The New York herald., 1866-05-08

str0us. The people will soon learn to appre-
ciate the wisdom and patriotism of the President
in this matter. The whole thing is a gigantic
fraud upon the country, full of evil, and ought
to be broken up as soon as possible
The Annivcrsar saries-What they Mean.
The opening of the summer season in "tbs
merry month of May" brings US pleasant skies,
soft airs, budding trees and flowers. Crocusses
begin to bloom in the Park, and the swans to
ruffie their plumage on the ponds Brilliant
cquipages are sweeping along the drives Hats
of microscopic proportions, and mushroom
hats that do not obscure the pretty faces which
peep from under them like wild flowers in q
thick as the original vegetable-the child Of
the night dew-which they 90 closely resemble,
can be seen In the fields Of summer morning.
But, alas, with these delightful precursors Of
the summer season, come the usual May ami
versaries, with their importations of white
chokers and broad brims and hungry parsons
from the country. These anniversaries have
now been in existence about thirty years.
Some twenty-seven years ago the HERALD
began 10 report their proceedings carefully.
Before that time the managers of the celebra-
tions were more or less on the rampage. They
had everything their own way, and their way
did not lie exactly on the straight and narrow
path that leadeth to salvation. But when their
proceedings were made public they were
brought to their good behavior, and they have
been slightly improving ever since.
raids upon the pockets and the patience of tho
metropolis professed a twofold purpose. They
operated at home and abroad. The homo
societies, such as the Anti-slavery Society, took
care Of the niger, while the Bible and Tract
Societies and foreign missions had single eye
to the heather in foreign parts. The Anti
slavery Society gave an occasional squint
towards the Indians; but as there was no poll
tical capital to be made out of the poor red
men, they got the smallest possible attention
from the philanthropists who constitute that
body. The result of the labors Of the latter
society in the interest Of the nigger may be
briefly summed up. Within the past few years
fully million and half of that unfortunate
race have been killed off by war, pestilence
and starvation. The country has been COM
PEELED to 60 through devastating war, has
contracted debt of several thousand millions
Of dollars, and the people have to pay an an
nual tax of over three hundred millions.
These have been the fruits of the homo lsbors
of the societies represented at the anniversaries.
The best illustration Of the results of the Bible
and Tract Societies and foreign missions, which
are supposed to aim at the conversion Of the
heathen abroad, can, perhaps be found In tho
experience OF similar organizations In England
And what is that! After laboring for twenty
| years for the conversion Of the heather in
India, and raising seventeen million pounds
sterling for that purpose after sowing broad
| cast the seed of cant and the seed Of gold
nicely intermixed with grass and sweet clover
seed-from Bombay to the Bramaputrs, and
| from Madras to the Punjaub, 1t was discovered
! that six converts were made, whose conversion
| was sincere and could be relied upon four
whose orthodoxy was doubtful, and three who
had abandoned Christianity and returned to
Fetishism or some other abominable form Of
| heathenism.
We are not sure that our American societies
have accomplished as much as this We have
| no evidence on the subject except the romantic
and often incredible reports OF the foreign
missionaries, those modern Munchausens who
give quid pro quo for their salaries in the
highly colored stories they send home
| As far as the negro il concerned
one would suppose that the duties Of the
Anti-Slsvery Society we're at an end. There
is no longer slavery to oppose. Af'er doing
all the mischief they could TO the poor negro,
the war and its coincident events have eman-
cipated what Is left Of him from servitude inn
posed by the law and the greater misfortune
of theoffi cious interference of the sbolitionistA
But the Anti-slavery Society Is 10 hold its an
nivcrsary meeting nevertheless, and Wendell
Phillips is TO grind out philanthropy and phi.
losophy by the yard.
The real purpose Of these anniversaries is "a
supply from the generosity Of the New York
people the deficiency which the niggardliness
OF the New Englanders has lef, in the homes oa
their poorly paid and half starved preachers.
The New England parsons are not paid az
much as the ship joiners, who are on q strike
for higher wages, and they are compelled to
come annually to New York on an eleemosynary
mission to keep the pot boiling in their New
England homes. To this end they have raised
some four or five hundred thousand dollars
since they commenced operations, but neither
the negro at home nor the beathcn abroad have
been benefited by their philanthropy.
The SESAry AND OUR GESERArs.-It is inn