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‘The entrance of Thy Word giveth light’
JAS. NATHAN ELLS, Editor.
Associate Editors : 11. C HORNaDY, Atlanta.
J. M. WOOD. Newnan.
A. C. DAYTON, L Fayette.
D. P. EVERETT, Florida.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA:
SATURDAY, MAY 16,‘1863.
To oar Subscribers.
As lias been previously announced, on and
after the sixth day of June. 1813, the subscrip
tion price of this journal will be four dollars
per year.
It is but fair to remind our friends, that until
date three dollars sent to us will secure the
reception of The Banner for twelve months.
Some hive already acted upon this suggestion*
notwithstanding they were credited for months
ahead ; and should every subscriber now upon
our books see fit to remit three dollars fo/bre
the first nf June, and thus save a dollar, of course
they have that privilege
We take this occasion to say, with erateful
feelings, that within four months past the cir
culation of The Baptist Banner has been
nearly doubled ; we entertai i .j fear in regard
to a supply <,f paper; and we are determined,
by God’s help, to do our best in furnishing an
accep able paper.
The furnishing of religious literature
for our Soldiers is one of the most import
ant Christian charities of the day ; or, more
correctly spiaking, it is a debt (rather than '
a charity) which a’l our citizens owe the ;
brave men who have interposed their strong i
hearts, as a wall of adamant, between them !
and the enemy. The sacrifices our soldiers ;
have made, the hardships they undergo, and 1
the perils to which they are exposed, appeal
cogently to the sympathies of every patriot, i
To the Christ an, the danger of the soul j
is the most affecting of all considerations. 1
Who, that has observed ’he sad deteriora
tion of morals among our young men since
the war commenced, can doubt that this ,
danger is augmented by the habits and as
sociations of the camp and field ?
Headers ! give us a moment’s attention :
The gallant defenders of your homes and
liberties are literally perilling their blood-i
redeemed immortality for your protection !
It. is in your power to erect a barrier be
tween them and perdition ; and while they!
sacrifice for you the life .of the body, vou i
may rescue the more precious life of the
Boul.
There is a wide difference in ‘ Poli
tics’ and ‘ Party Politics.’ It is not neces
sary, as a general rule, for all of us to en
gage in the petty discords and contentions
of mere party-polities; but each educated,
intelligent and loyal citizen should be poli
tician enough not only to understand, but
to take a deep interest in and sustain the
laws an I government under which he lives.
What holds good with individuals, will ap
ply still more forcibly to every publication i
in the e umtry, no matter to what purpose
oitensibly devoted, tor each one must, to a
larger or smaller degree, exert direct infill- :
ence over its own circle of readers.
At a time like the present, when our na
tive land is invaded by the polluting foot
prints of fan itical enemies, the conductor of
this journal feels that silence is reprehensi
ble, and indifference actually culpable. At
a crisis like this, we think that any South
run who withholds his colors is, by his neg
ative position, affording positive aid to the
enemies of his country, by inspiring and
misleading them to deeds of daring, thro’
the false hope of latent sympathy, at the
same time that he damps the patriotic ar
dor of our people.
Nothing is clearer to every intelligent
thinker, in the length and meadth of this
land, that he who is not now openly for,
must be against us. If for us, there can be
n > manly reason tor the suppression of an
open avowal. C unpromise and neutrality
ar j the absurdest of all panaceas for our
country in her present terrible emergency.
Taerejs no neutral ground to occupy be
tween treason and loyalty. As well’may <
we attempt mediation between truth and
falsehood—honor and dishonor—vice and i
virtue.. We repeat that it is, just now, the
duty ot all classes and individuals— wheth
er conn ‘cted With commerce, art, science
or literature; at home or abroad ; in the
public by-ways ur in the privacy of the
family fireside —to distinctly, open I v and
unequivocally pronounce in upholding the
ca i-e ot t le South, securing her rights, and
nia.i.t i.H.ng her integrity.
S'HB ®A. ®S S 3£ SB 3Si®,.
Thing« tn Augusta.
Lively times in the ancient and beautiful city
d Augusta, within the past week. Not Uss
h m four ‘Conventions’ were there convened ;
hus affording delegates and visitors from di
erent portions of the nation an opportunity of
aking a Spring-time view of tiiis l ively and
lourishitig locality, and or enjoying the hospi
a.'ities for which its < itizens are justly pra sed.
