The New York Herald Newspaper, June 19, 1854, Page 2

OF THE Free Church of Scotland, Edinburg, on the United States and Canada, THE CHURCHES AND PEOPLE OF NEW YORK, ‘The Know Nothings and Catholics of the United States, &e., &., &. [From the Edinburg Witness, June 1.) The Assembly met at seven o'clock om'the evening of Monday, May 26. The vast hall was densely crowded, and the passages were completely blocked up. So great was the desire to be present, that the greater part of the House was filled an hour or two before the time fixed upon for the evening meeting. FOREIGN MISSIONS—UNITED STATES AND CANADA. Dr. Durr, on rising to addreas the Assembly ,was received with loud applause. After moving the adoption of the Foreign Missioa’s Committee Report, which had been laid oa the table by Dr. Tweedie ‘towards the close of the forenoon sederunt, and an abstract of which appeared in our publication of ‘Tueeday, the reverend Doctor referred to the topics embraced in that Report, any one of which would almost furnish a text, and observed that he ‘was embarrassed by the very magnitude of the sub- ject, more especially as he was that evening expected to say something in reference to the state of things in anotber land—(applause)—he would say a land next totheir own in being pre-eminent above all “other lands on the face of the earth at this moment. Having thus to address them on a region like India, ‘and on a region like the United States of America and Canada, the task was 2 peculiar one. * Dr. Dorr, turning from the east to the west, pro- ceeded to say:—In your report there is allusion made to my Pavia, been led, in January last, in the providence of God, to visit the New World—the western continent. It is not a subject that I have any deaire to press on this assembly; if it were oze that merely concerned myself personally, I would not; but I have been assured by fathers and breth- ren, that they had some desire to learn something Seorecting that New World. (Applause.) It is in itself so immense a subject, that it puzzles one ex- ceedingly to know how to go about it at all. Just excuse me if I present some few fragmentar: notices of some of these topics or subjects in whic! we, a8 a Christian church, may be more particularly | interested. I shall endeavor to speak with all freedom, and all familiarity; and, in so doing, see- ing, up to this hour, he that is addressing you reckons himaelf to be a humble instrument and | servant in the hands of God aud this church—the church of his fathers—I delight in the expression— he simply feels bound in duty to give an account of anything connected with his movement. The uestion has been asked—What had I to do in that lew World at all? It was from no self-seeking motive. It was a thing from which I shrunk, and shrunk truly; it locked so big and so indefinite, going to | that new region—such a great and wondrons people <tthat there was absolutely a thorough distrust as to anything I could do or say. I oe as God knows, in the sincerity of my heart. It was said b; individuals at home, I should go to America. Indi- viduals in India wrote me—* That is a wonderful region, America; go before you return.” Then, in the course of Divine Providence, one and an- other invitation came from America itself—first from the United States, and lastly from Canada— for the Canadas are an integral portion of our own mighty British empire. All these things came about. However, there was one uniform answer for a long ‘time—“I cannot; it is impossible, until, in some measure at least, the work undertaken here shall be accomplished; and if, when that is accomplished, ‘the door of Providence is open, I may be driven to feel that my confession must be, ‘Here I am, Lord, send me; and when Thou dost send me, do with me ‘what thou pleagest.’”’ I may note, however, just one circumstance—a simple one at the time, but ap- pearing in itself providential. Some three Nae ago, ‘there was an American gentleman in Edinburg, of whom I had never heard, who one day in the midst of ‘the Assembly busines? called on me at my lodgings, and introduced himself with all that marvellous rea- <diness and frankness peculiar to the American charac- ter, though himself originally an Irishman—(laugh- ter)-—a combination of the excellencies of the two ch: vacters, if you will, and then you have areal chairac- 4er—Mr. Stuart, of Philadelphia. Introducing him- self, he said at once, ‘“ You must come to America— you shall have a cordial welcome—we want to be stirred up there—plenty of material there; we only meed to be stirred up.” That was the tone of his address, with all that frankness and heartiness so peculiar to the genuine American character. Ido not know how to describe what there was in the tone and manner of that admirable man; but there ‘was that in him which went at once direct to the heart; there was something in the earnestness 0 tone, rapidity of utterance, and easy, loving addres, | which came home thoroughly to the heart, and made one feel. “ This looks like some providential call; it must be considered.” Repeatedly the same gentleman wrote again and again, you must come; and so did others, until it came at in January, when being ended with the visitation of the Presbyteries of the church, the case was sub- mitted to the Foreign Mission Committee, and they were unanimous in their judgment that it was well to go across for a few months to that New World, and hail the Christian friends and brethren there in the name of the Lord; and so this voyage was encountered. I won't say much more about it, except that it was a terrific voyage, which one would not like, except in the path of stern duty, to encounter again. A succession of gales for eighteen days in the broad Atlantic, amid raging billows and storms of snow, and masses of ice cover- ing the vessel, and sinking her deep into the water —enough to frighten one not accustomed to that sort of scenery—(a Jaugh)—especially one comiug from @ region where they never know what it is to have either frost or snow. However, at last in tho good providence of God, we reached the bay of New York, and coming in the end, amid strange mists, we were at last stranded—stuck fast ten or twelve feet in a mud bank, a mile or two from the great city. How- ever, the city was reached. There are some who must have been there to tell you what impressions they must have had; but unquestionably the appear- ance of that New York is one of singular interest. You could not believe you were in the New World— a world so new—little more than two centuries old, 80 far as Christian civilization is concerued. With regard to its present race of inhabitants, how- ever, you do come to the noblest region of the whole world planted for centuries. he rapidity of growth is surprising. Taat city of New York, in point of population, is the third city of Christendom. First is London, then Paris, and at this hour New York is third. It contains a popu- lation of between 600,000 and 700,000. Then it was said not many years ago, that there were no old churches or palaces, and the new ones very mean edifices, It is very truc. The first pilgrims got up things rapidly—you see this through the whole land. In going through these log huts, you next #ome on them split up into deal boards and painted, Which makes them look