Newspaper Page Text
4
Southern Christian
MACON, GEORGIA, SEPTEMBER 7, 1860.
Demoralization.
Alas ! we are a smitten peop’e ! Is the
country going to perdition ? Such laxity
of principle we had not expected, as has
evinced itself since the war in every class
of society. There are some revelations
made in the following extract for which we
were not prepared. It is part a sermon
preached recently by Bishop McTyeire, in
the Baptist Church, Montgomery, Ala, at a
united Church service. The text was,
Ephesians v. 11. “And have no fellow
ship with the unfruitful works'of dark
ness, but rather reprove them.” The preach
er showed that we have fellowship in
iniquity by not reproving it; and he pro
ceeds to deal some heavy blows upon a spe
cies of iniquity that has come to find coun
tenance even among the unfaithful members
of the church. Bo many of them have been
so long dealing in church fairs, raffles, and
other questionable devices for pleasure ta
king, under the pretense of raising money
for the Lord’s work, that only one step
more is necessary, and they get to down
right gaming. The dishonesty of the scheme
here exhibited may be known from the con
cealment of the corporators in obtaining
their charter. Men intending to be hon
est do not go to work in this way.
Bishop McTyeire says:
It falls in with the course of the text to
animadvert upon an institution that has late
ly appeared among us, and to apply to it
the principles laid down. * * *
Our people have hardly yet realized that
a lottery was chartered at the late session of
their legislature, and is now in full blast.
One or two drawings have taken place ; its
schemes are out, its agencies are established,
and its tempting prizes placarded. This in
Alabama among a Christian people and in
the latter hall of the nineteenth century !
State after State had gotten rid of this
nuisance: its principle condemned it and
its fruits.
The lottery is like, if not identical in
principle with, gambling. This will hard
ly be denied. It goes upon the w; ger, the
risk, the hazard—getting something for
nothing. It may have a genteel form and
be a subdued manifestation; but., at the
last analysis, it is gambling—nothing more,
nothing less.
And what of the gambler? Has not
every moral and religious community de
cided upon bis status? The professional
gambler is a non-producer : literally, an un
fruitful work of darkness. lie adds
nothing to the comfort or wealth of society.
The merchant transports and exchanges
commodities, so as to increase their value
and minister to the welfare of others. The
lawyer counsels you and puts you through
the forms which have been wisely establish
ed for protecting rights and maintaining
government. The physician is invaluable in
his care of human life. The mechanic toils
through the day and converts a piece of
wood or metal or cloth into some useful
form. The farmer supplies the staples of
subsistence, and if he makes but two
blades of grass to grow where only one
grew before, he lives not in vain. All these
have their useful office, and others like
them. They make their contribution to
the wealth and well being of their kind.
But the gambler is an exception. He is a
wasteful, prodigal consumer, producing
nothing. Not a mere drone, but a moth, a
vampire.
He lives by transferring money from your
pocket to his, without rendering an equiva
lent. This process is so evidently unjust,
it can not be done directly. He therefore
resorts to indirection, falsehood, flattery,
drinking and drugging, to the lures ot il
licit love and the blandishments of painted
beauty. By plying your weakness and by
every low art he carries his point. Loaded
dice and packed cards are the least of his
offences. He inveigles, he entraps, be en
snares. No spider sets his lines to catch
flies more adroitly than he ; aad no spider
treats his flies worse when they are caught.
There is no vice with which the gambler is
not in actual or possible alliance. He is
worse than the highwayman. Without
your consent the latter gets your money,
but leaves you with your self-respect; where
as the gambler leaves his victim pennyless
and degraded.
It, is not to be wondered at then that so
ciety hassput the gamblers under ban. That
States and corporations have legislated
against the whole class as against burglars
and thieves. That they indict, prosecute
and expel them. Does any one in the con
gregation consider this language unjust or
severe ?
