Newspaper Page Text
reproach his conscience for neglect of them.
No ringing church bells, sending their invi- 1
tations far and w ide to all to come to them,
in his ears, mocking him for his |
them, and seeming to say, We
called x But you would not come, and
now it is too late—too late for earth, too
late for heaven ! No. Peaceful and calm
can the Christian be at such a time; for he
knows that, having fulfilled his duty towards
God and man on earth, he may confidently
trust to reap his reward in heaven.
gamier.
U »■ ml Cw
v r J® -j- / - I 1• li W
VLj Ji gw mw ’os Rif 1\
‘The entrance of Thy Word giveth light.’
JAS. NATHAN ELLS, Editor.
-KOilg-IA:
SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 1863.
The War.
Since our last issue, the bloodiest battle,
of this revolution has been fought in front
of Murfreesboro. The carnage on both
sides was awful. The heart’s blood of ma
ny a brave Southern warrior wet the soil
of ill-fated Tennessee.
At first the victory was ours. Before
the impetuous onsets of our gallant troops
the enemy fell back on his right, about sev
en miles, leaving in our hands four thousand
prisoners, twenty pieces of artillery, and
several thousand stand of small arms. —
Successes on the centre wore also achieved,
increasing the amount of ordnance and
number of prisoners. On the third day
General Bragg, learning the enemy was
largely reinforced and strongly entrenched,
withdrew his forces and fell back on Tulla
homa, bringing nil’ nearly all our stores,
hut. leaving in Murfreesboro a number.of
our more dangerously wounded. Our front
is now somewhere near that point.
The effect of this battle upon the fort unes
of our struggling Confederacy is somewhat
doubtful. It has cost us many lives, but
has not pushed our lines to the/ro/t/ —
rather to the rear. The effect on the ene
my’s cause is also doubtful ; their loss, in
blood and stores, was fearfully heavy.
Soul and Body.
It. is very generally acknowledged that
the former is more important, is worthy of
more attention, because' of its superior val
ue, than the latter. Though this fact, is so
generally conceded, yet men act with a
more watchful eye to the wants of the lat
ter —the body. The physical wants of our
Soldiery have engaged the attention of all
classes throughout our struggling country,
which attention is worthy of all praise.—
But why absorb or monopolize our efforts
to render the body so comfortable, to the
great, neglect of the soul ? Spiritual food
is eagerly sought after by thousands of our
men in the camps and hospitals of the
country, and the greatest cry is ‘ Give us
the New Testament!’ They rush to ou r
colporteurs when they are making their
rounds of mercy, and, with anxiety depict
ed in their faces, ask ‘ Have you any Tes
taments? Where, can we procure a copy
of the New 'restament?’ The reply of
the colporteur may have been as follows,
which embraces the facts :
Efforts have been and are still being
made to supply you with the Scriptures,
by the proprietors of the Franklin Printing
House, at Atlanta; but they have met
with so many discouragements that but
little has been accomplished in comparison
with what has been attempted. The great
est difficulty has been, and now is, to obtain
'ompetent and constant hands to carry for
ward the work in all of As departments.—
An appeal is now made by the said propri
etors, and indu ‘‘meats offered which will
certainly command the necessary aid.
They are now offering to ladies who will
engage as regular and reliable hands, in the
sewing department, an advance of one hun
dred per eent. upon prices recently paid,
which competes very fairly with the sewing
department of the Confederate States.—j
This liberal offer is made, accompanied with
an appeal to those who appreciate the eha-'
racter and importance of the work, with the
hope that success may attend the ufort
now being made to supply our soldiers with
spiritual food witli as little delay as possi
ble. Shall the work cease ? Or. shall it
go forward with the certainty of success ?
The work is of momentous interest ;
the pay liberal and punctual; the work
easy, surrounded with every comfort. —
Six thousand copies of the Testament thrown
nto circulation among our soldiers per;
week (the work desired and now attempt-'
i' 2S <l3 S’ 1S W <£L X< XM 3S ®
cd), will in six weeks be read, with pleas
ure and profit, by at, least one hundred
thousand of those .who have perilled all to
save our country from the desolating tread
of cruel enemies.
We will close by appealing with earnest
ness to those unaccustomed to ‘ take in
work,’ to rush to the rescue. Let higher
motives than this world can furnish, induce
you to undertake in the sowing department
of the Franklin Printing House. Let no
thing of a minor character prevent you
from engaging in this work, if possible to
do so. Go at once. One Testament given
to a soldier next week might save his soul,
and comfort the dying hours of many
others.
i >*
i New-Year's Gift—The Soldier*,
! Who will join us in a New-Year’s Gift
to the brave men who are standing in the
defence of our rights ? Here is a chance.
