The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-02-18

r
Alta Centenary Meeting of the Methodist
En;sconal Church. held in New York last
week. James Harlan, of Iowa, Secretary of
the Interior, delivered an address as follows:
The Church and the eongreg89cns repre-
sented here to- night are entering upon the
second century Of their existance in this
country; and the desire has been mauifested
in your own great city, as we'll as throughout
the land, to commence with renewed ener-
Nv and enlarged libsrality, with augmented
means, the advancement of the enterprises
of the Church, with a view of Fastening the
evangelization of the people of our own coun-
try and of the world. The motives for this
appeal strongly, not only to the members of
the churcnes themselves, but to all those who
had enjoyed that type of civilization that has
ever followed in their wake. All those who
believe in the Immortality of the soul and
that life here in this world is but u probation
from which the good and pure are to be
translated for unending ages, and the bad and
impure be to the regions of inefable piiss'
there to continue cast down IN utter darkness
with amending anguish, and who beneve that
by the adeption of the instrumentalities now
intrnsted to the Churches all may be lifted
mn. cannot but feel, MS Christians, strong
desire to aid the church in this gigantic work
of the worlds Christianlzatlon. And all
those outside of the churches VINO have OBJ
served that as its enterprises advance, civil
ization is established, with the wisest of Grim
inal and civil jurisprudence, that it intro
duces the most desirable social relations of
life, and stimulates industry and those acti-
vities which secure, wherever fairly tried, the
highest attainments in literature, science, art,
and the possession of wealth and power, can
not, we think, as philantrophists, feel other
wise than strong desire to add their infiu-
ence in Furnishing on these enterprises.
1t is not necessary for me to- night to state
to gentlemen and ladies residing in the great
commercial metropolis of one of the first ma.
tons of the earth, that the wealth and the
power of the world to-day are in the hands of
Christian nations. Yonr own nation, at the
head of the Protestant nations of this cont.
nent, overshadows every other people on this
side of the Atlantic. England, perhaps the
greatest IN power of any nation now in exist
ence, all things considered, stands at the
head OF the Protestant nations on the other
side of the Atlantic France, which with her
form of civilization, perhaps exceeds all the
others, stands at the head of the Catholic
nation; Russia at the head of the Greek
church; and these nations combined, none
will doubt who have observed carefully the
present condition of mankind, control the
destinies of the world. So it is, we think,
that none can be without motive TO add
their influence in aiding the churches in their
efforts 10 ChrIstianlze mankind
While the motives are sufficient, il may not
be amiss to state that we have the means. In
TINS country, with population now probably
OF about thirty-four millions, we possess an
aggregate of wealth probably not less than
twenty thousand millions. Ofour entire non
ulation It may not be wrong for me TO state
tonight III tins presence, nearly one million
are members of the churches here represent
ed tonight. These are chiefly adults. and
therefore represent a population of more than
three, and probably not much than four mil
hous, Or about one-eighth of the entire POM
latlon of the United States 1t is not. think.
untrue that this part OF the population of the
United States is equal, at least, to the aver
age of the people of the country in inteli-
genee and IN the possession of the wealth of
the country, and therefore are responsible to
that extent for the proper use of the aggre.
gated wealth of the nation.
But In addition to this, it is proper for US as
youthful people, 10 reflect that the wealth
OF the people OF It's country is augmentiug ut
rate never equaled by any people that ever
existed IN the world, doubling in amount
about each ten years, so that it Is not imnrob
able that at the end of the present century
the wealth which will be controlled by the
people OF the United States will not be much
less than one hundred thousand millions
Ana the population is keeping pace with this
vast increase of wealth. You are now about
one thirueth part of the people of the whole
earth, but you are increasing population AT
the rate OF three per cent. each wear. so that
those who have attained the middle of life
will probably see in this country not much
short of one hundred millions Of people. or
about one-tenth part of the people that now
i've on the earth. SO that we are not with
out overwhelming motives to effort and we
have, too, vast means providentially placed
under our control, and, if we interpret
correctly the apparent indications Of Provi
denee, we shall have an opportunity within the
limits OF the United States, during the centu
ry, OF lnstructing one-tenth of the inhabit
ants OF the globe. l may have occupied too
much OF your time already. (Cries of go
on. go on il feel that it would be wrong-as
foolish as 1t would be to send Goals to New
eastle-for me in the presence of bishops and
doctors of divinity, TO attempt to ineuleate
principles of theology and Christian beneyo
lence.
"a parson once prefaced his sermon with.
ID friends, let US say few words befora ua