The New York herald., 1872-12-16


us, therefore, pray.
The Rev. Bishop Foster preached oS ''The
Bible. Its Age, Perfection and Unchangssbleo
mesa" tits not only the oldest book, but 1t is
the only perfect book that was ever written.
1t treats Of subjects of the highest importance
and such as no other book treats, and in
manner that inspires men with the fullest
confidence in its sublime truths. DR..
Cheever maintains that prayer il not an ex-
pertinent to be tested in the hospital or on the
farm. but ia the law and the necessity of
spiritual life, and the soul that denies prayer
is on the certain road to atheism. DR.. Morgan
Dix finds that the people of this world live in
but two houses-the house Of feasting or the
house of mourning. This earth is house Of
mourning, and all the fair things of life flourish
.on the surface of DEATH The house of mourn
ing holds the greater part of mankind The
house of feasting is that whose inhabitants,
though comparatively few, say, 'Let us eat
and drink, for tomorrow we die" In view of
the advent DR.. Dix urged his hearers to spend
more time in the house of mourning than in
that of feasting.
Remnants of anything are very suggestive.
but remnants of society are highly SO and
Mr. Beecher deemed them worthy of his con-
ssideration yesterday. The mon who give them
.selves for others in less sublime sense than
Christ gave Himself for mankind. but not the
less heroic-the men who want the stimulus
eof hope that gives fibre to the body-the men
who have no adaptation, who put yoke of
oxen to rock the cradle and put the nurses
10 v;k 10
of society for whom God cares. Mr.. Beecher
would despair if all the men in this world
who fall in the battle Of life had no God to
ftake care Of them in the world to come But
ihe is glad to know, and so are we, that the
spirit OF Christ is not to bleSs those only who
squeezed. but those who fail here also.
Rev. DR.. Tiffany, talking to the politicians
rof Washington, urged them to be followers Of
God as dear children. He presented the
characteristics and qualifications of children
sas examples to follow He was glad that as the
world and the Church advance the narrowness
'of sectarian bigotry gives way to the broad,
kindly Christliness which makes every man
our neighbor who needs our help.
president Grant and tho James River
and Kanawha Canal.
The virginians, taking advantage of the op-
fportunity afforded by the Presid .nt's recon-
-Inendation Of internal improvements in his
slate Message to Congress, are moving in the
lmatter of the James River and Kanawha Canal.
1T will be remembered that the President made
special reference to this canal as one of the
,most important works of internal improve
,ments to develop trade between the West and
The Atlantic seaboard, and recommended Con-
+gress to aid in completing and making it
effective Immediately after the Presidents
Message was delivered Governor Walker, of
Virginia, sent his Message to the State Legisla-
'fure, and in that rather threw cold water
upon the proposal Of federal aid, upon the
ground that he did not believe Congress
would afford relief and that the State ought to
rhelp the work itself and not look for assist
.ance from the federal government. The Vir-
ginians, however, appear to be determined to
urge Congressional action, and for that pur-
pose delegation from both Virginia and
West Virginia have had an interview with
the President. The address made to him on
that occasion and his reply have been pub
tlished among our Washington dispatches
The President reiterated his expressions in
favor of governmental aid and the hope that
"Congress will give sufficient encouragement
ITO insure the completion of the work" Now,
while we agree with all that has been said of
The Importance Of opening canal communica-
ution through Virginia to facilitate trade
i;between the West and the seaboard, and of the
great value of the work to both Virginia and
West Virginia, we must say that the appro-
lPriation of money by the federal government
for it would be the commencement of o most
disastrous policy. 1t would prove but the
beginning Of system Of internal improve
iments on o gigantic scale that would in time
swamp the government keep the people over
fburdened with taxation and spread the curse
of corruption and Generalization all over the
land. We think the Virginians had better
il take the advice of Governor Walker and do
the work themselves with the assistance of
capital from private or State sources and
neither appeal to nor trust to the action Of the
federal government.
DrAsrRous FREs-CAN THE MAGNETIC
TELEGRAPH BE MORE UTILIZED ?-The terrible
sweeping conAagrations in Boston and Chicago,
and many other disastrous fires of late, have
raised great deal of discussion on the subject
of preventing, to some extent at least, such
disasters. There is one agent of great efficiency
4 that has not yet received due consideration in
connection with this subject. We refer to the
magnetic telegraph. While we are not pre-
pared to say in what way science may apply or
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