Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-05-10

THE BAPTIST CONVENTION AM
| SOUTHERN ASYLUM PRoPosI-
TION ABOUT LOTTERIEs. - There Il
an asylum for widows and or.
phans organized and maintained by
the Baptists Of Mississippi, at Lauder.
dale Springs, on the Mobile and Ohie
road. DR.. Graves, of this city, pro-
nOunced in behalf of this institution, one
Of the most eloquent orstions that ever
fell from his lips. This occurred st Craw.
fOrdville, in 1864. Farmers, in the prsi-
ries, those terrible fellows who used to
be slave-drivers, so called, in the midst OF
relentless war, when famine and poverty
stared them in the face, invested large
sums in the purchase of Lauderdale
Springs. Buildings were erected, and
helpless widows and children gathered
from Mississippi and Alabama. The
then president of the United States,
Abraham Lincoln, during the war, suf-
fered the agent of this asylum to sell
cotton in New York that had been con-
tributed by these "rebels." The pro-
ceeds were invested in supplies for the
starving poor. There are now nearly
five hundred benetieisries OF the benev-
Olent people who created and en-
dowed this eleemosynsry institution.
Such has been the unfortunate course of
events that they who endowed the hos
pital at Lauderdale Springs are poorer
than when savage wal wasted their for
tunes. Their expenditures have been
enormous. DIR. Teasdale, an eminent
divine, and DR.. Buck, a veteran In the
service Of the church, have toiled indie
fatigsbly to promote the success of the
asylum, which was founded by the ext
gencies Of revolution. They have houses
and broad acres, a fsultless climate and
water of properties as wonderful in
medicinal virtues as those of Saratoga.
Demands made upon the benevolent
exceed their resources. They who have
given so much can give no more. 1t
has, therefore, been proposed that the
Southern asylum, 1.-THE land lottery, at
least for the present, shall eXpend its
income that may be devoted to benevo-
lent purposes, upon the institution at
Lauder dale Springs. 1t is objected that
the Southern asylum is q lottery. True
enough. 1t distributes houses and homes
BY chance. What has the church 10
do with this fact a.? There are
poor women and children, victims
Of the desolation and hsrdships of war.
These unfortunate people must be cared
for. If there be those who will invest
money in a land lottery, why may they
not contribute 10 the contamination of
purpose in which angels might deign to
II is not our province TO inquire
the morality of lottery managers.
see the best men in the community
betting against Insurance companies on
the duration OF their own lives. There
are others giving more or less for prop
the price lesseDed or increased
with reference TO the chances of
or defeat of Brownlow.
In truth, in all trades we calculate
the chances, " and life itself is q lottery.
II we recur to the Holy Writ We find
fact recognized. Israelites drew lots
for territories assigned 10 different Tribes,
and for sught We know Lot gave pater-
nifty to lotteries. In any event, the sug-
to which we have adyerted, that
the funds Of the " Southern asylum y
should be used by sn institution
perfectly organized, rather
than invested in lands and build
Ings which can avail nothing till
of m and children have
starved, is one which deserves serious
consideration. There must be some
mode by which opinions IS to the mo-
-ality Of the lottery managers may be
'ecOneiied with the necessities Of the
1t is a practical question purely,
,of one Of morals.