The soldiers are always thankful for good
reading matter—especially the soldiers
who have to endure the gloom of a hospi
tal. The following list has been started ;
friends of the soldier, will you not here en
roll your names, and the amount you are
willing to give, to send The Banner to the
soldiers? The list will be published for
three weeks.
SUBSCRIPTIONS.
James N. Ells & Co., - - 835 00
IL C. Hornady, ... - 10 00
> A. T. Holmes, 500
D. P. Everett, of Florida, 10 00
! L. L. Abbott, 10 00
Dr. G. E. White, 5 00
George C. Connor, 10 00
Robert M. Clarke. ‘2O 00
J. M. Holbrook, 5 00
. Mrs. E. S. Blodget, 500
D. W. Hughes, 500 j
S. Root, 3 00
Dr. David Young, 2 00
F. C. Diamond, Cave Spring, 300 '
Mrs. V. B. Burton, “ 2 00
Children of S. M. Pyles, Milford, 2 50
Employees in Franklin Printing
House: B. F. Bennett, 2 50
C. L. Clark, 2 50
Jas. N. Holmes, 5 00
S. P. Richards. 2 00
C. li. Sanders, 1 00
C. C. Sewell, 100
Printer, 1 00
T. G. Mcllann, 50
W. A. Graham, 1 00
Abel Miles, Jr., 1 00
W. F. Clark, 1 00
J. N. E., for ap., 3 00
21 50
James W. Brice, M. D. Gaar,
J. R. Mayson, 11. L. \\ illiams, R.
.1, Lowry A Co., Aaron Edwards,
Thomas Scrutchin, H. Joiner, G.
T. Dodd, G. W. Baldwin, W. E.
Young, L. C. Wells, J. B. Tippin,
Friend to Soldiers, each 81 00— 1-1 00
We also acknowledge the receipt of 81001
from Rev. Mr. Huff, per order of Rev. A.
E. Dickinson, Agent for Army Colportage.'
Friends of the Soldier! there still is
room. We feel that we are laboring in a
good cause—a cause, of which we are not
ashamed. Will you aid us by your con
tributions? Will parents set their little
ones an example ? Will pastors bring the
attention of their congregations to this im
portant subject ?
News Jolting*.
—The British and Foreign Bible Society
have voted a credit of £3,000 in favor of
the Bible Society of the Confederate States.
—lt is stated on good authority that the
'l ankees filled the icehouses at Fredericks
burg with their dead, in order to conceal, as
far as possible, the evidence of their losses.
—An old lady, ten miles from Knoxville,
made from an "ashhopper,” filled repeated
ly with earth taken from beneath, 898 worth
of Saltpetre.
—The marriage ceremony on the occasion
of the marriage of Gen. John fl. Morgan,
was performed by Lieutenant General and
Bishop Leonidas Polk.
—The Louisville Journal says that the
Military Governorship of Temnesseeis given
to Gen. Hurlburt, of Memphis, and that Andy
Johnson is still Governor of Tennessee.
A negro regiment at Port Royal is high
ly commended by Northern papers, in their
telegraphic columns, for stealing 200,000
feet of lumber.
—General Sam Houston is asserted to be
a Texas Unionist, and for this reason could
not get a seat at a Texas hotel table. Anoth
er lie. Sam Houston is a loyal Southerner. J
—lt is reported that James Gordon Ben-'
nett will retire from business on the Ist of
January, leaving the New York Herald to
his son James G Bennett, Jr.
—Gen. Burnside was a tailor’s apprentice
in early youth, but became the protege of!
Secretary Smith, then a member of Congress)
I from Indiana, by whom he was sent to West I
. Point.
j —Working men in some sections of the
j North are getting to be scarce. In Connec
i ticut, farmers are obliged to pay sixty dollars
' a month ; the price in former times was
'about twelve dollars a month.
—The Chicago Prairie Farmer denies the
truth of the statement going the rounds,'
that the cotton crop of Illinois for 1'562.
will amount to 20,000 bales. It says the
■quantity will not exceed 200 bales.
| —Commercial circulars from Japan, of
i the 25th of October, say that a revolution' 1
, has broken out there, but of what character, '
‘ the published reports do net make clear
The power of the Tycoon has been greatly
restricted, and a policy adopted adverse to
foreign interests. Mr. Richardson, a prom
inent English merchant, had been assassina
ted by the servants of a Japanese Prince.
arrival of the President at Jack
son, Miss., a committee of the House of Rc
presentytives visited him and invited him
to address the Legislature. His reply was
that he had come to work, not to speak • but
that he would do in Mississippi what he
would not anywhere else. He would meet
the Legislature either publicly or privately,
advise with the members in secret session,
or deliver an address in the Hall to the peo
ple.
