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THREE DOLLARS PER ANNUM. Vol. XXIX.—No. 51. Drig’mal For the Sou.hern Christian Adrocate. PSALM, XIX. Oh ! who can understand, Or who can ever know, How many errors he Is subject to below? Oli, Lord! cleanse me from all My secret faults, and give Me grace to overcome Temptations, while I live. Oh ! keep me back from all Presumptuous sins, and may , They never have the power To lead my soul astray. Be every thought and word Acceptable and right, And, every thing I do Well pleasing in thy sight. So shall I upright be, And from transgression free, And worthy, Lord, to dwell Forevermore with thee. J. C. B. Irmnlon, Ga., Dec. §th, 18G6 Cormjjonkntt. EUROPEAN LETTER. The stirring eventsof the past few months add much interest to the great Prussian Metropolis. I spent two days in Berlin, and regretted the time at my command would not allow me a week in this interesting city. The Prussians are an enterprising nation Whatever they undertake must be executed on a grand scale, and thoroughly. I have oeen no where in my travels a more striking monument than that erected to the memory of Frederic the Great. It is true, they have been slow in offering this tribute to one to whom they are so much indebted for their greatuess. Frederic was to Prussia what Washington was to the United States. He was both a hero and a statesman, and is re garded as the Father of his Kingdom. The monument in all its proportions is splendid. The horse on whioh the King majestically gits is a noble looking animal, seventeen feet iu height. The entire monument is some fifty feet high. The bronae pedestal is of huge dimensions, and is raised on blocks of beautifully polished granite. The entire monument consists of at least forty figures, and, as a work of art, it has never been ex celled in Europe. I drove through a beau tiful grove of trees that would do credit to an American forest, to the Palace of Char* lottenhof, situated a few miles from Berlin. The buildings, although fine, will not com pare with the dazzling palaces of the city. The site of the palace is good—stand ing in a high park beautifully ornamented with trees —the growth of centuries; the walks are lined with orange and choice shrubs ; but there is a stillness and want of life in the old palace, and I felt as if moving among scenes of days long passed away, while I really stood in the home of living monarchs. The marble statues scattered through the park have a dingy appearance; they look like neglected monuments in a deserted churchyard. The most interesting spot in these grounds was the mausoleum in which the late King Frederic 111. and his queen lie interred. Except that of Na poleon’s in Paris, these tombs are the finest I have seen on the Continent. The lay figures aro exquisitely cut in pure white marble; the delicate blue light admitted from the dome of stained glass adds greatly to the beauty of the monuments The Queen was quite young when Napoleon, in 1806, en feted as conqueror of Berlin. She was a clever and spirited woman, and Napoleon suffered in the estimation of the Prus-i ins in consequence of his treatment of their fa vorite Queen. She died at the early age of thirty-five, while Frederic lived to the age of seventy-two. No traveller should leave Berlin without visitiug these magnificent monuments. Iu one of the public squares are exhibit ed a large number of caution captured re cently from the Austrians. The lloyal Bo tanical Gardens in Berlin are not as exten sive as those in Paris, but the exotics, which grow in mammoth glass houses, interested me very much. The environs of Berlin, with their handsome private dwellings and magnificent public parks and pleasure grounds, filled with beautiful trees and flow ering shrttCM, surpass anything l have yet seen in Germany. Villas and summer houses for refresh men t.s are scattered through the-c parks. Under these gtand old trees rich and poor assemble to listen to the music or mingle in the dance. Berlin was the bi< th place of the most, distinguished naturalist the world ever pr. dueed—Baron Von Huinb.»ldt. He was a great favorite with the soverei and pe >p'e of Germany; and Ids nam > is universally honored and respected for his vast acquirements, attained by extensive travels, research ami study, and bis mind was ch ar and active even at the advanced age of eighty four. No man of bis day possessed such general informa tion or lmd seen so much of the habitable PUBLISHED BY J. W. BURKE & CO., FOR THE M. E. CHURCH, SOUTH. globe. His great mind grappled with aod comprehended nearly every branch of hu man knowledge. He was eminently a work ing man ; he knew the value of time, and that knowledge was only to be acquired by toil, and it is said that he seldom slept more than four hours out of twenty-four. When this rine scholar had reached the age of three score and-ten—full of glory