The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1851-05-19
New Yolx corresponaenee--N0. 8.
~ New YoRK, May 8, 1851.

was uSlltIcu III VIII Tdiu. lne COIlfcl-
tions, however, have become so accustomed
to unpropiiiousweather that though it moist
ems the garments Of those who attend, they
do not allow tito dampen their ardor..
The meetings began yesterday. If give
you a record of any of their sayings and 10
ings, please regard it as my report and not
my opinion.
The audience at the "Brick Church" in
Beekman street yesterday, were addressed by
young French Clergyman, Rev. Mr.. PLATTE,
special messenger TO the United States,
from theloniy Bible Society in France.
Though emirently French in his nasal in
donations, and in his division of the syllable
emphasis. be spoke with considerable fluency,
and grest simplicity and naturalness for near
| ly an bour.in the English, which believe
he has acquired during the few months that
he has been in this country. He isa short
thick set man of "a or 35 years, with broad
but pale beardless counteuance, black hair,
dark earnest eye, an expression of much
more unobsequious humility than is usual
with men of that nation.
! His subject was the history Of the origin,
rise, progress and present condition of the
only Evangelical and Bible Society in France
the institution from which he bears spe-
cial mission to the Evangelical associations
of America.
Mr.. PLATTE first treated upon the religious
condition of France prior to 1880. The
papists, he said. had with fire and sword,
driven out and destroyed the French Protes-
tants. As they could only extirpate chris
tianity from that land by staying or banish-
ing the christians themselves, they killed
them by thousands and burnt their bibles and
places of worship. In this summary man
ner was christianity rendered extinct in
France, and undisputed sway usurped by
Popery. About this time Voltaire and his
set of witty takers and satirists, though
knowing no other religion, commenced q
war of sarcasm and caricature against the
ceremonies and superstitlons of the Roman
church. The protestant religion could be
. destroyed in France only by extirpating all
who believed in it, but Popery was laughed
out of its influence and position, and driven
BY shafts of infidel wit and satire into the
monasteries and converts. In its place
Atheism arose, and the worship of God was
supplanted by the senseless, blasphemous ant
licenlious orgies of half naked courtesan o
Paris, whom the infatuated Revolutionists o
1893 called "The Goddess of Reason"
/ It was the natural result, he said, ofPopery
and he invoked the patriotism and goo'
J 4 sense of Americans to beware of the exten
7. sion of its influence in the United States,
!. they wished to preserve their glorious repub
Z lican system and free institutions, and no
: fall into the desplate and hopeless conditio
in which we see France, Spain and Italy.
: Is it not a token of ominous import tha
0 while all true Americans should sympattis
/ with those who were engaged in the late Ii
II fated Italian struggle for liberty, there al
those ir this country who are making bust
e and statues, and drinking public toasts, t
: the persecution of the patriots, Pope Piui
e the ninth, and while both this government
!, and people are heart and hand with the Hun
0 garians, there is clique or cabal in Ney
York and Boston, openly and elaborately de
: Tending tile tyranny of the Austrian govern
S ment and the vlllanies of its minion, Hay
|, nau? .. e.4t,- .ss te
'. After the extirpation Of the christians
> christianity continued almost extinct i
{ France, Until about l6 years ago, hsndfu
I of catholics (who had through the grace {
! God, and the inhIence Of His Holy Spiri
!, themselves discovered the necessity Of vita
9 religion, and not one Of mere iorms,) forme
!, Bible Sbciety, the one which the speakt
now represented.
!, 1t was signally successful. Frenchrner
: he said, were eminently fitted for prop
ganhism One convert was sure TO NAL
= another, and another. Assoon as one Of b
y countrymen was converted, he could not rel
: until he, had impressed his new faith int
y the heart and soul OF some friend who woul
!, !, svmpathlze in his views and feeling
:, Fnnchmen had heen and ever would be Il
% most efficient propagandists in the worl'
b. means Of the churches, schools, teache
/, and col pbrleu.s Of this Bible Society. thoI
y sands of his people had been converted I
u y. the truth just prior 10 the Revolution
- lS48. Mr.. PLATTE then gave statistical o.
~ count Of the societyS means, appliance
&c. The ratio of conversions and contrib
le tions increased daily. New fields of uselu
u ness were opening continually. 1t was gl
rious tosee how God prospered the got
:. work. Butthe late Revolution, full OF prom
!. Use ,cruAly disappointed, had thrown ira,
- and finances into confusion, suspended 4
-, wheelsof business, and cut off the pecunia
~ supplies of the laboring people, upon who
ne the society had been chiefly dependant 1
90 as its support Bythis disastrous condition
a affairs, the annual income Of the Bible al
" Evangelical of France was reduced Ia
:, e year from $50 900 to $29, 900; and this ye
ne TO S25, 900. They were consequently COZ
4, pelled to make similar reduction in th'
expenditures and at the very time when {
81 demands for their teachers, schools q
lchurches were The loudest and most num-
10, ous, the board Of managers with achi
'la hearts, and faces bathed in tears, at their nj
zee gloomy meetings, were forced 10 suppr
Ve more than half their schools, colporleu
.i,. &c.. &c. a
lNs MIR. PLATTE evidently felt his subject v,
]. deeply. Itwus very striking and effect
u's thing to him he said, 10 observe the men
OF condition Of the French people immedia
acss Ely after the Revolution oil 1913. There y
o. universally social and religious crav
which they were at loss TO define, mi
more to supply. They were no longer ru
y ing recklessy forward, but had come. /
INT blank pause, uncertain what TO do, and a
pss liously inquirig we want, but what DO
es- want? What next? We would build
,us Ebut whatto build on ? They needed
~ cial basis, but where should they find
M In Popepg I. was rotten; In Athel' !.