER, V Associate Editors.
D. P. EVERETT, i
ATHiAISTTA, aEORGIA:
Saturday, August 9, 1868.
Notes and Incidents.
In a previous paper we expressed the
opinion that the Surgeons in the hospitals
iu Richmond were doing all in their power
to relieve the sick and wounded of our
army. Upon reflection, we think the med
ical fraternity in the hospitals are entitled
to a more extended notice. The medical
department of the government, at least as
far as the hospital service is concerned, is
ably administered ; and if all other depart
ments were conducted with equal ability
and fidelity, every thing would move on
harmoniously and successfully. This is
emphatically true of the management of
the hospitals which came under our ob'
servation.
McClellan's Retreat.
This has been called a u masterly move
ment” ; but the whole truth is, there was
“ masterly inactivity ” and failure on our
part in certain quarters, which we can not
think of without mortification. Had the
whole of General Lee’s plan been carried
out as it was originally drawn, there is no
doubt but that we should now a much
largerinumber of prisoners to feed or put
upon parole. That McClellan is a first
class general we most firmly deny, and we
are sorry that his government has super
seded him ; for we are sure it would take a
long time, according to his masterly move
ments, to get the Federal army into Rich
mond. In our judgment he is a first-rate
engineer, and when that is said the truth is
exhausted. That he escaped with his army
is owing'less to his generalship than to im
becility. of those who were to watch his
movements and cut off his retreat.
General Halleck.
Whether the new general-in chief will
prove a better strategist than McClellan,
remains to be seen; but we should not be
surprised if he could, under Southern pres
sure, change his “ base ” with as much
facility as “ the young Napoleon.” At
any rate, if our soldiers get a chance at
him —a fair open fight—he will find it no
rose-water affair, nor any thing else agree
able. General Halleck has, in superseding
McClellan, succeeded to a big job, with
greatly diminished means for accomplishing
it. If he thinks differently, however, he is
entitled to his opinion until facts demon
strate who is right.
The Fight before Richmond .
How did the Southern soldiers fight 1 —
With few exceptions, they fought as men
seldom do—with a courage which seemed
more the recklessness of madmen than the
cool determination of men resolved to con
quer or die. We see it stated that Presi
dent Davis has been in a genial frame ever
since the battles; whether this be true or
not, no general-in-chief ever had greater
re&sou to be proud of his soldiers.
The Railroads.
Through North and a portion of South
Carolina, travel upon the railroads is mis
erable. No lights at night, no water in the
day; nothing to eat at any time ; crowded
into the smallest possible compass all the
time, sitting on your own valise a luxury—
ordered off it by a negro, a provocation;
and other incidents too tedious to mention,
but which to be appreciated must be seen
and felt. We “ wondered much, and still
the wonder grew ” why the companies of
the aforesaid railroads could not furnish at
least one tallow candle to a car when large
numbers of wounded men were aboard,
whose wounds constantly needed attention
-attention, too, which could scarcely be
given in total darkness. The conduct of
the aforesaid railroads sadly needs over
hauling; and if conductors on them do not
take the responsibility of doing more for the
comfort of travellers, the old stage coach
will be reintroduced as a luxury.
[.V. B. What is said by the Editor in
reference to the Carolina railroads, is not
altogether inapplicable to the Western &
Atlantic railroad. Probably 150 or 200
men came over this road Tuesday night—
BANNER AND BAPTIST.
and the cry of the sick and wounded was
“ Water, water! ” and there was not light
enough to make the darkness visible, ex
cept in the ladies’ car. When this road
has been paying into the treasury $40,000
a month for four or five years past, it seems
astonishing that a little money can not be
spared for the comfort of the passengers—
or of the people, for all the people, it seems,
travel on that road. Visitor.]
Our Country.
