New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-01-24
PRESBYTERIAN HOME MISSIONS.

As an adjunct to the statement which we
made the other day in reference to the efforts
of the Episcopal Church to Christianize the
indians, we call attention to the Report OF
the Board of Home Missions of the Presby-
terian Church, which includes not only their
recent attempts to bring the savage Oh our
borders to a knowledge of the truth, but all
that they have done for his neighbOr, the
white settler. The Cheyenne or Choetaw
il quite AZ ready to draw conclusions
IA any shrewd white, and the direct
preaching by half dozen missionaries OF the
religion of Christ will count very little
against the indirect testimony against 1t OF the
bOrdes of squatters, traders, Pixies, and ruff
fans who call themselves Christians, while
their cod is the whisky-tiask, and their sole
faith lies in the bOwie-knife and game OF
grab 1t ia not easy for even the we'll
instructed to separate creed from Its pro-
fessors For other reasons, too, the Great
West offers the most urgent and remunera-
tive field for Christian labor.
Naturally the Outguards of settlement are
the most reckless, vicious men in the country,
who have drifted there to DO free from restraint.
Next to them are the emigrants from the
make a living, and who are consequently apt
to make religious considerations and expendi-
lures defer to that, and defer so long that
usually they are forgotten altogether. And
back of these are the great masses of for
eigners pouring into the country from both the
Atlantic and Pacific shores, bringing with
them every form of belief and non-belief
under heaven. AS long az Pasanism
crosses to our own threshold to be Taught, it
certainly seems an economy of power to bring
all our forces to bear on her here instead of
attacking her at great disadvantage in her
own habtatiOn. Missionaries have been and
are now sent out TO Japan, India, and China,
and maintained there at great expense, who
may or may not possess the culture, the rare
tact, and breeding which are as much neces-
sary as holy zeal to insure success. The ex-
pertinent has been, to speak moderately, q
costly and doubtful one; but the churches
have long made it with fervOr and cOnstancy of
faith especially the powerful sect whose record of
home work is now before us. There would
be no room, therefore, for excuse of any luke
warmness of zeal when the heather actually
come knocking at her doors. Indeed, should
she give a feebler answer to John Chinaman,
cobbliDg shoes or washing clothes in San Fran
CISCO or to the poor settlers wife on the sage
fats who asks that her children may hear
the hymns and prayers of her youth, than to
the heather In Greenland or Africa, there
would be room forisuspicion that the glamour
of icy mountains and golden fountains had
something to DO with her zeal and that of her
messengers. - ~ ApD
{: The Church Of John Knox, however, while
it may have inherited the Scotch habit of
holding fast to its share of truth in an argu-
mentative and bellgerent manner, inherited
too a Scotch sincerity III dauntless faith and
loyalty TO it. The Covenanter took grim
satisfaction in dying for his creed, and the
stanch spirit has come down so untainted
into these modern laxer times that we are
not surprised to read Of men of educa-
ton and exceptional natural power, who
might command large salaries in the
West, preferring to live IN penury and
the work of preaching the gospel to those
whose need OF 1t Is 80 great. The Church, too
has shown a steady increase of zeal during
the last few years. One hundred and thirty
six new churches have been formed during the
past year; the whole number of missionaries
in the home work being 1898. We have no room
to enter into details One fact will be sug-
gestive enough TO give most of our readers a
clear idea OF the sincerity and high motives
of those men. The largest salaries paid
in any case are from $500 to $1,000
When we remember that the missionary
must necessarily he an educated man, with a
certain amount OF power, able in any profess
sion or trade, no matter how humble, to COM
mand larger income than this, and remem-
Der, too, that the career voluntarily chosen
for himself aud his family ia one of constant
hardship and deprivation, unlike Others in
that there is no room in it for possible wealth
or gratifed ambition, we can better appreci-
ate the spirit that sent him there, aud the
magnitude of the work that holds him to 1t
without dinching.