The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-11-16
Carnegie Music Hall at New York
Filled with Presbyterians Concerned
in Foreign Mission Work.
ADDRESS BY GEN. HARRISON
HE PAYS A TRIBUTE TO THE CHURCH
OF WHICH HE Is A MEMBER.
Hon. John w. Fosters observations
in Many Countrics-'sFather" Clark's
Speech-Methodist Missions.

Hall was filed tonight with a great crowd
of Presbyterians interested in foreign mis-
sions. The platform was occupied princj-
pally. by ministers, among them being DR..
John Hall, Rev. DR.. Delafield, Rev. Charles
L. Thompson and Rev. John B. Shaw. The
announcement that ex-President Harrison
was to preside proved a great attraction.
When the ex-President arrived he was
heartily applauded. The Hon. John w.
Foster. ex-Secretary OF State. was also on
the platform.
The Rev. John r. Davis acted as chair
man and introduced ex-President Harrison
as "a great and good man." General Har-
rison began his speech by saying that the
Presbyterian Church had been greatly cell
ebrated for its power of resistance. 1t had
stood fast for love and liberty; it had stood
fast for education; it had been in the United
States the pioneer of education; IT had
stood for the highest scholarship. and II
had stood against that pseudo altitudnous
philosophy that from the study OF Gods
works finds there is no God. and from the
study Of His words that He has given Us
no words. He continued:
sit has been strenuous in it's opposition to
this doctrine and has stood with the stiff
ness OF a steel beam for the faith delivered
by the fathers and IL still stands for the
essential doctrine OF the inspired word. 1t
III. ~
Christians in the world opens it's arms wider
or more lovingly TO all who love the Mas
ter. 1t Is catholic in It's sympathy with.and
in its cooperation with the churches. The
missionary spirit is inherent ia Christianity,
and we meet here tonight in this meeting
which eliminates our efforts, TO take coun-
sci as Presbyterians as to how We can ad-
vance the cause of foreign missions. i have
sometimes In missionary meetings heard
speakers talk about the needs of the board
That seems to me very much like the man
whose grocery bills are not paid and who
Will talk about the needs of his butler. We
are not here to talk about the needs of the
board, but our needs, the needs of the
church and the needs Of the world. We are
here summoned to the duties which your
church membership implies, and which i'm
plies much more when you consider the
great head OF the church. I think / may
say to you. Hold fast the good doctrines.
GENERAL. FOSTERS ADDRESS
The next speaker was the Hon. John w.
Foster ex-Secretary of State. General Fos-
ter's address was a summary of his OBJ
servations the work of the Protestant
missions in Asia, first in a tour of the
world made two years ago. and, second,
in a visit TO Japan and China In connec-
ton with the peace negotiations OF the
present year. The review embraced the
work of the missionaries in Syria, India,
Burmah, the Holy Land and Egypt, in the
Turkish empire, Ceylon, the Straits Settle
ments, China, Corea and japan, and it also
discussed the three great nonchristian re-
ions-Mohammedanism, Hindooism and
Buddhism. After a brief reference to
Ceylon somewhat lengthy review was
made OF the great work in India. That
country he styled the citadel of Brahman-
ism, perfectly organized system supported
by caste apparently impregnable to the at
tacks or Christianity. n first glance
created the impression that the missions
were making little progress against il, but
more careful examination and compar-
N a N nf no trxvh hnfa fta
advent of the missionaries brought about
different conclusion. He claimed that
all the great moral and social reforms
were the direct result of the introduction
OF the gospel among which were the pro-
hibition OF human sacrifice and torture i'm
the religious rites. the burning of widows,
the killing of female children, reforms as
to child marriage, the establishment of
schools and colleges, the zeal created for
education and the awakened interest of the
Brahmins for "a publication and reform in
their religion.
After passing allusion to Burmah Ger
Foster discussed the great Chinese empire
and the work and prospect of missions
there. Notwithstanding the superstitous
character and low grade of morality of the
mass of the people, 1t was claimed that the
striking examples of regeneration and fruit
full Christian life. and that the Chinaman
was by no means beyond the spiritual in
f1uences of our religion. The recent riots,
he asserted, grew out of general hatred to
foreigners. and not from religious intoler-
ance. Inc american missionaries ndQ not
been great sufferers, and the government
had shown a greater readiness to punish
the offenders and repair the losses than
was evinced by our authorities when riots
against the Chinese had occurred in the
United States But the missionaries were
in China in conformity with treaty and
and protected there. No backward step in
the mission work in that great empire
should be contemplated by the mission
boards, as IL was most hopeful field and
calls for the hearty support Of the churches
General Foster said that the work in Corea
even this impediment would doubtless result
He gave considerable attention to the mis-
sion field in Japan, praising the country for
its beauty. the people for their polite and
cleanly habits. and the government for its
progressive ideas. But the latter he criti-
cised Tor accepting so readily the results
of Western civilization and failing to en-
| courage the great cause of 1.-THE Christian
religion. Considerable progress was being
made by the missionaries, Notwithstanding
! the recently developed spirit of excessive
| patriotism which sought 70 revive the old
relisions. and among the converts to create
| an independent Japanese Christianity The
mission schools were doing a good work,
and in this country more probably than in
| any other In Asia, the intellectual aad
| ruling classes had been reached.
FATHER" CLARKS REMARKS.
Rev. f. Il. Clark. ID. D.. president of the
United Societies Of Christian Endeayor,
spoke next. He said, in part
| I'VE are frequently appalled, by the limit
| less need of the heather world AS we
think OF the deep degradation of darkest
| Africa. of the dense stolidity of China,
| which great war can scarcely arouse to
| a sense Of her own wants and needs: of
| servile India, stepped I'm centuries Of de-
grading Buddha worship: as we call to
mind down-trodden Turkey and pray that
God would hasten the day when the cruel
! Sultan shall no longer lord IL over his
| heritage; we. indeed, feel that the need of
| These are the people for whom Christ shed
His blood. and those for whom He gave
His life. 1T Is for a paltry thing that we
| give our money? But from every other
standpoint this question must receive the
same answer. Look at Japan which within
a quarter or century has sprung to the
| forefront of the family of nations. Look
| at poor defeated China. a nation that ap-
pears 10 be rotten TO the core: but millions
of individual Chinamen only need the
| touch of the gospel to turn their devotion
| away from the sterile morality of Con-
| fucius. Even when we come TO the land OF
the Mohammedon superstitution and bigotry
We find that though the unspeakable Turk
has ruled for n thousand years, the capaci-
/ ~ 10 die for the faith of the gospel has
not been crushed out by the long series of
| tyrannous reigns God is still I'm the
| heavens. The imprisoned and murdered
Christians call TO Him for vengeance. The
awful tyranny and the petty interference
OF the past must alike come 10 an end
in the better days that are coming. and
either by some justinable revolution on
tho part OF the subject races or the inter-