The underlying principles of gambling
and the lottery are the same; and so the de
moralizing tendencies. Take a rough ex
ample : A hundred persons buy tickets—
ten dollars eaeh. There is a grand prize of
SBOO. One who is styled lucky draws it;
the ninety-nine draw blanks. Their money
is gone, and they have nothing to show for
it: they are out, that much : it is withdrawn
from their legitimate business and no re
turn : a dead loss—which is shrewdly irade
the plea of venturing again on the princi
ple of seeking your money where you lost
it. The S2OO, wliat becomes ot that? Ay,
those who manipulated the business pocketed
it and are counted marvellously honest that
they took do more What service have they
rendered, except that it be duping the
SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE.
ninety and nine. And the lucky one.—
What of him ? Why, perhaps, the unluck
iest of all. He has then become suddenly
rich, and then fast. His head is turned, and
in various forms of dissipation the proverb
is fulfilled that the fool and his money are
soon parted. While many a snug fortune
has, in the course of time, been swallowed
up piecemeal, in this tempting vortex, can
any one point to a case where a legitimate
and solid business has grown upon the basis
of a prize drawn in a lottery? One success
is duly noised abroad, and becomes a bait
for scores, and quite carries them away.—
Fortune favored him, why may not the
fickle goddess favor them? And he, the
lucky man, having got a prize once, why may
he not again ? And so the infection spreads
and the lust of lottery gain grows by what
it feeds on. It is a. passion and a posses
sion. What air castles! Visions of sud
den wealth haunt the mind. The habits of
industry are unhinged. Tame and slow are
the accumulations of patient toil. Plain
business is distasteful. Moderation and
temperance are undermined. Dissipation
and idleness are superinduced, with want
and perhaps crime in their train.
It is a mistake to regard the lottery ven
tures as taken from the superfluous cash ol
the rich or the spare money of the lux
urious. Blank tickets arc generally bought
with hard-earned dollars. The poor and
the straitened man, the well nigh in
solvent debtor, the young clerk already be
hind in his accounts—these are tempted by
the very pressure of circumstances to try
this desperate remedy fur relief. One more
venture and perhaps all may be retrieved !
And another—and so, deeper and deeper
they get into the mire. A coroner’s inquest
or the revelations of a police court olten
give the sequel to this tampering with lot
tery tickets. And is it possible that the
State has spread this snare for her own chil
dren !
The lottery as authorized by the legisla
ture and now at work among us, is worse
than vulgar gambling, and for these rea
sons :
The gambler creeps to bis den, after
nightfall. Back rooms and dark alleys are
his haunts, with signs and passwords. The
circle of bis influence, though malignant, is
necessarily contracted. Not so here. The
papers tell us that at a drawing in Mobile,
in broad day light, one of the largest halls
of the city was filled with men, women and
children, eagerly watching the turn of the
wheel, and drinking in the intoxicating ex
citement.
The gambler is not respectable. No
young lady will be seen in his company. —
No young roan with jut shame, associates,
with him. But this lottery is made re
spectable “by authority.” The broad seal
of the State is on its charter. It comes to ,
us under the patronage of education —of
adorning and refitting and refurnishing the
University of Alabama The stockholders
are to have a liberal per cent, for manipu
lating it, and then the University comes in
for its share. It may be asked, Did not the
legislature iu response t.o the appeal of that
upright and great and good man who is its
President, make liberal provision for re
building the University? Is not its en
dowment ($24,000 a year) ample ? Better
its walls should never rise from their ashes;
better its foundations were sowed with salt
and ploughed up, than that, by such
means, it should be helped. The friends of
the University are blind to its interests if
they allow it to be prejudiced by being made
a stalking horse for lottery dealers.
We learn by one of the advertisements
that there is a “wild excitement” about the
next drawing, which is to come off in a few
weeks. And that the ladies have bought
most of the tickets Here again, it is worse
than gambling, for even woman is swept
into it. So fascinating, and respectable;
coming to us with the prestige of Universi
ty Education and State authority; so
praiseworthy in its ostensible purposes —who
docs not see the dire and wide spread evils
that threaten public morals ? The plague
has begun. Its agents arc establishing
themselves over the State; its tempting
baits are being flung übroad, and simple souls
are catching at them.
* * * * *
How long is this nuisance to be inflicted
upon us ? Since the adjournment of the
body which gave it corporate existence, it
has unmasked its real character and gone
to work vigorous’y. Hun at the present
rate, it will soon overrun every town, village
and hamlet in the State. How lung is it to
last ? Twenty five years ! A quarter of a
century ! well nigh a generation ! This is
the legal limit ot its life. * * *
Is there no remedy ? Must we quietly
wait all our appointed years till the change
come? The church trying to preach the
gospel: and the State, in the name of edu
cation, scattering from her maternal hand,
firebrands, arrows and death.
