The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-05-07

THE FUTURE OF THE AMERICAN TRACT b,
CIETY-THE MEETING To-DAY.-The celebra-
ton Of the American Tract Society's ami
versary begins this morning at ten o'clock.
It is understood that the leading matter
before the body will be the litigation of the
question whether the Tract Society lie to be-
come sectional OF to remain Q national in
stitution. For some time the abolitionists
have yainly endeavored to split the society as
they have split the Baptist and Methodist
churches Foremost among the assailants has
been the sect called Congregationalists, whose
clergy, at recent conference or synod, So
lemnly declared their conviction that the
society was under the control of the slave
power. The charge was based, it seems, on
the publication by the society Of edi-
tons Of three books, in which certain
passages referring to slavery were said
to have been expurgated by the society.
1t turns out, on examination, that one Of
the editions assailed was reprinted verbatim
from the only other edition in print-a London
one--in which the alteration had originally
been made; that another was revised by the
author; and that the third-the memoirs Of a
young lady--was abridged at the desire of the
subjects mother, and thus pruned of much ex-
trsneous matter, including some pious ejacula-
tions on the subject Of West Indian emancipa-
ton. This appears to be all the evidence that
can be procured to sustain the charge of undue
subservience to the South, brought against the
Tract Society by Beeeher's church.
1t lie, in fact, quite obvious that the wrath OF
the Congregationalists was aroused not by the
Souther proclivities but by the steady national
conservatism Of the Tract Society. 1t was be-
cause that body refused to follow the example
of the Methodist and Baptist churches refused
to allow itself to be made tool Of to serve
party purposes refused to impair its useful
ness by bisecting its sphere that Beecher
and his friends assailed it.
The question to be decided this morning is a
very simple one By its constitution the Tract
Society exists in order ''to diffuse a knowledge
Of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as the
Redeemer Of sinners, and to promote the inte-
rests Of vital goodness and sound morality,
by the circulation Of religious publications
calculated to receive the appreciation Of all
evangelical Christians" It is implicitly res
trained from circulating any religious pub
ication' which cannot "receive the approba-
ton Of Evangelical Christians in the South:
the thing the Congregationalists wish it to do
They want to abolitionize it, and make its
tracts engines of political agitation; it replies
by referring to its constitution, which points
out its ephere, as clearly and Enthusiastically
beyond the pale of controversy.
Nor does reference to the dictates of com.
mon sense lead to any other conclusion. The
object Of tract societies is to publish and sell
books cheaper than the trade can; the suppos
ed loss Oh their sale being made up by the
contributions of the faithful who are impressed
with the belief that it behoves the poor to read
the books SO published for the good of their
souls. 1t is quite evident that the larger the
society, the wider its field. and the more nA-
tional its character, the better will it be able
to fulfil its purpose. One great society ap
pealing to the benevolenoe of the whole coun-
try will obviously effect far more than two
rival sectional societies, animated with more
or less bitterness toward each other, and damp
ing as well as dividing the public liberality.
If the Tract Society continue united, it will
absorb large portion Of the money that is
set apart every year for purposes of benevo.
lence and will be able to publish many books,
and give them away; if it be divided, it will
be crippled in its means, and the mass of aims.
givera, seeing the two sections wrangling abort
political questions, with which neither has any
concern, and over the settlement of which nei-
Their can exercise the least influence, will give
their money to other and safer institutions.
AVAILABILITY Nor THE THINa.-The hand or
gan of the government at Boston, in an article
on the availability of President Pierce, says:
"That sagacious, wise and far-seeing doctrine
of availability as Mr.. Webster derisively
termed it at Marshield in 1S4S-should be
secuted, at least by democrats, as heretical and
corrupting." The same organ, in the same ar
ticle, goes further, and contends that "availa-
bility" is not democratic idea; but on the
contrary, where great principle is at stake, it
is the policy of the democratic party to nomi-
nate the man most responsible for it, in the
very eyes and teeth Of availability. Says this
Boston organ
striking instance Of the manly way in which this
great material party acts may be found in the 1910
nomination Of Mr.. Van Buren,. The theme of popu.,r
clamor then the Independent treasury rasasure-A
before; and by class Of men Who fappsaled
to to day would support the policy thsy then
demned But this denunciaon did not deter the demo-
cratic party from cDgirg to Mr. Van Barren and though
Camor and availability defeated him, yet the measure
that was held such indignant terms s,il lives and
noting could Induce the country to part with it.