The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-05-20
The American Tract society.

The American Tract Society. A'
This Society held its SD anniversa-a
ry on Wednesdayaof last week, and
from the reports we learn that it has
resolved to adhere to its ancient policy,
and exclude from its publications all
works any way touching upon Ameri-
can Slavery. This decision, we fear,
will tend to ALLEVIATE The sympathies of
many contributors at the, North, and
thus curtail the operations OF, the Soci7
ETY. and largely impair its usefulness.
The Detroit 7'rIibeate says: h"The So
ciety was not asked to even touch upon
the province of political discussions of
slaveryassIt was not asked to declare
slavery a SIN. All it was asked to do
was this, which the most material
part of the resolution on this subject
passed iat the last smeeting:9 9tt 10 aviI
That in the Judgment of the Com
mittee, the political aspects of slavery
lie entirely without the proper sphere
ofthis Society, and cannot be discussed
in tspublieations but that those moral
evils and vices which it is known to
promote, and which are condemned in
Scripture, and so much -deplored by
evangelical Christians, undoubtedly do
fall within the province OF this Society.
and can and ought to be discussed in a
friendly and Christian spirit. ii'-l>iaH
Leading men in various sections of
the South have written on the very
topics set forth in the, above declaration,
and a tract compiled from the writings
of Bishop Mead, of Va, Dr. Dung,
of X ;1sev. c. G. Jones, and other
Southern men, was. actually printed,
and then suppressed by the Society.
But theiSociety dare notido w tsthese
men have done. What they last year
declared was condemned by Scripture,
this year they, openly say they vii. not
rebuke. 1T is said that to have pur-
. sued any,other course than the Society
has taken, would have broken itupin
the South, but the course they have
pursued will break it up in the North,
which will prove much more disastrous.
1t was not'a question ofjexpediency,
but Of Christian duty, as declared by
the unanimous action of last year, that
the Society was called upon to decide.
It has simply been scared into this ret
rograde movement by the noisy blustei
of the South operating upon the -exag-
getated solicitade of its cdhorteurs.' ;,
i The Society has circulated durine
the year 1854 volumes, $500, 4se
publications. or 25o,4oo,522 pages
total sincelthe formation of the Society,
l3,o9s,ol3 volumes, 1871 ,4Os pub
LEGATIONS, 4515s,741 ,513 pages.
Gratuitpus Distribution for the year
s,s2S distinct grantss5s, 52S,42l pages
and l2,0ls, 7aOi pages. oimenbers and
directors; amounting to upwards Of
$4,000: Monthly circulation of the
1aser5iicssqn' Messenger, about; los, 900;
Bot-shafter or Gerpaa,s Messenger, .27s
geo ;ezhes G,adsaPapsr,y 3Oo,oo0.ah
= Receipts I'M donations, including
So, oo6.ss in legacies, s12o, e4s.s5 fol
sales, including S49, s52,ss for periodi
Gals, $262, ol0.19. Total amount of re
ceipts, s3saI5s.54.F i7Hs 1io1iis 5lo1
i Expenditures, 1856, s55.s5; includ
ing 1856, e22,to for issuing books and
deals, SO, loo,24 for eolportage
and $4,000 RENTED Ito foreign and
paganl landsz Tetsgo9c 9aibToessE gfsts-
1eThc total amount Of foreign iappro
priationss was 10000. s''l : el 80
~ ri H5HE8 Y .raA
-s3ex Important from .Washinston.f slof
ATox- 1Hc.. fT,l ar ~ .,,sls