The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1864-08-04
FARMERS AND BENEYOLENCE.

the churcn.
FARMERS AND BENEYOLENCE.
In peace times We have often heard the
remark,-whether true or not we will not
stop to say-that people in the country
thought that city-pecple should do the
greater part of the giving to objects Of be-
nevolence; that they were under the impress
sion that the latter made money faster and
easier than themselves, and we're under OBJ
legations to give accordingly. If the princi-
pie embraced in this argument is to be &C
cepted as the standard, then whatever may
have been the case heretofore, the tables
ct present would be decidedly turued against
our brethren Of the rural districts. City
people are now making bat little money;
country people more than ever before.
Look at the facts. Since the opening of
the present campaign, business of nearly
every sort IN the tovns and cities has been
nigh totally suspended. The banks are
doing nothing, Cry goods and hardware
men next to nothing. commission merchants
nearly the SAM. A large portion even of
those who were rapidly increasing in wealth
a yesr ego, are now not earning their salt.
But for what they had laid up they would
not be able to provide their daily bread.
How much the reverse in the country
Instead Of mourning over the failure Of
crops, as at this time last year, our farmers
have occasion to rejoice in the rich returns
for their labor. The gloomy forebodings
of last autumn and winter as to the indif-
ferent harvest to be expected from the in
ferior quality of the seed, and the small
amount put in, have not been verified. From
every quarter we have the same pleasing
intelligence that as for quality tie wheat of
this season has never been surpassed, and
Sbat as to quantity there is no cause for
ovmplaint Recent rains are freshening up
the corn crop, and giving assurance of an
excellent yield; whilst other cereals have
also done well. So that willis. in the towns
and cities the wheels Of commerce and trade
are standing still, the soil, the sun, the
rains, and the favoring smiles Of benign
Providence have been working together to
fill the farmers barns with plenty. Aud
the prices he is to receive, are equally en-
courasirg. In fact we can hardly conceive
what some of our farmers will do with so
much money. What Christian farmers ought
to do, when their own wants are so bouuti
fully supplied, aud their pockets are foil
we could readily say.
At all events the plea can no longer be
urged that the greater part of the giving
should be done by city people, because of
their greater prosperity. The farmers are
now the prosperous men. Upon them must
lie to a large extent the obligation Of sup
plying the resources for benevOlence. Ac
cordiDg to the principle announced by the
Apostle that every man Is to give IN pro-
portion as God hath prOspered him, farmers
ought now to cast into the Lords treasury
very large gifts.
The meaSure of former years would not
at all meet she obligations of the present.
They would come much nearer the mark, BY
comparing the sum yielded by their crops
of this year, with what they usually received
before the war, and then increasing their
contributions in the same ratio over what
they were before the war. Even this, how
ever, would probably fell short of their duty,
inasmuch as their former contributions were
possibly not as liberal as they should have
been. For ourselves We honestly believe,
that a solemn and special responsibility
rests upon all who are unusually prospered
in these times Of hardship, privstion and
ruin to so many, to sustain the enterprises
Of the church and every weritoriOus benevo-