respectable. Then this foes on for years, and by and by you come toa piace where there are brick houses, and you may be gore they are there a generation ahead. By and by, when it is settled down, you find alone build- ings rising up in alldirections around you. You continually pass through this scenery in the States. So in this. ew Yor com river on the west, and Long on the east; and there is plenty of room yet before it reaches the terminus. The old city ot New York in front, on either side of which there are forests of shipp like London or Liver- pool, abounds with sto: prodigions extent, and Now, the wealthy egion, not of the largest hotels in the world. citizens have fled, through it up to a new very much elevated, but still somewhat. into this region of broad and spacious avenues, and cross streets flanked with trees—we see palaces, new churches, grown up, aa in the Old World. We have no new churches amongst us comparable to many how erected by spontaneous liberality in New York. One is building by the Dutch Reformed body—a no- w, getting ble edifice of ped white marble, to cost, how much, think you, and when? $100,000, or nearly £100,000. It so happened that the Dutch church was down in the old town, when it was not worth much. It was Wanted as a building for a Post Office, or something. | They received $10,000 of rent for persopage had left three ¢ asturage of a cow for the pastor, and that was | tely sold for $700,000. No wonder they can afford to build a marble church. And go on in the other bodies; they are all of Jate years building those Then some grand edifices. And really ia the inside tiicy are | Iuxuriousness itself. I have seen nothing like some of them in Scotland. If there be not an aristocracy T our fashion, there is an aristocracy of wealth, which shows itself in all the magnificonce which | wealth can create. Another peculiarity of my po- sition on my visit to the States was, that ras I know or remember, thei nly three or four per- ons whom I had met befor mong these was Mr. | Stuart of Philadelphia, D; ‘d, whom many will wemember as having been ly welcomed by usin | 1861, and who addressed the Commission in Novem: berof that year. Him, therefore, 1 knew porsonal- | iy, with Dr. Murray, and one of the agents of the t wocietics. I inet also with another gentleman, | with whom I had corresponded from the banka of the Gangea—Mr. Lennox, of New Yor' hose MAtUiweLce Was feli here, as well #8 here,in dis | Fptiontimes. (Cheers) Beyond these, all were | ; Waiting to greet the missionary of the Free Church spreads out on an island, | uarters of an acre for the | a st there, now tion of the Old School of Presbyterians ‘ork. He was a thorough Scotchman, contain: what is good and worthy in the Scotchman wit! the best traits of the American character; and when you have this combination you have a sound type of character, and that a most’ worthy one. He Ww New York per and asked me questions as to the different religious bodies in this country, while informing me, at the same time, what were ‘the reli- gious bodies in America. The tude of their op- erations, as related by him, struck me with much as- tonishment. They are building churches and schools, setting up all sorts of institutions for the spread of missionary cparetiins at home, abroad, everywhere. You know that there is no Established Church in America, and therefore no social superiority there. And, as a consequence of this state of things in America, all the religious bodies can cyte oe! with much greater freedom, ease, and fi ity | than in the old country. There are many noble- minded men both among the clergy and the laity; and I found that, when I came among them asa fellow-believer—holding by the same Head, and tr, ying to be animated by the same spirit, I was re- | ceived with open arms by all. I did not require to give up the distinctive principles of the church of | my fathers; but found that, when we came to dis- cuss minor matters, to meet with men of other bodies on common ground, the great and glorious principles of our Divine Christianity came into full | and active operation. Most Speen I had | calls from many of the leading evangelical clergy- | men and pious laity in New York and their homes and their pulpits were at once thrown nm to me. If one could have multiplied oneself twenty | fold there would have been abundance of work; | indeed, next day I could have got work in a hin- | dred pulpits. (Tear, hear.) This was a spirit of frankness and cordiality that was quite new to me, 1 teltat once at home—thoroughly at home. How- ever, as it was ai Philadelphia that the centre of in- fluence lay which chiefly prevailed in taking me to the States, it was resolved that there the ground should first be broken, And here I may state, that whenever the noble-minded man to whom I have al- ready referred heard that there was a hope of my crossing the water, without my kuowing it, a letter reached me from his agent in pha? stating that their commission was to learn by what ship I was to g0, as their orders were to give me the best accom- modation, not only for myself, but also for my fami- ly, if they would accompany me. (Cheers.) WI should not I state this? It is our common Christi- anity that thus opens the heart in this manner. (Hear, hear.) On our voyage to Philadelphia, we encountered most severe weather. When about half way, there came on a most terrific snow-storm; in- deed, within half a mile of the terminus on the Dela- ware river, we stuck fast, but we ultimately ri into the steamer to carry us across to the city of Penn, | with its four hundred thousand inhabitants. From what I sawI expected that two or three friends | might perhaps be there to welcome us on our ar- | rival; but when the storm came on with so much se- | verity, I certainly did not think that we should find Sng eey waiting for us. I was Socimnenien by that no- | ble minded man, Dr. Murray of Elizabethtown, author | of the celebrated “‘ Letters of Kirwan,” which have | rendered much service to the cause of Protestant- ism—(cheers)—and when we arrived at Philadel- | phia, our only thought was to get to bed as soon as | possible. But what was my amazement when, on entering the spacious mansion, I found about seventy ministers of all denominations in Philadelphia, of Scotland, and to welcome him to their homes, (Cheers.) I really do not know where such another assemblage could be found for such a purpose, and on such a night. In fact, the cordiality of the greet- ing was such as to astonish and overwhelm me. could not conceive myself that I was not in the hear- tiest circle of old familiar friends in Scotland. I | tried to imagine that 1 was not at home, but it fair- ly beat me. The difference between that and any other country struck me at once. Everybody knows when he goes across the channel that he is from home, were it for nothing else than hearing the French tongue spoken. There are, however, good Frenchmen—noble minded men. We have a speci- men of them annually among us. Would that we had ten thousand such as M. Monod! (Cheers.) Well, but to return. The first mecting was to be held next night. There were seven or eight feet of snow on the streets, and the chief communication was by means of sleighs. The meet- | ing was held in the largest hall in