Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-08-30
Why this Wastee

If anything like the expense and hard
ship which have attended Arctic exploration
since Sir John Franklin's time had been
connected with the work of Christian mis-
sions in the most benighted quarter of the
world what a Lue and cry OF criticism
would have arisen on every side Within
less than a week the ordination of three
young men in this city for the work Of mis-
sons has called forth from the secular press
that old question of Judas, "Why this
waste ?" accompanied by the fresh and
original suggestion that there are heather
nearer home. There are thousands in whose
minds the whole missionary enterprise is
matter of folly and foolhardiness on the part
of those who go, and of heartless cruelty on
the part Of the societies that send them
But to send expedition after expedition to
seek, at great risk Of life, the mere bones OF
Sir John Franklin, years after he must have
persisted, was regarded as highly laudable.
The expedition under DIR. Kane, and the
many others that have followed for the mere
purpose of seeking passage to the Pole,
which would be perfectly useless If attained,
have been regarded as noble and worthy en-
terprises, in which the leading nations have
emulated one another. The sad fate, re-
Gently reported, of Lieutenant De Long and
his party, may well raise the question Of
real utility. What would be gained if in
stead of stopping 400 miles short of the
Pole, as the most successful navigator thus
far has been compelled to do, some new as
pirant should be able to advance fifty miles
further into the terrible impact of icy hum
mocks, perhaps to return, perhaps to stay
The work of Arctic discovery and the work
of modern missions have been very nearly
contemporary; when the ships of Christian
Europe were bearing forth the pioneers OF
missions to heather lands, other ships were
seeking northwest passage or some other
Arctic short cut as path of commerce
Let us here compare the results of these
projects. Arctic exploration, save that it
has added something to the geographical
knowledge of the world, has done little for
the elevation of the race, though it has bur
led hundreds of brave men in unknown
graves among the fields of ice. On the Other
hand missions, with the sacrifice of fewer
lives, has added quite as much to our scien-
tifc and geographical knowledge as Arctic
explorations. Read the discoveries made by
Livingstone they surpass those of Kane in
magnitude and Importance. Then besides
the temporal results of missons-mere Incl
dentals-multitudes of men have been re-
deemed from slavery, lifted from sin and
uncleanness, saved from barbarism and
brought into state of civilization. Canni
balism and human sacrifice, idolatry and
uncleanness, have disappeared in many
places before the missionary with his Bible,
and, best of all, myriads of souls have been
snatched from the hands of Satan and
brought into the enjoyment of the light and
protection of the kingdom of Christ 1t is
blessed work. 1t is the wisdom of the
world to cry out against it. 1t is the will of
God that the stone which the world rejects
should become the head of the corner, and
blessed is he whose hand is put forth to help
him possess his own.-Dr. Elenwood.