The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-06-07
DELE GATED BENEVoLENCE.

DELE GATED BENEVOLENCE.
The recent anniversaries" at Exeter Hall,
| in New York, Boston, and other great central
points, have attracted considerable attention to
species of harmless, though perhaps some
| what questionable amusement, annually in
dulged in by respectable number Of other
wise good enough people. Bcnevolenco has
| become gentcol; nay, fashionable. Wo arc not
sure that it has not, in many instances at least,
taken the plaoe'of relisinr. WA ---J 'nio'
~ .nvm Sc lay ourselves open to ccnsurc from
tmo diametrically opposite sources--from the
'evaugelionls," and from tho "moral," nom
| church going, or s'non-professiug people.
Now, 1t Is not our intention to question the mo-
| tives of any one; if We have any fault to find,
il is with the ostentatious manner in which
private virtuc and liberality blaxoned
abroad to tho world, in direct contravontion of
the Divine command.
! The practices incident to the conduct of
many Of these religious associations arc SO
munifesly antngonistio to cultivated taste,
and their aims and objects SO devoid of oil pre-
| tensions to common sense, that they have natu-
rally long since provoked the wits, poets, dra-
| niatists, and writers Of essays and novels, TO
! satirize and ridiculc them most numerically.
And, by very natural though grave mistake,
these writer's confound the good and sincere,
though, perhaps, littio vain and foolish, ami
yersarians, with the Aminadab Sleeka-tho fat
and oily hypocrites. This is altogether wrong,
and doiug gross injustice to millions of good
people.
MIR. CiIAnDANp, We have reason to believe,
is not a representative nlnn, though we would
not undertake to affirm Us much of the Rev.
CHARLES HoSEYMAN, of Lady Whittlesca's
Chapel Of Ease. Mrs. Jellaby's, also, We fear,
is very correct picture. The rank and file of
this fai'fnl army seldom gives much offence,
however! II is the sclf-constituted leaders,
the men and tho women who attend tho ami
versaries, who travel far journeys at other
peoples expense, mike great speeches. and
publish mighty reports, who usually bring
| odium upon the cause they advocate and, to
put 1t in the very mildest phrase, succeed in
mixing themselves supremely ridiculous.
-Take the Peace Society, that greatest Of all
humbugs under the sun. We remember somo
years ago, under the auspices of that bright
and shining light, ELInu DuRnIrr, "thc learned
| blacksmith" this Society held what they wero
pleased to coll Universal Congress at Stutt-
gart. With view OF moro thoroughly i'm
] =, esaing the Gossack, tho -~anoo-, IIuu,
| the Frank, aud the Suavian, of the feasibility
| Of their pet scheme, they brought 1.-Two Indian
chief, GEonoE Conway, along with them, ar.
rayed in his picturesque sylvan costume. Grent
was the eclat of the Congress. When the war
commenced in 1861, whers was the Pence So
ciety thenH It was not 80 much as heard Of
Its Individual members, perhaps, may have
kept their "hands unsullied," by procuring SUBJ
| stitutes, or ensconcing themselves unto ''bomb-
proof" places. But no sooner was the war
over, and tho best American blood shed in tor
rents, than this pulling pack of oanting philan.
throPists publish q begging circular, announ-
cling that they have resumed their labors, which,
with charming nauete, they say, "had been sus-
pended during the war"
II is known that the Northern church was
aercest in lis cry for war, blood and slaughter;
mnny OF its foremost ministers to this day still
indulging in this vindictire spirit. Yet in
that Same latitude we henr of petitions for fur
ther Legislative action, 80 as to inhibit
rcstaurateurs and others from laying turtles
va thSii paOho' thio VIII Blu" NOW mOrOlu
and fictitious sentiment can tnko the place of
genuine humanity and religion. BARsun's
hoa, aud the rabbits il dovours for breakfast,
concern these silly people more than the
thousands OF men, women and children white
and black, suffering and dying oil around them
for want of the neoessaries Of lifs
There js something radically defective in tho
whole modern system Of beneyolence. We are
not now speaking of 'poor rates." but Of the
numerous volunteer associations for The
nmeloration, &c., Of man and beast
Charity is godlike virtue, and to be COM
mended always and everywhere. But We think |
1t unfortunate that people should fatter them
selves they orc doing meritorious deed when |
they listen to public appeal, and subscribe |
given amount to some philanthropio aBsocia-
tion, instead of coming into personal contact |
with the poor, as was the wont before the |
modern appliances came into vogue. Tho old |
way, We believe, was tho best. 1t opened the |
heart. Of the givsr ns well as his hand, and |
nothing Of what he gave was lost on the way.;.
whereas charity by proxy has great ten
dency 10 produce callous, pharisaioal feeling |
Of self-righteousness, and 10 ALLEVIATE, moro |
and more, with every ysar, instead of drawing
together, tho several olasscs md elements of |
society. i',s
But soy, the giver has pure motive, and
heart soft and open :; II is still
IN evil that 80 much of what is given in per-
feet good faith is squandered. A contemporary
compares this expense attendant on benevolent
operations TO the uaste Of force by friction
in mechanics. This is SHOWN by, the
workings Of many foreign re ..onary societies.
Reports prove that the cost, to an English
organization, Of converting some Jews. is about
E7O0, or $500 per head. Here is machine
in which n majority Of the power is absorbed
in overcoming friction.
Tho friction WAS strikingly manifest In our
5tato Hospital and Relief Associations during
the war, whero agents, superintendent and
dootors matrons and nurses, all
In their turn, tithed the articles contributed in
good faith, and often with fearful eyes and
praying hearts, for the relief Of the sick and
wounded soldier. AL tho result Of represen-