New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-05-10
AMERICAN CONGREGATIONAL UNION.

AMERICAN CONGREGATIONAL UNION.
The sth Anniversary of the American Congregational
Union was held last evening in Apollo Rooms The
| Hall Was crowded. The Rev. DIR. Stous presided
The exercises commenced by singing, and an address
by the Rev. A. l.. Stone After the singing of the Star
Spapgled Banner, by Mrs. Jameson, which brought
down the house very thoroughly,
| The Rev. JoHs RoBIysOS was called upon. lie
gave account Of the iag-rasing over his Church,
the sewngmachines which were running on NJ forms,
and the prayermeeting now established IN the 'ist
Regiment at Washington. He said we had joined
together for higher and nObler purpose, and the alb
clifton Of Slavery We were going To fight what lie
called an army Of Aboionists II the Northern army
succeeded, they would only take the Canada line 5Q
miles nearer TO thcm if they cid not, Slavery would
surely abolish itself We were pot oppoeiog Slavery
directly; we were only fighting for our country. And
| we had such country TO fight for as no
| other people on earth. There were no such
| homes in any other country in this.
lie did wonder that when The PEG DE gained full
idea Of what they lad TO fight for, the wols country
arose-Mr. Buchanan, bachelor be was, included.
He did not wonder there such porioGs uprising
throughout the land hat It was painful thing even
10 hive in this ace. The OF bis father in the
Capitol aud on it, walls picture of Old John
Robinson .iyirg Lis bles-Dg TO the PnIitans. They
had ally to-day ger than that Punlan prayer
The Rev X. NJ HATFIELD said that / e had some
time. thought the Congregatonali-ts learneda little too
much toward Calvinism, but lie had 10 acknowledge
that they were a very good sort If people to live with.
Everywhere where there was CODgrega iona minis
ter there wa nan who was a strong friend Of educa-
tion aud a man who dared TO speak reel and boldly
for freedom aud human rights There had been few
exc, lions VINO had leaned TO tue South side, but the
church had done molly and glonoufly for the rlght
He was a Methodist, because be waited 10 be tp1
loved to be; it hs home; but lie could not resist
the conviction that there was in our country great
waste power by tue antaKoI sms of denominat
In every little village there must he half dozen
churches Churchcs and ministers were starved. lie
Isf. NtKst.t Oh hos.
gee 20 give and take one Congregaonalists 10
Presbyterians, and one to Metbodiss. He did not
think any touls would be- lost, and he knew many
would be gained. With reference to the condition of
the country be had lah in the future he had faith
in God These things all preparing the way for
the time when the shout should 20 up. The taber-
nscles of God open to men. But II was dark day
with There troubles are the Legitimate result OF
Slavery. We had sown the wind and must reap the
whflwind. These were the Inevitable resus of
what We had been dong The whole North was
one people, fused by miracle, 30 that We were
swayed by our feeliugs And a. we yer. STANDING up
az Que man for the country, the whole South wAs
standing up TO destroy il. This mons,rous spectacle
was but clrryng out what had been in preparation for
years. For years they bad been baptzlng this sum
Of all sanies Any settlement OF our present DIM
cutes which did wipe out slavery loud and long
con inued cheerirg, put 1t M the certain way OF
destruction, but preparing for the return OF this
Judgment, with its accumulated and accommodating
curse. Continued applause. Unless these O,UtJ
Of men should be enfranchs.d there could be peace
for us. This commenced in the Garden of Eden.
Might the old serpent now lie 80 bruised that life
should 90 out Of bin, and relieve M forever from this
curse which had been hanging long about necks
Loud appliance.
The Rev. Mr.. WILLRrs was next introduced. He
referred 10 n remark Of Mr.. Beecher the other day
that the Christian Church was like caster; one de.
nomination ed mustard another pepper another salt
and another oil. In the Millennium, IL would be like
well-iressed salad. II would not do 10 have it all oil
all pepper, though be thought they had all brought
their IeIper-boxes tonight They were ministers Of
peace but there great principles involved In this
contest, which made it impossible for any true Chri,
tian minister to stand aside from the rushing tide
which was sweeping over the Northern heart. He
must be stupid man who could not see that we had
realized what the nations OF Europe were IN oonvul-
siye struggle 20 secure,' and the hand which would
down this fabric OF Freedom must be accursed.
There was TO be great sacrifice millions of money and
thousands of lives. But every great and good thing
had had been purchased by sacrifice and those who
made the sacrifices regretted the price they
paid. We needed it. The great danger to us
hsd been that OF prosperity. Man degeneraied
where there was no sacrifice. We who had
always lived in land Of liberty knew
not iis value. The golden cords of commerce were
holding us down; the silken chains Of cotton
bnding 10 the rock like another Promehens, while
a vulture gnawlng at our vitals. Cheers.l Ter
rible was, there were some things more terri
BILE. There were people who were conservative
that they would fam reconstruct the universe without
thunderstorns But God must clear the heavens,
III
this tide Of patriotism roll on. We would not check
IT, let every village and town and State sing it, pari
otto emotion into tide es deep and strong Niagara,
aud sweep every yesge Of Slavery into that vortex
from which IL could never arise. The mists of that
fall should rice like the smoke of an acceptable sacri
fee 10 God and the smile of Gods pleasure should
bend over it like the rainbow. Loud APPLAUSE
The Rev. MIR. THRALE spoke with much feryor on
the Importance Of fusion OF denominations. AZ in the
political world, we not tbirtyou nations, but
one 80 in the religious world they would show that
they not eight ten Churches but one Church
TIE Rev. HysRY WARD BEEcHER wa now intro
duced amid loud applause lie said he had been the
old SPOT tie City As9mbly Rooms, and found himself
in the presence Of Dan. Sckless Company. lie knew
they were not the Congregational Union, but he mad
not been certain, since he bad found the right place.
that the Congreg itionAl Union military COM
pany. The difference ia the Churches merely that
II harness; some had more breechng, and some
trace but wherever the freedom of the individual
secured in clurch, there you had egatiOnalism
Ii wa this tendency which had made the country il
this spirit which had wrought out rebellion. In
the South the public sentiment was that some men
able 10 govern other men, but nobody TO govern
themselves He could not agree with Bro Her HAITI Id
that the future was dark; IL never was so bnght.
Nor could he regret the present. Good could never
be deduced without mischief aud evil foregoing. lie
peace Which should stand Ia equity aud Justice
Now all middlemen were swallo we'd up. IL was "a
Pentecost in New-York. lie had been in many reyi-
walls OF religion, but be had never seen such sudden
conversions now. The one question was whether
The principles which had animated the Government
should continue, give way to diameicaly opposite
principles. There was fair fight; all men were de-
eared on one eide or the other. Even colporteurs
longer permitted 70 travel in the South and
lie no reason why the American Tract Society
shoud not issue tracts Slavery. There was great
deal of talk about the impossbiity of ever living
together but one generation of nermarrage after the
war would settle all that. lie himself meant before
lie an old man, TO 20 stumping in Virginia.
A VoIcE-Through Baltimore