—Ten thousand shells were sent to Burn
side by General Meigs of the ordnance de
partment when the former was about to cross
the Potomac. Upon examination it was as
certeined that not one in ten was likely tc
explode ; sand having been substituted for
powder. Burnside seems to be rather un
fortunate. When his expedition first left
Anapolis, he discovered that a large quanti
ty of the cartridges furnished him were ac
-1 tually without powder.
1862 an <1 1863.
We are treading the portals of another
New Year. God in His mercy has brought
I us safely through the trials,temptations and
chastisements of a year never to be forgot
ten; a year of joys and sorrows, of defeats
and triumphs, victories and disasters. Le
gion are the thoughts these remembrances
i suggest.| May we not, with propriety,
'record a few of them on our good old
Banner ?
) As a Nation we entered upon the year
1862 with shaded hopes. The fortunes of
| our beloved confederacy were not as sunny
as the trembling heart would have wished.
) The first month brought us a disaster which,
like a millstone, for a while dragged us in
to the bitter lake of despondency. Our
jforces were defeated at Fishing Creek, and
“ Freedom shrieked when Zollicoffer fell.’’
February, too, brought us its sad tale.—
| Fort H enry fi 11. On the 14th, after a
i fierce and manlv resistance, as none but a
! freeman fighting for his home ami loved
ones against a superior force can make,
i Dem Ison surrendered, and with it the cap
lital of the old “Volunteer State.”
i April is remembered with a touch of
j sorrow. <)n its 26th, the beautiful Crescent
'City fell a prey to the ruthless invaders of
'the homes of the sunny South. A twinge
lof pain still remains at memory of that
dai k day. In this month fell also Fort
j Pulaski; and in April fi 11, proudly leading
tour brave boys against the legions of aboli
' tionists, the gallant ‘A Ibert Sidney Johnston.
These are remembrances sad and gloomy,
; but here we rest. Not a defeat have we
j recorded, that was not turned by Him who
' doeth all things well, to our good. Our
.proml hearts were subdued; our stifl’necks
were broken. For once, as a nation we
saw our weakness. In sackcloth and ashes
the nation lay prostrate. Agonizing pray
ers to the God of Battles ascended to the
council chamber of the I Am. Help! help!
was the burden of those prayers ; and Je
hovah in His mercy was pleased to say,
“ My heart is moved by thine entreaties—
I will comedown and help thee.”
Blessings and honor and power be unto
our Deliverer!
Then began to be wafted to us on every
breeze the shouts of victories and cheers
of triumph. Corinth's bloody fields, and
the confused retreats and routes of Wil
liamsburg, Seven Pines, and the “ seven
days before Richmond,” triumphantly re
peated the query “ If God be for us, who
can be against us ? ”
Since this appearance of the Lord in our
midst, in May, up to the present time, a
series of brilliant successes are recorded of
the Confederate arms. The bold and gal
lant dashes of Stonewall Jackson in the
valley of Virginia, ami the more awful
dashes of Lee; the successes of Kirby-
Smith in Kentucky, and of Braggin Middle
Tennessee, stand alone and unequalled on
the blood stained pages of warfare. Proud
though we be of our generals, grateful tho’
we be for the deeds of daring of our brave
comrades in arms, yet to God be all the
cdory! Had He not fought our battles
for us. never would our hearts have been
I gladdened.
' As a Church, alas ! our memory is cloth
ed in crape. Coldness, darkness, unfaith-j
fulness—these are all we remember. Occa
sionally a few drops of Go J’s mercy fell |
■ upon us in answer to the faithful prayers
lof the faithful few, and the choruses of the
angel choirs over the salvation of precious
souls resounded throughout the halls of the
New Jerusalem. Ah, but how rare the.
occasions’ Beloved reader, be now thine'
i own witness; lay thine hand upon thine ’
heart and command it to answer thy solemn ■
queries. Ask it: Has it been faithful ?—■
warm, zealous, pure, consecrated ?
Never have we known a year when a
higher tone of Christianity was demanded.'
Never, when energy, zeal and love were bo
necessary to the discharge of our dutv.—
The temptations of camp life, like mad i
winds, have been driving the precious ves-'
r sei,the soul, upon the breakers that dash!
* upon the shores of eternal perdition. How
little have we done to save them ! How
feebly have we raised the shout of danger !
