Newspaper Page Text
1878.
all, even in the best of times. As soon
as a youth has learned his business,
off he must go to camp and barrack
life, amid scenes and companionships
likely to exercise a disastrous influ
ence on his future character and con
duct. This system is kept up to main
tain the power of the German Empire,
a power which is of great importance
to the ruling class, but of very little
to the workingmen. The law for
the repression of dangerous Commu
nism, demanded by Prince Bismarck,
has passed without substantial modifi
cation, and it will be a bitter pill for
the lovers of free speech, freedom of
meeting, and a free press. The dis
content caused by it, and the danger
to pronounced Communists who re
main in Germany, will probably in
duce a large emigration from that
country to the United States, where
the utmost freedom to meet, speak,
write, and print, so long as they do
not break the peace or injure others,
is secure to all comers. The misfor
tune is that the German Communist
will be apt to abuse the large liberty
allowed in our free country, and in
stead of simply enjoying the immuni
ties implied in our free institutions,
will become a political agitator and
malcontent. However revolution may
be needed in Prussia, we certainly
need none in this country, at least
none that is proposed by the agrarian
tendencies of Communism.
We commend the following from
the Texas Christian Advocate to our
pastors and people. It is a defect in
our denomination, incident in part to
our want of a settled pastorate, that
we have a slack hold on our member
ship. We lose from our rolls more
members than some churches acquire.
Our revivals save our ranks from de
pletion. We are wanting in well or
ganized methods of work. “ I was a
stranger and ye took me in ; when
saw we thee a stranger and took thee
in ? Verily I say unto you, inasmuch
as ye did it to one of the least of these
my brethren, ye have done it unto
me.” Let us not neglect theso stran
gers —these brethren of the Lord.
There is at once sense and religion in
these well considered words which we
quote :
“ How are we to reach these wan
derers ? Pastors are diligent, yet
they can only find a portion of this
multitude. We know one community
where an Episcopal Church is grow- j
: .4Vy thc'-Ti t-’ac otho? de
nominations. The pastor is not more ;
active than the others, but he has the |
co-operation of his membership. They j
seek out all who are inclined to their
Church, and encourage their presence
in the congregation. This warm wel
come wins many hearts. Why may
not Methodists work in the same way?
If each pastor had a working band or
ganized, his influence would reach
many a circle which, unaided, he can
not enter. When he learns that a
Methodist family has come into the
community, could he induce the ladies
of his charge to call and welcome the
strangers, how many might bo brought
in! If we neglect them, we have no
reason to complain if they turn to
wards a welcome from another quar
ter. We may excuse ourselves by
saying, if these strangers are true to
themselves and their Church, they
will make themselves known without
this extra effort on the part of the
Church. We must deal tenderly
with the weak ones. There liavo been
times in the history of many of us,
when sympathy and help were sorely
needed
Our friend, Dr. Cooke, formerly
President of the Wilbraham Academy,
communicates a most interesting ar
ticle to the Zion’s Herald, about one of
his former boys. It is not only most
agreeable reading, but, without in
tending especially to be so, is hope
fully promising of the power of the
Gospel over life and civilization in the
East. Think of it, our Japanese Min
ister a Methodist, and a regular wor
shipper in a Methodist Church!
“Some ten or more years ago, a Ja
panese youth came to Wilbraham,
bearing a note from the late Bishop
Janes, saying that this young man
was without friends, and seemed to
him of good promise, and he had sent
him to the school and would pay bis
bills, if no one else did. The young
Japanese registered as Iwasgi Nagai,
and further said that he was of noble
birth, but had violated the laws of his
country by leaving without the con
sent of the Mikado, or his own Da
mio, who was none other than the
powerful Satsuma. Supposing the
story of his noble birth to be like that
of the pretended “Italian Counts,” so
numerous in our country, we thought
nothing more about it. A few months
later he came to the office in great
glee, and held up a dispatch in Japan
ese, from his own government, which
he ’proceeded to translate into good
English for our benefit. The docu
SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE.
