Newspaper Page Text
[For the Baptist Banner.]
Missionary’s Report.
DECATUR, Ga., Sept. 23,1863.
Dear brother Wood: It has been somS
time since I have given you any Account of
nfy labors in the army, through The Ban
ner. I wrote to the Index from Knoxville,
where 1 was at work among the soldiers,
and continued to do so until we were driven
out by the approach of the enemy in that
direction. There has been so much confu
sion since then, and so much to do, that I
have put off writing from time to time. Since
my last letter to The Banner I have heard
nine experiences of grace as the fruit of
missionary labor. One of that number
asked to be baptized, which request was
granted. I baptized him at Tunnel Hill.
I have been visiting the hospitals in Atlanta,
and regiments in vicinity, and I do think
that the moral condition of our soldiers is
much improved. I have just returned
home from a visit to some of the paroled
prisoners from Vicksburg, on the Atlanta
di West Point railroad. Since my return
I learn that the Vicksburg troops have been
exchanged, and are reorganizing at or in
the vicinity of Decatur. I visited the 42d
Georgia to-day. They gave me a cordial
welcome, and said they* hoped to see me
often. I had a few tracts on hand, which
they were glad to read. There will be two
brigades at this point, where I think I will
do well to labor until they leave for active
duty. Some of them have not heard a
sermon preached since they heard me preach
just as they were leaving for the army. But
I cannot give them all my time, for there
are so many wounded .soldiers in Atlanta
and other places, that I must devote the ,
most of rny time to them ; but I find it a .
hard matter to get tracts and Testaments.
1 am now destitute of any.religious reading
to give them, but they are glad to be con-i
versed with on the subject of religion; in
fact 1 find more piety Tn the army than
among the people at home, and many of (
them manifest more faith iu the strong arm '
of God, and entertain a stronger hope of
final success through Divine aid than is
manifested by our churches. 1 am more
convinced that this great struggle will ter
ruinate in the conviction and conversion of
many sinners, and to the enlarging the gates
of Zion ; It brings to my mind the sublime
language of the poet, when he said
“ God moves in a rpysterious way,
His wonders tp perform ; •
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the htorm.”
“ His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour,'
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.”
But is it not strange that the more the
storm rages, the Larder the hearts of many
professors of religion grow, while many
that were not His people by profession are
being brought into the fold 'I
The work of die missionary is getting
comparatively easy. It is not so difficult
to approach successfully a regiment on the
subject of their souls’ salvation, as at the
first of the storm. They love to see the
preacher; they will invite him to their
midst, and when he preaches they will lis
ten ; if he invites chem up for prayer many
of them will rush forward. Oh, how de
lightful such a work is ! Some time ago,
when my health was very bad, a doctor told
me 1 had better stay out of the army, as I
would die soon. 1 then felt, and do yet,
that I had as soon die’At such a work as at
home. If it is God’s will, thy will be done,
oh God, thy kingdom come !
. P. A. HUGHES.
[iTar Th» Baptist Banner.]
What the MUiiioiiarlea of the Board
arc Doing-Good Meeting. .
Rev. D. G. Daniel, laboring in Savannah
and vicinity, writes : “ Within the last two
or three months I have been in interesting
meetings with churches in which numbers
have been converted, and I have been as
sured that my humble labors are blessed ;
in these meetings; but 1 do not include any i
results from these meetings in my statistics. <
lam just home from a very interesting i
meeting still progressing at No. 3, on the 1
Central Railroad, during which, up to this I
time, thirty-nine have been baptized, and
fifteen are received for baptism on the ap- I
proaching Sabbath. Other conversions are I
known to have taken place, and are expect
ed to result in baptism on Sabbath. Among i
these fruits nine are soldiers connected with
the hospital at this place. Brethren Cohen
and < )dom have also participated in this
meeting; never all of us at one time, how
ever. Our meetings in the city among the
soldiers are encouraging, and we are con !
templating a series of meetings by night as
soon as the pressure from the country is -
removed. At present we seem not to have i
control of our own movements, scarcely, :
but are controlled by the Spirit’s manifes
tations, 1 trust, and the cries for help.-
You will see from my statistics that during
the month 1 have spoken almost an average
of once a day, and still, though jaded by
the work and the warm weather, 1 am as
able to work as at the beginning."
