Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-04-02
THE SALVATION ARMY.
It's OrIgIn-Its Method of wOrk-y What II
Has Done,

Persons who have had access to the
English journals during the past two
or three years, have been frequently
struck with the graphic descriptions
given of the doings and progress of
queer religious organization known as
the "Salvation Army" Now that a
detachment of the army has come into
our midst, with ways and methods OF
work so sharply in contrast with our
own modes of evangelical work, and as
they are likely to be an object of in
creasing interest for at least some time
to come, it may not be amiss to give the
readers of the Evening Mail a brief his
tory of the origin of this singular organ
ization, with some account of what it
has already done, and what it proposes
to do in connection with its visit to this
country.
The founder of the organization and
the present head of it, or generalissimo,
is Rev. William Booth, an ex-Wesleyan
Methodist clergyman, of London, Eng
land. EIe is a man of rare tenderness
and sensibility of heart, and was deeply
moved for the degraded and criminal
classes which crowd some parts
of the city, ard whom it seemed
impossible to reach through any
of the ordinary methods of the
church. So deep was his interest in
these wretched classes, and such his de-
| termination 20 do something for their
salvation, that he requested the confer
ence to make this special work, and
assign him to the charge of it,. This,
| however, the conference declined to do,
and assigned him instead to a country
charge. With his whole soul absorbed
with this one idea the result may be
easily anticipated. He withdrew from
the conference, and, alone and unalded,
took up the work upon which his heart
was set. He went among the lowest
slums, he visited freely the vilest dens,
and to the most wretched and degraded
refuse of humanity-so stepped in vice
and crime that all semblance OF hu-
manity seemed to have faded OUT OF
them-he freely offered the salvation OF
! Christ to all who would accept It,. Inc
vile, the criminal, the besotted in sin and
wretched, the refuse of the alleys and
dens heard with astonishment, tor the
first time in their miserable lives, words
of sympathy and kindness. They could
hardly trust their ears as this new Ian
guage fell upon them. They crowded
around him by hundreds and thousands,
and followed him wherever he Went.
Nor was it the bread of life" alone that
he gave them; like the Divine Master
who, nearly nineteen hundred J ears ago,
went about doing good to the bodies and
souls of men, so he dispensed also, when
it was needed, the bread that perisheth.
The result was that in short time nun
dreOs were converted.
It now became the great question how
| l. +haon nnnuprtG and nt1I1Zp
them in the further advancement Of his
great work. 1t would be of no use to
bring into operation the ordinary church
machinery in their case. 1t would not
hold them single day They were a
peculiar people," had led peculiar
lives, and had peculiar modes of thought.
Their lives had been different from the
lives of other men and women. Then
very modes of life lad made them sen
satiOnal and prone to the extravagant
the startling and the out-of- the-way
and so it was necessary in their cast
that some extraordinary and move
method should be devised to enlist ant
hold them. 1t is easy to see how to
mind and Temperament like that OF Mr.
Booth, who, in the course OF his Wori
had many hard fight with the archad
VpIStlIN. fIlu WllUSC ulllltl w lAll Va ~
militant figures of the Scriptures til
idea of a military organization, or
: fighting Christian army should sugges
, itself; and so gradually the. organlza
., tion grew into the Salvation Arm,
with its battalions, detachments' It
! professions and banners and music, 1t
: captains and companies. its orders an
y prOclamations, and all the attractive
> | o.1o,,1atoI ly1 thCip
novelty to draw the attention OF th0s
to whom all ordinary attractions ma
become blase. The success OF III
Booths organization is evidenced by til
i fact that the Salvation Army now cor
" ssts of lbs corps and stations with II
officers wholly employed in its labo
y while privates are numbered by Ter
- Of thousands. Its headquarters al
q in the east of London, IN W hit
- chapel street, consisting OF a larg
- building containing a large hall for put
u u lie meetings and smaller halls for bus
- ness purposes connected with the Wor
~ -, Latterly the organization has rapid
10 10 extended over all the principal cities ar
10 larger towns of England, Ireland az
= ~ Scotland, and it has the hearty suppo
y of many wealthy and influential perso
- both in and out of the church, wi
~ freely advance the funds necessary
~ the prosecution of the work.
10 10 1t is claimed that through the la)o
.0 ~ of the Salvation Army the character
., the whole population of South Wa
,,f has been changed for the better, that
VI charge sheets of police courts have be
VI VI greatly reduced, the liquor traffic almt
~ ~ suspended, and whole counties reused
net spiritual concern. The same good
nss suits have been claimed for it in
W W principal towns of Great Britain
no which it has operated, and, 1t must
nc confessed, with a considerable degree
~ truth. At any rate, tn re is one gr'
"a. lesson being taught the church., a
~ Christian philanthropists generally.
no the rise and success of the Salvati
In IN Army, and that is, if the lower elias
nI ~, are ever reclaimed and brought
~ vi Christ. it must be by going down
or- them with the gospel. The angel m
u.s. step down into the pool before
y W. y waters can be troubled. And anotI
~ truth taught is, that even the lowest
iSo S vilest can thus be reached; that Il
11u, thirst for human sympathy, long
ihe something better, and are ready cage
'"o q to accept it when honestly offered ant
to the right way. - Ne'0 YORK. E0e''
he McI.
.d,, nn OF the SIT British peers, AIS h
a. seats in the house of lords, ADJ byI
vnS snS sonal right and "A by election, l6 by
. 4 IL hN