The New York herald., 1873-10-19

was speedily silenced by his colleagues, who
appeared to be anxious only to prevent any
reports of their apparent official negligence
getting abroad. This is suspicious course
of action, to say the least of it, and reminds
us Of the old adage that 'where all is not
open all is not honest" Or does this Board
of School Trustees imagine that, like the silly
ostrich in hiding its little head in the sand,
its long legs and big body are invisible9
Last Words About the Late Evan.
geIicaI Congress-Rcview or tho
Religious Press.
Strictly speaking there is very little to re-
view in the editorial columns Of the religious
press this week. Full reports Of the Evan
gelical Alliance, which has just closed it's
sittings here, are given in most of the secta-
rian journals, to the exclusion, in great
measure, of other and more varied articles.
For example, the Observer gives some fifteen
columns of this matter, the Evangelist about
the same amount the Independent about
dozen pages, the Methodist some sixteen
columns, and so on through nearly the whole
Protestant list. The Observer finds editorial
space to say, in summing up the business of
the Convention:-
The most elaborate. philosophical, theological
and scientific discussions were listened to with
encored, as popular songs in a concert and their
repetition actually required, at great length One
semby, packing one OF the largest churches, two
hours and forty minutes The enthusiasm OF these
religious revival sudden awakening to the ap-
prehenslon OF evangelical truth, in its bearings
upon the worlds regeneration, and the quick
appreciation oil great Thought a fine illustration,
or a novel and ingenious argument showed the
audience to ue in the highest range OF mental and
moral activity, day after day, through the most
protracted and exhausting sessions.
The Evangelist concludes its summary of the
occasion by trusting that Gin all branches Of
the Church this grand Protestant Council will
be followed by more intelligent and energetic
prosecution by each of its appropriate work.
With larger views and o more correct appre-
citation of what needs to be done, as well as
with stronger sympathy for all who, near or
far away, are engaged in Christian labors, we
shall respond to the impulse now given and 60
to our work with new faith, courage and hope"
The Independent frankly admits that the
meetings of the Alliance shave been mora
fruitful of good than we had expected,
although we expected not q little. And yet,
when we attempt to tell to our readers at q
distance just what those fruits have been, we
recognize the difficulty. For the Alliance
has made no record of decretals,
has formulated no doctrine and has
even recommended nothing. It has passed
no votes unless il be votes of thanks. When
the Vatican Council was adjourned it had
something definite to show 1t had been de-
cided, after bitter discussion, that the infalli-
bility of the Pope was o doctrine that had al
ways been held everywhere by oil Catholic
Christians That was not true, but it was
something to show. The dogma had been
formulated and adopted and proclaimed. The
Evangelical Alliance on the other hand, has
nothing of this sort to show, for it has only
met together and talked"
The Methodist wishes it to be remembered
that ''the Alliance is not q league Of churches,
but an association of individual Christians. It
is open to all accredited believers who accept
its basis. Now that its importance has been
demonstrated we beg our people (whom it is
our function to address) to sustain it, to be-
come members of it, and SO to increase and
perpetuate its power"
Church and State (Rev Dr. John Cotton
Smith) remarks that ga few years ago it would
have been impossible for Conference like
this to have been held in this country without
very great prominence being given to the the
illogical barriers which exist between different
Christian communions. In the present Con-
ference the existence of any such barriers was
scarcely recognized, or, if recognized at oil,
was treated with perfect indifference"
The Christian at Work (Rev. J. De Witt Tall
mage), in its labors in the cause of temperance,
states that the Indians first called the site on
which New York was built misunderstanding.
The translation Of it is sThe place where they
all got drunk" "We are glad, says the editor,
"thatit has been changed, for though New York
has several thousand unlicensed grog shops,
we consider the name inappropriate, although,
ifintemperance continues to increase as rapidly
for the next hundred years as during the last
twenty years, the time will come when New
York may appropriately take its old Indian
nomenclature
The Christian Union Henry Ward Beecher)
afirms that ''the Alliance is one of the land
marks of the worlds advancement toward q
genuine Christian toleration and brotherhood.
1t is one of the agencies that promote this adj
vancement But progress never fails to go
beyond the agencies that set it agoing, and
the time will come when the Christian world
shall outgrow the Alliance Each generation
thinks that it has attained the end ofprogress,
or at least that its own ideal is that end. But
every generation is short-sighted. Our horizon
is not the end Of the world. Beyond the
partial unity accomplished by the Evangelical
Alliance there will come in the fulness Of
Gods time a broader fellowship and pro-
L.. l.cC CL-;.A.arc