New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-12-18

Unknown to Europe an nations ret IN the very few
centuries that elapsed slpce It's discovery II has
become no erful Intelligent aud wealthy cOlfe1e-
racy Fame his proclaimed its prosperity 70 dis. AIT
l.nds and in every year many tens of thousands
leave the nome OF t1eu childhood and come hitter,
that they NAV participate IN our privileges More Of
them oisembaTk At Ne xYork than at any. and per
haps every, other port In the Union Some OF then
after shOlt deay. proceed 20 our new settle meats
tut Others remain with US all of them receive here
their first impression Of American character, and We
ash that impre sson 10 be that we are people who
not only for their temporal but also tor their
spiritual welfare. Among these strangers III o
Inany industrious, moral and religious persons bat
far gre ater number slaves Of superstition who
Imagine that although fed by land and proiected
by our laws they owe allegiance % fore lgn power,
from which no an Of Remuneration can release then
sno this nOtwlths andlng that foreign power Is the T
TecOno ileable eremy Of Repu)iicanism, OF protes
tsntsm and Of vital Christianity. Others profess t.
be social reiOnDCrS yet they denOulce Divine Rev
eia,iCn and are Lat,tndinaIian IN practice they fear
not God nor regard man. Besides these there
mary who are bankrupt in character, desperate IN
circumstances, and adept IN crime. Every Immigrant
as well as every ndtlse citizen eIeTts an influence,
aud since our community IS daily increased by glcH
an admlxture, Te are not surprised, although We arc
gneveo that vice is so prevalent that the nluHts o.
IiqUlty so numerous, and that the oltbreaxins-
o. CPpr8viiy frcCucPt
We would arrest the progress Of inlquty and in
drce men 10 seriously reflect upon thor condition
as immortal and accountable beings. Human la
nay punish evil dOeTs, but they cannot upfoot The
icye Of evil moral efforts may improve the OUTWARD
condition Of society. and yet leave the souls Of men
IN the gall o. bitterness and IN the bones oil inlguy
but spiritual and experimental religion rene ss toe
NJ ant and cOnectS the life and 10 be Instruments
IN awakening attention 20 the importance OF TINS re
lIllon and leading men into its enjoyment is the
Wclk contemplated by this Society. In pursuing
this work It conflicts with no re igous organization
Il iuteTeres win no evangelical cenoinlnan0n, oG,
II Is the handmad o: every good word and WORK, an1
aids the Churches BY seeking out and cary lag re-
iieious truth % vast multitude Of our ieo~-citi-
z,ns who cannot be reached Dytae ordinary arrange
mcIts
sevcn;y ars ago when our City contained ons
3 eco Inhabitants there was place Of worship far
every | 1853 persons but now, WIT aa increase OF
la'f million O. or population, we nave not oac
fCI every 2,lOO persons, even though we Iucluie
tiOse ln Whch Jesus is not preached As he Messiah
as the ore Mediator, or as the at9ning Sacn1ce.
Iet here bu; few OF our Churches that are filed
with hearers and OF those persons who are 81
sufficient age tO attend our Sacctuaries there are
acre than one -hif who ha5ltull} neglect doing 1t.
when asked O. account for this neglect, some ul-
bias Ingly avuW thCir Cnmity - religion some de-
clare Their pre- ference for Sabbath excursions
complain that orr church arrangements are made
fer the rch and intellectual rather than for the poor
and untarncd, anu oshefs max. Oihcf excuses Duii
sha'cyer theT excuses may be, the appalling "a /
remains that there are in the City inhabit about
~ o hundred thousand persons who are beyond the
reach of the ordinary mnstrationS OF our clergy
To make known 10 these travellers 10 eternity the
way Of salvotcn. other means must therefore BE
employ ed BESIDE preaching IN our Churches Thus
fact has lately arrested much attention, and some Oi
our most valued Pastors have contemplated preach
ing in the squares and other public places while
others recommend that places De provided IN the
more destitute nelehoorhoods where the hearers
may be comfortably accommodated, and that they
DC there supplied with the ministry OF the Gospel.