The Chemists, the Episcopalians, the Baptists,
md the Georgia Railroad stockholders, have
issembled, transacted the business for which
each body met, had a fine time, and adjourned
Let us take a little stroll, with memory, this
norning, and briefly make mention of a few
’ Things in Augusta.’
There are several Government institutions
here—among which are the Powder Works, so
highly commended by the American correspon
lent of the London Times; the Arsenal, at the
Sand Hills, and its branch in the city, which it
is in contemplation to increase and establish
here on an extensive scale as an Arsenal of
Construed n; the Lithographic establishment*
where postage stamps end State treasury notes
ire piinted; the Government Clothing Bureau,
where, under Ihe super ntendence of the ener
getic. Major Bridewell, about one thousand
women are supplied with work ; Q lartermaster
ind Paymaster departments, Nitre Manufactory,
etc. Beside these, the Georgia Relief and Hos
pital Asjociation headquarters are established
here. These establishments are all very im
portant to the government and people, and add
greatly to the prosperity of Augusta.
Among the noteworthy' institutions of this
city, we should not omit to mention the store of
the Purveying Association, where the poor, and
the needy families of sold ers, are enabled t<»
purchase provisions at about half the regular
market rates. This store was established at the
suggestion of Mayor May, partly by funds from
the city treasury and partly irom private funds
—the City being pledged to return to the con
tributors the amount of their contributions
without interest, when the necessity for the
store shall cease to exist. Agents are employed
and sent out in any direction where it is likely
provisions can be purchased at low rates, and
articles thus purchased are sold to the needy at
i cost prices, with necessaiy expenses added. —
Where contributions are made to the store. the
prices of the articles contributed are reduced
somewhat, and thus the poor of this city are
enabled to live comfortab y, comparatively
! speaking. The example set by Augusta in thi 8
! respect should "be followed by every city and
I county in the State.
I A pleasing feature of affairs i a this city is
' the establishment of a course of Lectin es, on
moral, political, and instructive subjects, now
( being delivered by accomplished citizens oi the
i Confederacy, for the benefit of the widows and
■ orphans of Georgia soldiers. They are dehv-
I t red under the ausp : ces of the Georg a Re iei
| and Hospital Association, by which body the
■ fund is sustained and applied, aim are gem rails
: well attended. Two lectures have already been
. delivere 1; one by the gal ant and a complished
Georgian-Henry R. Jackson, and the other,
by Carolina’s gifted author—W. Gilmoie Simms-
The lectines are delivered at Masonic Hall every
Monday evening. The next will be by Judgt
Gould, of Augusta, on the subject: ‘Wh it made
Se. ession the r ecessary policy of the South '! ’
| Among the changes in the Editorial fraternity
here, we observe that Mr. D. G. Cot ting, the
venerable and accomplished editor of the
i ‘ < hronicle and Sentinel,’ has retired, and been
superseded by Mr. Hallock, quite a young man,
and a son ot the former editor of that well
known paper, the (New York) ‘Journal of
Commerce.’ Mr. John L Stock'on, the popular
book-keeper of the ‘ Constitutionalist,’ has be
come asaocialtd with Colonel Gardner in the
business management of that journal. Mr. L
T. Biome, for a long time the indefatigable and
competent associate editor, is w inning high es
teem hs a model City Clerk, and still contrib
utes to the columns of the same journal. Wei
were pleased to learn that the publication of |
. the ‘ Field and Fireside,’ recently susptnikd
on account of the inability of the proprietor tu
obtain a sufficient supply of paper, will be re |
surned shortly.
Os course, we visited the Cemetery here '
It is, indeed, a be utiful resting place ot the
dead. Its evergteens preach the immortality ,
of the soul. Its white roses preach puiity and
innocence; its clambering vims, our mutual
dependence on e ich other—our entire depend
ence upon God. The can: -leep of the departed
speaks peace to the weary tuul. Their narrow
home and the common level to v h ch they are
I reduced, inveigh against pride, selfishness and
ostentation. Here ’the rich and the poor meet
together, and the Lord is the Maker of alt’
The Naziircne Banner.
