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§anntr aitii "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.