American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-10-25
CLOSE OF THE ALLIANCE.

The closing scenes of the Evans
gelical Alliance, recently in session
in New York, were very touching
and impressive, and must have ex-
erted IA salutary influence upon the
vast muItitudes that listened to the
| farewell uttrranceS of the gifted
speak erS. Whatever may be thought
of the action of this convOcation of
ministers from all parts of the
earth, one thing must be regarded
with feelings of peculiar pleasure,
and that is the perfect harmony
that characterized their delibera-
rions. Those prejudices and parti-
alities which obtain in the different
church organizations, setting up
one to the injury of another, have
been great stumbling blocks in the
path of christian progress, and, as
IA liberalist, we are pleased to know
that they We're eschewed by the
Alliance.
The ends designed by the chris
tan system, if We properly compre-
bend them. are the glory of God,
and the general and individual ben
eft of mankind, and these can
never be effected where heads of
churches unchristianize all denomi-
,,,t;ous tlot do not cuhSor,bo to tho
dOgmas of their creed. There must
be a general agreement among
christians on the fundamental doc
trines of religion, before the world
can be brought to recognize its di-
vine origin and authority. The
fruits of the spirit, as we under
stand them, are love, peace, good
ness, fidelity, and high over all,
charity where these are wanting,
there can be no genuine religion.
The Office of the Holy Ghost is TO
restore man to a state of purity,
and to bring him in union with God
and man, by the renovation of the
moral powers of his soul. Whose
ever conforms his life and conduct
to the principles and requirements
of the Gospel, may be SAID to be
morally and spiritually good but,
Oh the contrary, he who recognizes
these as qualities belonging to his
church alone, must, by parity Of
reasoning, be morally and spiritu
ally evil.
But we are wandering from our
purpose, which is to present a few
extracts from the New York Sun'S
report of the final exercises of the
Alliance, and which, we think, will
not be destitute of interest. The
closing services at the Academy of
music, arc thus alluded to:
DIR. Armitage offered the opening
invocation. In his tervent and clio
quent prayer he likened the great
gathering of christians of so many
denominations to that other great
assemblage which should one day
meet before the Throne, when creeds
and dogmas should he forgotten,
and things made clear which are
enShrOuded in mystery.
The entire assemblage then uni
ted in singing the favOrite hymn of
the Conference
Come thou Almighty King.
The Rev. DIR. Fisch, of Paris, then
offered a prayer, appealing for the
welfare of America, her people, and
her institutions. after which all
united in the Lords Prayer, every
one rendering it in his native Ian
guage, and as the fervent petition
arose from thousands of lips and
hearts, the singular admixture of
French, Spanish, German, Italian,
English, and almost every known
tongue formed Babel altogether
indescribable.
In connection with this last exer-
else, we will say, that any one who
never heard Edwin Booth, the I'M
rivalled American tragedian, repeat
the Lords Prayer, can have but a
faint conception of the beauty, pa
thOs and grandeur contained in that
inimitable petition of the Savior.
1t has been our good pleasure to
hear it fall, in touching accents, from
the inspired lips of the most elO-
quent pulpit orators of the day, but
we never fully realized its great
power and effect until we heard 1t
in those grand and solemn intona
tons for which Mr.. Booth is so
justly distinguished, and which no
living man can equal.
The scene at Tammany Hall was
no less imposing, but for fear of
wearying the patience of the read
er, we will only refer to an episode
i'm the address of Rev. Hayne Miller,
in which he described, with touch
ing emphasis, the closing scene in
the life of Hon. Cement l.. Valland-
-, al hasa tra nin Ianth 10 wall