In ten dais from this time there will
be issued, in this city, the initial number ot
’The Nazarenk Banner,’ a publication
devoted to the interests of Arm v Colport-i
age and G-neral Missions. It will be pub
lished monthly. A large number of copies
have al ead» been ordered, designed for
general distribution among the soldiers—
and the publication will also be made in
teresting to all at home who may wish to
know what is transpiring in the religious!
world.
Orders from Churches and individual* may
be addressed to James N. Eh, Atlanta, Georgia
Terms: eight dollars for one hundred copies.
The editor of The Bunner will be in
attendance at the Cherokee Baptist Con
vention in Rome, on Saturday. Friends
"ho may desire to subscribe to this paper,
to renew subscriptions, or to make dona
tions for sending the paper to the soldiers,
can have the opportunity during the session
of the Con vention.
The philosophy of a thousand years has
not explored the chambers and ma -azines
of tie soul. °
i
South ria SSapii'tCunv ntaon
BIENNIAL SESSION, Aj3.
The ninth regular meeting of the South
ern Bintist Convention was held with the
First Church in Augusta, Ga., commencing
■>n Friday, B.h instant, and continuing till
noon on the Tuesday following. About
one hundred and fifty delegates were in at
tendance.
Rev. Dr. P. 11. Mell, of Georgia, was
chosen President ; Rev. Drs. J. B. Jeter of
Virginia, Basil Manly of Alabama, William
Williams and J. L Reynolds of South Car
olina, Vice Presidents ; - Revs. George B.
Taylor of Virginia, ami Sylvanus Landrum
of Georgia, Secretaries; Charles J. Eiford,
of South Carolina, Treasurer.
The usual Committees were appointed
the first day; and a resolution adopted,
setting apart half an hour of each morning
, session to supplicate the Throne of Grace
in behalf of our country. Beyond this,
i nothing of special interest transpired, ex
cept the queer conduct of a pedo-baptist
chaplain present, who, upon obtaining per
mission to ‘ make some statem- nts ’ in ref
erence to army organiz ition, proceeded In
lament the fact tha% in many regiment.-,
there are no chaplains to look after the
spiritual welfare of the troops, nor at hand
‘to administer the last rites of our holy re
ligion to a dying soldier’! [.Hem.: upon
this little episode, more anon.]
The introductory sermon was preached,
1 Friday evening, by Rev. Dr. J. Lansing
Burrows, of Virginia. His theme—God’s
method <>f abolishing war—was discussed
in an able manner before a crowded audi
tory.
Saturday morning, the Reports of the
Boards of Missions were listened to. Rev.
Vlr. Poindexter presented that of the For
eign Board: Missions at Canton and
, Shanghai, in China. At Canton, one of the
missionaries—Rev. C. W. Gaillard—was
killed by the falling of his house during a
typhoon in the spring of 1862, which de
stroyed the lives of 10 000 inhabitants ofi
the city and a vast amount of property.
The mission is succeeding wel l . Though
it has been seriously affected, pecuniarily, by
the inability of the board to transit funds,
the missionaries have not suffered. They
voluntarily reduced timir salaries by one
fir, h at the commencement of our troubles.
i
At Shanghai, except at an out-station, [
the w<nk of the mission has suffered great-1
I) from the fact that the insurgents have in
vested the city. The report records the
} murder by the rebels, near Chee sow, of
Rev. Mr. Holmes, a missionary of the
B ad, together with that of Rev. Mr. Par
ker, an Episcopal m'Ssionary. The mission
aries have not yet suff-red for want of!
funds, though they have had to borrow on
the credit of the Board, and also to curtail
their operations.
The Board also reports missions in Afri
ca, in Liberia and Yoruba. While the mis-1
sionaries in the former field have continued |
in their work, they have been much cm-!
, barrassed for want of funds, and nearly all
the schools have been suspended. They
report favorably of the spiritual condition
i of the mission.
At Aveokula, in Yoruba, the missiona-
I ries have been favored with great success.
‘ Though greatly straightened for funds, they
' have not suffered.
The want of funds among the missiona*
ties has originated in the inability of the
! Board to transmit to them. It is h pt-d I
i that the difficulties in the way will be sou’i
i lessened.
The Treasurer reports §37,972, including
balance on hand, as having been received,
from 3lst Match, 1861. to 25ih of March.