Are not our most sanguine expectations
more than realized by the rapid advance
ment towards Independence which this
infant Confederacy, since its first inception*
has steadily but surely made 1 ? If the
present confederacy is to be established as
an independent nationality by the force of
arms, and that alone, then be it so. We
have not sought this solution of the diffi
culty, but have exhausted all honorable
means to procure peace —knowing that all
patriotic citizens deprecate the horrors of
civil war, of a natiofPbf brothersconfronting
each other on the battle-field —but the fa
natics of the North would listen to no pro
posals for peace; the ‘ rebels ’ must be
subdued, the seceded States whipped back
into a Union they despised and had left
forever, and the South held as a conquered
province. How have the ‘subduers’
succeeded ?
Let us briefly glance at the mineral and
other resources which now lie imbedded in
the fertile soil of this Heaven-favored land,
and contemplate the vastness of her various
productions, of themselves sufficient to place
us in an enviable position in the gaze of the
long-established nations of earth—resources
which only await the resurrecting hand of
her toiling sons to furnish mankind with
her varied and inexhaustible stores.
In traversing the states of Georgia, Ten
nessee, Arkansas, Missouri, North Carolina
and Virginia, you will have travelled over
mineral deposits so abundant, axuj agricul
tural productions so varied and of such su
perior quality, that not a similar scope of
territory on the globe can surpass it.—
Through this vast region of country, im.
mense deposites of gold, silver, lead, iron,
copper, coal, granite, salt, saltpetre, and all!
those minerals, metals, etc., used in the
several departments of agricultural and
scientific pursuits, are here to be found in
the greatest profusion. In this beautiful
land—stretching from the orange groves of
Florida to the far distant summits of the
Alleghanies, from the gulf of Mexico to the
fertile plains of the far West—can be found
every variety of climate, soil and product.
Every thing needed by an enterprising and
industrious people, to pave the way to
practical independence, is now within our
reach: either waving in luxuriant profusion
above, or deeply imbedded beneath, the
generous soil—that vast storehouse of the
Almighty, whose inexhaustible resources
time and the enterprising hand of skill alone
can reveal.
Who can contemplate the yastness and
value of these sinews ol wealth and gran
deur, without longing to see the time when
Peace shall spread her protecting wings
over our favored land, and wjien well di
recte 1 industry and wise political economy
shall call them forth and bid the South be
in practical fact, what she is by nature de
signed, one of the best manufacturing and
producing countries in the world ! Once
developed, these vast mineral resources will
sustain themselves, and the Southern forge
and rolling-mill meet and sustain the South
ern demand; and every car-wheel that
traverses the length and breadth of the
confederacy, bearing the products of her
soil, will wind its way over iron rails taken
from the same soil.
We wish to see anew era dawn upon the
South, as well for the development of man
ufacturing interests as mineral resources ;
to see our streams studded with mills,
whose numberless spindles and looms shall
echo back an eternal response to the music
of their onward current; to hear the blast
of the furnace and the din of the forge, un
mistakable evidence that commerce and
manufactures are in ripe development; to
see the mountains of the South, pregnant
with their mines of wealth, disgorge their
hidden treasures, furnishing certain tribute
to our prosperity.
But the mind involuntarily reverts to the
dark scenes of blood and desolation now
being^enacted over the tomb of the immor
tal Washington, and the heart is wiung with i
anguish at the thought that the jives ol
scores of patriot sons of the South will have j
to be yielded a sacrifice to the stern god ofj
war ere this bright picture can be realized.-
Still, God is with us, and who shall be
against us t Therefore let us rejoice in the'
igreat victories He has recently vouchsafed:
| lO arms, and earnestly petition that Hej
| will continue to make bare His arm of Al- j
| mighty power in our defence; that the dark ;
angel of blood and desolation, now hovering!
o’er the land, may fold its wings fora final!
flight from our shores ; and tbit the sun of I
Independence may shine, unobscu ed by a
single cloud, on a peaceful and contented!
people—a united and happy country,
E. I
Commodore Tatnall*
fn the letter of brother J. R. Graves, in
the Banner of last week, is one expression
which has given pain to the friends of Com
modore Tatnall. The sentence complained
of is as follows: “ Would Commodore
Brown promptly obey the order, or, like
Tatnall, of the Virginia, cowardly refuse?”
