New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-12
AMERICAN sEAMEN's FRIEND SOCIETY


The Goth anniversary of the American Seamens
Friend Society was held last evening in the Presbyte-
RAN church in Fourteenth street, Of which Rev. Dr.
AsAD. SMITH is pastor. The audience was larger
than most Of the audiences Of the evening previous,
sthen the regular anniversary sermons" were
preached in the various churches throughout the city
The building was well filled In every part and the spa
sious pulpit was manned by fifteen or twenty clergy
men many of whom were venerable with age. THIS
society has for wears past headed the list of ami
yersaes that ater its annual meeting IL over these
yearly festN ais may be regarded as fairly opened
The chair was occupied by WILLIAM "A. BOOTH,
President uf the Society, and statement OF the op-
rations during the past year was MADE by me rev l.
u WAREFN one of the Secretaries. lie SAID that the
6ed of Labor which Providence has assigned to TINS
Society is american Commerce--a commerce employ
ing FIVE millions of tuns of shipping. 10 supply the
means OF grace to these seamen to relieve, as Tar az
nossbe their wrongs and hardshps, and to save their
souls is the work to which this Society has been
called and upon which, since Its hrst leeole DeghhS,
nearly third Of century ago, the blessing OF ieayeh
has sienally rested. The sphere OF this work, like
commerce itself is wide rs the world Ii has been
the policy Of the Board with the limited amount OF
means furnished them, to fix upon some OF me chiet
Centers of resort to vessels and TO establish there
such institutions as will make them centers OF good to
q wide extent around them. Beginning near our own
Northeastern border, We find one OF these centers oil
effort of 81. John, New Brunswck, an important re-
sort of the fishing feet, and of the colonial trade OF
the British provinces The Rev. r. n. Harris IL sea-
mems chaplain in this port.
In France the Society has two stations, one on the
Atlantic coast at Havre the other in the Mederra-
mean at Marseilles Recrossng the Atlantic, the next
most important center is at the lsthmus-the two
stations of Aspinwall aud Panama. Mr.. Wheeler
late chaplain at Aspinwa entered last Summer the
service of the American Bible Society a. their agent
in Nicaragua While faithfully pursuing his work
in the distribution of the Scriptures, he was 6drbd-
rously murdered by horde OF bandit'l al Granada;
He was a diligent and devoted servant of Christ, and
bs death is a great loss TO the cause OF truth IN those
regions of moral darkness. Mr.. Rowen, who had
before abored at Panama. has since removed To
Aspinwall; and 80 Tar as practcaOc, ulSchaISes he
duties Of both stations.
Rio Jancro the capital Of an empire larger than the
whole of the United States, and having with this
country commerce of wv per annum Is va
cant The same is true of Callao, the seaport of Lima
ON the western coast and the chief place of resort to
the vessels engaged in the guano trade at the Chncha
Islands Valparaiso Is occupied aS heretofore oy new
MIR Trumbull Passing into the North racine, Is the
great rendezvous of our numerous whaling fleet, the
Sandwich Islands, which are visited by some ooU YES
sels and - 900 seamen annually. Three stations are
occupied at this important Po'nt-st Honolulu ~ nr:
Mr.. Coan, Missionary of the A. Is. {. +. NJ lnciden-
tai service is performed also in behalf OF sesmen oy
the missionaries at the Mcronesan Islands The very
interesting and promising station at Canton mas Deen
visited by the scourge of war Mr.. Beecher had com.
menced his la6ors there with the aircst prospects OF
success when the hosties between the English anu
Chinese begun, and in common with the missionaries
10 lleng Kong. The beautiful bethel burnt, not
vestige remaining! Mr.. h. obtained temporary ac-
cOmmodations for his family at Hong Kong, and was
at the latest dates lsbOring with encourag
among the vessels lying at that point
At Shanghai an important work is sustained for
seamen under the direction of Mr.. A. l.. Freeman a
resident merchant formerly Of Boston. bethel has
been fitted up on junk gircn for he purpose by he
head Mandarin Of the CITY, probably the first Chinese
who ever gave a house for the Lord seamen' ;
cemetery has been opened relief fund for sick and
disabled sailors provided, and sailors home is
talked Of
The operations of the Society on the home field
have been much in former years. The work In BE-
half Of sesmen in this country performed partly 10y
this Society, and partly by local affiliated, or nde'
pendent Institutions, aboring each in their own local.
lies. AT all our principal ports Bethel Churches and
Sailors Homes now sustained, and such Other
agencies as experience has shown to be best adapted
to do good 10 the sailor. The blessing Of God has
rested on these labOrs.
Dir. Warren concluded his statement by q referenc,
10 the Sailors Home and the Mariners Church IL
this city
The choir then sang the well,knOwn sailors hymn
Star Of Peace, 20 wanderers weary
Bright thy beams that smile me,
NheeT the pilots vision dreaIy,
Far, far al SEA
star Of Hcpo glesm on the bllow.
nie,, the sJul that signs for thee.
hless the SAILORS lonely pillow,
IA. FAR II sea"
lhe hsN. THEODORE L. CCYLEr, Pastor OF tn