and re nown—it seems he might well have rested from his labors; but not so; he was as dili gent in scientific research at eighty as at any former period of his life. Would that the young men of our country, whose am bition it is to retire from business at forty— to live a life of ease and idleness—would study the life and imitate the bright exam ple of the great Alexander Humboldt. I left Berlin early in the morning. A few hours by the “lightning express” and I find myself in the quaint and to me deeply interesting old town of Hamburg. In the new town are splendid streets, with magnifi cent buildings and royal palaces, while the old is composed of narrow streets and alleys, filled with a population of the poor. I ex plored one of these alleys, where I found the people even more degraded than in the “ Five Points” of New York. I proposed to my guide to accompany me. He de clined upon the plea that gentlemen did not visit such places. Just imagine a street six feet wide, with houses on each side from four to six stories high, to say nothing of the cellars beneath, all of which are occu pied, each room frequently accoufhiodating two or more families. These narrow streets are several hundred yards in length, and what adds to the filthi ness and discomfort of the buildings, is that there is but one ingress or egress. The dirty, half clad women stared at me, the smut and grease dripping from their black faces. The squalid children held out their hands, begging for coppers I stopped to take a peep into alley No. 2, when my guide assured me the small pox and cholera were raging there. I had seen enough of poverty and wretchedness, and had no desire to extend my visit among that class of citizens. I in quired of a physician in reference to the health of these dirty alleys, and he inform ed me that the mortality was not greater here than in the best portions of Hamburg. I was surprised to find in one of tbe richest cities on the continent so much poverty and degradation. The children who are born and reared in these dismal courts, or the Five Points, New York, are no more affected by the polluted air they breathe than are the rats which infest these haunts of filth; but as immortal beings they are corrupted by the vicious atmosphere that surrounds them. Hamburg is one of the oldest of the Free Cities of Germany; it invites the rich com merce of the world to enter its magnificent harbor almost free of duty. Immense car goes of merchandise are discharged from vessels that lie in the middle of the stream into small barges; these are rowed to the warehouse, at less expense than if the goods were ianded at the docks from the ships. I drove along the banks of the river looking at the miles of shipping, and was surprised to see no docks*; but when I witnessed the facility with which the great cargoes were transferred, by means of lighters, to the storehouses, the absence of docks was ex plained. Here you find ships from nearly every nation. The star spangled banner, as it waved proudly over the fine American ships, sent an electric shock through my veins—for the first time in my wanderings L felt homesick. To a citizen of the United States there is something grand in the Stars and Stripes. It is a flag that commands the respect of all nations. The gigantic war through which we have just passed has proved to the world that the States, when united, form an irresistible power, and are not to be trifled with, either on land ot* sea. May our great Republic for all time to come cultivate peace, friendship and amity. G. W. W. Hamburg, Germany, 1866. MONTGOMERY CONFERENCE- Mr. Editor : — The 3d session of the Montgomery Conference, held at Jackson ville, Ala., from sth to 12th of December, his been most delightful. Bishop Wight man, after presiding at a District Meeting at Talladega the week before, was promptly on hand, and opened the Conference, worship, in an address unsurpassed in ap propriateness and taste. He has presided to the delight of all the preachers and peo ple; and his sermon on Sabbath morning was characterized by cha3tenes3 of thought and language, redolent of sentiment, just ness of doctrinal statement, and was full of unction and pathos. The Bishop having had in early life the advantages of society and education equal to any on the continent being a native of blessed, afflicted old Charleston —he lias ripened by means of fa cilities afforded in the pulpit, sanctum and c liege presidency, into a Methodist Bishop. Shall l say this is the highest position on earth '( As I aui in trhe way of personal reference let. me mention the services of Dr. J. B. McFe.rin, Secretary of Domestic Missionary Board. Such was the fondness of the preachers to hear from hint, they would call him out on every question possible; and highly enhanced indeed is the estimate of his Macon, Ga., Friday, December 21, 1866. acuteness of mind and power of