I give brother D’a report for July, as,
the brethren will have some idea of the
monthly labors of our army missionary:
St noons, • 21'
Lectures and exhortation*. 8-
either meetings, 3,
Pages tracts distributed, 28,336
Lrligiou* newspapers “ - 438
Soldiers' Text books, 35
“ Almanac*, - 25
Testaments, • • 471
Hymn Books, • 6
Conversions, * 2
Mites travelled, • 650
What must be the result ?
M. T. S.
- -
<iljt Atlanta Baptist Banner.
Tas BAPTIST BANNER is pubhahsdl every■
Saturday morning, iu Atlanta. Ge, by Darres
Bixs de Co. Five dollars per year.
THE BAPTIST BA.KKER.
[For The Baptist Banner.}
Brother Hornady: Will you be so kind
as to answer the following.questions thro’
The Banner 1
“Is it not possible for a man’s mind to
be impressed with a work which he can not
do, or decide what is his duty to do?”
Answer. A man, or a Christian, may have
impressions to duty for the performance of
which he feels incompetent, ’but if his im
pressions amount to a call to that duty, he
should not refuse on account of diffidence
in regard to his ability. Where God calls
to duty He supplies, through His Spirit and
our efforts, the requisite ability.
“if he feels that the blood of his fellow
men will be required at his hands if he
neglects his duty, should he not follow the
dictates of his conscience ?”
Ans. Most assuredly; for while con
science alone is not to be our guide, yet it
is dangerous to disobey in matters of this
kind.
“ How will their blood be required at
his hands ?”
Ans. By putting their guilt upon him,
and a portion of their punishment.
“ How is he to clear his skicts ?”
Ans. By warning them of their danger,
and urging them to escape it. Ez. 33 : 9.
The wicked when warned must bear his
own burden ; but those who have faithfully,
but unsuccessfully warned him,shall deliver
their own souls.
I trust these answers will be satisfactory
to “ A Baptist,” and if the Lord has put the
burden of human souls upon his heart, he
will defer not to enter upon the path of du
ty ; and nut hide his talent in the earth be
cause he has but one, and be considered as
an unfaithful servant.
H. C. H.
(Jbr The Baptist Banner.}
Something Wew.
Elder Ray, a Baptist minister of this '
State, has recently closed a meeting of days,
in which a Pedo-Baptist minister participa
ted. Having cooperated together in the
work of preaching, it would have seemed
uncharitable for Elder Ray to have monop
olized the work of receiving the candidates
for membership. Hence, when the Baptist
preacher had extended the opportunity for
persons to join the church, and had received
quite a number, he very generously gave
way, and his colaborer “ opened the door
of the Methodist .church,” and received
some members, some of whom desired to
be immersed into the Methodist church. —
The hand of Christion fellowship was ex
tended to all the candidates together. Af
terwards the ordinance was administered. —
Elder Ray immersed the ladies desiring
membership in the Baptist church, then
gave way to the Pedo-minister, who also
administered the ordinance. Whereupon
the Baptist administrator resumed his work
and immersed the men.
I heard the above facts with sorrow, and
give thefn without note or comment, and
pray that the time may be near when
thousands of good brethren of our denom
ination, cherishing what they consider
“ liberal Baptist views,” may see to what
end such views will, of necessity, lead ; that
they will obey the positive injunction of
the Apostle, and “ withdraw from every
brother that walketh disorderly,” and allow
themselves no longer to be Involved in the
sad inconsistency of being partakers and
afliliators with disordirly brethren in the
work of the desecration of the ordinances
of the Lord Jesus.