We pray tina; whatever may be done may be blessed
Of the Lord but II must be evident that ho such
sdminist aons can extend further than 10 these
who attend upon them. and consequently that vas:
number Of persons Will still remain for whom some
moIe efficient means mus. be employed THESE
must be sought ont and We know no mode more
eifectua for doing this than visiting them a! their
habltatiops, and there teaching them the Gospel III
friendly conversation, and commenting 1t to taer
attention by friendly acts. This is the humble, but
vastly important work IN which the City Tract 30
ciety is engaged.
By me ans Of Ward Missionaries and District visi-
tors religious Truth is taken TO the dwellings OF the
poor the destitute, and the neglecIerso OF the sancu
! airy, many of whom are as ignorant OF the way
of salvation as the heather, although living IN a
nominslly Christian city Every month the visits
| are repeated, and IN many cases more frequently.
! religious uact is given, and sometimes llstle
group collected together while the visitor reads 1t
| 10 them This opens the way for religious CONVEX
saton. BY kindness and sincerity confidence Is Ia
| spred, and the most momentous truths are spoken
| with personal direction that cannot be eyaded'
| The children are invited to Sabbath and Public
Schools, and the parents TO Prayer Meetings ana 10
Church. and not unirequenty the visitor Gals or an
takes them there. Opportunity, is often found oy
judicious advice and by other means, to reneve me
heart that sad. II there be inebnetv, the Ieu.
ptrance Pledr is a, hand If employment De "ansa'
! efforts made to procure II N mere pep'verN'
the Missionaries hold "a relation To The society i'r
improving the condition OF the poor, that enao'es
them TO supply relief or II there DC no bSlc III INC
house the means are al hand for placing that TIE d
sure there. Indeed no opportunity oil ming h'ng
sorrow rs dsregarced and whieycr lnlucnc' IS
thus obtained Is conscclateG to tae great oolec %
winning souls TO Christ.
during the last year 81 Missionaries have seen
sustained. including IL Ward Missionaries one loI
Seamep one for resident Germans, and two for ln-
nisrants The addition Of a Missionary for The re-
Gently formed Twentieth WAR mas been hithert'
DELAYED, but cannot with PROPHECY De deayed atY
longer The present number q. visitors Is LIS, sh
the same has been the average number through vac
year. The tsultS reported duilng the year are Is
follows i 63l 800 tracts, containing 6S92 l9l pages
have been distributed These nave oeea cheny M
Enplish but many of them III foreign languages
1905 Bibles and ls1 Testsments have been supplied
10 the destitute on behalf of the Newi oIk Bible SO
cioty 6,467 volumes have been tent from W ara
Libraries 1914 children gathered into SdbOath ah'
35l into Pubic Schools l49 persons INDUCED 10 a.
tend Bible Classes, and OF 10 attend Church
i,096 Temperance Pledges obtained l,S'2 DiSirc
PRAYER Mtttnas held ~ Backs iders reclaimed
ls9 persons hopefully Convened, and lSO 'ohVefS
united with EVanceical churches
In concluding this Report, the Members OF tht
Board would refer to the important position the so
. ciety occupies to the adaptation OF the means en-
| poyec ard 10 the blessing OF God that has ATTENDED
those means As appealing TO The society LOT the con
! lnuance and enlargement OF It's operations, To tht
stewards OF GODS bounty, for the means OF deIayine
Tie necessary expenditure, and TO the Members O
our Churches Tor hen aid as tract VISITORS. 1e
Z rand increase o. population renders inperdhev
/ necessary an increase Of Missionaries, and mere
ought 70 be II leasttw thousand instead OF twelve
hundred Visitors engaged IN this ChIlsI-llae WORK
! But Il ut which is most wanted, that winch, II en-
o,e ed would provide all necessary tunss, double the
number OF Visitors, ald insure increased success
larger measure of divine influence revival OF
pure religion, that mdwelllng OF tie Holy spirll
which viii efity and comfort the family OF God and
employ al IT, members works of faith aud iaooT'
of love. THIS religion let us cultivate let us Nus
tate It's principles. and continually supphcaie the
GiVer OF all G cod fOI rs wider diffusion.
Tbs<a tapnr,S We 70 then adonfel and yrde rad e
Re priI.ed, ana addresses fSr which we cannot fine
rcclnl were made BY Rev. X n Foster and Rev
Asa D. Smith.
A collection was made and, With the usual formal
i,os the Society adjourned