debate. His devotion and constancy to the church of his love were too fully attested before, for their manifestation here to cause remark —some of us knew not the power of the man before. President Hargrove, of Summerfield Cea tenary Female College, was also present as fraternal messenger of the Mobile Confer ence. In a speech of great clearness and force, he laid before the Confidence the cause of Centenary—our Conference having a joint interest with Mobile Conference in it. Certainly with such a man as Hargrove in charge, the old mother of Alabama Fe male schools aud colleges will thrive and flourish. The vote on the question of Lay Repre sentation stood as follows : Yeas, 62; nays,,B. The debate on this measure was by the writer, Shapard, Ross and Blue in the af firmative ; and Anson West and F. Walker in the negative. On the change of name the Bishop, by invitation of tbe Conference, addressed us at length. He was opposed to the change, and the candor and freeness with which he sp.ke out were refreshing to all who heard him, opposed as the great body of them were, to his views, lie was followed by the writer, and then by Dr. McFerrin in favor of the change. Dr. M. in his speech gave evidence of his special gift. He is eudowed with those qualities of mind which would, iu political life, have placed him in the front rank of party lead ers. The vote on the change of name stood 57 in favor, against 10 in opposition. So our new Conference sends greeting to tbe friends of progress everywhere. About §3600 were collected for missions during the past year, and §4500 for the Bishop and Conference fund. Quite a spicy debate was had in reference to the Southern Christian and the New Or leans Advocates as to which should be the organ of the Conference —in wltich many nice complimentary things were said about each. We hang on to the latter as form erly, deeming it right to foster a paper so well located to serve the church. The brethren down there have labored for the church nobly, and deserve our gratitude.— In the mean time, the old Southern has a warm place in our hearts. The hospitality of the citizens of Jack-* sonville was equal to that of any other place. The writer can speak of his own home at Brother Woodward’s—one of the first citi zens of the country —with full knowledge of the facts. The Bishop lodged there, and as we left spoke to the writer in Bi.oh hearty words of commendation that 1 would like to give them here, were I net at the end of my sheet. JosEni B. Cottrell. On Board Steam Boat , Dec. 14 th, 1866. St. Matthews Ct S. C. Conference. Mr. Editor : lam very sorry that we are not able to report such glorious revivals of religion—the conversion of scores and huudreds, ana the accession of an equal number or more to the church—as many of our brethren have been able to do, all of which cheers the spirit and make the heart feel glad. Nevertheless, we are not entirely destitute of news from this part of our Lord’s vineyard, and have at least something to say of the state of things here, which we regard refreshing both to soul and body.— It is more especially so in these times of des titution and want, and when the cry of “ in adequacy of support ’’ is heard from so many of our worthy brethren in the ministry and from various portions of our beloved Zion. We have had a few conversions and several accessions to the church during the year, and it is believed that there is an improve ment in the spiritual state of the member ship. We have had a Sabbath-school at each church, and a Bible class connected with one of them. Our celebration was quite a success, aud we hope it will give a fresh impetus to the cause. As is the custom in the country, however, during the winter, our schools have been suspended, but with favorable prospect of being resumed early next spring—the Lord willing. I think, however, that the custom, of suspending Sabbath-schools in winter ought to be rem edied as far as possible, and might be in many instances with proper exertion. The financial interests of the circuit have been successfully managed, in the hands of an efficient and liberal hearted board of stewards, sustained by a kind and generous people. A liberal appropriation was made for the current expenses of the year, all jf which has been paid, and something over. The amount assessed the circuit to aid liquidating the missionary debt, has besn collected and paid over. A parsonage and land adjoining have been purchased and though not yet paid for, arrjngements have been made by which it will be paid for, and the house furnished. Our Missionary and Conference collec tions, though not large, I presume will com pare favorably with the other circuits oqi te same strength. Upon the whole, I feel that the past year has been ouo of the most pleasant of my ministry ; and would say. in conclusion, that whoever may be sent by the appointing power to the