E. L. COMPERE.
P. S. 1 will not be positive whether the
Parties referred to above were Methodists or
’resbyterians. E. L. C.
[For Th. e Baptist Banner.}
Incidents of the War.
When the Yankees were in Grenada, one
of them called at the house of Mr. Stokes,
and seeing a little negio girl in the yard,
said to her: “Sis, will you not bring me a
drink of water?” Mrs. S., hearing the
affectionate request, addressed the girl,
“ Martha, take your brother round to the
kitchen, and give him some water.”
When they came to Panola, Col. Hatch,
the Federal Commander, called at the
house of my brother-in-law, Rev. M. Lyon.
After asking my sister a number of ques
tions, |and receiving answers mors or less sat
isfactory, the insolent wretch-finally said to
her, “Madam, you and your husband have
been telling me nothing but lies all day.”
“Then, sir,” said Mrs. L., “1 will answer
no more.” The Yank was troubled for a
jreply.
A niece of ours, Miss Hattie Back,
was stopping with Mrs. L., a Yankee saw her
and wished to ask her some questions. She
met him at the door, when the fellow im
pudently turned his hack upon her, when
she very promptly said, “ Sir, I do not
speak to n gentleman when he turns his back
to me, much less a Yankee.” Os course the
fellow had nothing to say. He swelled like
a toad, but said not a word.
Do the above incidents indicate subjuga
tion on the part ot Mississippi ladies?
E. L. COMPERE.
[Fc>r Baptiit Amuwt.]
l>ra. Crawford, and Dagg.
W ill the above mentioned brethren give
some attention to an article in “ De Bow's
I Review,” for August, 1860, entitled “ Unity
| of the Human Race disproved by the He
brew Bible,” by Dr. Sam A. Cartwright,of
1 New Orleans. If he is right in his trans
lation of the 24th verse of fit chapter of
Genesis, he furnishes an argument for the
Divine origin of the institution of slavery,
as to the African race, more sathfacrory
than any heretofore given; and it should
‘be clearly brought out and undersUxkl by
the masses. If he is wrong, our Hebrew
scholars are able to show the error of his
position. To them we look for Truth on
| this subject. Will they answer through
The Banner, or some other Baptist paper ?
E. L COMPERE.
To the Churches of Bethel Associ-
I ation.
i Dear brethren and sisters: At a recent
meeting of your Foreign Mission Commit
tee, a resolution was adopted which, in sub
stance, recognizes the great fact that the
world is to be converted to God ; and, there
fore, that the privileges and obligations of
> His people, “as workers together with
Him” are neither tobe abrogated or for
gotten —not even in times of war.
Another resolution was also adopted,
which sets forth our special obligations to
brother and sister Harden—our own ap
pointed Missionaries, at Lagos, Africa.
Upon tbe passage of the above resolu
tions, it was directed that the Secretary
address a brief appeal to the Churches on
the subject of our foreign work—-give
such infurmation as he possesses, and urge
them to benevolent action in its prosecution.
In obedience to this requisition I address
myself now to the work assigned me, and
my. words need be but very few. Two
years ago, while our body was in session in
Perry—when the dark clouds of war had
actually gathered above our heads—when
their deep-toned thunders and vivid light
nings were rolling and flashing around us,
we calmly, and in humble faith in God, re
embarked in the work of Foreign Missions,
by accepting brother and sister Harden as
our own Missionaries. They were then and
still are in the field of their chosen and
successful labors. Such,,, however, have
been the peculiar circumstances of the
country, and such the difficulties in the way
of communication, that up to the present
writing, the committee have heard nothing
very definite from them. For a consider
able time, even the Board at Richmond
found it impossible to forward them the
means of their support. In this extremity
(as we learn from private sources), brother
Harden, in common with other Missiona
ries, was compelled to resort to a secular
calling to feed and clothe his family. When
this humiliating fact reached the ears and
hearts of our friends in the city of Balti
more (to their honor be it said), they at
once proceeded to raise a subscription for
relief. The result was, that our Missionaries
received, it is said, the timely aid of five
hundred dollars. Recently it has pleased
God, in His great goodness, to open an
unobstructed channel l»y which their sup
sort, at least, will be forwarded in the
future. This, aside from the fact t hat broth
er Harden did not wholly give up his
preaching, or sister Ilaiden her teaching,
but that both have been doing what they
could, is all the information we have con
cerning them. Whether these secular la
bors are now continued, or are likely to be,
and if so, to what extent, or what effect
they may have upon the relation we sustain
to them, are questions that the future will
determine. It is hoped and presumed, with
the passing of the emergency, that all
worldly will be superceded by the
more glorious work of winning souls to
Christ.