Philadelphia, | capable of containing three thousand persons. Not- | withstanding the storm, the room was packed, and | the platform contained a rari of ministers be- longing to all the evangelical denominations, such | as had not assembled in such numbers before. In- | deed, all the evangelical ministers of Philadelphia and the neighborhood were present. What was one to say to such an audience? The simple ground ta- ken was this—we are believers in one gospels sin- ners by nature, but redeemed by the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ,and redeemed by the grace | of the Holy Spirit. We were all agreed upon these points; then we are one in heart—one in feeling— one in centiment—one in everything that is worthy | of being united ine and, being one ia everything, | as such, we shal) be oue family in the realms of glory. | I find that there was a band that bound us together, and I was not long in discovering the fact, for the | Christian people of that land are a noble-minded | people. We had many meetings in that place, | | all more crowded than another, or, rather, the | numbers who could not get admittance increased | | on every occasion. There was a great meeting | for Sabbath observance—a subject which is greatly | exciting the attention of the wise and the good in that great land; and meetings for many other | objects besides, including home city missions. All | these meetings were attended, and something said ateach. It wasa real evangelical alliance in full | | and active operation. (Hear, hear.) Well, then, after a season, turning back again to New York, | and taking up my abode with another Mr. Stuart | | there—a large-hearted, generous man—many public meetings were held there also, but the reception | was after the same fashion on the part of both lay- men and clergymen. In fact, it is impossible | look back on these mectings without at once ac- knowledging the hand of God from beginning to end; none was more astonished than the individual , who is now addressing you_ at the reception which in every case he received. Passing from these | States, there was always a desire to reach the capi- | tal of this great sete es ton. Arrived there, I found the same kind of feeling pervading | the people of all shades of politics. Of course, they | manifest certain peculiarities of habit and manner; but I did not go there to find little matters for petty paltry carping criticism. I went to see what was worthy of being seen; yea, and to be edified. With regard to the civil head of that great republic, | must speak of him as I found him, I was utterly astonished, after being accustom- ed to the unapproachable distance of their high mightinesses and other royalties in the Old World, to find the new of this great country, America, with a | commerce nearly se to our own, and resources which in time “will prove vastly superior, coming down stairs like a private gentleman, plainly dressed, without fuss, or show, or parade; and demeaning | himself with a benign kindlinesa of manner, as weil asthe greatest simplicity, calmness, and dignity, | such as became the head ‘of such a great country. | Here there was no footman, or others arrayed A scarlet, or golden drapery, or parti-colored raiment— | no tinsel, no pomp, no display whatever. I have no | wish to gratify a sickly taste, by making any re- | ference to the style ‘of wester life, the household economy, or the des) conversation ; but I must | say that the inquiries which this exalted personage | made about sundry affaires, the knowledge which he | | professed of what was going on everywhere, and the | desire to know about the existing State of things, more particularly in British India, were of a nature to indicate that he was a man of grasping and reach- ing intelligence ; and, whatever might be the opi- | nion of mere partizans, that he was one not un- | worthy to fill the high office which he holds ag | the head of the greatest republic the world has | ever seen. (Cheers.) His lady, I rejoice to say, | appeared to be a Christian out and out; and | right glad was I to find such a lady associated in | the more private duties of the position now oc upied by the successor ef the immortal Washington. While here, I had offers of service in every conceivable | | Way—everthing was done by Senators and members | the House of Representatives, ton thonsand times more than could be looked for, and I could not‘) help saying of it all, It is the Lord’s doing. Bat I | | must hurry on—the time at my disposal being | short. J turned westward, across the Allegheny | mountains to Pitisburgh, in the Ohio valley, ac- | companied by an admirable man—the Rev. Mr. Pat- | terson. In that town, [ held private and public | meetings, and was much refreshed —-miniateds and | laymen of ail denominations writing in the most marked demonstratious of genuine brotherly kind- ness. It is a great Presbyterian place, Pittsburg. | A great number of Scotchinen have settled there, ond it isa nh Gay fac at one tinds in the valley of the Ohio all the old divisions of our own Presbyte- fall of or They have Reformed 1, Associated Reformed, and Reformed ciated or anything else. (Laughter.) ters are yoncer, too. Why, they show enanting testimony—you would think | Airsmoes but terday. (Ap: | you their co | it h } plaw larly beau- | | tifal val moadows, and groves, and rolling wooded hills, by Cin oaisville, on the junction of the Mississippi, and from that to St. Louis, then | northward to (¢ go, on the ke Michigao; thence, I c Canada, i Montreal, and ret Holding public mec tward to Det and entered | places there as far as y Boston to New York. the principal places as | I went aloug, every Ac liuet With lite eaute Kiad and generous reception. Indeed, no language can adequately cxpress the personal kindacss exhibiied, | Theee tribes are now melted away from the homes | juvenile department of 700, there was just one single | tion are where Popery is—that is the testimony of | tering When you come to the centre of one of described. these vast places, you see not! not a tree or sbrub—not (but the smooth of the grass, and underneath the richest, black loamy soil on | earth—no trees to fell—but there it is , Teady to be upturned for the seed. In h the rairies, my mind always went to our poor ighlands of Scotland, and the many who were driven to find a livelihood from the barren rock al- most; and I could not but wish that thousands of these poor creatures were but trans! suddenly tothis iglocions soil, where it only requires to be turned up, and in three or four months you have a splendid crop. (Hear, hear.) Itis a singular fact that the lower part of all this great valley of the Missisaippi, capable some day of sup} 000, ts, is Bu] to have once the bed of a vast still, exhibiting traces of itin the succession of terrace- like flats; while, at the same time, monuments of a vast character have been discovered— mounds, tumuli, and hundreds of skeletons of hu- man bodies, not belo to the races or tribes which have peopled t region .for one or two) thousand years. of these remains look like} Roman camps and fortifications; and an idea has got abroad, and is actually entertained by many able men, that a Roman co! ony carried somehow across;the’Atlantic, was founded there,long,long ago. | Again, when you