Seldom have I seen a body of law making
men who inspired me with so much respect
aud confidence as that which assembled in
our capitol last winter. Intelligent, discreet,
patriotic; and a large proportion of them re
ligious and members of the different evan
gelical churches. How was such a bill en
gineered through ? This is for them to
explain. The charter almost bears the ap
pearance of havin'; been surreptitiously ob
tained. Several legislators have expressed
surprise to me that any lottery was author
ized. One was proposed, the object of
which was to enable our maimed soldiers to
procure artificial limbs. Surely that end
would justify such means, if any conceiva
ble end could. But it met with no favor.
It was promptly rejected. It bore lottery
on its face. Not so in this case. Wishing
to speak correctly and do injustice to none,
I stepped into the office of a legal friend the
other day, an able and well known jurist,
and asked him to read the text of the bill
to me, by which this lottery was created
With the book in hand it was some time be
fore he could find what we sought—so in-
was it disguised And when
found in the Index, it was not under the
letter L —; lottery does not once occur in it;
but under the letter A— something about
an Art Association.
If the people or their representatives
have been deceived, it is due to justice,
righteousness and truth that it should be
known how and by whom. By wliat par- '
liameniary legerdemain was this wicked |
thing tas f ened upon them? Let the guilty j
stand out iu a clear light and meet their j
reprobation. Meantime, it we would have .
no fellowship with this work ol darkness, it .
becomes us to exhaust every legitimate j
menus by which it may be abaied, limited,
checked, protested, condemned, exposed or
wiped out. Let pulpit and press and peo
ple bear a vigorous and faithful testimony
till this is done.
And to you, my congregation, I would
say both young and old, male and female
“Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it and
pass away.” Touch not, taste not, handle
not, and keep others from the snare, as many
as you can. •
A TEACHER’S CONVENTION.
We clip the following .from the Chroni
cle & Sentinel, and heartily second the
movement. The cducatioual interests of
the South require that something be done
to give the cause new impulse. We great
ly need schools through the country of a
higher efficiency than many we now have.
It is every way important, if it can be done,
to fix upon some uniform system of instruc
tion, and to select a good series of text
books, so that children may make progress,
no matter how often teachers are changed.
As it is, with every change of schools or
teachers, new books must be bought, the
pupil must go back to the beginning, aud
by the time he is brought forward to the
point he had before reached, there is another
change and, consequently, he is to begin
a <rain. We have seen this so often, that
we are convinced that something is needed
to save the wasted time of the children,
that our system, or rather want of sys.em,
necessitates. Our contemporary says :
A teachers’ convention will take place at
Jackson, Mississippi, on the first Monday
iu September next. We have heard a
number of teachers express a desire lor such
a convention in Georgia. It is very im
portant that there be a fixed and uniform
educational policy adopted, and we know
no other way to inaugurate it than by a
conference of the teachers of the State
Our educational interests have been sadly
neglected, and there is a deplorable decree
of indifference on the subject still preva
lent. Parents urge poverty as an excuse
for nagleotingJffhe culture of tbeir children,
and the same argument is urged by Legis
lators as a barrier to the provision by the
State of a liberal educational fund. Un
doubtedly it must bo some time before a
general school system will be perfected
Much, however, may be done to elevate the
character of our schools. Normal schools
for teachers might be established—a uni
form system of text books might be fixed
upon, and the standard of preparation for
the work of teaching so elevated as to se
cure more thoroughness in the schools we
have. There is less ability, as well as less
inclination than formerly to send pupils
abroad to be educated. It is of the highest
importance that everything possible be ilone
to elevate the standard of cur home insti
tutions. It is believed that a teacher’s
convention would be highly promotive ot
that object.
Methodism in the Valley of Virginia
Dr. Thomas E. Bond, Jr., has been on a
visit to Loudoun co., Virginia, in the Balti
more Conference. lie s-ys some things
about the Methodists there, that may be
applied to Southerners generally.
“Methodism is stronger here now than
it was belore the war. The grand Turk
might as well send missionaries here as the
New England Bishops. The union with
the Church, South, from which so much
trouble was expected, has proved the salva
tion of Methodism. ’i he people of both
Churches have forgotten all the old difficul
tics, and it is due, especially to the members
of the Church, South, to say that they have
behaved very generously. Now the union
is perfect, aud the Church is defiant of all
its enemies.