Brother Graves was doubtless misinformed
upon this subject; for whatever else may
be said of Commodore Tatnall’s condu rt,
cowardice is the last thing any one who
knows him would think of charging against
him. Since he has been acquitted by a
court-martial, of any blame in this matter,
it would be wrong for him to rest under
the charge of cowardice—and hence this
note of explanation. And we doubt not
our correspondent will be equally prompt
in retracting- the charge, when the facts be
come known to him. Ed.
Sabbath Railroad Accidents.
The first very serious and distressing ac
cident which has happened on our State
Road, occurred upon the Sabbath. The
loss of several hundred thousand dollars to
the State,' and of several valuable lives,
was the result of a violation of the sanctity
of the Sabbath.
I remember some years ago there was a
succession of accidents upon the Na&hville
& Chattanooga Road, and was informed that
a majority of them occurred upon the Sab
bath day.
Is there not some member of our His
torical Society who has the leisure and can
command the means of information, who
will look into this, and see what proportion
of the railroad accidents have happened on
this day ? The facts could possibly be as
certained from" the of the several
- . * - ... .
companies. But if it be impracticable to
learn the truth concerning the past, will not
someone keep a record for the future? —
Had sickness not prevented my attendance
on the late meeting of the Society at Atlan
ta, I intended to call attention to this subject.
And I trust that President Sherwood or
someone in Atlanta will at once begin to
compile a h*story of all such accidents, so
to set* whether there are not more than
one-seventh of them dated upon the Sabbath.
A. C. D.
Army Chaplains.
These devoted workers for their country
and their Saviour, find that religious read
ing for the soldiers helps them very much
in their labors of love. Hence, they call
for tracts, Testaments, and religious papers.
1 hese brethren say that the soldiers are
very fond of religious papers, and many of
them have written and asked for The Banner
to be sent to "them weekly for distribution.
But while brother H. would gladly furnish
large numbers to his country’s defenders,
he can not do so unless the means are fur
nished. Will not these Chaplains take up
contributions for this object? and will not
brethren, pastors and others, at home do
the same, and forward the amount to bro
ther If. ? Each number of The Banner
will be worth more to the soldier than an
ordinary tract. J. M. W.
Death of Dr. Tliornwell.
This distinguished divine, late President
of South Carolina College, died suddenly,
at Charlotte, N. C., on the Ist instant. In
his death the country, and especially his
native State, has sustained a great loss.
Salt In the Confederacy.
A friend si nt a slip of paper, an envel
ope, and ten cents, who wished an acknow
ledgment of the reception of a letter w hich
he sent. Some salt has lost its savor, but
this had three saving elements —paper, en
velope, postage. W.
Great FI j, lit coming on at Richmond
On Tuesday last a .gentleman in Atlanta
said a fight would take place at Richmond
soon. To the question “ How do you
know ? ” he replied, that he had seen a!
great many officers from there recently.
W.
The Army In the West.
Dear Brother Hornady:
I have recently visited the Army in the
West, and find the destitution appalling.
I do not believe one in ten of the men have
a Testament. They are very anxious for
it and for tracts. “ Can’t you send us some
good reading matter?” was asked me on
every hand. We need funis with which
to do this. I beg that your readers will
exert themselves in this behalf, and enclose j
the amount to you. Now is the most fa- j
vorable time to make an effort. Will not J
the pastors and churches respond ?
A. E. Dickiksox,
• Agent Army Col portage.
Banner for the Soldiers.
The religious paper furnishes a cheap
and available means of reaching them ; and
our brethren and sisters should come to *
the rescue before it is too late. What say
our readers ? Shall the sick and wounded !
soldiers have The Banner t
False Estimate of Elfe.
‘ Life,’ said a dying man, who had lived
in selfish qpse and in the indulgence of those
passions which debase and degrade men,
‘ life is a miserable humbug,’—and thus he
departed from the life which he had first
wasted and then despised. He had made
it a time of sin, a scene of wasteful and
riotous living; ’*nd it was his punishment
to be-compelled to look back upon it as a
period utterly barren of all happiness. —
Nor could there be a more terrible punish
meet than to find, as memory reviewed the
past, nothing but he ashes of fleeting pleas
ures, and to be foreed to cuise life and die.