go westward, along the Missouri, rou come to a people who have manners and cus- fone and a language very like the Welsh; and some old stories are also abroad about them. It is men- tioned that long ago some vessels left the coast of Wales, and were never heard of; and it is really be- lieved by some that these people are the descend- ants of these .lost Welshmen. There are, , be- sides, Cia 2 discoveries, in the of fos- sil remains, being now and again made in that re- gion. For example, one bone has been found weighing 1,200 pounds; the animal to which it be- longed must have been 125 feet long. The remains | of birds have also been found with claws three fect in ee wierd ae if og were Bae the lee tic beginnings and emblema’ reparatives for giant Btajeo of ‘the Union. (Langater and Spear) Now, to come to human beings. One cannot loo at these Indian tribes without feeling a deep inte- rest. Going onwards to Boston, we pass the scene of the labors of Brainerd, and are then carried to- wards Philadelphia, where Eliot and others labored. of their fathers, like the snow in a thaw; but beyond the Mississippi there are 18,000 of them, that have been neceesarily removed thither. Hitherto it had been the*policy of the United States to pension off these tribes, and they were passing away before the advances of the white man. But now it is delight | ful to know there are several societies and churches engaged in the Christianization of these tribes, and the government now regards it as a national policy tohelp them in doing so. (Applause.) They are doing it with a noble end—an end worthy of the United States. There is a bill pending before Con- and strong} Pierre nias the Indian mittee, provi fding that each family should get | | and American citizens began to think there was some- 640 acres of land beyond the Mississipi, the remain- der to be sold, and the proceeds to be given over the | Indian tribes, or funded forthem. (Applause.) The | design of the United States government is to arrest | the downward progress of these tribes, by convert- | ing them from being nomadic tribes to being agri- culturists. The government, in effect, says to them—‘‘you sit down there—what is allotted to you is enough for any honest man—you are to become industrious—we shall instruct you, and once you are senes to discharge the duties, you will have con- erred on you the rights of American citizens.” (Applause.) From this policy a succeasful result is | expected. These men will not only become Chris- | tiaus, but will be eligible for ge ee and one day | an indigeneous red Indian may become President of | the United States. (Applause.) Now, there are many pour regarding the States which, as a Chris- tian Church, we cannot but feel deeply interested in, and I will rapidly allude to a few, though time and | strength Spall Sonipel me to be brief, and to omit even a notice of many altogether. In the firat place, on not but be astonished at the nultitu-les who arrive constantly there from other lands. How are they disposed of? I fear we don’t sufficiently sym- pathise with our brethren across the Atlantic in re- | gard to this matter. In New York alone, no fewer than about 1,000 arrive daily: at Boston. 17,000 to 20,000 a year; at Philadelphia much about the same number. Altogether, about half a million must arrive every year from the eastern world. We hear of emigration from England, Scotland, and Ireland, but we don’t think of other countries who | hada large share. Asa matter of curiosity, I made | some inquiry on this point; and I find that last year | there were from England 30,000; Ireland, 157,000; Scotland, 8,000; Germany, 147,000 (there is always a large number from Germany); France, 6,000; Rus- | sia contributes her 112; while Norway, Sweden, Den- | mard, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Sardinia—in short, every country in Europe; some in Asia and Africa; many from | South America. After het a the precise numbers from each country, Dr. Duff proceeded:— | What is to be done with these immense heterogene- | ous multitudes? How a city like New York is able | to withstand this constant influx, it is difficult to say; | and were it not for the Anglo-Saxon energy, charac: | teristic of its people, it could not withstand such a | continual pressure. It is true, great numbers pro- ceed to the West; but the worst are left behind, as | a residuum of poverty, vice and crime: and it must | require a vast digestive power to swallow, assimi- | late, and dispose of these vast multitudes. In Staten | Island they have an establishment for really desti- | tute emigrants and their children—the average nom- ber maintained and taught there being almost 3,000. I visited this institution, and naturally inquired how many Scotch were in it. Well, at that time, in the representative for Scotland. rAcpianse) This was | a little girl, who had been only three weeks there; | and I begged that she might he pointed out to me, | just asa curiosity—(langhter)—and who, I asked, anticipating the answer, give you most trouble here? “Oh, you need scarcely ask,” was the answer— “the Irish.” Not the Presbyterians from Ulster, however—(applause)—but the crime and destitu- the United States. With regard, then, to the means employed for encountering and melting down this | prodigious host into sober and homogeneous Ameri- canism, there is no time to go into details. I have here statistics of the churches, which do exert a yeletty influence, but time will not admit of my en- into particulars. Altogether, there are thirty six thousand churches, a church for every five hun- dred or six hundred of the inhabitants ofthe United States, and the bulk of these churches are in the hands of evangelical Christians. (Applause.) The Methodista are the most numerous, having about twelve thousand churches; and, like the Methodists in Evgland, they are good scriptural Christians. The Baptists come next in point of numbers, having about eight thousand churches. They are sound in the faith, however much they may differ from others inthe matter of baptism by ippin . Then come the Presbyrerians, who have 5,000 cbarhes—i mean the different sections put together. It is a matter of delightful hopefulness for the States, that the great bulk of the churches are in the hands of per- sons substantially sound in the faith. Coming down to infidel or other sects, they are very small along- side of these great bodies. Next, we may glance at their schools. If there were time for it, I could now furnish the statistics of all the scholastic insti- tutions—including universities, colleges, theological seminaries, academies, public and private schools. First of all, it may be known that in all the Northern States, what are called public or common schools have been got up. at the public expense. They yol- untarily tax themselves for these, and children are taught there gratuitously. Connected with each circuit of schools in the great towns, there is a free academy for higher education to the elite of the schools. The system differs in different States; but the general government has determined, with refe- rence to the new Western States, that due provision shall be made for 2 proper system of education be- ing there established; and accordingly, in every | new State, they set apart