1863, of w hii h § 18,836 84 have been ex
pended; leaving at the di.-p<>sal of the
Board, $19,1-14 16. The amounts received
■and expended are not more than half those
i usually reported. This is owing to the fact
that the Board, being unable to transmit
s funds, have made but little effort to collect
them.
The eighteenth annual report of the Board
1 of Domestic and Indian Missions, was read
by the Secretary, Rev. M. T. Sumner
The war having nearly broken up all the
missions of this Board among the Indians
of the West, it has recently devoted itself
i chiefly to missions among the soldiers of
the C»«nf*deraey. There are some thirty
mi.-sionaries now laboring in different por
tions of the army under the direction of
this B >ard, and it is proposed still to in
crease the number. The field is a most in
vitii g and piomising one.
lhe Board acknowledged the courtesy of.
the Col portage Board of Virginia, under
the efficient superintendence of Rev. A. E
Dickinson, to its missionaries, in furnishing
them gratuitously with large supplies of
their publications—neludiog 5 000.000 pa
ges of tracts —for distribution m the army.
The following extract from the Report,
respecting ‘ Religious Newspapers,’ we sub
join :
*• i he p r e-en?e of n ‘ paper.’ and e«pech'ly one
, f vox Uuiuu, !□ LaUcd wi-U acLigiu. ui thu caraps uud ,
hosplra’, by the poldlc. The scarcity of literal'.'
p o actions iu the rirrny is o >e rca-on W'hy LU
newspaper 1- t-o valued, mi iim>Cr>vr is, that ii <■<>'
tain* a lull sutnui ry of | a-sim; even s, keepuuf th*
reader lullj’ posted n the > u rent lii-t.>ry of th
times, i lie eircuhttioii ot tlie • pap-r,’however,
not desljp ed o sup lane the u e of die religi"u
tracts—these little nns-iies of t>uth arc indi-pen-a
ble for the • ccouiplishineut of our legi iniate ob
ject. It is a direct ami earne-t appeal lo • lie under
s> andiim and con.-eienee of die reader, ami well cal
culayd to follow up an impres inns ilia may tn
enviously made in retcrence to the soul's eternal
intere-t. It is the united testimony of the Mission
aries, f at the tract and *p ip r' should ever be louiid
in hand as they move on .heli daily rounds us duty.’
.The report showed a gran 1 total at the
disposal <>f the Board, for the two years, to
April 1, 1863, of $49,505 05. Di-burse
ments: in Domestic department, £12,390.
08—leaving a balance in the treasury ot
$11,989.31 ; in Indian department, $2,262.
33—leaving a balance of $6,082 43.
In thiTafcernoon, a lengthy debate follow
ed the introduction of a resolution for the
establishment of a S.ibbath-School B ard,
, which was participated in by Messrs. De-
Voiie, Manly, Elford, Teasdale, Baker.
Crawford, Poindexter, Jeter, Burrows, Ca
biniss, Henderson, Gaskill, Stout, and Gov.
Brown. The resolution was adopted.
Oa Saturday night, a mass missionary
meeting was held, and excellent speeches,
upon the happy effects of army c< J pottage,
were made by Revs. G. B. Taylor of v’lr
ginia, Broaddus of South Carolina, and
Sumner of Alabama. Much enthusiasm
prevailed, and the exact sum of three thou
sand dollars was raised on the >pot. f<>-sup
plying the Confederate soldiers with Testa
merits, tracts, and other suitable religion
reading.
During the S ibbath, the several pulpit.-*
in the city were occupied by members of
the Convention, as arranged by the Com
mittee.
