The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-08-30

effected as to inspire every Christian heart
with gratitude and hope.
Our forcttthcrS found the aborigines Of
this country heather. In 1916 missions
were commenced among the Chcrokces and
Choctaws, numbering 10000. They are now
Il Christian people and similar statements
might be made concerning other Indian
tribes.
In the Sandwich islands idolatry was over
thrown in 1920. Missionaries arrived soon
after, and laborcd seventeen years, ditiusing
the primary truths of the gospel, when a
general religious movement began, and one
fourth Of the entire population were con-
SertCd. AT this time, 0nc-third Of the peO-
pie are church members, Of whom 800
joined in 1868, and they not only support
the gospel among themselves. but contri-
butte large sums to send it to Micronesia and
the Murquesas islands. Dr. Rufus Ander
son, Of the American Board Of Comnlis-
sioners for Foreign Missions Qrom whose
valuable book on Foreign Missions many of
the facts Of this paper ure glcnned), tra-
yerScd these Islands in 1864, and says "the
United States arc no more Christian than
these islands"
About the beginning Of the present CEN
tury English missionaries landed ut Tahiti,
East Polynesia, and Iabored score of years
before rejoicing in their first convert. Then
began remarkable religious revolution.
Island after Island, group after group,
threw away their idols and embraced the
gospel. Sometimes the mere tldings OF
what had occurred in Tahiti, carried 10y q
native convert, was the means Of convert
in. mu!titules. Now the religion of Christ
is prevalent in most Of the numerous
islands westward for 1900 miles. We eX-
tract from report Of the London Mission
nt s.S Sx-tX f,nt
native Christian in Polynesia. Now it is
difficult to find II profcsscd idolatcr in
Eastern or Central Polynesia. The
hideous rites OF their forefatherS are aban-
doncd; their heather legends and war.
songs are forgotten cruel md dcsolating
tribal wars are at an end agriculture and
commerce flourish u large proportion OF
the people attend church, and iii some in
stances half are church members. They
educate their children, sustain their native
preachers, and send their noblCst sons as
missionaries TO hcalhcn lands lying far TO
the west. They have been Won ttom the
dolnain OF hcathcndom, and added to the
domains Of Christcndom."
The most remarkable results have been
in the Fcjce Islands, in connection with
which Dickens uttered his Sncc:s against
Christian missions. These islands arc eighty
in number aud contain Il population of
2O0,O00. Thirty years ago the inhabitants
were cannibalS. If one hundred white men
had been cast Oh their. shores they would
have been eaten. Seamcn dreaded these
isles more than the treacherous whirlpool.
Now, they are ChriStianiZcd, with $1,000
church members, and half the population
attend church. CannbaliSIn has ceased.
Poly gamy and inEanticidc nre passing away.
Au til.hSb naval officer who lately attend
Cd a service there says: "Only fifteen years
ago every man | saw was cannibal. Close
to me sat tho old chief, Bible iii hand and
spcctuclcs on forehead, who was. twenty
aud sanguinary Of this terrible land and
within twenty yards was the site Of the
fatal oven, with the tree still standing, COW
cred with the notchcS that marked each
new Victim."
We glance now at Burmah, the scene of
Jutison's labUrs. In 1852 Mir. NintOn re-
moved into the Province OF Rangoon, and
laboreu six years, when he died. His la
bors were upostoic.-h privations unpar-
allied. His tours were through roadess
md uncXplorcd regions, He fell q victim
TO his zeal. But in these six years he
planted forty churches, opened forty-two
houses OF worship, 5000 Karens were ele-
waited to Christian worshippers, and in
the rainy seasons 100 native pastors and
cvangeliSts were trained.
In the vast East India Empire of Brah-
minism the work is proceeding more slowly,
but it is progressing. DR.. Mullcns, for ten
years a missionary from England, said ut
"The greatest fruit is in the mighty change
produced in the convictions of the people
at large. The Hindoos are learning
that an idol Is nothing, and that bathing In
the Ganges cannot cleanse away SIM" He
declares his belief that, while the vested in
tercstS of idolatry arc Of enormous value !;
while Brahmin families may be counted by
millions; while the Hiudoo system dates
back long before the coming of Christ, and
Is most formidable antagonstic; yet
even Hindooism, 50 powerful, SO rich, SO
ancient, is giving way at every point.
Nor are the converts from heethenism
merely the eSpouSers of q nominal religion,
won from idolatry to infdclity. There
have not been wanting proofs OF their sim
cerity and earnestnesS. In the great India
Rebellion of 1857 some 1900 had to flee for
their lives; they were beaten and plum
dercd, and eleven suffered death. They
were urged to apostallZc, but only six
welded, and these subsequently returned
to their faith.
In MADAGASCAR the missionaries preached
under the protection Of the King, and gave
the people the Bible and hymn-book In
their own language. Upon the death or
the king bis widow succeeded him, who
forbade all religious obseryances under
penalty Of death, and then, perceiylng, the
gospel was still gaining ground, she ban ban
ished the missionaries. This was In 1885.
The Christians still increasing, they were
then subjected to fiery persccution-Were
poisoned, burned, hanged, stoned, cruci-
fled. Two thousand suffered. This went
OH for twenty-five years, when the Queen
died, and her son invited the missionaries
to return. This was nine years ago, and
Or. Ellis, in a volume entitled "Madagas.
car Revisited" and dedicated to the Queen,
tells us there are now twenty thousand
Christians in Madagascar.
In like manner our own missionaries
lately revisiting Yoruba found not only the
converts they had left maintaining their
profession, but many converts desiring
baptism, and a general and most earnest
desire for more missionaries to come among
them, to be supported, if necessary, by
those TO whom thew preached, Moreover,