ment recognized the rank of his fam
ily ; extended a full pardon for his ir
regular way of leaving his own coun
try ; assured him that the Mikado
would assume the expense of bis edu
cation; and then proceeded to give
some instructions for him to observe
in fitting himself for the service of his
country. But the severest part was
the injunction to “ have nothing to do
with any religion.” This troubled
him exceedingly, for he had just pro
fessed conversion to Christianity. He,
however, wrote to his government
that the religion which he had em
braced was not like the Jesuitism
which they had known in Japan ; it
was a religion which did not inter
fere in any way with the duty which
he owed to his country. Nothing
more was heard from his government
on the question of religion. His bills
were promptly paid, and he went on
with his studies in a quiet and indus
trious manner, exhibiting talents of a
superior order, till a few months later,
when he was called home to enter the
service of his country, and we lost all
trace of ouy Japanese pupil. Having
seen some items going the rounds of
the press seeming to identify that
Wilbraham boy as the Japanese Min
ister, we determined to test the ques
tion ourselves. Calling at the em
bassy, we inquired for Hon. Iwasgi
Nagai, the Japanese Minister. “No
such person here,” replied the valet.
The steward came, and the same in
quiry was repeated. “No such per
son has ever been connected with the
embassy,” was the quick reply. We
then added, “ Please ask the chief am
bassador himself, if any one connect
ed with him w T as educated at Wilbra
ham, Massachusetts?” He did so,
and in a moment, in came the Hon
orable Ambassador himself—Jushie
Yoshida Kiyonari, Envoy Extraordi
nary and Minister Plenipotentiary to
the United States of America—and
gave us such a cordial and affection
ate greeting as is common only among
the Orientals. He w T as none other
than the Wilbraham youth of ten years
ago. The explanation is this: The
name Iwasgi Nagai, by which he was
known at school, was an assumed
name. The first word—Jushie —of
his official title indicates the rank of
his nobility, and might be properly
translated into English as “ Earl.”
He is now, we were happy to learn, a
man of pronounced Christian charac
ter, a decided Methodist, and a regular
worshinpar at. the Foundry M F
Church.”
South Carolina Conference.
Rev. M. L. Banks, Upper St. Mat
thew's Ct., writes, October 22:
“ Our Camp-meeting at Limestone
closed yesterday. It was a good time.
Such a season of refreshing we had
not had there. Brother Martin, our
Presiding Elder, who is closing up his
fourth year’s work on the District,
and who has won our hearts and will
go from us with our blessing, was as
sisted by Cauthen, Melton, Dantzler,
Furguson, .Richardson and Inabinit.
There was honest work and plain
dealing, when each one, in his turn,
occupied the pulpit. The word was
with power, and the effect will be re
membered. Nine persons gave them
solves to the church, and about a dozen
their hearts to God. And such a bap
tism as the church received! It will
be one of our most pleasant reminis
cences. Only two of the tents were
without occupants. Anew one had
gone up, and others will be added
next year, if I may be allowed to
prophesy. They are needed. The
burden of supporting a camp meeting
falls heavily on a dozen or so. The
camp ground and the church stand on
two opposite hills, with a branch be
tween. In the grave yard, hard by
the church, sleeps the mother of Bish
op Wightman. Not far off was once
the home of Secrease, the eccentric
Dutch preacher. The old church
building, w T hich stood till a few years
ago, where the new one now stands,
was a relic of the past. The boards
of which it was constructed were
manufactured by means of a whip
sawn The time for saw mills had not
yet come. How things have moved
forward since then. This report will
show that the church there is not go
ing backward.”
Rev. J. C. Russell writes:
“The Gourdin Circuit and Mission,
and the Sam pit Circuit and Mission ,
were thrown together last year, and
now form the Gourdin and Sampit
Circuit. This Circuit is between
Black and Santee Rivers, lying along
the Northeaetern Railroad. Some of
our members are living near old
Georgetown. We have an indifferent
parsonage at Salters’ Station, on the
railroad, in the midst of a cluster of
Presbyterians. I travel two hundred
miles every 4 month, and preach to
twelve congregations. And this
brings me around my Circuit once.