millions of acres, to be | deyoted some day to education, especially of collegiate or academical kind. In every dis- trict of sixteen miics square they additionally set apart one square mile, or The sixteenth part, asa lo- cal fond for common education, when that district is planted with human beings. In the Northern States, in particular, the proportional number in at- tendance is somewhat beyond what is to be found even in Prussia. Why, it is astonishing to see the edifices they get up there tor educational purposes. ‘They say they will have nothing to do with small, valtry, cloge, confined, ill- ventilated, school honses. Their common school-houses in New York and else- where are like palaces three or four stories high ; and they get some 1,500 or 2,000 children to attend. | They are really furnished up and replenished most tostefully and handsomely, and the rooms are re- markably healthy ond auys Go into ouv of these “owucd iooms, containing 660 children, and as for as fresh air is concerned, Well go juhe Mato the eirlost Wing-toom or ea | but a Christian work, designed for the instraction may almost as Ms: i # ue Heli discriminating differences, and tempt to peo even ye advert to the interference of Po, school 5 aoeeue ce that, and a harder bone to be gradually began to find out that, to a strap, under Pr eonscience, Hebt of citi ‘ich Papists heir ip, ant that nomenclature whi know so well how to em; y when it suits purpose. (Hear, hear.) liberty of conscience coming out of Po is like the icebergs of the North Pole coming out of heat of the solar beams, or the flowers, and fruits, and stately lacing trees of the tropics sp! out of the ices of the North Pole. Applause.) The one: is as true as the other. The merican citizens, however, believed them at first. Practically they said, We won't interfere with another man’s conscience, and soon. And by and by the Papists take them in and say, These 3 ? some of thedirectors ani of mu- pageinen tof the schools so far conceded the it fore they were fully aware what they were doing. AndI the o1 ‘to bring over two old school books to exemplify kind of thing they did de- liberately before people came to be aware of it. In one of these school books there was a section upon Martin Luther; and they said, There are things there that are di to our consciences; but the book is stereot; ; and great numbers have been thrown off; it shall we do? It would be 5 aterrible loss to sacrifice the thousands of printed volumes and the stereotypes. Oh, but you can blot out the thing of which we conscientiously complain. Now, just look at the way they have blotted or blackened the obnoxious pages or graphs of the book holding up aschool book with the page black- ened with ink, amid the laughter of the Assembly). The next chapter he exhibited was a long one, and two ‘oppose of it are of such an odious kindto the Pa; they have pasted them all together, so as to form one thick leaf (holding up the d leaf, to the amusement of the Assembly). That was on account of the allusions to Cranmer. Then there is the famous speech of Chatham on the American war, in which allusion is made to the Popish atrocities. That sentence is blotted in the same manner. In Poetry too, the system is adopted. In Goldsmith’s Traveller there is @ couplet blotted out holding up the book amidst renewed laughter). People at last began to say, “Our children bring home black-patched books;’’ and they thought that looked rather odd; but, not to break up the stereo- topein the next edition they simply broke up that partof it which contained these sections; so the next edition comes out with a white blank leaf, or white blank spots here and there, in this way. [Here the reverend Doctor held up another specimen with the pages blank,amidst cheers and roars of laughter.} So that with this blank or spot leaf it was not so odious tothe sop as the black patch,as you might think some one had stuck in the page, did the g not show the real state of matters. Well, all this was going on, ap aed and by aa ti tae! began to speak of the use of the Bible in the schools as an of- fence to their consciences. We have no objection to the Bible. You ie it as much as you like, of course. It is the interpretation you put upon it that we object to. rer so farto meet the humor of the Papista about , they entered into this ar- rangement, that henceforth, at the opening of the school, a see of the Bible should be simply, but solemnly, and reverently read, without note or com- ment, by the master or mistress, and the Lord’s Prayer rehearsed. to them; so that it was agreed there could be no reasonable objection, since the Bible is not a sectarian work, or Protestant work, of the world. I allude to these things because it was in this stealthy manner the Papists came to unmask what was really a religious system, and evacuate it of its more special religious instruction. Still, the Papi-ts would not be satistied till the Bible were banished see ee When it came to that, in some cases the thing was done; but being left by the State to the local boards to do as they ought proper, they generally said, you Univer- salists, Unitarians, Baptists, Methodists, Episcopa- lians, Presbyterians, and all other sects, you all believe’ in the Bible, and nobody can object to the Bible being read in the school without note or comment. And, in fact, nobody did objet but the Papists. Even the infidels and athe- isti did not usually at least object to it,as they thorght it would teach their children good morals. Butiothing satisfies the Papists but the Bible must be baished altogether. The Americans, as a body, could not stand that. They said, “If you are so muchagainst the Bible, it must be because the Bible is aganst you, and we cannot stand that.” (Hear, hear.) Even the great statesman Webster comes forwax to defend the Bible as a part of unsectarian instrwtion to be established in the schools. Then | he lays it down as a principle that Christianity is an integal, component part of the American constitu- | tion’ This flows through the State ; and now it is | groving up to be the dominant dogma. We do not | ask fwreigners to come to us—they pitch themselves | on uswhether we will or no ; but ifthey come and submt to our laws and become American citizens, | they ire welcome ; if otherwise, we must see to it that tiey shall not be allowed to subvert those free in- | stitutons, set up atthe cost of our father’s blood, and underwhich we have ao flourished. whey: lay it down asa principle—I mean the great bulk of the real living | mags yf American citizens lay it down asa principle— that te Bible is the corner stone of the American systen—that the Bible is the foundation of Ameri- can poate It is repeated by the thousands and tns of thousands of the American citizens, that he Bible in the vernacular tongue in the hands of every man is Americanism. Therefore, | whoewr wants to be an American citizen, must sub- | mit tothe condition of an American citizen. Hence, they ae bound and resolved that the English lan- mageshall be permanent amidst all the Babel of gue. No man can attain to office in the State, unlesshe can transact business in the English lan- guage, There is a strange transformative process going m yonder. For the first generation you have all the old medley of