How few buoys have we set up, in the shape
of tracts and religious newspapers, to warn
j them of hidden dangers. Dark is the re
-3 cord of our past! Bitterly penitent for our
t past neglect, let us now turn our hearts to
a brief meditation at this the beginning of a
new year—lß63. By God’s grace, what
’ purpose we to do ?
i- 1. To be more watchful over our own
hearts. Reader, promise you this ? If
_ you would be happy, if bright smiles of
contentment would continually play upon
s your countenance, watch, carefully guard
the doors of your heart. Ah, there are
r more than one main front door to the heart
, There are little side private doors through
‘t which minions of darkness enter, softly,
- stealthily, and there deposite the seeds of
depravity and sin. Beware ! place a senti
nel at every door, and let his instructions
be “ Pass no one, no matter his insignia.”
r 2. To be more faithful a s church members.
Loved one, would you see your heart’s
j darlings brought to Christ and saved with
an everlasting salvation ? Be faithful, then,
g as a member of Christ’s church. Let your
heart be there. Be in the sanctuary on the
g Sabbath, at th? prayer-meeting, and the
day of fasting and prayer. Let no day of
j worship or prayer find you absent unless
Providence interpose.
3. To be more zealous in Christian labors
for ths Army. Far away from the loved
ones at home, through rain and mud the
gallant soldier wades his weary way. The
hallowed associations of home are no lonser
his. The doting mother, the loving wife,
or the dear affectionate sister, cannot now
I restrain his turbid passions, point the soul
, to heaven, and gently lead the way. Ah,
no. Rude become the manners of his com
rades; familiar become his ears and lips to
profanity. Who can reach him ? Who
, can stay the force of those terrible engulf
ing waves of temptation? We answer, in
no way can we stay them more effectually
than by giving our means for the purchase of
h . t racts and religious newspapers and sending
them, in the hands of faithful colporteurs,
.. to those dear ones for whom our hearts
yearn.
Let the wounded brave have some of
these precious pages to while away his lone
some hours of pain ; the brave boy on the
tented field have them, to draw his heart
away from the vice that surrounds him.—
To this end we pledge ourselves before
God. Beloved readers, how many of you
will go and do likewise? C.
How lo Avert <'nianiity.
There is a natural and necessary connec
tion between sin and suffering. “ The soul
thatsinneth shall die,” is not an arbitrary
fiat, but is the declaration <>f an existing
truth. “ The wages of sin is death,” and
viewed in the most favorable light there is L
nothing to be hoped from a course of evil.
“He that pursueth evil pursueth it unto
his ow’n death;” and what is true of an in
dividual, in this regard, is true also of a I
community. In the light of these truths
we learn something of the cause and cure of
national calamity. Sin is the bane of a
nation, and to its influence are traceable,
either directly or indirectly, all those evils
to which we are now subject and by which
we are now suffering. The great aggregate i
of the people’s sins are a part, at least, of
the sins of the nation ; but when the Gov- 1
eminent connives at, or encourages the vio
lation of the Divine Law, the matters are ;
much worse. In both respects wo are a guil
ty nation, and are, therefore, suffering those
calamities, in some parts of our territory ,
the recital of which is almost enough to
curdle the blood in one’s veins. Seeing, ,
then, the cause of these troubh s, it should
be a matter of serious moment with us to
obtain its removal, and thus secure ourselves
against the effects which are so trying to us.
How can this be done >. \\ <• cannot undo
the evil we have perpetrated. We cannot 1
make ourselves innocent after we have once
become guilty. There is, then, but one 1
hope for us, either as individuals or as a
people, and that is in the divine forgiveness.
But, then, there is a condition precedent
[upon which alone God has promised pardon
■ to any people, and that is upon an unfeign
ed repentance. But what is repentance?
To the mind of the writer it includes two
ideas:—Sorrow for sin, and turning away
from it. Sorrow is not in strictness a part
of repentance, but it certainly is a necessa
ry adjunct. “Godly sorrow worketh re
• pentance,” and of course must enter into
the operation of forsaking sin. Sorrow I
| for sin may be induced by contrasting a!
i sinful life with one of innocence, or it may )
i be brought about by the contemplation and
! experience of the sufferings which sin in
-1 diets. But, after all, it is the work of the'
Holy Spirit, bringing the truth home to
’ the heart and causing one to look back
with sorrow upon the past, and the deter
mination of amendment in the future.
