The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-05-16

ton TO US AS for our fighting any European
Power to obtain them, the Idea Ia absurd. They
will come full soon enough Of their own accord.
Twenty Years With tho Ann,versar1ans--
Cul B0noy
We have just completed the twenty first re-
cord of the anniversary proceedings Of the va
rious philanthropic, religious and reform So
cieties, and we have been moved to look over,
not only the proceedings of the past week, but
those of the anniversaries since 1885, when wo in
augurated the system of reporting them-a sys-
tenn which, like nearly every other distinctive
feature of the HERALD, has been initiated in
feeble way by our contemporaries.
II is curious to see how every other material
thing has advanced in that period Of twenty
years, and how the anniversaries have stood still
or refrigerated. In twenty years the population
and wealth of the m etropolis have been doubled;
in twenty years half dozen new States and
as many Territories have been added to the
Union; important inventions, such as that of
the electric telegraph have revolutionized the
old systems Of doing business; in fact, in
twenty years we have grown at least a century,
according to the standard of former days
1t is no small shame for those who control
the anniversaries that they have neglected to
take the pains necessary to keep up with the
spirit of the age. They have taken nothing in
point offact, but their salaries
Look at the foreign missionary societies.
Year after year they have exported number of
sucking thcologians, fresh from Andover
or Yale, or Schenectady, with helpmeets
equally thin and co-ordinately pious What
special fruit has been gathered by these
laborers in the Lords vineyard we cannot cay.
The cause, we are told in vague way, pro apers
Travellers of the worldly sort do not speak
highly of the result of the missionary labors in
heather lands, and, in some instances, have cir
culated reports impugning the moral character
of the Christian brethren themselves. In China,
India and the islands of the sea, the most I'M
wearying perseverance has apparently effected
but little. There are not go many man-eaters,
women-burners, or idolaters bowling down to
wood and stone. But 1t is not clear that the I'M
tutored mind accepts the new faith after rejecting
. the old errors At any rate, the usual effect of
the spread Of Christianity, to wit: the elevation
of the tone Of public and private morality, does
not seem to follow missionary labors except in
individual and rare cases Still Wall street
gives and gives, and so long as the supplies
keep up so long will the soldiers Of the Cross be
ready for the route.
There is still another class of missionaries
those who labor in the prairies of the great
West, or along the borders of Texas and Mexico,
or among the miners of California and the
lumbermen of Oregon. This is better than
the work among the Hindoos; but, if we
are not much mistaken, our pioneers are stiff
nhcked and rebellious people, making so much
haste to get rich that they have no time to think
Of hereafter.
Among the philanthropic bodies are some Of
the order Of the Seaman's Friend and COLOMBIA
ton Society-very respectable affairs directed
respectfully, by respectable old fogies, with re-
spectacle salaries. In regard to the efficiency OF
the Seaman's Friend Society, it may be summed
up in this way: the society provides floating
chapels which Jack will not 60 on board If at
any price, gives him a Home which he refuses to
sling hammock in, and presents him with a
tract when he wants biscuit or grog. During
the existence Of the society the merchant sailor
has been steadily descending in the social scale
and to-day he is treated, as rule, with ten
times the barbarity that ever Yankee slave
driver would dare to infict upon rebellious
chattel on Red river plantation. We do not
say the friends of Jack are responsible for this;
we only point to the fact and say, e,3 Jonoe
The Colonization Society sends few negroes
to Africa at an enormous expense. Their colony
is an acknowledged failure, and is only pre-
vented from relapsing into absolute barbarism
by fresh imports of men and women with more
or less Saxon blood in their veins
five look at the purely religious societies, we
shall find them nearly all divided on the negro
question. That bone Of contention long ago split
the political parties into disorganized factions,
and now interferes with the ministrations of the
very altar Of Heaven. The Bible Society stands
firm, for the excellent reason that the Bible is
somewhat older than this government, and is
slaveholding document according to the Mosaic
law and the teaching of the Apostles. The
Tract Society makes its own books, and is much
bothered by that unfortunate little niggcr who
will get In at every anniversary. They have
choked him with all sorts of parliamentary gags
previous questioned and special businessed him
to apparent death; but he still lives. Moving
from Lafayette place to the Academy of Music
did not kill him off; up he jumped through the
stage like the Commander in Don Juan" and
he will be heard. 1t was Tanumany Hall over
again without the immortal Rynders When the
teachers behave in. such manner, the effect Of
their tracts may be readily imagined. The very
best thing that the Tract Society can do is to
shut up shop and open an opposition to the Bible
House. Something will have to be done to save
the funds, for as soon as people begin to find
these things out, they will lock up their check
looks and alter their wills