St. Matthews circuit, and will discharge faithfully the duties of his office, need have no fears in reference to a support as long as tbe Lord blesses the people with the ability of supporting him. May the Lord abundantly reward them. Yours, affectionately, William Hutto. Mobile Conference—Report on Danc ing. The committee appointed to consider cer tain resolutions referring to the subject of dancing, report that the transfer of the see tion of the discipline in which the word dancing occurs to the preachers’ manual, was made without any reference to this sub ject, and it is absurd to construe this trans fer into an approval of dancing, of Sabbath breaking, bribery, going to circuses and theatres, schism, and other evils, which are denounced in the transferred sections.— These were removed from their place in the Discipline, partly becausj the book was en> larged by an appendix, containing a cate chism, etc., and partly because the evils forbidden are interdicted in the General Rules, which proscribe such diversions as cannot be used in the name of the Lord Je sus Christ, and other interdicts in that mor al code. It is manifestly impossible to specify all the evils which come under these general rules, and it is unwise to go much into detail, as many things which may be specified must be dealt with on their own particular merits, and dancing is of this sort. No one recommends the sacred dances of the Hebrews, and yet no one proscribes them. Their festive dances, in which the sexes danced apart, are, it is believed, sel dom, if ever, taken into consideration; as few practice, so few either commend or con demn them. 1 The dancing of the sexes together in fam ily or select social gatherings, where waltzes and the like are excluded, may not be wrong in itself, but by an easy transition it may de generate into evil, and may prove a stum bling-block to the ill advised and unstable. The committee think that such dancing should be disapproved by tbe Church. Thesendingof children to dancing schools the committe consider highly reprehensible; for if persons acquire the art when they are children, they will generally practice it when they are advanced to adolescence and riper age. It too frequently prepares for promiscuous dancing in large parties and public balls, which deserve strong reproba tion. To prevent and remedy the evils of this sort which infest the churches, pastors should labor earnestly to show their people the inconsistency of such diversions with the stipulations of the baptismal vow; the evil which they do to both the good and the bad, making the hearts of the former sad, and strengthening the hands of the latter; and the necessity of acquiring such an amount of spiritual enjoyment, as will make them independent of ail such trifling, equiv ocal, and unsatisfying pleasures. Young persons especially should receive the atten tion of parents, pastors, and teachers, to guard them from frivolity, and to induce them to devote the early period of life to such “ books, and work, and healthful play,” as befit their age and condition in the world. The committee inculcate the foregoing views, the rather, because they correspond with the teaching of God’s word, the moral discipline of the primitive Church, and the authoritative deliverances of nearly or quite all the sects into which the modern Church has been divided, and, in particular, all the branches of the great Methodist family in the old world and the new. It is a great mistake to suppose that Mr. Wesley and the other fathers of Methodism did not disap prove of dancing because they did not see proper to put the word into the old Discip line. Incorrigible offenders in the premises were excluded from the Church before ’SB, when the word was introduced into the Book, under the general rule concerning diversions, as readily as they were in the eight years which succeeded, during which period it is thought the evil bus been grow ing among us. The committee recommend the Confer ence to adopt the following resolutions: Resolved , 1. That while the Church takes no cognizance of the inartificial dances of children, sacred dances, and those in which the sexes dance apart, it does discounten ance all those social dances in which the two sexes unite, as they may readily run into improprieties, and result in scandals. Resolved, 2. That the Mobile Conference deprecates the sending of children to dancing schools, and strongly denounces promiscuous and mciug at balls aud other gath erings of the sort, as tending to dissipation aud immorality. Resolved, 3. That it is the duty of pas tors to teach the people of their charge from the pulpit, in catechetical lectures, familiar conversation, and by the circulation ot suita ble treatises, the incompatibility of the diver sion in question, as well as card playing, visiting circuses, theatres, and the like, with the baptismal vow, as also to