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

great things for the heather has ceased to be
question of power; henceforth it is simply a
question Of will"
In the meanwhile Japan was opening. A
special messenger to the churches of this coun-
try appeared in the person of Joseph Neesima.
sent not of men, nor by men, but manifestly
of God. His earnest pleading during one of
his college vacations, "Send missionaries to
my eountryi Send missionaries to nv coun-
try!' rung in the ears of the Foreign Secreta-
ry, and in 1869 the Board formally appointed
the son of former Secretary to that interest
ing held. The decade closed with enlarge
ment Tor China, and the preparation for the
new work in Japan.
The accessible population was at least
threetold greater at the close of the decade
than at its beginning but there had been no
enlargement of the missionary forces. Singu-
larly enough, for four years the number of men
IN the service remained at the same figure.
We seemed to have reached the limit of mis-
sionary strength; but there had been enlarge
ment in the direction of the native agency, and
the range of Christian influence was steadily
widening.
VIII. 1870-S2.
The year 1870 was memorable one in the
history OF the Board in consequence of the
withdrawal of the great body of
the New School Presbyterian portion of
its constituency. The outlook was not
hopeful. The year closed with a debt of
over $4,000, and With prospective loss Of
what proved to be from one fourth to one
third of its pecuniary support, while still by
far the greater number of its mission fields re-
manned on its hands The portion transferred
included but small fraction of the popula-
ton then accessible, but it covered fields of
great popular interest, especially the Syria
and the HISTORIAN missions, precious in the
memories OF past years, and in the lives and
labers OF some of the neblest and worthiest
of missionaries.
1t was fitting that the meeting of the Board
in 1871 should be held at Salem, as one of the
early centers of missionary effort and interest
as the place, too, from which the first mission
aries set sail to the foreign field. 1t was with
SEINE little misgiying that the friends of the
Board came together. They knew that many
who had shared with them in the discussions
and privileges and Christian fellowships of
the Annual Meetings would not be present,
and there was some fear that the meeting
would be comparatively thinly attended IN
consequence. But there was an unexpected
rally from all quarters and the meeting of
1871 was the largest ever held up to that time,
with the single exception of the Jubilee
Meeting of 1861 at Boston.
The manner in which the constituency of
the Board thus rallied to its support was very
cheering, something magnificent. They gave
all that was asked for the added burdens
OF the work, and reduced the legacy of debt
by over $4,000. The next year the remain
der of the debt was cleared off, and over
$4,000 reported in the treasury at the close
of the year 1872 In these circumstances the
work in Papal lands was entered on with Wig
or The missionary staff was increased from
l23 ordained missionaries in 1871, to l52 i'll
1874, and thirty six new places were occu-
pied by native preachers. But the next four
years were years of trial; of encouragement
abroad, but OF encouragement at home The
limit OF home effort seemed to have been
reached again; no increase in the receipts of
the board, despite the most urgent appeals
from the MISSIONS and the most faithful rem
reservations of the Prudential Committee. set
forth with all the clearness, force, and elo-
quence which characterized the productions
of Secretary Treat. The field abroad was
enlarging on every hand Over 100 new CEN
tiers OF influence (from 493 to 60S) had been
occupied within the seven years; the number
of pupils in high schools and seminaries had
more than doubled (6S6 to 1882, and sixty
per cent. more members in the churches. Fifty
per cent. more pupils were to be found in the
common schools 13,5S3 to 23,63I). The
number OF native pastors and preachers had
been increased by over 100 1923 to 6I8), and
hundreds more were needed in new places.
Ihis was the growth of seven years,-a growth
| that quite oyerran the ordinary annual re-
ceipts; and so debt was reported wear after
! year, relieved in part by the generous offer
ings of friends at Chicago in 1875, and then
again, as by special inspiration from the Head
OF the Church, at Providence, in 1877. But
1t would not stay relieved. The cry Of the
| perishlng sounded in our ears The men at
the front, who had given their lives to this
work, We're crippled in their efforts, almost
despairing The dark days of 1887 seemed to
be coming back. One veteran. who had
marched with Sherman to the sea. complained
OF the waste OF men and effort and opportu-
NIFTY, If, on going into action, he was to have
| but single round of ammunition, when his
| old leader never thought of his going in with
less than sixty. These cries and pleadings
came to the Missionary House, and in the ef
fort to meet them the result was debt. and
then retrenchment. There was no help for it.
The new work in Papal lands was cut down
to the lowest figure Men and women in the
older helds were left short of means.
Needed school buildings and even com
| Portable houses for missionaries must
/ agents. Ou WHOM Years
of labor had been spent, and on whom so
much depended to take up and carry
forward the work begun must be dismissed
and left to go into secular pursuits. The sum
OF $lOO,0OO year more than the average
receipts was required. But the friends who
nad again and again come to the rescue, were
beginning to complain, and there was no alter
native but to cut down appropriations and
reduce the scale of expenditures, cost what it
might; and it was done,-done with what
result need not be here repeated. But in the
darkest hour the prayers of many were heard.
and dellyerance came through the Otis legacy
Inc cable conveyed the glad message and
there was new hope and Joy ard thank giving
in every station round the globe, A more
signal instance of divine interpostion in
behalf OF Christian work is not recorded in
the annals of the church. The Lord would
relieve his people, and beckon them to
| grander enterprises. The first duty of the
i Prudential Communicable relief of the in
| slant distress-had been attended to. The
next was the supply of long deferred necessi-
ties, In order to put the different missions in
the best possible working order; and lastly,
some new enterprise to meet the popular ex-
| pcctatlon OF enlargement, especially in the di-
rection of China and Africa. The practical
lmposslbility OF making the Christian public
| oNoAS VI tAC iCui ulStISsS WHICH JHe board mad
suffered, or of the demands of existing mis-
sions, became only the more obvious by calls
to establish missions in Jamaica, Cuba, Brazil,
Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala, New
Zealand, Belgium, France Portugal, and,
more recently. in remote provinces of China,
and in Corea, not to speak of new outlay in
the old fields. Yet no new work has been at
tempted save on limited scale in Africa, and
according to a long cherished plan, in the
province to the west of that already occupied
in North China. BY such forbearance against
the most urgent representations of some of
their friends, the Committee feel that thew
have justly earned the right to be called
prudential
The field now in charge of the Board is SO
large, and its demands are so great that the
utmost prudence and carefulness have been
necessary to moderate undue expectations at
home as well as abroad, and not to spend a
dollar except for the best missionary reasons.
No increase of saleries has been asked. or
granted, save for the same reasons as would
have been decisive four years ago, though mis-
sienaries then sometimes forebore to ask what
they really needed for IL cir health and the
welfare of their families Not school h;lno