Spirit of the age., 1853-05-11
aSeaman's Friend soc;etvu y


, We have received Circular letter from
The above Society, it being a strong and clio
1uent Appeal for funds to aid in the erection
Of Sailors Home and Mariners Church in
the port of Wilmington, n. c., for the i'm.
proyement Of the temporal and spiritual con-
dition of Seamen,. 1t is unnecessary to dwell
on the Importance of this benevolent enter
prise-all who know any thing of Seamen,s
habits and generosity, know that they have
suffered greatly more from the "land-sharks"
that infest our Ports than they have from the
monsters of the deep-for after having es-
capped the perils of the sea, they are almost
invariably made the victims of liquor land
lords and the base and unprincipled with
whom they come in contact on shore. One
Of the objects of this. Society is to provide
Boarding House for the Seamen who NAV
visit the port of Wilmington, based ON such
moral and economical principlcsas will great
ly conduce to their comfort, so long as they
continue its inmates, and make it to them a
House of Refuge from the insidious snares
and seductive vices to which they are ever ex-
posed while on shore"
Tn connection with this humane object, it
is also designed to erect Mariners Church.
and the Circular clearly demonstrates, from
facts and circumstances related, the positive
and growing necessity for such an Institu-
ton. If it be necessary to build Homes and
| Hospitals for their bodies, surely it is Of
much more moment to construct sanctuaries
for their souls-souls that are stamped with
''an Immortality, that o'ersweeps all pains,
all tears, all time" Let it not be said, that
the doors of our Churches are open to them
through which they may enter and hear the
tidings of salvation. The sailor is clannish
IN his habits, gregarious in his associations,
and Is as seldom, found entering the church
Of the landsman, as in going to the Hotels of
our Ports, rather than to the Sailor Board
; ing House, which is his almost invariable re-
sort. lie needs to be sought, and won bv
something which seems peculiarly designed
for himself, and when he sees the Bethel
Flag, as it floats from the Mariners Church,
at once he is lured to its solemn services, and
: often in prayer and penitence his heart is
given to his God.
The cause of the Sailor appeals deeply to
our sympathies, and on the friends of Tenn
perance this enterprise has strong claims, as
: 1T constitutes the Naval branch Of our war
fare. Let us not forget, in our fabors for the
: land forces, that through intemperance nayies
have been stranded, and thousands gone down
G with the waves for their winding sheets, and
found drunkard's graves in the coral depths
! of the sea.
G The Circular concludes with the following
!, appeal to all the citizens Of North Carolina :
y No single community like Wilmington,
7 can found and foster such institutions rs are
; herein indicated, though upon her, chiefly,
? will devolve their support throughout the fu-
q ture. The cry then which we send forth to
+ the generous every where, is the old one Of
j Macedonia, "Come over and help u.s." We
appeal to you to give something to the poor
sailor, who has given so much to you, and
: be assured that your gifts, like the almsgiv-
ing Of Cornelius, will go up as a memoria
before God in your behalf. Give him Home
where he NAV find refuge from that vortex
= of vice, which so often engulfs him. Give
him Church, where, though bercft of tht
possessions Of Earth, he may gain an inheri
= tance in Heaven, and take for your recon
pense and solace, the words of the Great Mas
: ter: Inasmuch as We have done it to tn,
u least of one of these, ye have done it unit,
IS Me-"
d We do most heartily commend the g Sea
= mems Friend Society of Wilmington" t
: the liberality Of our readers. Churches, Be
ID ne7olent Societies and citizens generally wi
sc be entitled to a Life Membership upon til
payment of Twenty Dollars for each perso
!, : designated by them. Donations may be fol
] wardcd to B. T. Mitchell, Treasurer; or Re1
I'd VIM. |. Langdon, Agent, Wilmington, n. {
.