! Repentance, however, is not perfected
until there is a reformation of life, proceed
ing from sorrow which looks to God, in
Christ, for relief. Sincere repentance cul
minates in the complete abandonment of
those t hings we deplore. Here there is, in
brief, modus operandi of averting the ca
lamities which are now hanging, like a pall,
upon our once prosperous and happy coun
try. In the sufferings we experience, God
is calling us to repentance, and like way
ward children we should turn from our er
ratic courses, and seek that forgiveness
without which we must be miserable for
ever.
The work must begin with individuals.
Each one knowing the evils of his own way
should hasten to humble himself beneath
the Divine hand, and seek the full and
blood-bought pardon of all his sins.
It is a matter of urgent importance—the
wrath of our God is upon the land, and yet
the door of mercy isopen still. The Holy
Spirit calls, “ Let the wicked forsake his
way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts,
and let him return unto the Lord, and He
will have mercy upon him, and to our God.
lor He will abundantly pardon.” And
when every one shall thus have sought and
obtained the divine forgiveness, we shall be
“a nation whose God is the Lord ;” and “ if
God be for us, who can be against us ?’’
‘ Repent, the voice celestial cries.
No longer dare delay,
The soul that scorns the mandate dies,
And meetsja fiery day.’
And now, kind reader, as thine eye rests
upon these lines—as these truths penetrate
thy mind, be entreated to forsake the ways
of folly and sin—turn to a bleeding Saviour.
Thy happiness here and hereafter depends
upon thy obedience, yea, the salvation of
thy country from the calamities of war de
pends upon the duty of repentance.
H.
[/for The, Bc/ptht Banner.]
Rev. J. S 3. Campbel!.
Richmond, Va., Dec. 29, 1862.
We have promised to keep this brother
supplied with tracts, religions papers, and
(as far as we can) with Testaments, for
distribution among 1 he soldiers on the Geor
gia coast. We have sentone hundred dol
lars to The Banner and as much to The
ftides:, to be used in supplying him with
copies of those papers. In a recent letter,
Brother Campbell says: “There is evident
ly a revival influence abroad among the
soldiers. There is the most urgent demand
for Testaments and tracts.”
All who desire to aid in supplying brother
Campbell in the noble work he is doing
can do so by contributing religious reading
matter. We would like to have several
Colporters around Savannah.
A. E. Dickinson, Supt., Ac.
Brother Bl Is :
Premitnie to acknowledge the following
sums received for Army Colportage :
From LaGrang.' Baptist Church, 8173 35.
In Newnan, by private effort,, 63 50.
At West Point, 23 30.
First Baptist Church, (Atlanta) 255 65.
Colored congregation of Ist Church, 17 50.
Second Baptist Church, (Atlanta) 222 65.
From Disciple’s congregation, (At.) 20 50.
Total, 8775 95.
Subscription by First Church, Atlanta, for
Banner to be furnished Soldiers, 850 00.
Atlanta, Dec. 25, 1862. W. Huff,
General Agent of Army Colportage.
I'irsl District, <’oosa AsNocitilion.
Dear Banner:
Please publish the order of business and
the appointments made by the general
meeting, in connection with the ministers’
and deacons’ meeting of the First District
of the Coosa Association, to meet with the
Pisgal Church on Friday before the first
Sabbath of July next.
C. 1 hompson,sermon on Saturday, on the
Future Inheritance of the Sainis.
J. I’. Swanson, sermon on Sabbath, on
Family Religion.
W . P. Lampkin, essay on the Kingdom
of Christ.
D. W.( xwin, essay on Pastoral Visiting.
J. R. Chambers, essay on Regeneration.
James Sanders, essay on the Deaconship.
J. W. Pullen, essay on the Obligations
of Church-Members, One to Another.
C. B. Martin, essay on Special Provi
dence.
D. B. Hafisilton, essay on the Nature
and Extent of the Atonement.
D. B. Hamilton, Sec’y.
Public Laws of IMJ2.
More to keep up the series of Public
Laws which I have published annually for
several years past, than with the expecta
tion of profit at this time, I shall publish
those passed at the present Session. Ow
ing to the usual high price of printing and
publishing materials, and to the fact that
most of my old subscribers are absent in
the service, I am compelled to advance the
price of the Pamphlet to two dollars.
Neither labor nor expense will prevent me
from getting out the Pamphlet as promptly
I as heretofore.
Subscriptions remitted by mail at my
risk - H. JI. Waters.
Money due the Office, may be sent by mail a
; our risk always mail it in presence of a friend
i (other than the P. M.,) or procure a triend to
mail itforyou—never register.
Con tributors should write only on one side
01 each leaf; and number the pages, 1,2, 3, &c.
Those wishing papers changed, should give
?he Post-Office they wish changed from, as well
as the one to be changed to.