The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-04-27
The Great Religious Anniversarfes-The APP
proaching Holy Week IN New York.

sin aad iniquity with which the city swarms, the
prospect of the approaching holy week in New York,
is perfectly refreshing.
The great anniversaries of the various religious
b. dies that by the grace Of Heaven help TO bless and
hallow this otherwise unholy nation, will take place
the week after next; and if coming events cast their
before, they will be very numerously at
tended, Judging from the number Of parsons that
have already reached the city from the utlermost
parts OF the earth. Many Of these societies have
been established above a quarter of a century, and
each successive year they increase in interest, in
prosperity, in the obtaining Of funds from the pious,
IN enlightening the heather, and disseminating the
truths oil the Bible through every land, DER every
sea-in bringing sinners to drink of the wells OF sal
Walton, instead Of whiskey-and in ~plucklng brands
from the everlasting burning, and in turning many
from the error of their ways, and the wrath to come,
to the wisdom of the Sust.
At these anniversaries are assembled not only the
wise, the good, the pure, the pious of this great
land, (mixed up as they unfortunately are, and always
will be, with a few hypecrites) but the " choice
vessels" of other lands are also present 10 aid by
their counsel, instruct by their experience, strength
en- by their example, and please by the music of
their eloquence. And it is one Of the most delight
full treats tnat can be presented to a philosophic
mind, to see the vast congregations of old and young
both sexes and all ages-from the budding girl of
10 years Of age, to the blooming maiden Of l6, from
her TO the young mother, and so on to the venerable,
pious, grandame, listening to the details OF fights
with the world, the flesh, and the devil, made by
venerable missionaries recently returned from the
scenes of their tolls amid the naked savages of the
Sandwich Islands, athe cannibals of New Zealand,
the burning plains Of Burmab, the hot-beds OF idole.
try, and the disgusting debaucheries Of the Faquirs
ia Hindoostan and CeyloD, the struggles with the
wandering Tartars and Affghans, and their wild
communings with the still wilder Arabs and Meors
Of the sandy deserts of Africa. And all these de-
tails are curiously interviewer with the progress
of religion, philosophy, the Bible, agriculture, the
emancipation of the human mind, the development
of mans intellect in the savage state, and the pro-
gress of arts and civilization, the influence Of money,
and the downfall of the devil; for it is impossible
to put down Satan without expanding a considerable
sum OF money.
In a financial point OF view, too, these Anniversa.
| ries are highly instructive. Combined, these eight
or ten great societies receive and expend over ST.
coo, 900 annually and there is no truer test OF the
financial state of the country than the amounts re-
ceived every year by these Associations. Last year
The Foreign Missionary Society received $260,o0o
The Bible Society received 10000
The Tract Society received $4,000
The Home Missionary Society received $1,000
The Seaman's Society received 4o,OOo
$4,000
Adding to this the sums receivedgby the other socie-
ties will make the amount over a million of dollars
received and expended annually by them. The year
before, the three. great societies, the Bible, Tract,
and Foreign Missionary Societies received and ex'
pended S420,0O0 between them and since their es-
tablishment in this scountry we find that they have
received and expended the enormous sum of seven
millions of dollars. How many souls have been
snatched from the Jaws of Satan and received saliva
ton, il is impossible TO tell until the Great Day of
reckoning hereafter, when every mans debtor and
creditor account will be overhauled and the balance
struck. The same with regard to defalcations. and
mis- appropriation of funds, if any have taken place
besides broken bank and counterfeit bills given for
the cause of charity and religion.
The Temperance cause has hitherto had very lit
tie money to spend but we suppose that with their
army of 100 reformed drunkards, and their ban
ners and marshals, and flags, and little boys, they
will make a tremendous display this year. The
poor miserable abolitionists the year before last had
only $40, 900 to spend, and last year they had only
$4,000, and being deeply in debt, they had to sell
out their books, types, plates, counter, and fxings
of every kind, preparatory to going to the devil
h~eadlong.
1t is also a matter OF great interest to see and hear
the various men of learning and piety brought to-
gether from the ends Of the earth. In the last two
or three anniversaries we have had the toll worn
features of Meigs from Ceylon 1.-THE sun
burnt face of Eth Smith from his wanderings with
Il L IL e C-x,s &C.,. L.. .t~,--u
struggles in Sweden; Robert Baird from his tolls
all over Europe the'dazz!ing Kirk from the Salons
of Paris; the plain blunt sledge hammer style Of
honest Robert Newton; the smartness of Thomp-
son, the great travelling agent of the British and
Foreign Bible Society and the valuable details Of
Bingham from the Sandwich Islands. These, with
Lloyd Garrison, S. VS.. Wilder, the Amistad ne
groes, and some OF the Home Missionaries from the
Far West,-combmed to form an interesting group
OF actors in the great Religious Drama of the pas,
years.
What scenes and actors will be brought forward
this year We know not at present. But this we know,
that this great modern Nicene Council, of the holy,
the wise, the rich, the young, the beautiful, COM
bining all the attractive harmonies of the religious
world of the United States could not be held at a
more exciting and eventful period. For it seems
that Satan has also determined to make this city his
head quarters for the week after next; and backed
by the abo!itionis,s, and,the woolley heads, intends
to make an attempt to dissolve the Unien. All the
rum sellers also talk of holding a convention at the
same time. The devil VIXEN here will divide his
time between the amalgamationisis and the pollti-
clans, and will probably preside in person at the
swearing in of the new CommonC Council the fights in
the 9th Ward, and the division of the .spoils by the
whigs, headed by Col. Webb of the regular army.
One OF his Satanic Majesty's deputles will conduct
the ceremonies of the great race between Boston
aud Fashion, which is also to come off the same
week, and regulate the amount Of gin drinking,
gambling, cheating, swearing, and picking pockets,
that is to take place there
Ia the meantime, Mr.. Miller is making rapid