The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-11

To THE EDITOR THE HERALD:-
In reading the interesting letter from your cor
respondent In Japan, published last Saturday.
noticed, with regret the disparaglng manner
which he spoke or the missionaries in the East. and
could not hut think that had he cultivated their
society more than imagine he has done, and taken
little more pans to make himself better acquainted
with the results OF their ab0rs he would not have
suffered himself to make statements which are not
only incorrect but far from original.
do not desire 10 enter into newspaper contro.
versy, but as your correspondent has made these
derogatOry assertions ana challenged contradiction,
venture to raise protest against allowing such
erroneous Impressions being spread abroad.
have Oeen engaged for number OF years in
business pursuits IN China and Japan. ana have
been more or less intimately acquainted with many
o. tue missionaries there. have seen some OF the
results OF their labors and they only be found
out by searchingl, and know that the good done
IS not SO niiniteslma your correspo ndent would
have Us believe. Many q pastor In this Christian
land, where time honored customs are not to be en-
trey overthrow before the Gospel can be re.
Ceived, would rejoice exceedingly had he as many
real additions To his Church during the year as 10
some OF these missionaries. Your correspondent
into the very general error OF Imagining that
every one who attends missionary school
are many who, although they receive o re ular
cotuse OF instruction and learn our language
''alter iashlon,n leave the schools without
But there are a great many VINO do become
jealous converts. and 1--we a thoroughly earnest.
and deyout Christian llfe IN spite OF the per.
secutlOns which asSail them. There IN Japan
alone over four thousand native Christians mostly
Roman Catholic c0Dverts, VINO are held Ia bon uage
on account OF tneir belief.
l admit tnat ali the missionaries not stars OF
the first magnitude as regards pulpit eoquence
but they are no as your correspondent asserts. as
q rule uuEt for the work." tnink That 'as a ruler
they are men cminently adapted to the peculiar
work requlred-patent, earnest, self-denying men
who LABOR IN season and out OF season, quietly but
steadily, IN the noble held they have CHOSEN.
also deny that the missionaries "are usually to
be seen with the rest OF foreigners u the race for
sIonary boards here were unable TO continue
their remittances, some OF the missionaries
were ouli1ed TO apply themselves 70 mer-
Cantse pursuits TO obtain the common necessarie5
O., life; but have yet TO hear OF the first one who
did not continue to devote large proportion
or his time to his regular work, without the hope
OF fee or eward and, as TO their being Over.paid
and living on the fat Of the land, nave only 10
suggest to YOUR correspondent tnat ne spend one
MONTH with the best paid missionary aud then one
mouth with any Of the foreign Hongs, and then de-
eide which he would choose as place Tor q long
residence. Ny word for IT, 1t would be the latter.
" nas become fashion for foreign residents In
sne E.Sss 70 speak slightngly OF the missionaries
eu oecIy ner usefulness. But, sir 1t Is nigh time
liz, snoula I've stopped. have many times heard
tue very same statements which your correspond
ent makes, Dut don't remember ever 10 We heard
enem from persons who knew ANYTHING about tine
subject The very presence OF the m Ission ia
constant rebuke 10 Inc hcentiousness or many Of
ene Foreigners VINO thus vainy try to quiet their own
conscience, and who BY their open disregard of re-
gion and constant desecratlon Of the sabbath undo