With regrad to the state of feeling toward
the Northern people, I will say that it is
not understood by them The Virginians
certainiy do not love them, aud have little
reason to love them. Neither do the Vir
ginians fear them. Four years of blood and
desolation have left this people masters of
their own souls. They fear nobody, and it
is useless to approach them on the side of
apprehension. But there have been two
wars goingon in Virginia. One was a con
test between armies, for the decision of a
political question. The Southern people,
having appealed to the sword, expected to
be met with the sword, and they have no
animosity toward the conquerors. So far
as this war is concerned, they accept the re
sult. They speak iu high terms of any
Northern soldier who exhibited bravery and
conduct on the fie.d. They have no vin
dictive feelings towards such, however much
they have suffered from them. The war
ended, they are content. Some are even
satii-fied that the union of the States fur
nishes a better hope of the future than
would have been secuted by dissolution.
But there was another aud far more hit
ter war waged in Virginia. It was a war of
thousands of burglars, invading houses,
breaking locks, emptying pantries, and
pocketing jewelry and women’s clothing.—
It was a war of horse-thieves, driving off
costly animals, in the name of the Govern
ment, to their own distant stables. It was
a war of beastly braggarts in shoulder-straps,
insulting women, and chasing unarmed men,
and making the name of Union a ve>y
stench in the nostrils of decency. The de-j
tails of this war are too sickening to he re-1
peated ; but as long as men who led it arej
recognized in the North as their agents, sol
long will Virginians look upon Northernl
men with unutterable loathing. This is the!
fact, and it is useless to disguise it. it i*
natural and right, and it is idle to elanto*
against it. Herein lies the great, continued!
unpar mned \y ,O,l S of the Northern people!
to the So, th. The North has not rebukeJ
or disowned the atrocities perpetrated on tbs
| Southern people. Cowardly rascals whs
! Ooloneled and Generaled it over noble woml
j en and helpless children with the tyrannyl
j of savages, are praised and serenaded, andl
! elected-to high office, and courted by Metbl
! odist preachers. If one hundredth part ol
the stories told of some of these men are true*
the Northern people are committing gi'osl
and shameless sin by not spewing them oufl
of their mouth. Here is the unhcalinß
sore in the heart of the Southern
A preacher presented himself at the hou*
where once lie was welcomed and honoreiß
He was met by a widow. “3\ by did yOT
c nne here ?” she said, “my husband il
dead. He was not a soldier, but you!
people murdered him; and I read ufteifl
ward that you made a speech exulting isl
this war.' Go—go—l cannot receive yol
| here.” If the people of Pennsylvania elec!
| Geary their Governor, every titan, womuil
or child,in Loudoun, will look upon l’ennsyl
vania as approving and endorsing his coil
duct to them, and what that was must is
learned, as I learned it, to be understood!
But enough of this sad matter. I
Bishop Wioiitman informs us in a prfl
vate note that he has just returned tfl
Greensboro’, his home, from a tour of vist J
tations in Mississippi and the lower circuit*
ot the Mobile Conference, covering twcl
months. He says: “I have had the pleasl
ure of preaching and administering the sal
cramcnts in many congregations never beloroj
visited by a Bishop. I witnessed, in several
places, a deep and general religious interest,
though tite Church needs at large a baptism
of fire.’’
“The Jackson Methodist’’ is a new
candidate for Methodist patronage, it is
published by 11. 11. Hines & Cos., at Jack
son, Miss., at $3 00 a year. The Rev. Wttt.
Price is Editor. We have seen the second
number only, and from that we sec* that it
has male a creditable beginning. We wish
the new candidate all success it can have
without crippling the resources of the New
Orleans Christian Advocate, the established
organ of the Mississippi Conference.
Randolph Macon College. — The
Board of Trustees of this Institution has
elected the following faculty: Rev. Dr Jno
C. Blackwell, A. M , has been elected to the
chair of Chemistry and Natural Science ; O.
H. P. Corprew, A. M , to the chair of Ancient
Languages; Maj Richard W Jones, A. M.,
to the chair of Mathematics, and Ernest La
\ garde, A. B , to the chair of modern Lan
j guages. Dr. Blackwell, who was the first.
I graduate of the College, will act as Presi
| dent pro tem , until a permanent appoint
ment is made.
