The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1847-09-24
A Christian Colony.

land christians, which emigrated TO, and
8 settled many years since in Michigan,
/. thus touchingly, eloquently and graphic.
ally describes their faith, their trials and
8 their Ultimate triumph. over the selfish
] and sensual. by the power of kindness.
/, Queen City.
Rich in spiritual culture, this little
band started foi the far West. Their in.
> ward homes were blooming gardens,
: they made their outward in a wilderness.
They were industrious and frugal. and
things prospered under their hands,
But soon wolves came near the fold, in
the shape of reckless, unprincipled ad-
venturers, believers in force and cunning,
who acted according to thoir creed, The
f colony of practical Christians spoketof
their d%epredations in terms of g~entlest
; remonstrance, and repaid them with un-
varying kindness. They went farther
they openly announced, You may do US
|, what evil you choose, we will return no.
r thing but good" Lawyers came into the
neighborhood and offered their services
to settle disputes. They answered, We
have no need of you. AS n~eighbors, we
receive you in the most friendly spirit;
(. but for US, your occupation has ceased to
exist" "What will you do if rascals
burn your barns, and steal your harvest?'
ave will return good for evil. We be-
: lieve this is the highest truth, and there.
fore the best expediency."
> When the ~rascals heard this, they con.
t sidered it a marvellous good joke, and
9 said aud did many provoking things,
> which to them seemed witty. Bars were
y taken down in the night, and cows let in
to the cornfelds. The Christians repair
ed the damage as well as they could, put
t the cows in the barn, and at twilightdrove
s them gently home, saying, 'Neighbor,
4 your cows have been in my field, | have
9 fed them well during the day, but l would
not keep them all night, lest the children
should suffer for their milk"
!. If this was fun, they who planned the
!, joke found no heart to laugh at it. By
degrees, a visible change came over
these troublesome neighbors. They ceas-
$ ed to cut off horses tails, and break the
r legs of poultry. Rude boys would say to
a younger brother, Don't throw that
e stone, Bill! When | killed the chicken
3 last week, didn't they send it to mother,
d because they thought chicken broth would
be good for poor Mary3 l should think
you'd be ashamed to throw stones at thei,
chickens" Thus was the evil overcome
with good, till not one was found to dc
them wilful injury.
At the end of ten years, the public
!. land, which they had chosen for their
l. farms, were advertised for sale by auc.
zion. According to custom. those who
"a had settled and cultivated the soil, were
considered to have a right to bid it in al
tine government price; which at that time
is was $l,25 per acre. But the fever Of
at land speculation then CHANGED to run un
n. sually high. Adventures from all part,
of the country were flocking to the auc
ia ton; and capitalists from Baltimore, Phil
n. adelphia, New York and Boston, were
)" sending agents to buy up western lands
,e No one supposed that custom or equalit,
would be regarded. The first days sail
cb showed that speculation ran to the YER
/ verge of insanity. Land was eagerly
bought in, at seventeen, twenty-five an,
n. thirty dollars an acre. The Christian
,e colony had small hopes of retaining thei
re farms. AS first settlers they had choseI
the best land; and persevering indusir,
is. had brought it into the highest %cultiva
- ton. Its market value was much create
in than the acres already sold, at exorbi
tant prices. In view Of these facts, the
e. had prepared their minds for another re
,ot move into the wilderness, perhaps to b
he again elected by a similar process. Bu
he the morning their lot was offered for sal
ca they observed, with grateful surpris
ef. that their neighbors were everywher
busy among the crowd, begging and eS
postulating-Don't bid on these land,
~. These men have been working hard o
nr, them for ten years. During all that tim
IL they never did harm to man or brute.-
,ss They are always ready to do good fc
ia evil. They are a blessing to any neigl
MI borhood. 1t would be a sin and a sham
hi. to bid on their lands. Let them go
m, the government price.
nm The sale came on; the cultivators
to the soil offered SIPS intending to bi
ae, higher Unnecessary. But among all tht
ed crowd of selfish, reckless spectators, NJ
i'm one oCer bid Memi Without an opp,
an, sing voice the fair acres returned to then
no, | do not know q more remarkable instanc
10 of evil overcome with good. The wise
hat political economy lies folded up III tn
he maxims Of Christ.
NJ With delighted reverence, | listened
we this unlettered back woodsman, as he e,
an, planned his philosophy Of universal low
i . "What would you do, said |, if an idl
en-, thieving vagabond came among you, +
,Yarrt solved TO stay, but determined not
work." We should give him food wht
hungry, shelter when cold, and alwa,
treat him as a brother" Would n
e this process attract such characters2-
How would you avoid being over,
with them2 Such characters would cit
nl,' er reform, or not remain with us. "
,rd should never speak an angry word, or T
fuse to minister TO their necessities; b
we should invariably regard them wi
h;o the deepest sadness as we would a gull
but beloved son. This is harder for I