The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-28
Spiritual Desolasion in the South.

Spiritual DenoIattOn Inc SOutns
Six years ago, when the rebellion was
brought to a peaceful close, the South was
both moral and material waste. Pillage
and plumber by contrasting armies had done
their work surely and thoroughly. The mill
tary drafts in the South had drawn of oil the
able-bodied men. young and old, who could
shoulder q musket or handle spade; and
when Lee surrendered and Northern men
began to pour into the South and to send back
the tales OF distress of that section our sym
pathy was aroused here and material aid was
promptly furnished But in tho excitement
attending the efforts TO tranquillizs the people
of the rebellious States and to supply their
Immediate physical needs their spiritual neces-
stiles were overlooked, and they remain to this
day but very partially supplied with the ministry
and the ordinances of the Christian Church.
During those six years past the people, both
North and South, have been interested mainly
IN retaining the neglected fields. and planta-
tions and reopening the closed factories Of the
South, and have devoted very little time,
labor or money in restoring the waste places
OF Zion. We have not been quite willing to
accept the limitations which have been for
warded to us from time to timo by Northern
'carpet-baggers" in reg ard to the moral desc
lations of the South aud the white survivors
Of the war, whose spirit has not been quite
subdued, are either too proud or too ignorant
20 reveal their own sad condition or to accept
as boon from us that which they are too poor
to pay for. Hence after all those years they
are nearly as badly off spiritually as they
were when the war ragged and their churches
were turned into barracks or arsenals, or
worse.
Recently two important witnesses have made
late in lands or mines or manufactures, bu: to
see for themselves and for the Christian mis-
sionary associations which they represent the
actual moral condition Of the inhabitants of
those States. The Rev. James S. Ostrandcr,
General Agent Of the Sunday School Union of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, returned to
this city three weeks ago, after an absence Of
about three months, during which he visited
nineteen States south aud west and travelled
1884 miles, mostly in the Gulf States,
preaching to the people wherever he stopped
and conversing with the ministers and
Christian laymen wherever he found them.
The desolaton was the same everywhere,
there being very little difference between the
city and The country, and the poverty of the
people was terribly apparent. Windows which
had I,cn nd ,,of I.I I,aa
off churches during the war remained I'M
mended and unrestored ever since. Affairs
and pews and pulpits that have been desc
Grated remain as they were left in 1866. The
people have no money wherewith to repair
their churches nor to support the preaching of
the Gospel among them. AS the next best
thing, wherever it was feasible to do so, Mr..
Ostrander organized Mission Sunday schools,
and his society has forwarded grants of books,
catech;sms, cards and such other helps as are
needed to maintain such Sunday school organi-
cations as were willing to go through the usual
form of application therefor.
The Rev. George ). Mingins, Superintend-
cnt of New York City Missions, has returned
from his Southern tour, later than Mr.. Ostrsn-
der, but he brings similar account. He did
not travel so extensively as Mr.. Ostrander,
but his. experience agrees with the other in
every particular. He saw enough to satisfy
him that the great want Of the South to-day is
not 80 much school houses, and factories, and
agricultural prosperity, and political quiet, as
the preaching Of the Gospel to the masses. In
one village in Georgia he found hog in quiet
possession of Methodist church, in which
there was neither bench nor chair, pulpit nor
pew, door nor window. With the aid of some
colored men he drummcd up congregation on
the Sabb ath TO whom he expounded the Word
of God, and where also he gathered Sunday
school, His illustrations of the ignorance of
the children and youth of this and other places
which he visited would be very amusing were
they not quite 80 serious q matter. Mr..
Mingins will, no doubt, present the results of
his observations and Impressions in the South
to the Christian people of this city, as Mr.. Os-
trander has to his society, and they, with their
usual liberality, will, we dare say, promptly
respond. Fifteen hundred missionaries who
should 60 down to the South to teach the
people, and not to domireer over them, or to
make money ont of their misfortuncs, could
find ample employment at once. And there
are fifteen hundred men in this city whose
purses are long enough to support one such
missionary year in that field. While we are
ready to send our money to tho heather in
India, and China, and Africa, let us not forget
our brethren at home, who by reason of war
and misfortune are without the institutions of
she Christian Church and unable to help them
selves. Here is field which must yield an
abundant harvest Who will be the first to
send the laborers into this vineyard2
THE PRIZE FIGHTERS Collins and Edwards
found themselves held in chancery by Judge
DovvlinU vaatardov and after few well