The parsonage is not in the right
place, nor among the right people for
a Methodist preacher. My junior and
I have been, and are still, hard at
work. We held a series of protracted
meetings, with favorable results, at
the following places: Sampit Church,
22 conversions and 22 accessions ; Pen
ny Royal. 6 conversions and 6 acces
sions; Bethel, 2 conversions and 2 ac
cessions; Gourdin’s, 14 conversions
and 6 accessions; Sutton’s, 6 conver
sions and 18 accessions. Our meet
ings are still in progress. We hope
that this Circuit will be divided at
the next Conference. By such an ar
rangement two beautiful circuits will
be formed for preachers, with very
small families.”
Rev. R. L. Duffie, Lancaster Ct.,
writes us the following acceptable
letter:
“Our Fourth Quarterly Conference
was held at Camp Creek Church on
the sth and 6th of October, and was
protracted until Tuesday night follow
ing. The altar was crowded with
penitents at nearly every service.
Five joined the church, several pro
fessed conversion, and the church was
greatly revived. Brother Williams,
of the Lancaster Station, was with
us until the close of the meeting. The
camp-meetings at Salem, on the Hang
ing Rock Ct., arid Zoar, on the
Zoar Circuit and Mission, were held
in conjunction with the Third Quar
terly Conferences. These meetings
were largely attended, and the results
were good. Some were converted at
each. The conversions were clear
and satisfactory, and the shouts of
God’s Israel were heard on more than
one occasion. Several joined the
church at each.”
The Williamsburg County” Sunday
school Convention adjourned October
23d. Rev. J. W. Mcßoy was elected
President; Colonel S. W. Maurice,
Vice-President; Captain W. D. Fitch,
Secretary. Ten schools represented.
Large attendance of citizens. Sun
day-school work revived in all its as
pects, and some able discussions. A
suitable constitution was adopted. The
Hebron congregation extended to the
Convention an elegant hospitality.
J. Mcßride Graham, J. F. Carraway
and Colonel G. D. Rhoadus were ap
pointed an Executive Committee.
Next session to bo held ct Bethesda
Church.
*
Rev. T. E. Wanfamaker, Charles
ton District, who was *prfsent at Mt.
Carmel camp-meeting, on Walterboro’
Circuit, reports that it was a most de
lightful occasion. Besides the Pre
siding Elder and the pastor, there
were several preachers present from
adjoining pastoral charges. Professor
Duncan, from Wofford College, was
present. The preaching was with
power, and gracious resilts followed.
There were five accessions during the
meeting. There were several conver
sions, and the church enjoyed refresh
ing from the presence of the Lord.
The camp-meeting at Cypress has
just closed, and we are a; home again.
The meeting was well rttended, we
had good order, and faithful, earnest
preaching by our belovjd Presiding
Elder, Rev. T. E. Wannamaker; also,
Revs. P. F. Kistler, T. Raysor, W. C.
Power, S. 11. Browne ani J. McElha
ney, the blind preachei. Dr. A. E.
Williams lead one service. Rev. G.
H. Pooser. the pastor ol the Circuit,
Rev. S. D. Vaughn, Berkley Ct., and
several local brethren, were present,
and rendered good service. While
there were but few convjrsions or ac
cessions, yet the Holy Spirit was with
us, and we rejoiced together in the
Lord. It was good to be tiere. G. H. P.
Connectional Facts aid Figures.
The Raleigh Christian Advocate tells
of three Methodist Churches soon to
be dedicated in the North Carolina
Conference.
We learn from the Advo
cate that the Rev. Joel V. Whitten,
stationed preacher at lecatur, Ala
bama, died on the 20th October of yel
low fever. A good man and a valu
able worker has fallen.
We are indebted to (he Carolina
Methodist for the following :
We learn that Trinity College has
96 students in the College proper.
We are glad to learn of-ill increasing
prosperity. We believe trinity Col
lege to be second to none in North
Carolina.
Wo select the following from the
Richmond Christian Advocate.
Mrs. Herrick gives r otice that the
publication of the Southern Review
will be continued. Messrs. W. A. and
C. J. Griffith, of Salem, Va., are now
the publishers, and it is to be issued
from Richmond, Ya. Mrs. A. T. Bled
soe has a liberal interest in the pro
ceeds, and Mrs. S. Bledsoe Herrick
continues as one of the editors. The
first number under the new auspices
| will date from January I, 1879.
