The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-12-16

every citizen, be he professor of the religion
Of Christ or merely friend of humanity and
his country.
I" Magazine. publication, which con-
tains the same matter as our monthly paper,
has met with decided appreciation. Its circu-
lation is 1000 copies. 1t is published in hand
some form, and its cheapness as well as conve-
nience for reading, reference, and preserva-
ton, should secure it still larger circulation.
1t will be sent, gratuitously, to the missiona-
ries of the Association to life members, If
they request it; to all clergymen whose con-
gregations take up an annual collection for our
treasury, or present the claims of the Associa-
ton annually through the monthly concerts,
or otherwise; to superintendent of Sabbath
schools; to volunteer agents who attend to the
interests of the Society in their localities; to
college libraries; to theological seminaries (;
to societies of inquiry on missions; and to
every donor who does not prefer to take 1t as a
subscriber, and who contributes, in year, not
less than ten dollars. We hope that every
friend of the cause will volunteer to procure
subscribers both to the magazine and to the
funds that each will consider the Association
his society," and its interests his interests as in
this way the important principles advocated
will be widely understood, and the field of ex-
ertiOn greatly extended.
{" General Vielc.-Although the actual re-
ceipts into our treasury of the last fiscal year
have fallen short of the receipts for the previous
year nearly sixteen per cent, we have reason
to believe that it has resulted from the extreme
scarcity of money rather than from any diminu-
ton of attachment to the cause, on the part of
the friends of free and unadulterated Gospel.
Owing to the extraordinary revulsions in the
business world, and the unprecedented panic
among commercial and mercantile men, during
the year, though money has been plentiful in
banks and in the Golfers of millionaires, the CIR
cuidtiOa of it has been remarkably limited
throughout the country, especially in the West
ern States.
During no year since the Association was
organized, have we received more encouraging
expressions of satisfaction respecting its princi-
Piles, and the general management of its con-
Germs, than during the year just closed. As
surances of aid from many quarters when the
times shall be more propitlous, and of remem-
brances in the testamentary disposition of prop
erty, have been more frequent than ever before !;
ard, relying upon these assurances, we can
congratulate the friends of the cause, in regard
TO the receipts, that the goodwill felt on behalf
Of the great interests connected with the pros
perity of the Association is increasing instead
Of diminishing.
ever it shall be received, restricted as it is to
support of the cause in only one field of our
labors will stimulate the Executive Committee
- increased efforts to extend the news of saliva
ton to the benighted sons and daughters of
Africa. And we trust that the friends of the
cause will not, IN any quarter, diminish their
contributions to the general cause, or for other
MISSIONS in consequence of the large sum
given, and to be appropriated at some future
day, for the cause Of the Redeemer in Africa,
but that they will consider that the other mis-
sions, both Home and Foreign, need additional
aid to sustain and extend them.
In a spiritual view, the results Of the
past year are on the whole encouraging
The number of conversions has not been so
many as could have been desired, but, in many
respects, good has been achieved, the kingdom
of Christ built up, and a foundation laid for in
creased Spiritual prosperity. The Spirit of God
has been poured out in some places copiousy
and souls have been gathered into the church.
to gladden. the hearts OF missionaries and cause
Joy in heaven.
Our missionaries in Kansas have contrib
uted largely to the cause of Freedom in that
Territory. They were called upon, in the prov
idence Gi God, to contend for righteousness,
ilIEeedom,t and religious privileges, aud they
nv '',Ot. - ~. - ID II fl;on;,,,,
blessed be God, has received check, and come
to an end as we trust, and He has caused the
wrath otmen to praise Him. There is a pros
pect that civil and religious liberty will be en-
Joyed by the people, Notwithstanding men in
high places have cOoperated with the infatuated
enemies of Freedom in Missouri to prevent the
formation of free State by the people of Kan
sas. If these hopes are realized, there will he
an opening for preached Gospel other means
of grace, and the establishment of industrial
and educational foundations that will gladden.
the friends of Freedom and Christianity through
out the land and the world especially, if the
great principle of the equalityof man before the
law is observed by the people of Kansas in their
formation of civil government, and perfect free
dom secured to the friends of the Redeemer to
publish the news of salvation and educate the
young.
. The missionaries and colporteurs connected
with the Association, wherever located, have
done mach the past year to promote the cause
of temperance, to dissuade men from the use of
tobacco, kindred vice to intemperance and to
disseminate the principles of Freedom, az a
necessary part of a pure Gospel. Good seed
has been sown By them, and it needs only the
tructifymg agency Of prayer and the sweet inhu-
ences of the Spirit to cause it to take root,
spring up, and gladden. the hearts of the people
of God By an abundant harvest
Among the dlscouragementS in the cause of
evangelism and the cause of missions is the at
tltude maintained by the American Tract Soci-
ETY. and the American Board of Commissioners
for Foreign Missions, with respect to American
Slavery. The former refuse to publish tracts on
the sinfulness of this atrocious system, and thus
circulate a mutilated Gospel. The latter refuse
to require their missionaries to preach a Gospel
Of Freedom, and fence the Lords table against
shareholders; and thus the Board teach, by their
missionaries. that the Gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ allows property in man, and permits a
denial of reading the Scriptures to the enslaved.
Angels and men may well weep over such a
betrayal of the cause of Christianity. We are
required to contend for the faith once delivered
to the saints, and nowhere is evasion or coward
ice tolerated in the Scriptures The Tract So
ciety has a noble opportunity to try the efficacy
of an unmutilated Gospel, freely circulated
among the slayeholding community in these
States, aided by the power of the Holy Spirit,
to cause the truth as it is in Jesus to have free
course and be glorified. And the American
Board, and all Missionary Boards guilty of
completely with Slavery, have an opportunity at
the present moment, one long neglected and
one that may never recur, to require that a
Gospel of Freedom shall be preached in the
Indian nations, and none other by their mission
arleS. goa grant that the Board may help the
general cause of missions and advance in other
ways the spiritual interests of men, by reso-
Intely making the effort to have such Gospel
instead Of yielding the field to the
enemies of Freedom and free Gospel, relying
upon the Divine promise. My word y 4 shall
not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish
that which please, and it shall prosper in the
thing whereto ] sent it,
CORciuSiOn.-Our confidence "a NOT IN on
arm OF flesh, but in prayer-hearing and
prayer-apswering God. We believe that no
human instrumentahty however ingenionslv
devised and skillfully emnlnred will E nf.nn;u