New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-03-21
For the Crescent
The Southwestern Society OF New Orleans
NV ORLEANS. March 10. ]

| New ORLEANS, March 49, 1866.
It is just cause for communication that this
association, which has always enjoyed to 80 nm.
| usual a degree the confidence Of our people, is
again about to resume its former activity and use
fulness During the war, the whole South was
to a great extent exhausted of its portable and
cheap copies of bibles and testaments that they
might be given to the soldiers. Fathers, brothers
sons and the sons of neighbors and friends, were
freely and without any selfshness supplied with
the sacred volumes. The loving heart prompted
the ready hand OF wife, mother, sister-perhaps
that of one dearer in the freshness of early love
than either-to place within the knapsack of the
departing soldier the book of God, tenderly in
scribed with the name and the prayer of the
| giVer- The Southwest, except within the field OF
| this Society's operations had never been over
supplied with the bible; and indeed, within its
limits, Notwithstanding the systematic exploration
| and supply, a few years before the war, the com
paratve inaccessbility of certain districts and the
| sparseness Of their population had prevented a
perfect and complete distribution. Whether naea-
ger or full however, certain it's by the exigences
of the march, the camp, the battle the siege the
surprise and the retreat, war has wasted and
destroyed these precious volumes with all their
cherished associations. Few indeed have been
preserved and returned to the homes whence they
were sent out Probably never in the history Of
the Southern States, has the number of bibles in
proportion to their people, been SO limited and
the patriot and philanthropist not to name the
the christian, naturally feels anxious to see this
supply of what, even the infidel Mirabeau declared
was the purest system Of morals he could ever
discover, greatly augmented. It is therefore
charming sign of the times that our churches are
beginning to arouse themselves to this truly
catholic work. During the war many, perhaps
most Of those excellent and public spirited and
christian persons, who by their contributions built
the bible house in our city, stocked it with bibles
and testaments, sustained colporteurs and distrib
utors, and by every suitable means disseminated
the scriptures among our people, have been de-
priyed Of their wealth; far more, they have been
reduced to comparative and some to positive pow
erty. The pecuniary means therefore must, in all
the future, be gathered from the many rather than
as in times past, accepted from tie tsto Church
contributions will be most suitable mode forV
collecting the resources SO needed now by the
society. On last Sabbath an encouraging begin
ming was made by the Prytania Street Church
lately under the pastoral charge of Rev. j. j.
Henderson but now without a pastor.
tfef. JAS beattle, OF our city, supplied the pull
pit, and appealed to his auditors on behalf Of this
society. Their response was apparently cheer.
full, and as if impelled by that genuine christian
ove which should be the motive in all
acts of benevolence, resulting in the col
ection Of the sum of one hundred and
xty dollars, to which other contributions still
nay be added. life membership in this society
nay be secured by a donation of thirty dollars,
md 9 life dictatorship by one hundred and fifty
oliars. Any further contributions by or on be-
alf Of this church and congregation may be hand
d to s. B. Newman, Esq, o. Gravier street. or to
d. ]. s. Copes, 81 St. Charles street. 1t is hoped
u the other churches friendly to the cause of
ible diffusion will speedily follow the example,
nd even excel the one that has acted SO promptly
this business
The officers of the society are: Joseph A. Mabin,
So, president; Thos. Sloo, Thos. K. Price and
3. Newman, Esqrs., vice -presidents; DR.. j. S.
opes, chairman of the board Of directors VIM.
. Perkins, treasurer; Geo. W. Kidd, correspond
6 secretary; Henry v. Ogden, recording secre-
~; and . board of twelve directors from the
fferent churches of our city.