Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-07-06

has been erected at the intersection OF
Jones avenue with Alabama street, aud
was dedicated yesterday by DIR. Sled'
man, Of whose resignation OF the pastor
ate Of the First Presbyterian church we
have hitherto made but the bare men
ton. The house ia small, comfortable
and convenient II is ia3efully built,
and will accommodate one hundred and
fifty for the present, and can be conve'
niently enlarged. We are informed that
DIR. siedman will take charge Of it,
preaching regularly every week, which
must insure regular and full attend
ance.
An impression has existed that the
health of DR.. Stedman was so much i'm
paired that il would be necessary he
should retire from his labors But the
truth is he is anything bnt worn out, and
promises to be useful for years, now that
he has escaped church edifice, which,
after seven thousand dollars expended
in remodeling, so as TO bring it within q
reasonable distance Of the requirements
of acoustics, will still test the lungs OF
anything which may get in there, except
a steam whistle. 1t is fine place TO wear
out preachers, and by confusion Of
sounds to teach hearers how not to hear.
Il
Yet the evil is entirely remediable by
obeying the well known natural laws Of
sound, which ought to be obeyed, with
the moral laws, by church-goers and
builders as we'll as other people. The
house would seem to have been built by
an architect who had a better idea Of
grandeur and the requirements for mag
nifcent display than Of the laws of sci
ence governing the necessities of an
auditorium. II is an ornament to the
city, and may be made building in
which it is possible for an ordinary pair
Of lungs to become audible to the wor-
slippers within its walls, when sufficient
additional expenditure is made on the
right principles.
We must take this occasion to say that
DR.. James o. Stedman is all in all the
best model preacher and man we know.
Humble as Christian and modest and
unselfish as a man, he defers often TO
others and stands back where more pre-
tenlious men would lead. But there is
no place Of honor in the church or the
land for which he is not qualified, both
by his talents and his extraordinary
moral worth. We remember a man here
far his inferior in both respects, who
would have congregated the whole
population of the city into one Enclosure
for his own aggrandisement, if it had
been possible, at the expense of doing
no good for any but himself, while Sted-
man asks only how he can be useful,
not how he is to be .honored.
Such man will do more good by his
| life, than q dozen talented pretenders
who win applause by preaching them
selves and blowing their own trumpets
While in point Of ability he stands sec
ond to no divine of the city, who has been
contemporary with him during the four
teen years of his ministry here, and sec
ond to few, if any, Of the Southern
church, he is probably the very first in
the extent of his social and pastoral in
huence, which, for constancy and eff
cheney, is unsurpassed by that of any
man living He has won the hearts OF
the whole people of Memphis, and that
of other Christian denominations, as well
as his own, by his untiring and exhaust
ing integrity and fidelity. He is an in
valuable friend, to whom men in distress
will alone go for counsel. He is uni
formly agreeable to all as q gentleman of
untarnished uprightness as Christian,
and in his high honor.as man, to whom
untold gold and the secrets of the heart
may be fearlessly conGded. AS a pa
triot he is firm, true and unyielding to
the point of the martyr, and in the late
trials of war proved above other men
how impossible it was that he should
depart from consistent and unblench
| ing obedience to the voice of his
own enlightened and controlling con-
science. And, indeed, in nothing
does he fall short of eminent worth
We know that such illusions to him
he will modestly disclaim as overdrawn
and undeserved. But we have stated
facts, known and recognized and read in
his life by all men who have observed
him. And this, under the circumstances,
we think it not improper, and have cho-
sen to do, Such man Is treasure to
any people. And now that he has chosen
to retire from labor, for which his
strength may have been insufficient, we
are pleased to be able to add that he is
not likely soon 10 remove from our city,
and that he is in the way to build up
church at another point, and that his
usefulness is to be continued among us
To THE PUaLo,-Beng satisfied that
the Aurora oil is as safe and certainly
cleaner than any other burning fluid,
and wishing to introduce it in this city
and vicinity, we propose to furnish one
/ nalInn of the oil and one of the eele.