The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-09-21

at the South; 1t breeds also industrious
habits; and it leads to prosperity, indie
pendence, and wealth.
1t makes the people very hard at the
same time; the gentleness which one sees
in our Southern life is absolutely un-
known. People here are plain-spoken to
degree that had no conception of;
courtesy does not occupy place among
the virtues. They say things to each
other every hour that would hardly be
uttered in lifetime among us, and when
uttered would be taken as deadly in
Jury. At the same time, do not mean
to convey the impression that the people
here are not polite to strangers; 1 have
found them uniformly civil and obliging.
Religion in New England.
If Nantucket is fair example, am
afraid that religion is at a low ebb in New
England. The pastor of the Orthodox"
Congregational church is female, who
is employed by the month 1 cannot, Of
course, rely on the imperfect observations
of few weeks, but one receives ina1res-
SONS in that time, and I must say that,
judging by the people I have met, it
hardly seems to me that 1 am in a Chris
tan land. Only small company as
sembled on the day of prayer Git was only
from 10 to 10 A. NJ at the Methodist
church to pray for the recovery of the
President. The Sunday following there
was "uniou meeting" of all the demon
nations, which 1 attended without un
derstanding the object of the services
10 my surprise, when 1 entered the
church, [ saw the United States flag IN
every direction, and I found presently
that L was in meeting of the Veterans
of the 45th Massachusetts regiment in
the late war. All regular Sunday SER
vices had been suspended in the town,
and the people had Come together to do
honor to the surviving soldiers of this
regiment. The sermon" was discourse
on Government, and I do not think the
name of Jesus Christ was mentioned
The subject of the closing hymn was
LIBERTY ("My country tbs of thee, sweet
land OF liberty'), and the congregation
for the first time during the services
joined in the singing with the choir.
When the other hymns were sung, the
people turned Gas is their custom here)
their backs to the pulpit and their faces
to the choir, but nobody sung-they
merely looked up at the choir.
There were remarks in the discourse of
the Rev. Mr.. Ransom, the Methodist min
lister, which were naturally very unpleas
ant to me as Southerner, but we have
grown used to this; it panied me more to
observe the pagan tone of the grafton
The speaker singled out Charles Sumner
and President Lincoln. Sumner he de-
scribed as the greatest name on the list
of the statesmen of Massachusetts,; and
he then went on to say that they have
received their reward at the hands of a
Just God, into whose presence they have
been gathered among the blessed in
heaven. give the idea, rather than
the exact words I cannot conceive any
thing more mischievous than to hold UP
in this way men who made no profession
OF religion as among the elect of God who
have washed their robes and made them
white in the blood of the Lamb. 1 be-
lieve [ am correct in my impression that
neither Mr.. Lincoln nor Mr.. Sumner
ever gave any evidence Of Christian char
acter; and if we are to preach that men
are saved for patriotic acts, why not on
the ground of being good fathers or hus-
bands, and of their fidelity to their friends,
or to their promises, or for ally other good
trait they may happen to possess?
1t is precisely this sort of thing that
has done SO much mischief in the North.
The gospel Of Jesus Christ has been fear
fully forgotten, and instead of the cross
and worshipping assembly on the Sab
bath, we have the United States flag and
soldiers meeting; and instead of SER
mon we have discourse on Government;
and instead Of the atoning blood of Christ,
we have the Muslin doctrine that the
man who dies for his country, or who
oo,ryoo l. &c oo,,r4,,x IL l..