The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1871-02-23
Local Intelligence.


William Butler, d. ID. for ten years past
engaged 10 Missionary work in India,
delivered most interesting address
upon that subject, 10 tho Methodist
Episcopal Church, in this city, on
Thursday night last. DR.. Butler laid
the fouudatiou, in Iudia, Of what is now
an Annual Conference Of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, having forty minis
tiers, with membership of seven hun.
bred, and Sabbath School organization
embracing four thousand five hundred
scholars. The natives make as sincere,
jealous, aud devoted Christians, rs any
to be found in Europe or America, aud
high hopes are entertained Of the future
results Of Missionary labor among the
2l2 100000 of heather who inhabit
THAT benighted land. Inthe beginning
of his remarks the speaker said, he had
often thought. in far distant India, OF
the self Qualification of our Fourth cs
July orators, as TO what America would
be, some years hence, when her popula.
ton shall pumber two hundred million
There is India, with a population OF
2l2,000, 900, and soil unsurpassed for
fertility, aud untold treasures Of gold
and silver, but what is she, without the
Gospel? STEPPED in ignorance aud idol.
airy, reeking with nameless crime, she
dwells in darkness more than zimmerman
Not gold, or silver, or fertility Of soil
or strength Of numbers, can elevate a
nation, without Christianity. The Rev.
erend gentleman gave many Interesting
facts and incidents in relation to India.
in the course ofhis remarks, which held
his audience in wrapt attention The
vehicle for travelling is the palauquiu, a
box fastened upon two bamboo poles,
borne on the shoulders Of four men.
while four other men follow, relieving
each other every fifteen minutes. The
rate oftrayel, BY palauqain, is three miles
per hour. Railways between the prin.
eipal cities have been built by the Eng
lish, all the officers and employees upon
which are Englishmen. Their com.
merse is carried on exclusively by for.
eign vessels, no native pilot ever con.
Quoted ship into an East Indian port.
They export nine times as much as they
import; this throws the balance oftrade
greatly in their favor, and as they will
accept nothing but specie, ia payment.
silver aud gold are accumulating to an
enormous extent in IDdia The speaker
had counted % clmels laden with coin,
crossing the lsthmus Of Suez. This
caravan passes twice a month many
other camels, in the same caravan, are
laden with various articles Of merchan.
die. All the camels are tied together,
hole in the nose admits string, aud
this is tied TO the tail of the camel 10
front To this way the caravan pro
ceeds under the charge OF sheik aud
six armed men. The Hindoos are great
idolaters, having ''lords many and gods
many" DIR. Butler bought forty OF
their idols, ia order to show them to
the people of America. lie exhibited
one, the Mars Of the Greeks and Ro
maus-the Hiudoo conception of the
fiery Coo of War being, a-little brass
likeness of a monkey Their principal
god, in the temple where the priests
minister, is the likeness Of monkey,
with gold face, having diamonds for
eyes, each worth $4,000. lie also
exhibited another instrument of idol
worship--a small copper cylinder, with
a short handle, inside Of which were
strips of paper containing FIVE hundred
prayers, which for few pice, a small
copper coin, the priest would whirl
around as be held the instrument in his
hand, aud this was Hindoo praying,
which might be witnessed at anytime
in the Bazaar at Lucknow. The mon
key Is sacred animal. in India, and it
is worth mans life to kill one, how.
ever annoying their depredations may
be in garden or orchard. The zebu or |
COW Is also sacred animal, which they
consider it sinful to kill. When a IA.
tive is converted to christianity, he is
cut of from all association with his fel.
lows, and often preparations are made
Tor mock funeral, and they henceforth
treat him as one dead aud utterly lost
to them. Such are some Of the sacri.
tees which Hiudoo Christians are cal
led to make, and the trials which they
undergo; and yet, the speaker said he
had heard them in their meetings testi
~ with streaming eyes their devotion
to the principles ofthe Gospel. Woman
occupies most dcbased position in
and is even denied soul.
When the Missionaries took girls icto |
their schools, the natives said :hey
night as well undertake to educate the
COWS. The Missionaries employ no in.
erpreiers, they have all learned to
peak the native tongue, aud the Scrip
ures have been translated and printed
q their language at the Mission
'ripting Office. The law OF caste is the
urse OF India; man can be nothing
'ut what his father has been before
Inn. Ii his father was a tailor or a
hoemaker, he must be one also there
Eas no chance to be anything else. The
5fahmins, or priests, were the head aud
rains ofthe nation, and the highest of the
our castles among the Hiudoos, and the
cry touch Of the lower orders was con.
animation. The lowerord were reduc.
d to the most abject condition they Ia