New-York tribune., 1868-05-08
TIE NAY ANNIVERSARIES.


THE MAY ANNIVERSARIES
The May Anniversaries hold the same position
in our nodern and Western commerce OF lucas
as the great fairs of former centuries anu
Eastern lands have held in the commerce OIL
tho Orientals and the ancents. Instead OIL
meeting to exchange cashmeres for spices, the
gold of Ophir for swords of Damascus, pearls
of India for the cunning work Of Tyre, or IuS-
trous diamonds for blue-eyed Circassans, the
advances of modern civilization enable us to buy,
without going half block, about all that our
physical natures crave, with no other lmpedl-
ment than the lack of currency-which, how
ever it may be with the nation at large Is
never redundant in comparison with the wants
of the individual Far be it from the minds
and hearts of those who assemble at our May
anniversaries to expose any goods on their
counters which have to do with the physical
wants or worldly business of these assembled
crowds. They are aiming at strictly spiritual
and intellectual interchange Of thoughts, plans,
and purposes-a commerce in which the cur
rency is eloquence, varously dlylslDle INTO
voumnOus reports, which are used to ADJUST
the heavy balances, and brief, pithy speeches
for pocket currency, with here and there q
Joke, anecdote, or bon mot by way OF intel
lectual shinplastcrs or small change.
No feature of our American life, except our
great political conventions, is so expressive OF
the current of public thought and average
popular feeling as these anniversaries. Now 1t
is a meeting to discuss the best and most at
tractiye plans of impartng religious faith to
the young in that thoroughly American, Prot
estant aud Republican institution, the Sunday
school. Such a meeting calls together few
who are making q lifewOrll of guiding the re-
ligious faith of the rising generation. They
seem small number but the agencies they
represent extend, like myriads of spiritual an
tenne, into every home from Maine to Oregon
taking hold of millions Of little hands, playing
upon the tender chords of countless childish
hearts, and guiding the unfolding OF many bud
ding lives Then comes the Temperance Organi-
cations, bravely fighting their uncomprnmlslng
battle against an appetite. For bali century
they have been waging their honorable warfare,
and still they find that new agencies may be
brought to bear both for and against them,
and that national consultation is necessary.
None can fail to sympathize with those most
practical and arduOus charities which go down
into the sinks of vice in our great cities and
rescue the children born and flung there This
is an exemplifcation Of Christian love such as
has only been realized within few years aud
bow beautiful and noble are the results 1t has
accomplished Skeptcism sheathes its darts,
refusing 10 hurl them at tine practical mission
ary of true Beneyolence. Plato, when he had
stripped all other truths of their certainty, saw
no rrefutable truth but duty. A still more
recent and almost novel illustration of the
spirit of the age, but which is destined yet to
accomplish great good, Is the Society for the
Proven ion Of Cruelty 10 Animals Without
abolishing that dominion over the beasts OF the
fields and the fowls of the ali which was 50
circumstantially impaired TO Adam in the Car
den. and which has heretofore been limited
only 10y tho ability 60 cato thsm. it is probable
that IN reference to this as to all other kinds
Of property the caprice or cruelty of indiyId-
uals must bow to the humaneT spirit of society
at large.
The meetings OF our great missionary and
evangeizing associations exhibit an carncStncss
and devotion in spreading their special forms
of faith which some might think were better
bestowed on universal and essential truths.
But after all, though the former We're but
husks, nature has always used husks to inclOse
seeds, and why should not sects be used TO
protect and disseminate truths
None of the Societies can report greater prog
ress, or congratulate themselves more joyfuly
upon the consummatiOn Of their great work.
than the Anti-SlaycTy Societies. Upon them
the crown has descended before the cross is out
of sight Their text should be, Behold what
/" n great fire a little spark kindlcth.'
Appropriately. near the close of our anniver-
sares will come the Universal Peace Society
With Napoleon on the throne of France, sls-
tanned 10y 800 600 bayoncts, with the British Par
linment discussing whether Ireland can best be
appeased by endowing a Bishop or hanging
Fenian, and with tho Ku-Klux Klan reviving
the spirit of assassination and rebellion in our
own land, it would not seem that the era of
millennial purity and peace has yet dawned. OF
all the Societies, the Universal Peace Society
has the most need to be content with n very
thin diet made up of T" the substance of things
hoped for, and the evidence OF things not
seem