The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-05-12
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL CONVENTION.

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL CONVENTION.
The Sunday School Convention held in our
city during the week indicates both from the
numbers : attendance and the lively interest
manifested, the growing Importance of the
enterprise in public estimation. And while
the mere outline of the formal official pro-
ceedings, ,shorn of the actual scene, would pre-
sent but little attraction or interest for the
readers Of daily paper, we cannot refrain
from the expression of our high qualification
with the spirit and proceedings of the ear
nest christian men and women assembled here
to take counsel togetherin regard to the spirit
ual welfare OF the growing generation, and
the promotion of the Redeemer's Kingdom
in connection with the Sunday School tcause
The fact that so many persons representing
so many different denominations met together
for such purpose, and continued their dis
cussions for two whole days, over the entire
range of Christian Education, in uninterrup
ted and perfect harmony, is, in itself, very
remarkable and commendabie, And this
fusion of Christians in a great enterprise
concentrating, uniting, and absorbing, for the
time being, all thoughts, feelings and ener-
gies into this one labor of love, furnishes a
hopeful augury of more general christian
harmony and unity in the 'good time coming.
The Convention was opened Tuesday eve.
ming by a very earnest, practical, appropriate
and able address by the Rev. !. n. CRIrTEN-
DEN, to respectable and attentive audience.
Wednesday was devoted to the formal and
routine business of the Convention, devo-
tional exercises, and the discussion of inter
esting and practical questions connected with
the Sunday School, its relations to the
Church, and its influence upon the world
through its power to mould and fashion the
mind and character of the young. Speakers
were limited to ten minutes, and it was really
wonderful to witness the amount Of informa-
ton, the pith and force of statement devel
oped in these brief speeches, and the gener
ally satisfactory results of the discussions.
Wednesday evening was set apart as gen
eral concert of prayer, and the praying
members of most of the city churches were
assembled together in the Congregations
Church to invoke the blessing of HEAVIER
upon the Convention and upon the cause
which it was called to promote. This meet
ing was one Of the most pleasant and profita
BILE of the Convention. and tended very
greatly to deepen and widen the interest in
the work of the Convention.
The exercises on Thursday were similar to
those Of the previous day, and the interest
was we'll sustained to the close. The feature
Of this days proceedings, however, was a
brief address by an elderly man, a pioneer
organizer Of Sunday Schools, and now State
Agent in Illinois, Mr.. PAXTON. He gave a
most intensely, interesting, instructive and
encouraging account of his personal expert.
ence and labors in the cause during twenty
FIVE or thirty years past in the State of Illi-
nois. Much Of the interest clustering around
this address, was due to the character Of the
man, the spirit, the manner. the simple earn
estness and devotion to the cause, and the
personal incidents detailed by him. A very
ignorant man at twenty eight years of age,
destitute OF knowledge of divine things, and
ignorant Of books, and even of letters, with
an impediment in his speech, he is led BY his
little daughter to Sunday School. He be.
comes Interested, studies, teaches, gives up
his dancing school, breaks off his evil habits,
is converted. devotes himself with a will to
the Sunday School cause, organizes Sunday
Cnl ,1ctry
stion, and in spite Of persecution. And SO
on in better days and with brighter prospect:
perseveres in his mission upon wider field
until many hopeful and helpful hearts ant
hands aid him in the good cause, till now,
at length, the list of Sabbath Schools organ
lied by him. exceeds thousand, and the
scholars attending them number over a hun
dred and twenty thousand souls. While
in the region of Southern Illinois where
he commenced his labors in ths
midst of opposition and indifference
in that ''day of small things now Sabbath
School Conventions, numbering thousand
upon thousands of enthusiastic friends of thu
cause, are common occurrences. Blessed il
the meantime with pleasant family, and nov
with several sons in business and in the pro
fessions in respectable positions, with promise
of usefulness, Father PAXTON, still in vigor
GUS health, continues with growing usefulnes
and power to prosecute his efforts for thu
promotion of the Sabbath School cause.
Who has made better use of his talents ant
opportunities, who has filled q nobler mission
on earth, and toa better purpose, who is NOR
likely to hear that welcome: "Well done
good and faithful servant, enter thou into th
10Y Of thy Lord, and who has better assu
rance OF that ''star gemmed crown in tn
realms of everlasting blessedness.
The finale of the Convention was a Chill
dren's Concert in the Chatham Squar
Church, Thursday night. The house wa
made and several appropriate hymns wer
sung on the occasion, and at ten o'clock tn
benedicton was pronounced, and the Sunda
School Convention adjourned to meet in Fol
Madison next year.
LEFT HANDED COMPLIMENT.
The Memphis Aryns deprecates the move
ment of the Mobile papers in bringing for
ward the name Of Gen. ROBERT E. LEE as
candidate for the Presidency. The Argu
expresses itself in the following, we shoul'
think uuintentionally odicus comparison:
''Surely they are no good or true friend
Of this grand old man, who, in the presen
posture OF affaire, would drag his great nam,
.,f -