Brethren and sisters, our Association will 1
soon convene. The churches during the
month of October will be appointing their
delegates, and collecting their annual con
tributions. Suffer me, then, to remind you
that W'e are far behind in the salaries of
these devoted Missionaries of ours, and that
honor and Christianity alike require that
our foreign, no less than our home obliga
tions, be promptly discharged. In making
your collections, then, tor the Association,
while you contribute to the spiritual wel
fare of our gallant Soldiers, and to that of
the “ Red Man” of the West, be equally
liberal to brother Harden and wife; that
so we may “owe no man anything.”
We hope to see a large gathering in
Americus. Let us come up in the spirit of
the Master, to talk together about His bless
ed work, and strengthen each other’s hands
in His service.
In behalf of the committee. '
Yours in the Gospel,
8. G. DANIEL, Sec.
Albany, Ga., Sept. 16, 1863.
Granting Furloughs.
The subjoined order from General Lee
wilf be received with great delight, not only
by the men in the field, but by the home
folks. Let us hope that the privilege will
be properly appreciated, and not abused :
In order to allow as many of our brave !
soldiers to visit their families and friends
as can be done consistently with the good
of the service, and at the same time give
some reward for meritorious conduct, a sys
tem of furlough is hereby instituted in this
army.
These furloughs will be granted, in the
first instance, at the rate of two for every
one hundred men present for duty ; subse
quently, at the rate of one for every one
hundred men present for duty.
This system will be continued as long as
the. exigencies of the service will permit.
Should the effect not be found prejudicial,
commanders of regiments and battalions
will forward on each occasion, the most ur
gent and meritorious cases from those re
commended by the company officers, for
the approval of their superior commander.
The time will be regulated according to
the following table: Virginia, 15 days:)
North Carolina, 18 days ; South Carolina,;
20 days; Georgia and Tennessee, 24 day?:i
Florida, Mississippi, and East Louisiana,!
30 days.
Furloughs will be granted equally tn sol
diers from States and Districts wjth which
. communication is cut off, but in no case will
these furloughs carry permission with
in’the enemy’s lines. The time, for -ueh
1 cases will be regulated by the number of!
days allowed for the State in tlfeaLovei
list which they intend to visit. *
The men furloughed will be authorized I
’ to bring back stragglers and recruits who!
may come in their wav.
i
[ of The Baptist Banner, *5
per annum—invariably in advance.
■ I AN EXTRACT.
In order to a fuller admiration of the
■ more than Elysian blessings of religion,
let us again imagine a state of society
in which every heart is robed in love,
in which every mansion is a temple, eve-
. ry fireside an altar, every father a priest
—where the first straggling beams of
morning look down upon a people kneel
ing in earnest prayer, and the last fare
well glance of evening shall glisten with
joy at sight of the same beautiful spec
tacle ; let us imagine a nation which,
when the labors of the week are ended,
and the sweet Sabbath bells chant their
matin welcome to church —typical, I
have often thought, of the seraphic
chime that will ring the summons of
the sacramental host to the God-light
temple above, when the Sabbath itiorn
of eternity shall dawn, let us imagine
such a nation all gathering to the house
of prayer, lifting their songs of praise
for blessings received, and commending
themselves and their government to the
care of their superintending Father.—
Would not the existence of that people
be an everlasting millenium, whose still
air could never be disturbed by shrieks of
war, and whose halcyon summer would
be as unclouded as unending.