atraign those who persistently disregard the pastoral counsel and reproof which unty be adminis tered to them on this subject. Resolved , 4. That it is the duty of the pastors to give all possible at'ention to the people of their respective charges in iefer ence to the development and cultivation of E. H. MYERS, D.D., EDITOR Whole Number, 1515 the spirit of piety, the improvement of the mind, and employment of time in laudable undertakings, whereby they may be kept lrom imbibing the spirit of the world, whioh leads to dissipation and folly. All of which is respectfully submitted. Tiios. O. Summers, A. 11. Mitchell, v Com C. D. N. Campbell, ) Enterprise, Miss., Nov. 23d, 1866. Appointments of the Mobile Con ference. Mobile District—T W Dorman, PE; Mobile, Franklin St, J Hamilton; St Fran cis St, P P Neely; St Paul’s, II Urquhart; State st, no appointment; Whistler and Cottage Hill, J M Boland ; Citronelle, J T Heard; St Stephens, to be supplied ; State Line ct, to be supplied ; Bay Shore, M E Butt; Pascagoula, C W Calhoun; Ocean Springs, J Randall; Eastern Shore, J J Grace ; Fish River, B GFleming; Waynes boro ct, Jas A Heard. Dayton District.—J W Rush, PE; Dayton, J D Cameron; Spring Hill, T 8 Abernathy, Sr; Rembert Hill, Geo F Ellis; Choctaw Corner, II M Powers; Lower Peach Tree, J E Foust; Suggsville, A Hood; Owen Bluff mission, to be supplied ; Jackson, A M Jones; Coffeeville mission, to be supplied. J E Newntan recommended to the For eign Missionary Board for work in Central America or Brazil. Butler DisTRiCT.-Geo W Brown, PE; Bladen Springs, J M Brown; Clarke ct, J M Johnson; Butler ct, S M Thames; Gas ton ct, J Evans; York ct, W S Larkina; Choctaw ct, to be supplied; Clarke colored charge, to be supplied; Belmont ct, E Phil ips; Oketibbee mission, to be supplied. Macon District. —S H Cox, P E; Macon, J Bancroft; Plum creek colored charge, E Callaway; Enterprise, T S Aber nathy Jr; Enterprise ct, to be supplied; Meridian, O P Thomas; Marion ct, \f Spillman; DeKalbct, J M Gann; Kemper colored charge, A J Coleman; Summerville ct, J N Walker; Gainesville and Scooba, J C Huckabee;* Livingston, T A S Adams; Scooba colored charge, J F Marshall; En terprise Female College, J W Harmon. Columbus District. —W Murrah,P B; Columbus, W C Hearn ; Columbus mission colored charge, Geo Shaeffer, aup’y; Colum bus ct, G Hawkins, J B Baldwin, sup’y; Columbus ct colored charge, to bo supplied; Pickensville and Carroltcfi, J A Peebles; Bridgeville ct, R D Carver; Greene ct, H II Kuvaneugh ; Trinity, J B Stone; Brooks ville ct, L Massingale; Brooksville ct col ored charge, to be supplied; Crawfordsville ct, T P Crimes; Crawfordsville colored charge, to be supplied; Cooksville ct, J B Treadwell; Columbus Female Institute, A S Andrews. Athens District. —W E Mabry, P E; Athens ct, J T M Gregory ; Athens colored charge, to be supplied; Caledonia ct, R J Perry; Caledonia colored charge to be supplied; Yellow creek ct, W Vaughn; Fayette ct, U L Thompson; Fayette colored' charge, to be supplied; Littles ville ct, J C Brogan; Bexar ct, T E Shelton. Jasper District.— J G Gurley, P K; Jasper ct, E Nicholson ; Blount Springs ct, to be supplied; Blountsville, D A Hen dricks ; Murphree’B Valley ct, W H Riley; Elyton ct, J B Powers; Irondale ot, B McMeans; Jonesboro ct, T P Roberts; Northport ct, E M Turner; New Lexing ton ct, W E Cameron; Lost creek mission, to be supplied. Tuskaloosa District.—J L Cotten, P E; Tuskaloosa, W II Armstrong; Scotts* ville arid Carthage ct, J W Peavy; Ha vana, Wm I Powers; Brush creek, B D Gayie; Marion and Hamburg, A Adams, E V LeVert, sgp’y; Newbern and Oak Grove, to be supplied ; Eutaw, J M Pm ton ; Forkland,C C Ellis ; Green-boro, T C Weir; Southern University. E Wadsworth, Prof; Greensboro Female Academy, T Y Ramsey, C C Callaway, sup’y, and employed by iho Greensboro Bible Society ; Editor of books, Nashville Christian Advocate, and SS Vis itor, T O Summers. Summerfield District-A II Mitobel, PE ; Summerfield, J S Moore; Summer field colored charge, to be supplied; Selma and East Selma, C D N Campbell, one to be supplied ; Selma colored charge, to bo supplied ; Cahaba and Orrville, F M Grace; McKinley and Rehoboth, W H Leith ; Orr ville colored charge, D Carmichael; Perry ville ct, J W Vest; Randolph, W II McDaniel, W A Montgomery, sup’y; Uniontown. J Barker; Demopolis, T V Mangom ; Shelby coal mine, to be supplied ; Briarfield iron works, tube supplied; Cen tenary Institute, R K Hargrove, President; Stonewall Institute, DOB Connerly, Prin cipal, A D McV<y, Assistant. S P Richardson, Agent for the American Bible Society, to be transferred from iho Florida Conference. Greensboro Cor.oitED District. —T Y Ramsey. P E; Green-boro, J W Sanq>y; Marion ct, J W McCann ;-Brush creek ct, to bo supplied ; Havana ct, to be supplied; Eutaw ct, to bo supplied ; Carthage, to bo supplied. J W Peary transferred to Memphis Con fluence.