The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-02-18

An Interesiiny Meeting On hast sasssse
evening according % previous announcements,
q uaes Colportses meeting was held o. tns
Second 13ApEist Church in this city. Moswn-
standing tie inclensncy of the weesneI, Ne
Housewives nlled With ecneles s.Icn S0" 49,
the openinQ exercises, and some Interesting
remsrka from Rev. A. e. Dickinson. explain
inf the object Of the meeting, An impfes0Se
addrees w.s delivered BY I4ieutenaut 0ovsrn0r
Moutagus He felt that the Distribution OF
tracts and Bibles among the brave nsn wy
are now standing between 40 ana :nc ensnyl
vaa = natter which concerned Christians and
citixsua. The latter point he elaborated WITH
great force and power. Every citizen, wnetnef
3 protesting Christian or moi, was interested IN
thu moral improvement Of our ooldiers-
when the army IL disbanded, they ars the men
who are to be our judges, lawyers. and 70 ~
all places of influence. They are the msn
who are to make our laws, and TO constitute
the bone and sinew of the land.
Hon. s. II. Ford, Of Kentucky, fouowee
Mr.. Montague He had seen the blsessd
effects of army colportage IN ksntucky-.had
witnessed the beautiful sight of fifteen brave
men at Bowling Green publicly avow them.
selves on the Lords side he had himself
acted as Colporter and Missionary in that
army and had often seen the tears OF penn.
tence as one after another was led to Christ
| from the reading Of tracts. He beloved this
Colportage work to DO the very thing for our
armies. The mon will often read . tract
when they would not hear . sermon, they
| will often profit by kind word when they
could not DO induced to hear . forma! dis
course. The speaker illustrated his positions
with some touching incidente, which brought
| tears to many eyes
Judge ". p. Chiffon, Congressman from
| Alabama, believed that unless something u
| done to turn back the mighty tide Of sin and
vice in the army, our revolution will prove q
| sad failure. There can be no national or In
dividual greatness, except ~ 1t 10 based upon
the truth of inspiration. He looked upon this
movement az being one of momentous I'M
| portance, and believed that it should have the
warm support of every man who desires that
| this effort at free Government may not prove
failure The lack Of Christian principle had
proved the ruin of our old Government; and
! he desired that, as next Tuesday We shall be-
gin a now Government, we shall all deter
| mine to begin anew to seek for the favor OF
| the GOD VI nations
The Judge closed with q powerful deuun.
and called upon the Virginia Legislature, ma
| ny members of which were present, to wipe
out this burning disgrace. 1t il military
necessity more 20 than tho Railroads and
other internal improvements now being made.
| He SAID tuat the other States OF the Contede-
racy are sending the very mower OF tnolr IoEC0o
| to Virginia, to drive back the invader, and we
are senllng them back utterly ruined by
| strychniue whiskey. He had just been called
upon by one Of his constituents, who, having
re enlisted for the war, was entitled to return
| home foI month With seventy i've dollars
| in his pocket he left Centreville, to see his
wife and little ones. Bot on reaching
Richmond he was decoysd into one Of these
'dens Of the devil, spent all his money, had
| all his clothes stolen, and then pushed out
| into the street.. He came to the Judge say
ing MY poor wife is now looking for me
| everytime the dog barks she goes to the door
| to welcome her poor husband; but my money -
| all gone, and l must 20 back to Manassas, not
| to see my dear ones tlu the war il over Ii
this state of things 10 to continue, we had ~
well give mp all hope Of securing our indie
pendence. lie wantea some temperance tracts
to be published, and one put into the hands OF
every man in the service.
Hon j. l.. NJ. Curry, an orator Of the first
| order, followed, and though it was quite late,
held the audience epell-bound for nearly IN
hour All seemed to be agreed that it was
one of the most thrillingly eloquent addresses
! ever delivered in this city. 1t ought to be
published in full and scattered over the land.
| We shall not attempt any further account OF
a ,peech, tho delivery Of which brought tears
| to eyes unused to weep.
| A collection of nine hundred dollars was
taken up, though a good portion of the an
dience had, on = previous occasion, contribu.
| ted to this object.