The Degree of D. D. has been con-
I ferred upon the Rev. Robert Alexander, of
j Texas, by the Soule University; and also
;by Port Sullivan College. The latter Insti
tution also conferred the same degree upon
I the Rev. W McK. Lautbden, of Waco,
1 Texas. Soule University gave the degree
; of A. 31. to John Watkins and Rev. Isaac
i G. John, Editor of Texas Christian Advo
cate.
W. T. Smithson, Esq , who was sent to
the N. Y. Penitentimy, from Washington
City, during the war, has brought suit
against Secretary Stanton, for damages
arising from his arrest, imprisonment, and
conviction before a military commission.
Beautiful Bulbs. —See Vick’s adver
tisement of his Bulbs. We have seen his
catalogue. It is worth its price to those
who love magnificent flowers, fir its illus
trations, plain and colored. They are doing
the country a service who foster the cultiva
tion of flowers and Iruits.
Dr. Wm. A. Smith, of Virginia, the
Watchman informs us, is going to St. Louis,
Mo , to take charge of one of the Methodist
Churches in that city.
Bishop Kavanaugii writes the Nash
ville Ail vacate that he is nearly ready to
start to California. The venerable Bishop
will go with the prayers of the church tor
prosperity on Ins journey, and in his distant
field of labor.
What is to bo Done?
A brother in East Florida writes : “The
larger part of the various communities are
actually not able to spare even three dollars,
and certainly that is little enough for such
a paper. You may judge from this state
ment that the poor preachers (und there are
not many rich ones) are living without
money. Yes, sir, it is so; nothing uncom
mon for us to pass weeks with hardly
gn ou
enty passengers are transferred to her. The
polite Captain assists each passenger in walk
ing the plank that unites the two steamers,
wishing them a safe and pleasant journey.—
Napoleon 111 is a splendid ship, and Cap
tain Boeande has the entire confidence of
the passengers as being an experienced and
skillful navigator. Success to him and the
fine steamer that brought us safely across
the Atlantic.
Never did a boy’s heart beat faster at the
sight of his sweeth art, than mine does as
I step from the steamer, for the first time,
on the soil of the old world ! A desire of
my heart long delayed, is at last gratified.
We are safely landed at Brest, which is a
beautiful city, situated on the western ex
tremity of France, and has a population of
60,000. Brest has a secure and commodi
ous harbor, with twenty five feet of water.
The Emperor is making it one of the strong
est naval stations of his kingdom. The
town clock strikes eleven, but my watch in
dicates the time to be six. We have travel
ed nearly 3,000 miles in the direction of the
rising of the sun, which makes the differ
ence in the time between New York and
Brest. Have I gained or lost five hours in
the voyage ? (>ur baggage is conveyed to
the Custom House, anti a strict search is
made for dutiable goods. It would be a
green man indeed who would attempt to
smuggle merchandise into France that had
passed through the internal and eternal rev
enue officers of the United States. Un
fortunately for us there is not au article we
can produce except cotton or perhaps tobac
co, that can bs exported, and these are com
modities not likely to be found in one’s
trunk.
As we walk along the streets the granite
pavements seem much more unsteady than
the ship. ’Tis said this unpleasant motion
will last for several days, i am quite sur
prised to see the women hobblin' along the
streets, their little French feet covered with
wooden shoes. It reminds one of the tein
pest-tost Confederacy. We have taken a
hasty view of the city, and are off for Paris.
The cars or coaches used here are very
different from those on our roads. The first
class coaches have six seats, hair cushions,
and are lined with silk. The second and
third class cars are more crowded, and not
so comfortable. The fare is two to three
cents per mile. The roads are kept in
splendid order, and to prevent any accidents,
a woman stands at each station and crossing,
with a red flag in one hand and a trum
pet in the other, to give immediate warning
if all is not right.
They have no sleeping cars as with us.—
Speaking of sleeping cars reminds me of an
abominable practice they have on the night
trains running from Washington to New
York. To secure a good night’s rest, I en
gaged a birth in a sleeping car at Washing
ton early in the day, as those who failed to
take this precaution, I was informed, had
to sit up all night. My check called for
letter D. No. 32. As I was getting ready
to retire for the night, the weather being
quite hot, I began to doff the heavi st por
tion of my attire ; to my surprise in stepped
a lady into my quarters, and was preparing
to retire. I said to her, “Madame, I pre
sume you have made a mistake in the room.”
She said her check called for berth No. 31,
which was immediately under mine. I
asked the steward to explain matters He