Daily American telegraph., 1852-07-02
Communicated !

The Cause of Religion in Washington.
NEssRS, EDITORS Permit me through your
widely y-extendcd journal to invite the attention
of the public to the subject of our City Mission.
There is field of labor upon which it
should operate with efficiency; and, as small
means will suffice to cultivate that field, let them
not be withheld. The following, prepared for
publication some time since, is satisfactory and
instructive upon the subject:
The CITY MISSION OF WASHINGTON, ID. c.
The Annual Report OF the Union Missionary aud
Tract Society of the City Of Washington, ID. g.,
was presented at the Annual Meeting, held
March 90, 1852, in the Presbyterian Church, on
Four and-a half street
Agreeably with the constitution of this society,
1t held its annual meeting as stated above, and
interesting addresses were made by Rev. Mr.,
Burrows, OF Philadelphia, Professor L. d. Gale
Rev. DR.. Junkin Rev. Mr.. Smith, Of Ninth street
Presbyterian Church, and other gentlemen, re-
spending to and cheering the efforts made by the
Executive Committee to sustain the mission.
This institution was organized four years AGO.
under the auspices Of the Presbyterian, the Bap-
tist, the Episcopalian, the Lutheran, and the
Methodist churches, and supports by voluntary
contributions one missionary, at q salary OF six
hundred dollars per annum. Mr.. d. NJ Wilson
has been thus far employed in this capacity, and
is again engaged for the coming year.
The Executive Committee feel that their labors
have not been felt and appreciated by the citizens
of this metropolis, and perhaps more because
they have not been known than from any other
cause. They design, therefore, in future, TO
make their efforts more generally known, that
they may thus become more generally useful. The
condition OF Washington, as a city, presents pc
culiarties not found anywhere else in the coun-
try; and this renders the necessity of the mission
specially urgent. The seat of government sup
plies an immense number Of clerkships, n large
portion Of which are changed with each change
Of administration. This condition of society
brings large temporary population, and often
encourages hordes Of idle men and boys; and
this, or some other cause, kas given the boys of
Washington an unenyiabe reputation for idle
ness, Sabbath-breaking, and kindred vices Prob
ably n much less number here, in proportion to
the population, have any employment than is
found in any other city of our country.
The necessity of this association, or some other
designed to accomplish the same purpose, is deem
ed vital to the sustaining of the moral and religious
principle Of the community. Sabbath schools,
puplic schools and the church, it is true, reach
large proportion Of the people that float in the
moving current Of society. But there are upon
its borders stagnant pools filled with all manner
of inpurity, which are entirely out of the reach
be induced to 90 10 the Sabbath school or to the
public school, but those of mature age will not 20
TO either; and vast numbers Of these arc entirely
destitute Of the means Of grace. IL is the mis- /
sionagy only that can reach them. Vow, there
arc here twenty churches for the white pop
uatiou and seven for the cOorcd: and, sGpposing
each to have four hundred attendants, II gives an /
average Of thirteen thousand regularly attending
church, which il less thnn ouc-t bird II the entire
- hmm
fore after a large allowance for those who occa-
sonally attend church, large number that never .
attend any church. Such, it Is hoped may he .
reached by this missionary effort.
The missionary Is supported Ivy the voluntary .
contributions of the friends Of the cause in the
several religious denominations above named 1t
il is made his duty to visit, iar possible, all
families and persons who, either from necessity
or want Of disposition, do not enjoy the means Of
religious instruction; to cXhori them 70 embrace
and practise the prcccptS and commands Of the
gospel; to pray with and for them, that they
may be thus made to feel the Importance and the
necessity Of providing for their own eternal al.
,aGon, a. offered il the gospel.
Stated religious meetings arc kept up il those
uclghhorhoods arthcst from and most iucouyen
eut Of access to the cOrmCu means ~ grace
comfortable places Of worship are provided, and
rs often rs possible the pastor, ui some n the
churches and brethren possessing the ElIt 81 *.
and other similar mean, oi imparnng
religious instruction, Grc engaged 70 70 t. these
places Of worship and minister to ctfy those
who hear The good result, already manifest oi
these religious meetings held III places whore
such instructions have rarely been known before,
are so apparent that they have wrought ~ some
few cases complete revolution in the character
of the neighborhood, OF this kind IS the Sunday
school and meeting station on English Hill.
Another means Of doing good, practiScd by !
this association through its agent, IS the reading
and the distribution of religious tracts and books
Tracts can often travel whore the missionary can
not, and perform their holy work in silence where
other means would be Intellectual.
Our agent has also done much good in estab-
fishing and sustaining Sabbath schools in desti-
tute parts Of the city, and very many children
have been induced to join the regular Sunday
schools attached to the different churches
Our worthy and laborious agent informs us in
his report that during the last year he has made
two thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven re- !