The New York herald., 1863-05-16

tion IL more doubtful and uncertain no"
Richmond may enter the fold and carry of the
laurels that the other leading factions are now
quarrelling over. But, whatever may be the
result, we cannot believe that the people Of
this State, who are now burthened by taxes
and have sent out the best blood of the State to
the war, will 30 far endorse the Albany Re-
gency, who, more than any other political
organization of the State, are responsible for the
present state of affairs, to enable them to stand
in position in which they can again divide the
party in 1864 and, as in 1860, hand the nation
over to the rule of the radicals. Let the fight 60
on. If it ends in an overthrow of all the exist
ing factions and the establishment Of moro
healthy condition of affairs the contest will not
have been in vain. 1t certainly cannot be any
worse than the present.
The Annual Assc,nblage or Religious
Munchsus~ns, Crazy Women and Trai-
torous Abolitionists.
One Of the most peculiar traits of metropol-
tan society is the Heterogeneous assemblage OF
pharisees, enthusiasts, pious old ladies and
strong-minded women of an uncertain age, who
flock to this city from the rural districts and
from New England to the May anniversaries.
Two years ago the intensity Of the war excite
ment kept them away. Last year they reap
peared to a considerable extent This week
they are back again in full force; and the
amount of stupendous lying, pharisaical cant,
infdel profanity and abolitionist treason that
has been given utterance to during the week,
in the churches and public places where these
societies have held their reunions has been
perfectly appalling
In the way of steep lying let us take as Q
specimen brick the report Of the American and
Foreign Christian Union. This society claims
to have established missions in the United
States, Mexico, South America, Sweden, Bel
gium, France, Italy and Greece, and estimates
that since its commencement 1t has brought
under the influence of the Gospel dfty thousand
foreigners in the United States from among the
French, German, Italian and Irish Catholics
II also claims to have netted in one haul .
Catholic congregation Of q thousand persons in
New Granada. All that is pure bosh. TIE
United States Is an enlightened ChristiaD
nation, and needs no missiOnarzing, except il
be to bring back to the simplicity. purity and
charity Of the Gospel the clergy OF the various
|
mentioned, it may safely be asserted that the
converts have not been half rs numerous as the
colporteurs, and that, where there have been
any. they have been of the class that bring nc
credit to any society or people.
1t will be news, too, to many that prose
lytizing is tolerated in France and Italy, par.
ticulariy In the latter country. One of our New
York preachers wrote home few months since
that he had had the pleasure of celebrating
Divine service in the parlor of the Enylish EN-
bassy at Rome, as no public worship not Catho
lie was permitted in that city. And yet the
| American and Foreign Christian Union expends
its funds in spreading the light Of the Gospel
through Italy. The New Granadian story and
that about the fifty thousand Catholic foreigners
| in this country being converted are two OF tho
srossest Munchausenisns ever attempted to be
palmed upon gullibie public; and we do NOS
see how even the stupid old ladies who con
tribute to these religious societies and make
bequests to them can swallow anything 30 mon.
strously absurd. The era of religious conver.
sions is past aud now if mans faith in bic
own religion be uprootcd he is much less likely
to adopt another than he is to become skeptic
Of all creeds. Perhaps II is owing to the ope.
rations OF missionary societies that inidelity 10
so prevalent. That idea may be worthy the
consideration of religious communities.
The reports Of the other societies are got up
on good deal the same principle OF sticking
atnothing in the way of bouncing lie. Simple
minded deacons, who know more about raising
onions than they do about the operations Of tho
human mind, and old spinsters who must have
some hobby, greedily gulp down any fable that
the most reckless parson invents for them, and
pull up from the recesses OF their spacious
pockets and old-fashioned reticules enough to
keep the concern going on for another year.
when the same process is repeated, only in an
exaggerated form, If that were possible
This, therefore, is the harvest week of hypo-
critical humbugs who are too lazy or too worth
less to turn TO any honest employment. We
believe that on the whole, their operations for
the past year have been more successful in q
monetary point Of view-the only one they
care about-than they had been for the pre-
vious two years. but not nearly 80 much so a.
in the flush times before the war. People are
beginning to see that they have been the vic
tins Of gross charlatanry in this matter, aud
they are by no means so liberal az they used to
be. Still, 1t is an old adsge that the fools never
die out, and as long as that maxim remains true
so long will these societies live and flourish.
There are number Of purely philanthropic
associations that also hold their anniversaries
this week, to which, Of course, our remarks are
not intended to apply.
If the May celebrations here were restricted
to the religious societies they would prove
little attractive. Their proceedings are usually
as dull as the intellect Of their supporters. But