New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-05-30
CHURCH CHIMES.

Our Philadelphia friends are certainly thor
oughly in earnest as to their proposed Cen
tennial. After having, in true bu5iness-like
fashion, raised actual and prospective funds,
they lose no opportunity of enlisting what
may be termed more sentimental Influences
all, however, entirely legitimate, and all prac-
tically conducive TO one great end. We have
already more than once referred to the active
agency of the Women of Philadelphia, and we
have reason to know that an amount of work
has been and is being accomplished by TINS
means far beyond any casual estimate BY 1t
aone-and it has not yet extended beyond
the narrOwest local Enthusiastically more
than $4,000 of subscriptions have been
realized, and scheme of correspondence
throughout the country organized that cannot
fail to be effective. The Philadelphia women
are showing they can do this work quite as
well as men, even though they don't vote.
Another gentle influence we are glad to re-
cord. We read in one of WashingtOn's
modest, fragmentary diaries, that when, on
visit to Philadelphia, he crossed one of the
Schuylkill ferries, the chimes of old Christ
Church pealed out for him joyous welcome.
The sound of these ancient Revolutionary
bells has, it seems, awakened at this day
holy memories and rich associations. The an
nual convention of the Episcopal Church, re-
Gently in session in Philadelphia, unanimously
passed resolutions expressive of sympathy with
the proposed commemoration, and urging all
of their communion to unite with them. In
this there was no intrusiveness, and no exclu-
siveness 1t was the utterance of natural
nhr.aN
nations will do well to initiate.
And whence could it more appropriately come
We must not be thought fanciful when we call it
an echo to the Christ Church chimes. They are
not cracked, like the unlucky Independence
bell with its Levitical inscription. They have
been ringing long and on varied occasions.
They rang no doubt on Royal birthdays in
colonial times. On the ewes of market days
they summoned the country people to bring
In their farm produce. They have heralded
more than century of Christmases. They
rang cheerily when Independence was
proclaimed. They were silent when Lord
CORVALLIS and his grenadiers marched
down Second-st. When the Federal Con-
stitution was adopted, History tells us
they peaed merrily-and they tOlled sadly
when Independent Americas first Bishop,
the sainted White, thirty-eight years ago,
was buried in the shadow of that spire.
Here is an association which we crave leave to
revive in the minds of our church friends
of Philadelphia, and which is full of interest.
The American Revolution had no tnge of
sectarianism about it. IL was not all Puritan,
as some Of us are too apt to assume. The
Virginia patriots were cavaliers in their sym
pathies. There was the Presbyterian Wither-
spoon and the Jacobite Mercer; there was
what, in the vulgar dialect of to-day, is called
the "Romanistr Carroll-we mean the priest as
well as the statesman-and the Anglican
White. And it is simple loyalty to her story
that should make Philadelphia churchmen
mindful, as it now seems they are, of their
patriot prelate.