Many who would recoil from such a des
perate flinging away of 'fife as a worthless
thing, are m the habit, we think, of speaking
slightingly of it, or of affecting so to speak.
The poet Pope, who aspired also to lea
moralist, has no higher conception to give
of life than to call it a ‘ poor play,’ in which
we suppose it should be man’s only concern
to render his part respectably, caring little
when the curtain might fall and the fights
go out. No real or permanent interest can
or should be given to that which is at best
a ‘poor play.’
Against this low estimate of life we most
earnestly p otest. It is neither a ‘ misera
ble humbug,’ nor a ‘ poor play.’ It is a
serious, real, important thing. We may
waste it, and degrade it, but in itself it is a
possession of priceless value, and may be
come fruitful in happiness to ourselves,
good to our fellow men, and glory to God.
No one can affix a proper estimate to it who
is content to spend its precious hours in in
dolence or vice, or throw it all can lessh
away. It is a vulgar and pitiful courage
which affects to speak of it as a thing to be
lightly cast from us.
The disposition to make this false esti
mate of the value of this life, is found chief
ly in those who profess to believe that this
is the only life which we are ever to see, or
who live as if it were the only one. Herein
is a strange thing. Possessions which are
rare, are in proportion precious. To un
dervalue thit which we can not replace is
not according to the ordinary judgments of
men. If all our enjoyments are to be gath- j
ered here, in this present lifetime, it would!
seem to be a most important peri id. Yet
men who say that it is the sole possession
of the kind which we will ever have, say
also that it is utterly valueless.
The fact is, that the true value of the
present life consists in its relation to the
life that is future. It is as the introduction
to the immortal life that it becomes a thing
of so much worth to us. It rises from be
ing a period brief and troubled and full of
sorrows, to the dignity of an introductory
and preparatory state, leading on to bless
edness that can have no measure or end.—
If we five in it as though it were uur all, it
is a worthless t'ling. If we live in it as
though it were the vestibule of a grand
temple, it has significance and worth. It
has a value which is given it by its connec
tion with that which is grander, nobler,
more enduring. It is, indeed, made to seem
brief and transitory by the comparison, but
it is ennobled also by the fact l hat it leads
us to the permanent and eternal sphere.
When, therefore, men look with scowling
faces upon life, and cast bitter curses upon
it, we can but conclude that they have for
gotten or denied their own immortality. —
Let them look upward with faith, and they
may look backward with satisfaction and
forward with hope. The brief present life
will assume some of the importance and
dignity of the endless life for which it can
fit us and into which it must usher us.
E.
Baptist State Convention, 8. €.
Dear Banner:
This body met in Greenville, on the 25th
ultimo. Chief Justice O’Neall was elected
President; Dr. James C. Furman, Vice-
President; Dr. J. M. C. Breaker, Secretary.
The attendance was not very large, but,
considering the gloomy times in which we
live, quite respectable. The great and good
souls of the State came loaded down with
prayer and humility, and we had a sweet'
and harmonious meeting. We went thro’!
the regular business of the convention, with
out any of that mean excitement you dis
cover in conventional bodies drawn from
the low sinks of political life. Iw as struck
with the great dissimilarity. What a vast!
difference between the sons of GoJ aud the
men of this world ! The child of Gd is|
tame, gentle, full of love and prayer ; the)
man of sin is unsettled, fiery, tumultous j
and mad. Every one here seemed to havej
the cause of God at heart. And I wasj
made to feel ashamed of myself, when 1
found such distinguished humility in almost:
every member. We all had a go-d time
I came away with a better soul.
The business was dispatched with unu
sual rapidity. We had no long speeches,
—no efforts at display. There was not
enough speaking. Modesty can be carried
too far sometimes ; and if the voice can be
lifted with advantage to the cause, the lips
should not be locked up. We love to hear
our brethren talk. By exchanging senti
ments, we all learn something and are made
better.
