The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-05-10
Meeting I'm Behalf of the American Board OF
Commissioners for Foreign Missions, mt the
Broadway tabernacle, May 9th.

Broadway Tabernacle, May 9th.
This meeting was called by the board Of direc-
ton, for the purpose of improving the opportunity
which the large number Of the clergy and laity from
abroad in attendance the various annivers aries,
presented of circulating through the country mis-
sionary intelligence, and Of awakening in the conf
unlty, interest in the affairs of the society The
Tabernacle was well filled, and the audience APP
peared to take lively interest III the proceedings
At 10 o'clock, A. NJ, the Hon. Theodore FIRE.
nghnysen, President of the Board, took the chair;
and the exercises commenced with prayer, by the
Rev. DR.. Beecher, of CINCINNATI
| The Rev. DIR. ARMSTRONG, one of the Secretaries,
then read statement of the operations of the Board
during the last year. The past year, said the Secre-
tary has been eventful one in the history of our
missions IN Western Asia the opposition which has
been manifested by the Turkish government; the
| many obstacles II has thrown In the way of dis
semnination OF the gospel truth, have been, to
great extent, Withdrawn. The Sultan has destroyed,
by his religious federation, the fundamental maxim
Of the Koran. We have now facilities there for
building up the waste places, which, with the bless
ing of God, we are determined to improve. The
mission to the HISTORIANS is abandoned: Or. Grant,
the intrepid pioneer OF the mission, died of fever in
lsA he had labored long and faithfully and now is
enjoying an exceeding great reward. We had to
contend with fearful odds in mission that peo-
pie. The Greek Patriarch and his brothers. with the
of France, at the Persian Court were all marshalled
against our missionaries. In Syria, there has not
been much done Our missionaries, however, are
preaching, and the people learning that the truth as
1t is in Jesus, will set the nations free. The mission
| at Jerusalem has been transferred to Beyrooth. We
have every reason to be satisfied with the fruits of
this mission; whole Greek families, in the face of
the bltterest prosecutions, have embraced Protestant
ism, and rejoice to say, remain faithful to heirpro-
fesson. The most bitter antpathy seems to exist in
the minds OF the unGonverted Greeks against the
Protestant doctrine. The Bible not allowed to be
read, and in many ways the Greek Church shows it.
sell fitting coadutor with the papa hierarchy in
the work OF oppression. The spiritual existence of
the Armenian Church is not healthy-we have, how
ever, some native teachers there, who are efecting
much good and the demand for the Bible is increas-
ing, IN face OF the most determined opposition. In
Constantlnopie, 30 many attend the mission church
that the edifce can scarcely hold them, and u
week prayer meetings are held in the city proper,
BY native teachers, and this is in Constants
4ople, the metropolis Of the Moslem world.
most fruitful field of Christian labor, and soon an
avenue will be opened to the dark and almost
most unknown region in the centre of Africa, where
M % nave an 0ppHEany Of
taloed serious loss IN the death of Mr.. Griswold
There was nothing ofimportance from South Africa
ihe Secretary then went into a detail Of the opera
tions OF the Board in Hindostan, showing the pros
porous condition Of the missions there and observ-
Inc, IN conclusion, that their agencies there should
be increased at least hundred fold In Ceylon the
indication OF the downfall Of idolatry is becoming
more and more distinct from month to month. Our
missionaries there are sending home loud cries for
help and the prudential committee earnestly desires
to answer tie cry Nothing particularly interesting
has been received from Siam. The untllendly
aspect which the local authorities of Bornco wore to-
wards the missionaries Is entirely changed This is
OWING % the Intcrpositlon ct the home government
It affords Vi much pleasure to state that the Dyak
mission Is in most ilourishing condition The
Chinese wlat books sent, and the word taught. far
beyond our ability to supply. We have two mission
ares IN Hong Kong and one in Annoy; the last is Of
the Reformed Dutch Church. and labored formerly
with great faithfuness in Borneo. The Board strong
~ desire to form Il third mission OH the Northern
Coast, and we ought to send out at least twenty
more MISSIONARIES. In the pastoral care Of large
} churches, the missionaries have to depend ma
teraly upon the native assistants they have
, proven themselves, faithful and competent. In
many OF The villages the converted Chinese are
support their own churches. One Of the churches
raised for that purpose l25 the very first quarter
they met. No intelligence Of moment has reached
US from .e oregon mission. The aspect of the mis-
IS most favorable. The great difficulty missionaries
find IN intoxicating the TRUTH is the avarice and wick
edness among protesting Christians. He would
say, in justice to the Indian character that the Che
rokees and the Choctaws in point of morality, &c,
compare favoraby with Americans in their neigh
borhood., mission to the ODbbeway Indians has
been established and IS affecting much. And yet,
/, although we have done all we could do, and we have
effected much,how many have gone without warning
to the land of silence and darkness, and passed un.
sanculed to the bar OF God and the retrbutions of
eternity! II we look only at what has been done, we
see much to call for thanksgiving and praise-but if
we consider what has been left undone, we feel that
we have scarcely entered on the mighty work. that
we are not halt awake to Its vastness and its amaz-
ing Importance. In the domestic department of the
operation Of the Board, there indications of an
increase OF the missi onary spirit in the Christian
community for which it acts. The numbers OF young
men in cur Theological Seminaries who profess to
have consecrated their lives to the publication of the
gospel among the heather, is much larger than it
was twelve months ago, and the prospect Of obtain
ing an adequate supply of laborers for the foreign
field, is fairer than it has been any previous time
since the fatering of the churches, 1897 excrted
SO DISASTROUS an influence on those who were look
ing forward to this work.
The finances of the Board are more prosperous
than they were last year. The receipts of nine
months OF the financial year, commencing on the
LIST OF August, 1874 and closing the 30th of April,
1870 were SlS5 600, exceeding those of the cores
pondng period last year, $2l 3l5. The amount thus
received IN the nine months that have elapsed is less
by $1,000 than the appropriations for the same Pc
rod II the remaining quarter OF the annual year
shall show increase on the corresponding quarter
Of last year in the ratio that has been realized thus
far, the Board will be free from debt at the close Of
Its financial year on the 3lst OF July. In order to
accomplish this the receipts Of the remaining quar-
ter must average $26, 800 per month.
The Board has now under Its care rs MISSIONS
with 500 laborers, including native teachers. We
have 80 missionary stations, and 6S9 free schools,
containing ABOUT oV,VUO pupils, and some boarding
schools and seminaries in fiourishing condition.
We have Is printing establishments which have
4 printed about fifty millions of pages in 81 languages
not including the English, and there are twenty-sx
churches OF converted heather with $4,000 members
IN tul communion, under the supcrinteudancc of the
Missionaries sent out by the Board
Or. DIS WITT then addressed tho meeting instead
OF Dr. WyokotT of Albany, who had been invited to
address the meeting, but did not attend. His re-
marks had reference TO tho necessity of action, &c.
among the Christian churches. lie was followed
by the
Rev. S. HUrcuINes, of the msson at Madras
who, alluding to the many trials, &c. which await
the missionary in the field Of his labors, said that
The missionary receives call from Christ TO 90 and
preach the gospel and he goes forth nothing doubling
with penls by land and neriIs by sea before him. and
though the heather harden his heart and perisR re-
lnsins the tender of salvation he knows that he has
discharged his duty and will receive his reward.-