Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-10-15
The American Board.


ter differs from the former in this. There IL
work in it-laying plans and preparing ma
terial for the future as well as rejoicing in
the present and over the past. The pru.
dental committee have spread out their re-
port, the secretaries given their survey OF
the Home Department and the Foreign
Field" The treasurer has presented the
state of the funds and DIR. Magoun has
preached the annual sermon.
The attendance at the meeting of the
American Board last week at Syracuse was
large. Between sixteen and seventeen hun
bred guests were assigned places by the com.
mittee, besides the large numbers that were
otherwise provided for. The Plymouth
church, the largest in the city, holding when
packed fifteen hundred, was filed at the
opening meeting Tuesday afternoon, fact
quite unusual. Tuesday evening, besides
the crowded house at Plymouth church TO
hear DR.. Magoun, the First Presbyterian, the
next largest church building in the city, was
| crowded to hear Rev. DIR. Behrends of Provi
denoe, Rhode Island. Double services were
also held all day Wednesday. The papers
of the secretaries read at Plymouth church
were also read at the First Presbyterian, and
addresses in connection with them at both
places. The arrangements for the meeting
were generous and complete. Gall pertain
ing to them moved like clock work." was
the report of the daily papers.
DIR. Hopkins, as great in evangelical love
and fervor as in philosophical and metaphys-
ical acumen, vigorous and stalwart still,
though bowed somewhat with weight of
years, presided. By his side sat Vice.Pre
dent William +. Dodge, faithful ever to his
love for the old board and equally so to his
ecclesiastical connection.
Of the corporate members of the board,
among those most widely known there have
gone up higher and been starred since the
last meeting Rev. Drs. Nehemiah Adams,
William Warren, William Patton, J. p.
Thompson and others equally worthy. GAS
lay at the point of DEATH" says the Ia
mented Thompson in his last letter to the
hiooiohaiy III hhBuob idStt With ici-
erence to his paper prepared in behalf of
religious liberty in Austria, presented and
adopted at the recent meeting of the Evan
gelica Alliance in Basic, Switzerland, ait
was comforting to reflect that my last labors
had been given to this cause"
Each of the special papers presented by
the secretaries we're of great and suggestive
interest. They gave incidentally as well as
Intentionally glimpses Of subjects grand at
first view, and growing in greatness and
grandeur as the meeting went on, and GER
tain to grow more so as the years roll away
aud the mind and heart of the church more
really grasp them. Clear among them, if
not central, was that of the Otis legacy, and
of opening Africa. The impression m de
by the whole presentation OF facts and fig
ures, in the reports of the prudential com
mittee, treasurer and secretaries was en-
couraging, largely SO, the picture being sufii
GENTLY shaded by the falling off of dona
tons from the churches during the year OF
more than sS7, 0OO-S27, 900 of it in the re.
| ceipt of August, generally tue best month
in the year. The accounts show also sin
gular decrease from ordinary legacies-
reaching to more than $4,000. and giving a
total diminution of income for the year,
outside the Otis legacy, of over $4,000.
DIR. Magoun's sermon was from Matthew
xviii: IS, 10, "All power is given unto me
III heaven aud on earth. Go ye, therefore, u
-tc. His subject, Christ's power our war
rant to evangelize the world, aud the worlds
hope" "A divine reason" he said, "foI
any undertaking is ever better than hu
man one 1t must be closer to the heart OF
the matter. The real wonders of the world,
redemption have yet but begun. They tarry
in the sky for more robust faith"
The subject of Secretary Aldens specia
paper was "Our Great Opportunity" ant
right nobly did he show it. The paper il
one to which no report can do half justice
In brief and graphic survey he takes us b,
decades over the seventy years history o.
the perls and successes OF the board, from
the day and place of its organic ,tion-Sep
TENDER 9th, 1910, at Pennington, Connect
cut,-down to the present hour aud tn,
crowded and enthusiastic meeting.
Rev. DIR. N. e. Clark Ga Montpelier boy
read paper entitled Ten Years in Japan.
He gave comprehensive and intensely in
teresting review of Gods wonderful work
ing in the "Sunrise empire" maintaining
that ain no other country is there so intens
u moral conflict going on as in Japan.
Rev. DR.. r. S. Storrs worthily followed Dr.
Clark in one of those addresses in which
he surpasses all others-worth going from
any state to hear.
The paper of Rev. DR.. Means, who ha'
been sent to Europe to search out the matter
was "On Central Africa and the proposes
mission there" By map spread out, a
well as by statistical facts, DIR. Mean
brought Africa to view, more PARTICULAR
Central Africa-a region "greater than tina
of the United States east of the Rock
Mountains with population about equal
that of our whole country" DIR. Mean
paper is one for careful study on the part G
all who are interested in the future Of tn
Ozark Continent"
OF notable addresses besides the two @
DIR. r. S. Storrs, was DIR. Romaine's of tn
Reformed Church Dr. Bacon's, in whic
he was still equal to himself; DIR. Goo,
wins of Chicago and DR.. William Taylor
! New York, and the touching words an
sight of the missionaries at the closing Sc
vices on Friday morning-for those that di
not speak rose as they were presented TO tn
great gathering. Among them were M
Leath and two sisters of Ryegate, Vernon
, These ladies have spent several years
! teaching without pay the freedmen, an
now go and partly at their opn charges in tn
service of this board. They have spent Ii
summer months in the hospitals gettin
! knowledge to assist them in their work
( Ceylon. When their brother found the
were going he decided he would go also, thi
they might all be together. Mr.. Leath mac
I. remarks which drew tears TO many eyes.
: The speaking as a whole has not been el
! celled at any meeting of the board. TIL,
!, was the board and its officers aud patror
| l-fl ii