On Monday, the following resolutions,
offered by Rev. Mr. Tupper, of Georgia,
were adopted :
Resolved, Th it it i* thes'nseof this body that
ihe field open <1 ic the army for piou nbor is* o,w
of ihe niO'i Imo >'iant that an be entered at pr s
enc; and that the Providence of God call- 1 udli
upon Hi- pe j>le to mak prompt a-d viir«>r u-e •
torts to seen e the service ot'chaplain-, and to send
for h nii-siunaii s ami colporteurs inc » the Held
'j Resolved, t hat tLe pastoi sos the churches be, and
!are hereby, came lly r<-que*ied to briiijj his subject
j p oniinenliy and Iri-qm-nily to theatiention ot their
peoplean i, also, lie day ot consume supplica
tion of the Divine ble sinic upo < such laborer.-
am -mr our soldiers, that we n ay be obedient lo tli
sacred comman d —‘ W- at soever thy hand tiudeth to
do, du it. wLh thy nrght.” I
At the hour appointed for devotional ex '
ereises, Dr. Reynolds, of S. C., conducted
the services. Dr. R. stated that our tiearts
| have been pained this morning by the an
nouncement of the death of that great fa
vorite of the people—and, what is more,
the friend of God—General Jackson, and re
quested Rev. A. Btoddus. < f Va., to lead
in prayer in reference to the sad event. Rev.
Messrs. McCall, of Ga., and Lundy, of Ala .
also led in the devotions.
A committee. (I?,. G. Cabiniss, of Ga ,
chairman,) was appoiutel to recommend a
place for the next meeting, and to nominate
the preacher of the annual sermon.
The committee subsequently reported
! Raleigh, N. C., as the pla e and Dr. W. T.
! Brantly, of Ga., as the preacher. Adopted '
Rev. J. P. B >yce r ad a cotmnun'e ition,
from the Female Missionary and Edura-l
tional Society, of First Biptist Chinch, of '
Charleston, enclosing ninety dollars forth
missions of the Domestic Board.
On motion of Dr. Manly, J; , of S. C.—
Re-olved, That n committee of six ba rni cd to
consider Ute propriety of this Cotivei.iiou appoint
ing a suitable brother i > proceed to Europe, lor the
promoti n ot t e int- re-t* of our several B > rds.
and especially to procure Bibh-sa d other religi .u
publication*, and t c.lit.es fur ,h e wuik ol general
evangelization.
The following compose the committee :
B. Manly, Jr., Tnornas S ocks, A. M. Poiu
dexter, S. Henderson, Perry, of S. C., md
Woolffik.
It was agreed to leave the subject to the
■ Boards of Missions.
On motion of Mr. Nichols—
Resolved. That with a view of a p>rt‘al supply of
I reiigiou- renting tor our a mfc-. the pas <» s and I
supplies of the r -pective chuo-he- be earnestly re
quested to secure from the suo-cribers ot rd g’totis '
i periodicals su< h n -uibets as are not filed, arid for I
ward to ihe chaplains and colporteurs fur distribu
tion.
Tne c >mmittee on the state of the coun
try reported appropriate resolutions—ex
pressing ihe sense of the Convention as tol
the justice of the cause for which we are
contending, and invoking the blessings of)
God upon our efforts, etc.
A highly-merited vote of thanks to the
hospitable citizens of Augusta and vicinity,
for Courtesies received during the session,
was unanimously passed, on Tuesday m .ru
ing. President Mell th-n feelingly address
ed the Convention, and recited the hymn,
‘ Blest be the tie that binds,' —luring the
singing of yvhich the parting hand was giv
en, and the President declared ‘ Fne South
ern Baptist Convention stands adjourned,
. without day.’
We cm not refrain *rom allu ling to the
very excellent mu-ic afFnded by the well
trained choir of the First Baptise Church,
under the direction of the efficient leader
and organist, Mr. Ii .bin-son. Their strains
of melody will 1 >ng be remembered by the
gratified listeners.
! By a recent act of Congress, sol-
diers in the Confederate army are allowed :
to receive newspapers free of postage.
The War Acwm.
In another column will be f am I details
.f ihe recent great battle fought neat Fred
ericksburg. The t.-l.‘graph brings uo laic
mt. lligence from that direction up to the
nour we go to press.
Tua West. —Dispat _hes bring int. Hi
.fence of an attack by the Federalists, 12 h
mst., on Raymond, the capital of Hinds
county, Mississippi —eight miles south of
the Vicksburg & Jackson liailr ad, —in
which they were checked. Col. MeGaVock,
of the lOch Tennessee regiment, wa-> kiljed.
The Natchez Cairier has information
from our prisoners from New Orleans, ex
changed at Port Hudson, that Kirby Smith,
with ten thousand raw troops, has whipped
Banks badly, driving him to Washington,
Louisiana.
