The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-05-07
ANNIVERSARY WEEK IN NEW YORK.


The Rev ALBERT BARNES delivered tho anniversary
this society in the Mercer street church last
evening After Il usual evening exercises were con-
eludcd, the Rev. gentleman commenced by ing he
would take his text from the first chapter of Deuero
nomy and twenty second verse; which, he said, con-
tanned a principle very appropriate to the of
home MISSIONS and the language, besides is very APP
proprate. In this sense, it is not constructive
fguratve formidable the obstacles are,
not be discouraged for he believed that the salvation
of the country depended the exertons Of this and
kindred societies. He divided his sermon into four
points. Wherever We go he said there is a restitution
of tho gospel in our country but the most inviting
field is the great West to which portion he would limit
the country is lost The reverend gentleman then
crrcd to the spiritual condition of the West the cha
racter of its population; its towns cities and villages,
which said rival those of the East, and said it
land flowing with milk and honey; and great many
reports have been received thence which must,
less influence the public mind of the East Thus
says, that the people Of the West are cannbas;
another, that they perfectly civilized; another,
that Romanism is making great Roadway there but his
impression with all those accounts before him. that
the West is very extensive country capable Of sub
ssting population equal to that Of China In 1918
tho first steamboat was launched, and in 1917 the
commerce of the inland waters Of the West
estimated at four hundred millions of dollars. The
speaker then gave description of the vastness
West and exclaimed, What a field does it not furnish
evangelical religion there cannot be cr.estimated
After quoting the remarks Of several travellers depict
ing the early settlement of the Wests occupation by
the aborignesits mounds, its soil, running waters,
bluffs and mountain sceneryall of which have under
gone change, caused by the exertons of the
is not the work ofman but of God in order that he
might prepare it for the abode of Christian people;
and as God prepared pilgrim fathers to make New
England what is he has put it in the power of the
present generation to make the West what it should be-
We must, therefore, look for homogeneous mind, in
regard to the matter, we'll energy and
ton. There is no homogeniousness of charac-
ter in the people of the West We have there
the descendants of the early Pilgrims whose cha
ractestic trait is love of civil and religious liberty
then have people from the East, of rowing DISPOSE
ton as well as many who have gone there with deter
mination to make the West what it should be clergy
men, too who forget the sanctuary and the family
prayer Interminged with these, are foreigners who
possess desire for liberty, &c. and with different Ian
guages religions &c Again there are representatives
from all the States in the Union In this great valley
rope and every State in the Union each with his
language, prejudices and religion As yet, common
sympathy binds all these together and the
is there settled public mind there Now in old set
tied countries in Europeo in the old States Of America
there lisa decided public sentiment from which no man
would wish to fly but the West Is new world, which
opens to the emigrants new life and suporinduces
new feelings SC Society there, is therefore loose
and incohercnt, and the consequence is that it is
| perturbed by demagoguism, not only in poll
ties, but in religion This. Aswevor, has its
| advantages; for the influences which operating
there are favorable to the establishment of evangelical
religion 1t follows too, that the Westernmind has to
develope its sumbering vgor and there are all the ma
terias in it necessary to produce intellectual conflicts
which must result in favor Of truth Such is the field
of operation now let us examine the contending elc
y.
| In this connection, he said the West great
battlefield, and presented interesting spectacle not
there that the great title of freedom to be- fought
people to be ettercd the letters will be forged
the other side Of the Alleghanics; and the same
| may be said of Europe The question of ascend
ancy lies between Barbarism, Civilization Romanisn
and Evangelical Religion. AS to the first
| the ancient and modern history of colonization,
there is danger Of the race deterorating in the
West if there salt to preserve it but the
ruling mind of the West is American impressed with
| no liberty, education,
the press the telegraph, its communication with the
Eastln fine there is nothing to justify the SUPPOSE
ton that barbarsm be the of society
| in the West. Is infdcty to be the characteristic of
the West! On this subject he said that the argument
the divine origin of Christianity has been settled
in favor of Christianity There has been struggle be-
tween them in the West but open infdelity
be the prevailing belief for the of those who go
| there are imbued with a of rcligon-are men
| trained to those forms of religion which take the
greatest hold the public mind. A great portion of
the Germans who have gone thithcr itansts the
Romans adhere to their belief, as they do wherever
they CO. rendering it probable that at least genera
ton must before change can be effected in
| them. Again, the books read there are not Of the
infde school, neither is there any organization of inf
| dels there. nfdelity tried under the most ia
| vorable circumstances at New Harmony, on the Wa
bash but Notwithstanding all the advantages whichit
| possessed nfdelity failed to establish tsclf-and the
failure of the scheme shows that infdey is not to be
| the religion of the West. The next is, is Romanism
to be the religion Of the West 1t cannot be denied
that that religion Is its last legs in the old world.
Its supporters made great excrons to extend it to the
centnent but isa mistake to suppose that that
religion can rc-cnact scenes Oh Ola
| in the There is too much repubcanism here for
that Besides the priests do not mix with the Amcri-
people, neither do they publish any books which
can effect the American mind. We are alarmed when
told that Romanism numbers million and a half in
this country; but must remember the remaining
eighteen millions Look at their former stronghods St
Louis Baltimore Detroit &c. and how they now
From this and other matters the reverend gentleman
concluded that Romanism is not to be the religion OF
the West and that evangelical religion will be para
mount there The manner in which this is to be
effected, occupied the remainder of the evening.
Notwithstanding the inclemency OF the weather, the
church was filed to overlooking, and among the at
tendants there was q good proportion of ladies'