The cause of the country was made the
object of prayer. Every heart was filled
with gratitude to God, for the signal victo
ries with which He has blessed our arms
There seemed to be a disposition to cheer
fully submit to the dark dispensations of
Providerce; and all felt the necessity ol
preparing for even darker days —times of
infidelity, pestilence and famine.
Brother Sumner was there ; he came to
plead the cause of Domestic Missions*- —
He met wth many warm friends. Some
five hundred dollars were given-immediate
ly. 1 hope he will come back to see us
again.
There was no business transacted that
would be of general interest to your read
ers. I may say, however, that the only
discussion we had, was in reference to a
resolution to memorialize Congress, request
ing that body to exempt theological students
from military service. The resolution met
with strong opposition. It was argued that
every possible man should be in the field;
that their influence should be' felt m camp ;
that even this s-rmtl! number might turn the
tide of battle. After considerable discus
sion, the 1 resolution was passed ; but finally
the subject was reconsidered, and laid on
the table. This is a serious matter. All
the young men are gone to the army. If
the war should last for many years, the
Pulpit must be tilled by an uneducated
ministry. But the ways of God are not
like those of men. He w ill have His cause
successfully vindicated. it may be, His
abundant grace, mighty in its grand opera
tions, will supply the place of eloquence
and logic; humble fishermen may yet rise
up, clothed with the power of Heaven, to
handle, in a masterly style, the profound
things of God. These men, like Bunyan,
may ungloom the hidden glories of the
Bible, and lead men to the Cioss of Christ.
But I am sorry my young comrades in the
army of the Lord could not stay at home
and prosecute their studies. The army is
ja poor place to cultivate the mind. We
j have little chance to study —forget what
we have learned in the past.
I noticed one clumsy thing: The conven
tion invited ministers of other denominations
to take seats arid aid in the deliberations of
the body. 1 can’t see any propriety in this.
I suppose I have a little—very little soul;
but as I am nothing but a boy yet, 1 reckon
it will expand and be abfe at last to com
prehend such things. Yes, l see now.—
How stupid lam ! They are good men—
very ; and they are great and learned min
isters of the Gospel. They preach infant
baptism, apostasy, open communion, and
some of them clamor much about orders in
the church. But’all these are trifling things.
Sometimes they abuse and persecute us,
but we must do good for evil; we must heap
kindnesses on those w'ho who d:spitefully
use us. This is full-grown Christianity.—
We all agree in the one great fact, salvation
through Christ. Time, they have not been
baptized. But w hat great soul w ould think
of that in a Convention? Our own church
es never send up unbaptized men ; but then
they might. Perhaps they could learn us
some great truih that would make the cause
brilliant with glory. And you see at once
why we ought to invite men of other de
nominations. No one could object even to
a priest. We merely want his information.
That’s all we ask for. We don’t feel ex
actly capable of conducting our own affairs;
this being the case, we ought to receive help
from any one. And then it is much easier
to get wisdom of men, than to get it from
God. But some men have been so very
wicked as to think that this invitation is a
kind of mock courtesy. They say we don’t
allow them to vote, and never expect them
to speak. From these grounds they jump
on to the wild conclusion—mockery. This
is all a mistake. Our denomination is re
ally weak and ignorant. It could not drag
along witnout help from those spiritual fa
thers. We need all the help we can get;
and when we invite other men to “ aid
we mean just what we say.
The convention adjourned on the 28th.—
Every heart felt sad. All were unwilling
to part. It was like breaking up some holy
and happy family. But the sad hour would
come. The hearty shake of the hand and
the solemn “ God bless you! ” told what
kind of feelings reigned in every heart.—
We parted, many of us to meet on earth
no more. Bat 1 feel like 1 shall meet many
of that noble band in a higher clime. To
this end let all my efforts be expended.—
The Lord be my Strength and Redeemer !
W. D. M.
Charity would lose its name were it in
fluenced by so mean a motive as human
pride.
He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied
with bread; but he that followeth vain
persons is void of understanding.