The New York herald., 1869-02-28
Shall There be Smash Up Of tho Ro-
Iigious Annlversaricse

Iisious Anuiversariese
Some Of our cheerful religious contempora-
ries have announced that the religious ami
versaries usually held in the month Of May in
this city are to be discontinued. Further
more, it is authoritatively stated that the Con-
ference of the Evangelical Alliance which was
to have been holden here next summer, and
which would have attracted hither the most
celebrated evangelists of the Protestant
Church in the world, has been postponed for
another year. This conference no doubt would
have been great affair, the equal possibly, in
its Christian influences, Of the grand Catholic
Ecumenical Council which is to be held in
Rome in December next. New York is, there
fore, sure to be deprived of the benefits Of the
meeting Of the Evangelical Alliance, with all
its forei gn airs and graces. But how about
our own blessed religious anniversaries?
Shall we be deprived Of them? Shall all the
glorious s'Hallelujahs !" and solemn "Amens!"
all the soul-stirring hymns and psalms, all the
bountiful donations for the poor heather,
naked in body and in faith; all the startling
tales Of missionary labors in the wilds Of
Africa, among the Cafirs, the Foolahs, the
Mandingos, the Fellatahs, the Hottentots,
the Bushmen among the Copts, the Arabs,
the Turks; among the Malays, the Himalayas,
| the Shemalayas and all the rest Of the savage,
barbaric, heather and God-forsaken realms Of
man and womankind-are all these marvellous
narratives, all these donations, all these hymns
and psalms, these s'Amens" and s'Hallelu-
jahs!" to say nothing of those ravishing love-
| feasts which intoxicate and bewilder the body
and peril the soul-are all these annual
and thrilling exercises to be abol-
ished, done for, smashed up forever
Forbid, ye virtuous powers Forbid it,
We saints who hover over and protect
our city from fire and birthstone Forbid, ye
hot-griddled Satanic scamps of the other
place, whose market would be glutted with
material were our virtuous city to be bereft of
the beneficent influences of this annual vista
ton of the parsons and preachers and pious
bounty-seekers and romantic tale-bearers from
all parts Of our wicked land. Seriously, We
desire to put plain question to the American
Tract Society, the New York Observer, and
such other pious bodies and organs as favor
| the estoppage of these religious anniversaries.
1t is this What will the country clergymen
do for subjects and illustrations If they do not
visit the metropolis at least once a year
overhaul its wicked places, attend its sinful
Black Crook exhibitions, thrill with view Of
sin on the flying trapeze, shivertat the sight OF
wickedness astraddle of velocipede-what
will they do for subjects and texts with which
to startle the righteous Of their home congre-
cations unless they come here once twelve
month and see what prarlks Satan is kicking
up, what temptations he is holding out, what
mischief he is playing generally among the
good, the bad, the virtuous and the demor-
allied in this profigate but magnificent city
During the coming time for the annual meet
ings, too, the politicians may all be in broil
about the Offices under the new administration
of General Grants and here will be q fine field
for the observation of our Christian brethren
from distance. And another thing-what
about the clergymen's and deacons' wives and
daughters, who, unless they attended these
anniversaries, would probably never behold
this great city in the whole course of theil
lives9 Shall they be denied the pleasure of Z
visit here to see the fashions ,ss. s.. ito II:
dry goods palaces, peer into Its regal haber
dasheries, observe how our city bellies behay,
on The promenade, in the Park drive, at tn
opera-for they must 60 there, just to see tn
wickedness of IL, you know-attend our fash
ionable churches, and while their papas an,
mammas are drinking in the exhilarating syl
lables Of sparkling, champagne-like sermon
they, their darling daughters, are observing
the style, the pattern and the textile In th'
next pew, or listening enraptured to the be
witching trills of the angelic cantatrice in th,
choir above?
No, no. II win never do to smash up these
religious anniversaries. They are as much
necessity to the city as the city is a necessity
to the clergymen who attend them. So le
. | them come on-were armed!