The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-05-25

usbsn rns1e vacaht BY the Imagination OF MI o. G.
wight, who has lang sd satisfactorily discharged
~ as&s - u bsnxse almost atifed with the exit.
cuss 81 ass Unpa it4sh i have simply to say that
mh the Usi0a for this preston Of their confidence and
hHsc catered thgA very rsuctaty upon the discharge
Of ts oneroas and responsible duties for year and
shall eicsyer 10 dsahAsge them In such way to
shc highest ecsacy sod usefulness Of the Union
During Ms ycas aow cAsed learn from the rec
0ss II ny nsoAccsssor, ad fso my observation In
sh~ Union, the schools helougag to the Union have
pssicncod perhaps than usual The month
ly and qs~rssly mesings have been kept up with
sderabls teres though mot generally attended by
the Schools their ofc.rs and tcschers rs desirable.
II very evident that the friends Of Sabbath schools have
been lahnng with ssa and effect during the past
year than usual 1a
There Is doubt however but that the efficiency and
OF the Union would be greatly enhanced by a
more general and faithful observance Of the monthly and
quarterly meetings IL Is quite certain that far the
influence OF the Union felt il has resulted 10 the ben
cht OF the schools represented ia it,
There rs not time for here, neither would II be
necessary to point out the particular elects for they must
be patent to every intelligent friend of Sunday schools
The frequent gathering Of the various Sunday schools
and especially the great gathering upon this ami
versary, awakens zeal and useful emulation than
any gathering of individual school The effect upon
the community at large is also beneficial every way
1t may be we'll for the friends of the Union to
slider whether additional effort cannot be made TO
Introduce and carry out plan for giving OF
special training under the direction of experienced and
Wtu-4oauHeu tnulNluuaAbs AZ now
and especially TO such may hereafter become teachers
propose this suggestion for special consideration hereafter
The work and influence Of faithful and intelligent
Sunday school instruction is not yet fully understood and
appreciated The results too generally unpercevcd
and too little regarded by the churches well by
those who have nominal connexion with the institution
We have many and repeated proofs that here Is
the most if not the most important field Of Christian Ia
Dor that in the Sunday schools more than anywhere
else the minds and hearts of youth 10 receive
that religious instruction and bias which is to give char
actcr influence and stability TO the church, and furnish
the and who to BIO the real defenders OF
liberties Why, then, should not every possible'op
portunity be afforded to train up efficient body
Sunday school teacherss Why Is not the duty and the
privilege of this Union to enter upon such work al
once
As the statistics of the several schools Of the Union
will always furnish the best evidence Of its work. it may
be well for to say before giving such statistics have
been enabled to gather from the Sunday schools of th
city, that have found difficulty in obtaining salts
factory reports and that is very desirable that
means should be devised and adopted by which each
school could readily furnish the desired reports In ths
first ic-e the several schools of the Union should begin
their statistical year uniformly in the second pocs it is
desirable that there should be uniform method Of
keeping Sunday school records that the annual reports
of the several schools may be correctly compared and
understood by all
The following is summary of the most important sta
tistics for the year