tongues—quite a Babel of them—with the ten thousand varying habits and | prejudeces of their different sects and nations; there hey get up their own Revereneay get up | their ayn journals, their own discussions, their own Bible,ihrough a whole variety of tongues. Ah! but th: children—they. mingle with other children, | and tie children all hope one day to be magis- trates governors, and presidents of the United State. ‘What! are we to be shut out?” “Yes, | unless you learn the English language—unless | you cane to the common school, and there read what | we lean on history, the privciples of our consti- tution, on true, Christian morality.” Well, it is perfecty astonishing with what power and rapidity this prcess is telling; how it is melting, and fusing, and npulding down these strange, heterogeneous moaeses Generally the great bulk of them are mould:d down in the second or third generation, and ail the Babel of tongues disappear; and if not thoroughly Christianized, they are undone with re- gard to German Pantheisms, and Irish Poperies, andsuch like, and therefore open to something bet- ter. Then the Papists found they could not drive the Bible out of the schools; and I am happy to sa it is but from a very small fraction of the schools the Bible has been excluded. And now, almost everywhere they try to make up for the deficiency of refgious instruction in the schools, by insisting on pérents being more diligent—by insisting on Sabbath schools becoming more vigorous, and pro- ductive of spiritual fruits, and parents gute 4 to educate them, so that they might make up by Sab- bath school instruction and parental instruction for that which most of them would like to see given in the common school ; but to the com- arative exclusion of which they had submitted for the present under very peculiar and exigent circumstances. And then, in numbers of instances, private and parochial schools are voluntarily e- tablished an Fly aged which an out and out religious education is given. I have no doubt, from what I have seen, that the great bulk of the Chrje tisn people of the United States are determined the Bible shall never be shut out from their evhools; and that the rising tendency is, to require not eel that itshali be read, but also te buve it fally explained and enforced as to its geat leading truths. ‘That is the disposition cbietly developed. The Papists next turned round, say ce you won't drive the Bible out of your schools, give us a share of the pub- ic money, and we shall sct up schools for ourscives. By this time the American citizens began to suspect the Papists. Some one wrote a good book on the conspiracies of the Papists against the liberties of the States. Aye, they raised questions—they pose them with questions Bcsdg now. You will find the day is not far distant when it will be put in such o manner a8 to bring ont a caricature of what the effect is of experimenting on American citizenship. 8 said,” they say, © that your Bishop s0-aud-so, y other bishon, have taken an oath to a for- gu. Urewecan a man | the State, testants by taking the Bible from them, and then a share of the Protestants’ money to help them to stuff their own children with all the superstitions and abominations of Popery, with ita relentless in- tolerance, thus sapping the foundations of Protes- tantism, and entrenching themselves behind the bul- warks of their own apostate faith, whence also they might batter down the free institutions of America. The Americans soon noticed this. They said, “Have as many schools of your own, at your own expense, as you please ; if any man will hurt or annoy you we will protect 00 but you must not set up anti-American schools at our e: .”” The Pa- pists bullied about getting back their share of the ublic money, according to the number of children ey would reach. The reply was, that Shey munht t back the share they themselves co! - |, but that wassosmall that in the common school system they actually each twelve dollara for one. It we found, JB iodine that in the taxes for ft rism the Papist generall: back ten or jwelve times what contributed, besides supply- et ae Ke pees “You plllcen calige set. It is rather to ask usto pay you formaking “fon, aod for putting You ia jal, (Caughter) No, on, and for putting you . yaghter. fo, the Am have resisted that, ad 1 believe icans ie they will resist the Popish application utterly. Would that Britain could takes lesson in Ss respect from America. (Applause.) Then our Maynooths would be down to-morow, and cast at once and forever to the bottom of the sea. (Hear, Lan ot ut he sary ieee oe nd these mat ye , 1 may mention a3 asa singular characteristic of America, that in’ New York there has sprang 0 & new sect lately. It calls itself the “‘Know-N ” What the whole of their object may be, well knows; but the re- sult of their establishment proves this. that this class are wet, very much to counteract the insidious ahow Ie in many wayks “they go juitl) to elections ow ly Ways. xy go q! elections —nobody knows about them; and of late it has been found that no man under Popish influence is getting into power eee authority. Not long ago (just to show the working of the g,) @ man in New York began to preach openly in the streets and elsewhere against the Papacy, and some of the Papists, just as in Ireland and other places, began to hoot and pelt the man with mud. When this was heard of, in due into the crowd, so for every Pa ere Was & “Know-Not .”” Well, the = it went on expounding Po} ry) while the Papists, as usual, began to hoot. Suddenly, every Papist gota firm thwack on the side of the head with the most thorough American gravity—(great laughter)—coupled with such words as these:—“Sir, this is a free country; every man is entitled to speak, and, sir, when the man is done, if you want to answer him, ‘we will see to it that you get justice.” Well, if it had been only one or two who ved in this man- ner, they would soon have been overpowered, but the Pay , Seeing the apparent ubiquitousness of these ow Notl , Were glad to give in. (Cheers.) They tried it again and again, however, but always with the same result, so that ere long full liberty of Spe ch was established in the free city of New York. I do not know whether we could imitate this or not at home—(laughter)—but, at all events, the plan has proved quite successful over the water. (Hear, hear.) Now, with reference to Popery in America, the general conclusion is, that in America it is undoubtedly to find its grave—(ap- plause)—its influence is unmistakeably on the & Cline, its power is melting away. When the Popish |. Nuncio was sent to America, the Americans were ready to receive him because he was a stranger. He was entertained in high ees) but it was observed that the President of the United States did not think proper to invite him to dine with him; and this was no doubt a part of the sound policy of the United States in reference to Popery. (Hear, hear.) At last they began to id him ont. He began to interfere in many things. The bishops were striving hard to get the whole ecclesiastical and charitable property of their own body into their own hands; and while many of their people were passively but reluctantly assent: ing, others stoutly asserted their rights as American citizens, telling the bishops, &c., to