Year: 1861

Knowing that you feel fervent concern for the
present and permanent success and prosperity of
North Carolina and the new Confederacy to which
she belongs, pray your early and earnest con-
sideration of the suboined address:


The various religious denominations in Salisbury,
assembled in the Methodist Church on the 23rd of
Jure, 1861, and with prayerful deliberaton estab-
lished an organization which they called the Bible
Society of Rowan County. Their prime object is to
inaugurate plan for printing the Holy Scriptures
in Southern establishments. They address them
selves tremendously and zeaously to this enterprise
because the usual supply of Bibles from the North
is cut off b. the inhGman violence and oppression
Of our enemies, who are invading our borders DESC
lating our fields, destroying our homes violating
our social and national rights and waging war of
suojugation against us.


In consequence, multitudes of our noble soldiers
cannot be presented with the Bible they go forth
to encounter privation, danger carnage and death.
The poor man, whose Sequestered home has here
tofore been unvsited by the Bible Agent, must now
remain destitute of volume embracing the precious
doctrines of salvation, for have no one to send
him. Our Sabbath Schools can no longer be sup
Piled and the innocent and bright-eyed children
love can receive from the hand of parent or FRIEND
no copy of the Word of Life This must not con-
tnue 1t cannot be borne. Every heart that loves
its relatives, its friends, its sfeowczens its country
its God revolts at the first thought of the bless
ed Bible being denied US. We should deeply ap-
preciate the importance of every soldier having a
convenient copy. 1t will teach him how to serve
his country well as his God. 1t will arm him
with superhuman power against the invader. 1t
will make him magnanlmous christian hero. 1t
will instil into his soul such feelings, motives and
principles will marshal :he angels to his protec-
tion and assistance and humby and successful court
victory from the almighty hand of the God of bat
ties 1t will prompt him to live nobly in peace or
in war; and prepare him. if spared, to return to his
home and friends with an influence far greater in
degree while it is ennobling and sanctying in its
character. 1t will breathe peace upon his heart
when amid his trials he dreams of the sweet joys and
friends of his distant home and will buoy him with
hope and shield him with security when he faces
the battle and grapples with the foe. If he fall in
the struggle, it will pillow his soul in the hour Of
DEATH and wing it for its happy flight to the Land
of the Beautiful and Blest.


All, We surely love our brave defenders too well
to deny them this richest of gifts that we can be-
stow!


BE there an early peace or a protracted war; the
Bible is vital necessity. If we would have ouI
Confederacy crowned with success and glory, We
must cradle it in the bosom Of Religion, and through
all its years require the guardians of its honor and
interests to faithfully recognize the truth that the
only lights which safely lead, those which shine
from heaven" Reason declares and points to his
tory for confirmation that the nation which ignores
the Bible cannot possibly be nation Of permanent
prosperity and blessings. The Bible is the grand
guardian of human rights, the true palladium o.
liberty, the tasman of all real individual social and
national security.


Therefore, in the name of patriotism and piety
we appeal TO you to combine your energies with
ours to promote this heavenly enterprise No work
can be more worthy of the great and the good. Its
object is peace, safety and happiness to the immor-
tai for time and eternity An angel could not wish
sublimer privilege-an angel cannot boast more
1-;,o H. Il
men and strike for this "magnG charta" of oul
eternal hopes and rights. We will not ow ignobly
to the unfeeling invader, and tell him that sur
render even the priceless interests of the souls
our soldiers, our citizens and our children to The
horrid caprices Of his bloody heart The old Unior
Is Sundered forever We are an independent nation
with millions of people, and We must as rapidly al
possible, furnish ourselves with the facilities ant
establishments which our new position demands.


What shall We do? How shall we proceed p
Let every County establish Bible Society to b.
auxiliary to the Bible Society of North Carolina
In each of these let collection be raised and de
posted in the hands of the Treasurer. Let ther
be State Convention at some accessible point a
the earliest practicable day. Let the friends of tn
old American Bible Society, and representative
from the various County Societies. and from counte
with or without societies. be there. Thus, a Stat
Society will be organized and the plan can be speed
lily executed North Carolina can do vast dea
which she has never yet attempted. But she vii
not be alone in this glorious cause South Carolin
Is already laboring for the same great end. VIII.
may we not very soon have grand Southern Bibl
Society? Letall be prompt and patriotic and godly
and success will soon be ours. 1t is the Bible 70
winch we plead There is no time to be lost! w
therefore, appoint Thursday the 25th of July, a
the time, and Salisbury as the place for State Cor
vention of the friends of the cause


S. H. WILEY,


A. W. MANGUM.


Com of Rouan Rihle SorjetI