Wo learn from the Texas Christian
Advocate that the following resolution
was adopted at the last session of the
Northwestern Texas Conference:
Resolved , That we most respectfully
ask our Bishops for the present to
make no more transfers to our Con
i ference without the consent of the
presiding Bishop and his cabinet.
Also from the Texas Advocate :
The West Texas Conference opened
! its twentieth session October 16, at
San Marcos, Bishop Keener presiding.
He reached his appointment on time,
via NewYork. A full attendance of
preachers and a partial attendance of
laymen present. Mexican work well
represented.
The following, touching our New
Orleans ministers, is from the New
Orleans Advocate ; Rev. John Math
ews is up and about the house. His
wife and eldest daughter are now sick
with the fever. Both at this time,
are doing well. Brothers Krauter
and Bohmfalk, of the German min
isters, are quite sick, but with
good prospects of recovery. Rev. J.
; M. Beard is still improving and will
be out in a few days. Rev. Dr. Ah
rens, of the German church, and Rev.
Tiff Foster, our pastor at Moreau
street, though unacclimated, have not
been attacked as yet.
We collate from the Nashville Ad
vocate : The Columbia Conference
was held at lloseburg, Oregon, Octo
ber 2. One was admitted on trial.
Two remain on trial. Two transfers
were received. C. 11. E. Newton su
perannuated. The preachers were till
found blameless in life and official ad
ministration. Local preachers, 26;
infants baptized, 28; adults, 71; mem
bers 1,343; Sunday,schools, 17 : teach
ers, 93 ; scholars, 636. No assessment
for widows and orphans ; §44.75 rais
ed for this purpose, and applied to
C. H. E. Newton. Collected for For
eign Missions, S6O ; Domestic, $70.75.
There are four districts—Willamette,
Walla Walla, Blue Mountain, Jack
sonville. Twenty-four preachers re
ceived appointments. Bishop Wight
man presided.
Dr. J. W. Hinton, editor elect of
the new Quarterly of our Church,
writes to the Wesleyan Christian Ad
vocate:
Aw the time draws near When the
projected Quarterly is to.be issued, it
is proper to make somO’ public, state
ment in regard 1,6 fhe enterprise.
Somedelay has been caused by thetime
consumed in settling necessary prelim
inaries—place of pointing, terms, etc.
It is now fixed by fthe managers’ de
cision ; Nashville in the place of pub
lication, and $3.00 the subscription
price—always in advance. Subscri
bers will, of course, remit money and
names to Nashville. Rev. R. A.
Young, D. D., is the Treasurer and
one of the Review Committee ; send
to him. Names and money will be
received by any of the managers, and
all the traveling clergy are solicited
to act as agents. I mean what I say,
— act.
The first number, it is hoped, will be
out in December.
The Raleigh Christian Advocate thus
estimates the strength of North Caro
lina Methodism :
Our membership in the North Car
olina Conference, adding the number
havingjoined this year, may he put
down in round numbers at 60,000.
There are twenty-five counties in our
State attached to the Holston and
Virginia Conferences. The number
of Methodists in these counties is put
down at 10,000. Protestant Metho
dists, we have been informed by one
of the preachers, number 10,000. Col
ored Methodists—the fruits of the M.
E. Church, South, before the war,*
number 20,000. The O’Kclleyites,
(called Christians), and those who
have joined the M. E. Church, North,
and another small sect called “ The
Methodists,” known as the abolition
ist Methodists before the war, are sup
posed to number 15,001). This gives
a grand total of 115,000 Methodist
communicants in the State.
Says the Holston Methodist:
Rev. J. M. Berry, for many years a
minister of the Christian (“ Campbeil
ite ”) Church, became a member of
the Louisville Conference M. E.
