Wilmington journal., 1873-08-08
NO. 80.
From the North Carolina Presbyterian
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE,
LONDON, July 9Th. 1873

the risk of noting some points tha
may have been more graphically nj
luded to by others, proceed to 10
down few memoranda.
What most strikes one who has no
Tor twenty years set foot in Europe. i
the vast Improvement which has takel
place in the circumstances and condi
tIOn OF the great mass of the popula
tlon of these Islands. I do not ailud,
to the great fortunes that have bee,
made in trade and commerce-tb,
vast amount of wealth that has beer
accumulated during the past decade
but especially during the past two
| years. / mean that the condition g
the people has improved enormously
Education and culture and the means
OF procuring them have greatly in.
| creased. the children of the classes
| depending upon daily labor are vel
clad, even tastily so, whilst THEN
dwellings in respect to sanitary and
even luxurious arrangements are i'll
comparably superior to what they
formerly were. You may have been
under the impression that colliers or
coal miners, for example. We're class
pltied by the rest of the civilized
world as the subjects of an almost
ntolerable and hopeless slavery. But
the fact is they are better off in point
OF money and means than many of the
professional classes-some of their
families consisting Of father and sons
under age earning as much as fifty
dollars week. And it is said that in
some eases they purchase piano, and
go to the pit (mine) mouth in their
own conveyance. Sure enough, how
ever, the towns, cities and villages
show improvements On every side, aud
agriculture, commerce and industry
generally are running a rapid career in
this we'll governed and free country.
It would be hardly possible in a
short paper like this to recite the OBJ
lects IN this great city that undoubt-
edly interest all travellers. Yesterday
a statesman and his wife directed my
attention to the Albeit memorial in
Hyde Park, remarkirg that it was the
finest monument he ever saw or ex-
pected to see. As an instance of stl-
perb architectural design ard execu-
ton IN art 1t is most wonderful. The
Treasures of Painting are also
marvellous, and L never heard such
music as an organist produced at St.
IeOIStS Hill, Liverpool.
In cities like this there is a great
concentration of good men and conse-
quently of moral power, and where the
light is SO bright there must (as there
are) be deep and dark shadows. The
enemy is also at work wifi, his leeions
here, but iniquity is obliged to hide
its head. Nowhere IL Christendom is
is help for the POOR, the
sick. the MANNED and the eunfortunate-
more earnestly at work, more richly
endowed. There are institutions of
this nature presenting themselves to
your adnnrlng gaze everywhere. To-
day when walking along that splendid
work, the Thames embankment, and
looking across the river from the Pal
aces of the Parliament, there is ST.
Hospital consisting Of seven
beautiful blocks of buildings in the
latest style OF architecture, which sets
one a thinking of the astonishing ex-
tent OF London charities.
Since arriving in Scotland and Eng
land L have every Sabbath heard cx-
cellent preaching, almost all Presby-
terrain. To-day [ started sOOn after
breakfast for Mr.. Spurgeon's Taber-
naclc, Surry side of the River, and
after a long walk along Waterloo
Bridge and Road, &c., &c, I was told,
on inquiriDg further the way, that
there would be no m1staking where [
was when [ got to large crowd rush
ing into a big building. Nor was
there. Fortunately [ got almost i'm
into 4 very good seat amidst
a congregation of four Thousand peo-
pie. all well visaged and evidently Ill
teligent-lnany of them working men.
The Tabernacle would easily hold half
Il dozen small sized churches, without
counting two galleries, one above the
other and running all around the build
ing. Now what if the preacher is alb
sent, us at this season he might be ?
This doubt was soon settled by the ap-
pearance, on Il sort of large pulpit plat
Rev MIR. Spu"geon I was aGrecably
one can be so-in his
and physique. [ had heard
HIM represented as heavy and gross in
body. Such is not the description [
sents no signs of the sickIy midnight
no weakness, no: pallor.
and no one would feel that he was
uElOil Observation-Disclosures. but
upon a hearty, whole-souled English
man, with a face beaming with intelli-
gent good nature, and assuredly man
who would do his duty and submit to
no nonsense.
He proceeded Immediately to give
out that universal song of praise the
23d Psalm (ScOtch versOn) and without
any instrumental lead it was magiiiti-
Gently sung, as also was afterwards that
world renowned hymn 'tAll Hail the
Power of Jesus Name 1t was like
the voice of many waters. The Rev
erend gentleman selected for his text,
(after reading with great effect num-
Der of portions of Scripture of very
ellifying and comforting nature, n pas
sage from Solomon's song: AS the
apple-tree among the trees of the
wood. SO is my beloved among the
sons" 1t was at once plain that he
had something tn say, and he said it.
| have very seldom listened to such
good bringing forth from the Scripture
Treasury things new and old. 1t was
good to be there. He pleal for Bible
preaching and denounced ell unreal re-
ligion, fantastical mumeries and pre-
tensions. He prayed as earnestly for
America as for Great Bri tain. and for
the professionalism of both countries.
| went in the evening to Westminls-
ter Abbey expecting to hear Dean
Stanley or some other well known Di-
vine, but he was absent, and as I would
have had to wait some time previous to
to the commencement of service, L left.
In respect to the present position OF
the religious bodies in Great Britain 1T
may be said that the 'Presbyterianism
of Scotland, as represented by the
three great Churches, which will ere
long form one, seems to absorb and as
simulate all other denominations which
are few in number, comparatively and
decreasing. It is true the Episcopa-
lians have been adding to their num-
bers some of the Scotch aristocracy,
but that makes no difference to the
people. They have also by charities t.
the very poor sought to lead them to
the Prayer Book; but the res1,lt Is, rs
far as 1 learn, extremely trifiing rs au
effort towards proselyting them.
In England the sonnd portion OF the
Church EstablishedD being the great
majority of it's clergy, never had q