keep to the spiritualities, and let the laity, as heretofore, man- age the temporalities. When the Nuncio came, he took the side of the bishops; but although he coax- ed, and flattered, and threatened, they would not yi They began to ask, ‘‘What sort of a man is this?” and by and by some of the Papists themselves began to tell him, “You will better get about your business as soon as possible.” The Protestants be- = to be thoroughly roused, and at last the Nuncio ad to take flight from New York. He concealed himself in a house for some time, in great trepida- tion; and at last, sepa of a steam-tug, he was smuggled into the British steamer which was to carry him away from the States—glad, indeed, to et away on any consideration. This is the way they deal with Popish Nuncios, the emissaries of ee tyrants, in nobly free and energetic America: and this is the way, too, they would treat the Cardinal Wiseman himself, if he went there. (Ap- plause.) I might go on.referring to many other subjects connected with the history and social econ- omy of the States, illustrative of the remarkable energy of that people, if time permitted. That extra- ordinary energy is manifested in overything they undertake. This energy, stimulated by the want of laborers, has led to the invention and employment of machines cf every conceivable kind to abridge the labor of man; and the same energy manifests itself in all directions, in the accomplishment of all objects, and by all classes of society. I was much surprised, on one occasion, in one of the chief schools of New York, on being introdaced to Pro- fessor So and So—a lady. I began to think what she could be professor of. (Laughter.) Music? No; poring of the kind. I observed in the room a huge black board, covered with a forest of algebraic characters. It was, in fact, a complicated problem | in the differential calculus. And J afterwards found | that this lady was professor of mathematics, and, consequently of the differential calculus— (laughter)—and as modest and unpretending a person as I ever met with. (Applause.) They etd it sometimes, perhaps, too far for our country; for they have set up medical schools for iadies, in which females are taught to become thee and medical practitioners. (A laugh.) They carry the principle right through. I don’t know whether we can go into that here; but I may observe that I be- lieve three-fourths of ail the teachers of the United | States are females; and right good teachers do they | make. (Applet. There is a spirit of vitality and stir throughout the whole scholastic system of the States. There isin many of the Statés an annual convention of schoolmasters and schoolmistresses; and they are in the habit of perambulating some of | in the same way as the British Associa- | tion does#with us. They fix upon some town at | which to hold their convention, and forthwith they | are plied with invitations, and the people throw open their houses to them. At these conventions they d’scuss all kinds of educational questions, the male and female teachers and professors taking part in the discussion; and they discuss the a ae intro- duced in a way that is really profitable to all par- ties. In regard to their religious societies, I must fay one word; because, though later in the field than those of Great Britain, it is quite amazing to witness the energy displayed by them. In fact, the energy which they have infused into these bodies is prodigious. (Applause.) And I hope the day is coming when every one of our committees connect- ed with Sabbath schools,and Popery, and other mat- ters, wi'l open up a correspondence with our breth- ren acrofs the Atlantic, as to the good to be found in both systems, and in order to establish a system of cordial reciprocation. (Renewed applause.) Of this I am certain, that you will receive aright hearty welcome. Among the religious societies whichthey have, I may, for instance, state that they have a general Home Missionary Society, supported by va- rious evangelical denominations, apart from the missions of the different churches, and that this so- ciety has an income of about $200,000. They have | set np numbers of new churches in destitute places, | and have gathered some 120,000 members into them | who did zot attend church before, representing up- ards of half a million of the people. Then their | Bible Society spreads out over all the globe, gene- | 1ously aiding new translations and all missions, just | like the British aud ign Bible Society, and son | sesees an income about as large. (Applause.) Then | they have, religious tract societies, with an income | of $400,000, and a vast staff of agency, which, dur- ing last year, visited rand halfa million of fami- | lies, sold nearly half a million of purely religious works, Srantiog. a hundred and fifty thousand more, and praying with them and i same time. There is also ti sof the land, and establish Sab- bath} school libraries. They bave already five or six hundred agents rious work, many of whom are students of theclogy. Their superintendent makes a point of going ronnd the theological and hav oworn allegiance toa poe’. You must either abjure your oath, 200g Gitizenship.” That is the alterna: rience ia, that thia is a training for the min! which ia invaluable, besides tug good which they tructing them at the | my i bbath School Union, | evangelic denominations i jody of agents, who | edition of that experienced in the wbbath achools through ail | the enthusta engaged in this glo | great thin, seminaries | at the end of each session, with a view of re | | teining ench students as may be v tricts that are aamgned W tai, oad theit DF | tk | ling to visit dis- | of my first meetin, il ee 5 gE e8 ERE Old School Presbyterian, ,000 dollars, and ic acting tie plorangs OF Heese inall pda} ad '” many other societies, both for home and foreign jects, the details of which are in my poaseasion, and which I regret it ia utterly ble at this late hour to enter upon. My with reference to the whole is, that we have a great deal to on these subjects in Old Britain from Young America, ag to the ways of carrying on our ente! energetically. But one word as toa in its conception and i cultural Society for In it They have sent missionaries to Pi be.ore, insomuch that the Jews come to them for in- truction in way they never did before. (aD lanse.) But I must sorrowfully, for the present, Fit detaila copecting this and other most important societies na agencies for the promotion of social reform, and haritable and ious enterprises. As stated at the outset, the whole subject is one of such vastneaa that it is impossible to go into it except in ments. Enough of the few now convey a general impression of the multiformity of the salutary operations in that | gy land, and the uoyant energy with which they are conducted. One would just say, in a few words, that as you look at ip ie per a, ae beg the eeeae inary a and ent of the le, you feel that, in me and more favorable ndaee for unchecked developement, they are just ourselves after all—(applause)—even the t and wondrous Anglo-Saxon race, under t influence of Christianity. And the only simile I can think of to bring out m; (sever adage! “eagle to the lakes of North America. These waters, gather- ing from all sources, come down in a mighty stream