National Republican., 1876-04-03
SEEKING AFTER CHRIST.
ICon.inasd from Yiy,t Paoe1

sl,o7l SUo, sno over s2Ooo,OOo ~ss exps ided in
Union missionary eolportsge, there items equal:
Hng the entire beneht receipts, the expense Of
admiDistration and collection having been met
On the prosecution Of the foreign mission work
TIE PIIss
is becoming increasingly efficient. The import
anee Of the gift Of tongues by which the society
and forty-three languages and dialects cannot be
over estimated. For many reasons it is inexpedi
ebt 10 perpetuste the divisions OF Professionalism
doctrines held in common by our Evangelical
Churches can best be done through this agency.
The executive committee greatly regret that IN
answer to such appeals they have been able to
appropriate only $l5oo0 In cash, electrotypes, and
publications, and that many earnest appeals must
Ications to the needy have been made during the
year at the rate Of q million and half pages per
week. Their distribution through missionaries,
colporteurs, and voluntary workers have been at
tended with gratifying success.
About hall the entire missionary funds Of the
e oft', the prescSing Of The Gospel from from house m
TO house and from heart to heart. As OF the
Christians who were scattered abroad at the
everywhere preaching the World" so Of these.
Awakening attention with their own earnest
words, and putting into each house some choice
book er tract adapted to the special need OF the
family, the colporteur's visit to q lonely rural
home is q blessing which we can but imperfecGly
appsIent in prsysr.meetings, Sabbath. Schools
al q churches organized, and in souls comforted
or led to Christ.
In thirty. -four years the society has performed
4e3s years Of missionary colportage, employing
about 5000 men. whose record shows 1886, ,696
religious meetings held or addressed: ii. .ieS' $50
family visits made; o,25s,o70 families conversed
with on personal religion, or prayed with 1885,
495 Protestant families visited who habituslly
neglect to attend evangelical preaching; 9l9 Si6
families Of Roman Catholics visited; $50
Protestant families destitute Of the Bible and
da MT nf all fufo hna
The colporteurs in commission during the past
year exceed ZOO They have lsbored chiefly In
The great State of Texas has had no inconsidera-
Bile attention this year. With q territory larger
than New York, New Jersey, Pennsyivania and
the six New England States taken together; with
population which, by immigration alone, has
increased 500 600 since 1870, and with considera-
BILE part Of the State devoted to stock raising,
twenty miles apart, there is at present no other
agency able so we'll to reach the people as an
ftinerancy in the form Of cOlportage. Besides,
wE,TERN TEXAS ALONE
there are faid TO be twenty thousand Mexican
families. These are said to be m ainly removed
from priestly domination, hopeful subjects Of
evangeliZatiOn, interested In Bible investigation
these Mexicans the stciety provides puSiies,ioSs
in Spanish, and for the mixed multitudes Of i'm
migrants comprising Americans, Germans, Scau-
ture in their several languages. But Christian
men must carry this literature to their homes In
order that it may be efectusl. The men arc
ready; the support alone is wanting. Last year
one of your worthy citizens himself contributed
the $500 necessary to pay the salary Of one Of
these colporteurs in Texas. Are there not others
moved by devotion to Christ, ready to furnish in
part or in whole the funds for additional laoorers
in tbat vast Southwestern empire? Equally ear.
of coIportage in the Northwest, in Colorado,
Utah and upon the Pacific slope. But Of this
and other "details full Information will be az
forded IN due time in the socIety's published re-
port. With abiding confidence In the promises
of him for whom the work is undertaken we 20
forward.
ADDRESSES AND REMARKS.
MIR. Strong introduced Prof Edward Warren
ployed by the Emperor OF japan to super
intend the schools of the Empire. Prof.
in japan H. fsfsrred 81 sp the
Introduction and prevalence Of Buddhism.
He srRued that there were great hopes OF
the fact that Buddhism had been easily In
trocuced. He spoke Of the many signs OF ad-
vaneements at present apparent in the condition
how rapidly the English language and English
literature was displacing the Chinese classics and
expressed the belief that It was through the
English language the Empire was to be evan
geliZed. Buddhism was rapidly declining, having
ialIen upon the accession Of the Mikado. He |
bis own ans rUm Hheh
cluded that the work Of the society in that En- |
pire was having good results. He exhibited
COpy VI luo lueCIlpIOu OfeE buc tOWO VI u
japanese friend, written in Chinese, which con-
taiL ed beautiful Christian sentiments,
he thought that as female education was gain. |
Ing ground in the empire they had q powerful |
lever for the Introduction Of Christian truth.
When Prof. CLARK concluded, Rev. Dr. Cham |
berlaiD, for sixteen years q missionary in India
was introduced. DR.. Chamberlain spoke of the |
circulation Of school books In the several dialects
and also Of singing books. The speaker sang a |
little dialect song Of singular sentences, which |
had been set to one Of the ancient tunes of India
He satd ,that It was BY singing they FIRE. |
quently won their way TO the hearts Of the peo-
pie. He said the missionaries also distributed
tracts in the dialect. He related several IN
stances Of the esgerness Of the people to get the
tracts which the missionaries had for dIstribu-
tion.
The Hon. F. II. Seelye, of Massachusetts,, was
introduced. He related an incident OF the con-
version, education and ordination Of young
japanese.
Senator Ferry was afterwards introduced, and
spoke few words eloquently, commanding the
work Of the society.
The exercises were closed with singing and
benediction pronounced by DR.. Kelly.