Lincoln has issued a proclamation, call
ing out al! the militia, from twenty to forty,
live years ot age, to put down ihe rebellion.
Phi.-, includes foreigners who have declared
their intention to b come citizens. His ne
gro troops having failed to accomplish his
Ao* k he has called on those who will prove
less manageable or efficient as s -Idiers; —
but the greatest difficulty probably will be,
thiil they woii’c come to his call, a- d it is
very doubtful v. hich si le those of the We*t.
ern States will be found on, if they do come.
Ueath cf General t. .5. Jackson.
The heart of our N ition has been culled
to mourn by the following telegram :
“ R chmono. May 10.—Goa Letclu r reeeiv<‘d
a di-puicn this aiteinoon, announcing the death
of Gen. Jack-on at G tinea’s .Station, nt 3 i 5 P.
M. He died irom the combined effects ot hii
wound, and an attack oi pneumonia.”
'1 he green turf is holy that covers the
breast of this Christian hero
A < ogrent Hebuke.
The Raymond (Mi*s.) Gazette adminis
ters a severe but just rebuke to tho*e w h »
are so ready to cry out against the curren
cy of the country. Ilsras:
“The fact, now well established, that
Confederate bonds have recently been sold
in Europe at a premium, is a severe rebuke,
we take it. to the great mass of our own
people. Here we hive men who control
their hundreds of thousands of dollats,
w ho, instead of investing in bonds and as
(sistmg the government, arc prowbug like
'devouring Wolves through the country,
speculating in everything, defrauding and
thwarting the plans of the government, de
preciating the currency and robbing the
people, and plundering the families ot’ our
soldiers; here we have men who put ten
prices upon eveiything they hive f.»r sale,
boldly alleging “ the wotthle.-sness of the
currency ” as their apology ; while also we
have men who will not sell any thing they
have, if they can avoid it, even food to a
'tarving neighbor, at any price, b. eau-e
they do not think the money is worth »i v
thing! Thus is the contrast Complete
Foreigners are upholding the pecuniary
credit of the Confederacy, while our own
! people, right here in Mississippi, having
everything at stake, and within heniug of
the Yankee guns, are doing everything in
! their power to depreciate and destroy it.
Ehuly jWeedttgs.
Preaching every night continues nt the
j First Baptist Church, in this city. The
: pastor is aided by Elder*Tharp, of Houston
| county.
Prayer-meetings, from Bto 9 o’clock, tvc
ry morning.
«♦»««»
Educational Convention.—This body
assembled in Columbia, S. C., on the 29th.
Seventy delegates, from six ditferen! Stales,
were present. The permanentoffic* rs elec
ted were: President, J. L. Reynolds, <d S.
C. Vice Presidents, W. T. Davis, of Va.,
C. H. Wiley, of N. C., and R. W. Gibbs,
<f S. C. Secretaries, J. Stoddard, of G.i.,
S. T. Pearce, of Ala,, and W. IL Stratton,
of La. Recording Secretary, J. T. Stevens.
Corresponding S‘Cretary, W. J. Palmer.
I Treasurer, J. B. Patrick. Any male citizen,
jor teacher, or other person identified with
I the educational interest, is admissable to
membership by ballot. The meetings are
to be held annually. The Convention al
journed to meet on the first Wednesday in
[ September, at Atlanta, Ga. Important com-
I mittees were appointed and great unanimity
|p* evailed in the objects and arrangements
fur future action.
Gkx. Van Dokn.—The telegraph brings
the news of Van D >rn’s death. He die**, it
is understood, the victim of a man whose
coi jugtl happiness he had ruined. I' is said
not to be his first similar offer ee. JI is fate
will excite no sympathy, while a cause sUch
as ours will su-tain n<> |o>s.
The HapttMt Staines*.
The proprietors of The Baptist Banneb
would inform the readn g public, especially
heads of families, that, as an excellent
HOME PAPER,
THE BANNER i-hall le surpassed by none.
It will be publi-lif'd every Saturday morning
in Atlanta, at the rate of three dollars a jear—
subscriptions taken for any length of time.
Tm>se desirous of subscribing will phase en
close the amount of their subscription, w ith the
name and post-office, and address
JAMES N. ELLS CO.,
January, 18G3. Auauta, Ga.