The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-05-15

golden srurs. We trust that this inseusibility
arises merely from ignorance Of tho importance
of the Issues involved. If what we have said be
not sufficient to arouse the spirit Of the youog men
of our State, then we despair Of any question
evoking their patriotic sympashies
The ReliHioss Anniversaries.
The American Tract Society has weathered
the storm. Resolutions printed at length yestsr-
day, were unanimously adopted declaring that
"the political aspects Of slavery lie entirety with
out the proper sphere of this society," and gene
rally avoiding the dangerous topic. There lie
evidence that the resolutions were the fruit Of u
compromise, and some passages in them betray
malevolent spirit toward the South; but on the
whole, they are better than was expected, and
will save the Tract Society from roin. Let us
congratulate the public on the event With all
its faulz, the Tract Society Is really useful
body which we could ill spare, and the joy at its
rescue should be proportionate to the pain that
the prospect of its dissolution caused
Surely the Anti Slavery Society ehould satisfy
the cravings of the abolitionsts for that order Of
literature and oratory. Ifany one, after reading
the report Of the doings Of Mr.. Pillsbury, Mr..
Garrison and their confr rss, desires to propagate
still further the stuff they deal in, he must have
o singular stomach.
A more important society, by far, is the
American and Foreign Christian Union, which
mot to celebrate its eighth anniversary day
before yesterday. This is an important body,
with q revenue Of some $4,000, which
it expends In tho maintenance of mission
aries among communities differing In faith
from the chief Protestant sects of this country.
The proceedings day before yesterday consisted
in the reading Of the annual report and couple
Of speeches from two Brooklyn divinea The
Rev. Rufus Clark, ono OF the speakers, after the
usual Onslaught on the slaveho!ders. discoursed
upon the "Romaniste," and gave them pretty
severe handling; having the misfortune to deviatc
from the beaten track Of rhetoric into the do
main Of fact, the reverend gentleman told few
falsehoods about the Pope, among others that he
was opposed to railways, when every one knows
that he Is the largest subscriber 10 the new road
through his dominions; and wound up with some
sneers at Roman Catholics generally. DR.. Ken
nedy, who followed, began by demonstrating,
from the well known story Of Charles the Fifth
and bis clocks. that proselytism VIA absurd, and
wound up, like his eoyrtre, by pitching into the
Roman Catholics, and calling upon his friends TO
pay up for the purpose of proselyting among
them The annual report Is in tho same strain.
" commences Wy srnting tnst "Popery robs our
Lord Of his exclusive claims az the Saviour of the
lost sinner" whence sit follows that all who
love the gospel shoulddo their utmost to destroy
Popery," and missions should be established
"smongtbe Pspiytsss well as among the heathens"
Wiser than the Rev. Rufus Clark, il says very little
indeed about facts: VIC CLEAN from ii that seventy
people are supported out of the $4,000 year;
and we read that "among the French near thts low
or Canada line many have been convinced of the
errors of Romanism and have abandoned it,
While the general ''results are In advance OF any
former year."
We desire TO deal gently With body comprls.
Ing many men Of unqiostionabls virtuo and sin.
oeriiy; but va cannot refrain from expressing very
great dissatisfaction with this eptome Of the re-
port. 1t isno! generally believcd-to come to
the point at once-thas any converts at all, ei-
ther near the Canada line or In aay othes part OF
the world, have been made by the American aud
Foreign Christian Union or lie agents. The whole
story about conversions n believed 20 be non.
snse; part delusion and part inposture; Of q
piece with poor Dr. Gutzlaff's rep,rt on Siam,
which be sad was ''ali to be Enanuc!'s In a
few months" though .wcsty three years sss,da.
Gus labor have not made dozen convcrtt We
repeat, the public do not credit any OF the stories,
which are told about conversions of the hcsthcc.
History contains no instance Of body of men or
srsoe being converted from one rel son 10 another
by mere argument; and Il Is contrary to natural
reason 10 believe that any Considerable number Of
persons ever can be 90 converted Sweeping rsll-
sious changes have followed periods OF ,res, moral
dcpravity, ~ In The csso Of the Iesorrustoa; and
the utter explosion OF one system Of religion has
paved Tho way for The establishment of another.
as In the csse Of the early spread Of Christianity.
But argument and proseiy uan, without some col.
lateral aid Of this kind, have ever been fruIties.
The Jesults gave the Indians tangible rcssoas for
becoming Christians, in the shape of arts and e.
vilzation tho Spaoiards and Portuguese gave
their Indians ehSIoo between The Ere and The
font But II may be safely said, that neither
Christianity nor any other religion has ovor been
grated upon any foreign stock by NO mere cid
Of clerical teaching.
II VIC dispute that portion Of tho socictys 10
port which alleges p:ogre@ In the work Of evnn-
gclizing the Aesahen, We take still moro positive
exception 70 the allusions 70 the Roman Csiho-