True, we may not hope for such a
scene, until Christ shall revisit his long
abandoned earth ; *but still, is there even
an infidel, that can doubt that such an
effect would follow universal piety, and
that could not weep with joy at the bless
ed consummation ?
Impressed, then, with the truth of na
tional exaltation by righteousness, and
national degradation by wickedness,
the young Republic whose destinies we
have launched upon the sea of revolu
tion, claims a full share of our hopes
and prayers. Let us commend her, as
we would an undiciplined child, to the
guidance of God; and baptizing her
with a baptism of heavenly blessings,
let us dedicate her to the promotion of
liberty and happiness.
I confess that second only to the
Church is my devotion to my country.
Around hex* cling my fondest hopes, my
sincerest prayers. Commencing her ca
reel* in tlxe midst of wonderful agita
tions, she has proven by her conduct
that she is worthy of the most ardent
loyalty of her citizens. Holding in
check a more powerful foe by the force
of stern and relentless courage, she has
established her claims upon the admi
ration of the world. Never, I may say,
in the records of human heroism, have
there L>een written deeds of nobler dar
ing, more unconquerable endurance and
—1
dreadful suffering, than have been per
formed by the sons of the South in this
struggle for freedom. Driven from their
ruined homes by the invader, they have
met him on the field of strife, and the
best panegyrics of their prowess have
been his routed, flying columns. Future
ages will love to dwell upon these deeds
of lofty patriotism. When the winter
wind shrieks mournfully around his hum’
ble cottage, the old veteran will be seen
telling to his little ones the story of his
long and shoeless marches, and his per
ilous and terrible battles. In the lays
of our coming literature will be embalm
ed the midnight prayers of our Chris
tian G enerals, and the astonishing feats
of our cavalier chieftains. When mu
sing over such scenes, history will put
wrangling and envy aside, while in still
ness she lets fall the tear of ancestral
pride. Poetry will wreathe around the
graven of our martyr soldiers amaran
thine garlands of memory, and the
richest heritage a father can leave to
his children will be the testimony that
he participated in the sacrifice lor lib
erty. Fain would f linger here and
dreaau rapturously of our country’s fu
ture. Fain would I see her pre-eminent
among the nations of the earth —ever
free, happy and united—sending forth
from her ports gospel-freighted vessels
to heathen lands, and lifting in her groves
loud notes of praise to God. And as
long as these rivers roll on to the sea,
or these mountains lift their beads to
heaven, so long may our tongues re
main the trumpets of resistance to tyr
anny and vice, and our hearts the sacred
temples in which is enshrined the glory
of our departed warriors—so long may
the sun in its course visit no land more
free, or the angels in their ministering
flights hover over no land more right
eous than our own beloved South.
But if the fate of other empires must
befall our own, and “perishability” be
stamped upon her proudest achieve
ments, God grant that when she falls
her fall may not be in darkness and in
.blood; but like the setting of a sum
!mer's sun, calm, God-like and sublime,
j leaving a purple glow of blessing on
cloud and sky long after its disk has
vanished forever.
— -
| Jbr the Baptist Banner.]
•
Mb.ionarj to the Soldier*.
»• Anv Association in Georgia wishing to
! employ a Missionary tv the . Soldiers, can
hear of a suitable man by applying to the
’’undersigned.
, J. H. CAMPBELL
Griffin, Sept. 1, 1863.
Baptist Associations Jn Georgia.
OCTOBER.
Friendship—Saturday before the first
Sabbath, at Hebron, in Lee county ; two
miles and a half from Branchville, on the
Southwestern Railroad.
North Georgia—Friday before the first
Sabbath, at Pleasant Valley, Murray Co.
Georgia—Saturday before 2d Sabbath,
Damascus.
