The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-10-05

portions, it called for twelve hundred and
sixty ordained missionaries, four hundred
and twenty laymen as assistants, besides fe-
male helpers probably as many more,-in
short, for missionary force of near
ly four thousand men and women. (3)
1t was proposed TO reach in the fields
already opened and explored population Of
slxty-three millions, on the basis of fifty
thousand souls to each ordained missionary.
Nothing better illustrates the growth of
the missionary spirit and the broad views of
the Prudential Committee and Secretaries
OF that day,-Rufus Anderson, David Green,
and William j. Armstrong,-than such a
scheme; and it is worthy of note that, with
the exception of the work in Papal lands,
the outline then sketched has been sub
stantially followed in its details, not only by
the American Board, but by the other Boards
since organized on of its constituency
This was also the first definite recognition
before the Board of the necessary difference
in the conduct of foreign and home mission
airy work. Hitherto missionaries had been
provided for the work among the Indian
tribes, in the Sandwich Islands and in AT
RIGA, much on the plan of HON missions.
The people were accessible; the missionary
spirit ran high: but, in view of the popula-
ton soon to be reached In other fields, a diff
ferent method was necessary. IL was not
W Uc CXDtCLeu LIldJ Tie CONSTITUENCY Oh Inc
Board, then numbering about four hundred
thousand church members, almost Identical
ly the same as to-day, would supply the
sixty-three millions embraced in the contem-
plated field of operations, with missionaries,
schools, and Christian literature, on the
home missionary plan.
Then came the crash of 1887; the deten-
ton OF missionaries ready TO leave; the Bit
ter necessity of retrenchment; the closing Of
sab L. Al.
OF missionaries and of their friends at home;
and the exultation, in some cases, of the
heather abroad. The shock was felt .at
every station, filling the missionaries with
embarrassment and grief, and striking with
paralysis almost every branch of missiOna-
ny labor The blow fell most heavily on
those missions that were the most advanced,
on their schools and seminaries and opening
work. In Ceylon only fourteen schools
were left, out of one hundred and eighty
seven, and five thousand pupils were sent
back to healhenism. "What an Offering to
Swamy" writes one of the missionaries, al
most in despair. The boarding-schools for
young men and women, that had been
scenes of frequent revivals, were greatly
reduced. The widespread impression-the
result of past years of toil-that Christiani-
ty was soon TO prevail was done away, and
generation was to pass before it was re-
newed. Indeed, it is only within the last
three or four years that the work in Ceylon
has regained the promise of 1886 and 1897.
Other missions suffered as well. Among the
Indians every school taught by a hired
teacher was given up, aud boarding schools
reduced in number. This blow was speci-
ally disheartening TO the Indian missions,
which, with the exception of the Sandwich
Islands had gathered in twice rs many
members into their churches as all the other
missions of the Board; disheartening, too, at
time when the United States Government
was breaking up their homes and forcing so
many of them across The Mississippi. The In
dams felt that they had lost all their friends.
Happily the sad news Of retrenchment
was long in reaching the Sandwich Islands.
The q eat work of grace begun and in prog
ress there could not be stayed. 1t was well
that in the dark days that followed at home
such cheering news should come from these
ends of the earth; that when the Board met
in 1888 it should hear of 1913 added to the
churches on profession of faith, and the next
year of 10, 725 more.
The missions in 1886 had simply sought
to meet the calls pressed on them for schools
and preachers; to meet the spirit of inquiry
and of interest in the gospel which years of
prayerfuI watching and labor had develop
ed. The advance of 700 in the receipts
VI iCpt ONCl buO DICNtOuo COulu hDb NC
sustained. 1t was only made upon the most
vigorous representations of the Secretaries.
The earnest appeals of the Prudential Com
mittee for $500, 900 year to meet the ne
cessity of existing missions, to save from
loss and disaster were of no avail Thirty
missionaries under appointment were de-
tanned at home, waiting for funds to send
them out. Young men who had been look
ing forward to the missionary work turned
H. II l. IL.
realize the extent of the disaster. With the
exception of the year 1872, it was not till
fifteen years after the regular income of the
Board reached the sum of the $500 900
asked for, and a new forward movement
was begun, which reached its highest point
in 1869.
In 1910 the number of missionaries con-
neeted with the Board was 3G5. The pop
ulations that might be called accessible had
more than kept pace with the growth of the
missionary enterprise. In spite of all the
oppositions of Romanism and the priesthood
of the Oriental churches and the political
intrigues of Russia, the Turkish Empire was
opening to the truth. Mission stations had
been begun in the interior. By means of The
living preacher and the press, probably not
less than half million of souls in Western
Asia were thus brought under the influence
of the gospel, and as many more in India
and Ceylon. A few thousands only were as
yet accessible in Africa or in the Indian
Archipelago. China was still practically
closed to effort, and Japan was but a name.
In all, including the Indian tribes and the
Sandwich Islands, not less than one million
two hundred thousand souls were within
reach of missionary influence in the differ
ent fields of the Board.
~. 1S4O-5O.
The decade from 1910 to 1850 witnessed
little change in the foreign work. The diff.
ference in the income was but $4,000. The
increase in tie number of missionaries was
but thirty in the entire field, and there was
no increase in the number of native agents
nor in educational efforts, save in the board
ing schools. These had advanced from
twenty-four, with SO7 pupils, to twenty
seven, with 1904 pupils. The most noticea-
BILE advance was in the number and member
ship of the churches: from fifty-five 10
eighty-five churches, and from II, 234 to
25,S75 members.
The missions TO Siam, Singapore, Borneo,
were given up, and the missionaries dis
tributed at other points. Twonew missions
were begun in China, known rs the Foo
chow and the Annoy, and the work was
greatly enlarged in Asia Minor and in Syria.
The missions in India, Ceylon, and among
the LuluS attained 10 the tull measure OF
their present strength.
In 1850 100 of the 395 missionaries, male
and female, were still to be found lAboring
among seven different Indian tribes, and in
no field, save in the Sandwich Islands, had
there been Witnessed, year after year, such
displays of the sanctifying power of the Ho-
lySpirit. The ten churches among the Choc-
taws contained membership 100, of whom
1872 were received in single year. The
Cherokees were well advanced in civiliza-
ton. Besides protiting by the advantages
OF their own schools and Summaries, those
who were able to do so sent their children to
schools of a higher grade in the United
States. The number of church members
among the Indians, notwithstanding losses
by frequent removals and the changes TO
which they had been subjected by the Unit
ed States Government, was reported in 1850
as 1, 639,-500 more than in all the Asfatic
missions, including India, Ceylon, China
and the Turkish Empire. With the Ia ter
it was still day of small things, of LAYING
foundations.
In keeping with this larger and truer CON
ception of the work to be done had been the
advance in the contributions from SS7. 900.
1880, 10 1882 900, in 1887. During the four
years prior 10 the annual meeting in 1897.
L,,,1. o.xI ns.,l,N