Church, South, at its last session. His
application for admission was accom
panied by a letter, in which he says :
“ During the greater portion of those
years, I engaged with my fellow
churchmen in prosecuting a war
against all other creeds. Nearly all
such creeds were written—reduced to
a tangible form—and in some way au
thorized, and thus became subject to
a definite mode of attack. On the
other hand, ‘ Campbellism ’ enjoyed a
chaotic existence in periodical and
book literature, and was wholly with
out ecclesiastical sanction. In short,
our creed existed only in the manifold
ipse dixit of innumerable dogmatical
preachers and editors; and was not,
therefore, within easy range of the
science of logic. Hence the difficulty
of exposing its defects to the super
ficial observer, of which our common
humanity is so largely composed.
This fact is, of itself, liablo to be
taken as a matter of evidence in favor
of ‘ Campbellism,’ and accounts for its
varied success with persons of that
class.”
Dr. John E. Edwards writes to the
Richmond Christian Advocate, in com
mendation of the statistical tables re
cently adopted by the Virginia Con
ference. lie says: It is a marcel that
this very sensible thing has not beeu
done before the present. By th/old
form many of us have been placed at
disadvantage in these reports. Espe
cially has this been the case w;hen a
Bishop has presided who has con
sumed much of the valuable time of
the Conference session in calling for
statistics, and judging the preachers
by these reports. At best, it is a very
fallacious test of a pastor’s efficiency.
But the feature in the new table to
which I allude, as an improvement on
the old, is that it provides for the re
port of losses in the membership.
Sometimes a pastor has had good
average success in his work, and has
received a large number of members
into the church, and yet he may be
compelled to report a decrease in
the membership of his charge. This
is put down to liis discredit; when in
point of fact he is deserving of com
mendation. The present table calls
for a report of losses by removals,
deaths, withdrawals, expulsions. It
is still defective, in that it has no col
umn for those “ who have been lost
sight of for twelve months,” and, by
the Church Conference, are placed on
a retired list. This is often a source of
considerable loss to the roll of mem
bers.
Unassorted Items.
Rev. John Ryerson, of the Metho
dist Church of Canada, is dead. He
was probably the oldest minister in
Canada, ami had been in active ser
vice fifty-eight years.
—Rev. T. J. Melish, Baptist, of
Cincinnati, formerly editor of the
Journal and Messenger, has been or
dtljned to the ministry of the Protest
s-ipiscCpui Uliflrcu.
Peep of Day,” the most success
ful juvenile book, by Mrs. Fayell Lee
Mortimer, who recently died in Eng
land, had a total sale of 1,250,000
copies.
—Rev. Mr. M’Kay of the Chinese
Mission at Fomosa, has married a Chi
nese wife, a native Christian. He is
the first missionary who has married
an Oriental wife.
—The Board of Curators of' the
Missouri University have elected to
the Chair of Modern Languages, Mrs.
J. P. Fuller, daughter of the late Wm.
A. Smith, D. D., formerly President
of Randolph-Macon College, Va.
—From the necrological statistics
of the Congregational ministry dur
ing the last three years, it appears
that of the whole number (191) who
died at that time, 67 bad passed the
age of three-seore-and-ten ymars; the
average of their ages was above sixty
five ; tho mean length of their service
in the ministry was nearly thirty-fivo
years.
—Doctor Schlieman has telegraph
ed from Ithaca to Athens: We have
made a great discovery. On the pla
teau which extends towards the west
ern shore of the southeast part of the
island, we have found, in digging,
ninety houses of cyclopean construc
tion, belonging to the Homeric city of
Ithaca. Impossible to express here
the methodical result of our excava
tions. The winter rains- have wash
ed into the sea all the ancient trea
sures. Nevertheless the discovery of
these ruins constitutes a valuable
treasure for the island. All the lovers
of antique souvenirs will hasten to
visit the city of Homer.
—Mr. Wendell Phillips lately wrote
to an inquirer in San Francisco : "The
Chinese are a pains-taking, industri
ous, and marvelously capable people.
Statesmanship and political economy,
as well as Christianity, bids us wel
come such help in subduing the con
tinent—not violently to thrust them
out. That we, who fled here only
two centuries ago, should refuse the
Chinese a place is monstrous, but that
tho Irish, who only fifty or thirty
years ago came here and took shelter
under institutions already established,
should use the rights we have shared
with them to oppress and torment the
Chinese, is shamefully inconsistent
—another instance of hovv often-the
persecuted are themselve.s the first to
persecute.”
5