Coosa— Saturday before 2d Sabbath-
Poplar Springs, Chattooga county.
Piedmont—Saturday before 2d Sabbath,
Bethel church.
[ Advertisement. ]
A CARD.
Having been announced as a candidate
for the representation of Fulton county in
the next Legislature, I take this method of
saying to the people that I would like to be
elected. Should it be your pleasure to
place me in this position, I shall vote on
all questions of public interest upon their
merits alone, without regard’ to who favors
or opposes them, according to my own con
vjetion of duty. >
I now consider it the duty«of every pri
vate individual, as well as public men, to
shape his actions so as to give the greatest
amount of aid in freeing the country from
the dangers which now environ us—to es
tablish our complete independence and
eternal separation from the fanatics of the
North, who seek to emancipate our slaves,
obliterate our State lines, annul our muni
cipal Jaws, confiscate our property, and
make us and our children vassals for all
time to come.
The South has too many maimed youths,
grief-stricken fathers, bereaved mothers and
widows and helpless orphans, ever to clasp
the bloody hands of our enemies in politi
cal fellowship. The bare suggestion would
be asking too much of human nature, and
is repellant to every principle of manhood.
It is no time now to ask or dispute about
who brought on these troubles—whether
it was too late or too soon ; the vindictive,
cruel selfishness of the Yankees, as devel
oped in the progress of the two years’ war,
leaves us truly to regret we had not made
greater preparations at an earlier day. The
only alternative is to fight out of it. Hence
all legislation should be so directed as to
secure our triumph in arms.
The army should be, must be maintain
ed, and the wives and children of the sol
diers in the field protected and cared for
by wise and just legislation. These things
will require heavy taxation. The rights of
producers, too, and of business and com
mercial men, should be protected against
all arbitrary, vexatious and unnecessary
seizures and improper interference. All
officials, both civil and military, should be
held strictly to the discharge of the duties
which come within their respective prov
inces. All offices oflarge patronage should
occasionally change hands ; for where one
man retains power and coxitrols it too long,
abuses and corruption are sure to creep in,
and cannot be discovered or remedied as
long as those concerned keep the key to
their own secrets. As applicable to this
view of the subject, the State railroad, the
extraordinary increase of Executive patron
age arising from the organization of a State
army, with the numerous regiments for
Confederate service, require the serious con
sideration of the people <ho are opposed
to the one-man power which is ever danger
ous to republics. I think a little airing
and scrubbing up of the Executive mansion
once in four years at least would contribute
largely to the health and well being of the
body politic. Therefore, I shall not vote
for the present incumbent, but shall cast
my vote for Governor for one of the other
candidates that I think most likely to carry
out such measures as will secure our inde
pendence and best interests.
1 belong to no party or clique, but pro
pose to “ tote my own skillet,” and do not
intend by any combination to be impliedly
or otherwise bound, if elected, to vote for
or against any measure because it is a party
measure. This policy has been one of the
greatest curses to the country. Igo free
or not at all. I shall enter into no bitter
contest for the office. If this schedule suits
you, you can “govern yourselves accord
ingly.” • Respectfully,
Sept. 26. G. W. ADAIR.
AUCTION SALES,
nr
CRAWFORD, FRAZER & CO.
rUHE REGULAR AUCTION SALES of our
I house will hereafter be on
TUESDAYS,
THURSDAYS,
and SATURDAYS
OF EVERY WEEK,
AT HALF-PAST TEN O’CLOCK A. M
All goods, wares and chattels should be
sent in the evening before, or early in the
morning of sale day.
STOCK SALES OF
HORSES, MULES, ETC.,
will commence at FOUR o’clock in the after
noon on each regular sale day.
i Feb. 21 6m
No. S.
| CRAWFORD, FRAZER & CO..
GENERAL
COMMISSION MERCHANTS,
J Auctioneers,
No. “ 1.” Whitehall Street,
I (Opposite the “ Intelligencer” printing office,;
ATLANTA, GA.