to the St. Lawrence; they roll on; they then enter the rapids; and thence, intermixed with new ele- ments, roll on, and we next find them tumbling over the cataracts of Niagara. There they are tossed about in a seething cauldron; and, after having gone through, a filtering and urifying pro- cess, emerge from it a noble stream, spreading them- selves into rivers and lakes, carrying a fertilizing in- fluence with them, and bearing on their bosoms the treasures of a mightyempire. As regards those Eastern States, they are, I say, after all, great branch of our Anglo-Saxon race—not like the old stream, which, after ages of gathering and A is now comparatively quiescent, and rolling on wit a majesticsweep; but rather the same might stream in the Ee ge And then, rushing with impetuosity westwards, and reaching the summits of Alle- ghany mountains, down it comes tumbling over into the Valley of the rola 0 like a mighty cataract, stirring humanities—destined thus for some time to be tossed to and fro, amid reeking vapors and ing billows, till all that is foul an: rnicious a recipitated to the bottom; and out it flow in ue time, a noble stream, diffusing the verdure and fertility of truth, and goodness, and righteousness, unto future ages of time. (Applause.) I must now, however, pass into Canada; and, as is the hour, must say a word or two upon it, however brief. T confess, before going there, I did not ade- quately understand the nature of the country, hougl I had read a good deal about it. When g from Detroit, for instance, eastwards to est Canada, and coming suddenly upon called London, I thought I had _certainl; from a dream! What! is this Canada We was associated far more in my mind with forests, and all kinds of wild Passing these, burst upon me one of thosenoble viewsywhich, in the course of the journey, are to be seen of thia city. I said, What is this? London, was the reply! tis certainly not so big as the old London; we eally itisa ponee and noble looking city, with 0,000 inhabitants. It is really most etraordinary to nd such a city in the midst of what was the bush; nd, what is better still, I subsequently found its in- habitants a noble Christian people; but this is not all, for there are others which come upon you. For example, Hamilton, on Lake Ontario, with a popu- lation equal to that of Perth, though only about twenty years ago it had only a few huts. It isas fine a looking city as the Fair City itself, and is sur- rounded with noble hills and lakes. Then you come to Toronto, Cobourg, Kingston, Montreal, and other cities—in short, you are ee taken by surprise ee magnificent succession ot wing cities, with their fine public edifices, and fustling commercial activities, that burst upon the view on all hands. After aying a high compliment to a work published. y Mr. Lillie, on the growth and prosperity of Canada, ag throwing more light Epon Canada than a thou- sand other volumes which had been written on the subject, and earnestly recommen that it should be republished here, for the instruction of our coun- trymen, the reverend Doctor said, that there was not a nobler territory than this out of Great Britain and the United States, and that Canada West was one of the most promising parts of the British dominiona in every respect, with reference to its capabilities ae eels as ee se the social comforts, Chria- ian character, and rapidly expanding intelligence and energies of its inhal sans: It is colonized mainly by British people, with free inatitutions, of which they have proved themselves in every worthy. its growth, under every aspect, has been proportionally as rapid as that of the Unived States, and that is unprecedented in the previous history of the world, Education, as well as agriculture, commerce, and everything else bearing on the im- provement of man, are making vast progress; and that being so, let us as a Church specially cherish it. West or Upper Canada is almost resbyterian; and it is very mach Free Church Presbyterianism. (Ap- pane They have already, i understood when there, : ent home money to get out three Presbyterian. ministers. In many parts they have already enough of money, and soon will have in ali ; and their want will be that of men, although they will not long. have even that want. Letus cherish that Knox’s college of Toronto, It is declared to be a noble in- stitution—indeed, it is so already. (Applauec.) ae have a fine set of students there under Dr. Wil and his colleagues, of admirable spirit; and they out iu the summer months and act the part of Tals. sionarics among the settlers. One is delighted to meet with such fine young men. Let us,] repeat, cherish that college. It is worthy of Use| cherish- ed; and in a few years you will find you will be say- ed all trouble in sending out men and money to Ca- nada: nay, the probability, that you will find by and by that your favors and liberalities will be returned to you a hundredfold by a grateful people. In East or Lower Canada, Popery, as is well knowu, prevails, though it abounds in Montreal and elsewhere, with thousands of as noble Protestants as the world con- tina of thts oppoennt time, I cae have availed myse! uw for making ference, seis of the Protestant jonary socketles in He province. I meant to have said a word, for example, upon the French Canadian Society, a thorot ly evangelistic and catholic institution, whose agents labored amongst the Roman Cutholics, and whose constitution was of the most catholic character, 90 hat all couid unite in its labors. It was a soci- ty eminently worthy of being rgitomer Oa the conth side of the town, at Grand Ligne, there is another mission, which is under the influence of an- other denomination. Perhaps our Popish commit- tees could not do better than put themseivesin com- muxication with the noblemen and agents connected with thece societies, and thus let us riddle ourselves. into one apother—(a se et become an em- ire not only in name, but in action aud in brother- jy love. (Applause.) The men who have gone from this country to Canada are noble-hearted men. ta fine specimen have we, for example, in Dr. Burva, of Toronto—(applause)—a man who has more energy about him than many half a dozem young men. He ia possessed of the utmost mascular ergy and brain energy, and never seems exhaust~ im would put any hundred idlers quite in motion. (Laughter and applause.) s work yonder has been at. [ lament that time and strength will uot allow me to enlarge om this important theme; bat others will, I trust, pre» themselves; and the re-publication of Mr. hillie’s work will accompiish much of what I had in- tended to have done. Only cannot close e d proximity to | without saying that the cordiality with ae} visit was received by Christians of was onl asm of our public heyeoomes 3 while there was a spontaneous manift more to tho United States, there ia ono 9 to the car of Christ. gl ity gata Philadeiphia and New York, a nrigineted with some of the goble mini men with whom 1 was brought in a second, nited States; the same; | The Lond bas is iberality towards our mission. frent tht in store for Canada. Roturnin, — connection with them, and with my visit to them, refer, as of exceeding im- to which | would like to 5 Gs, as erosion Coubacl, OF having @ missionary conveution, consisting of indy.