Read Ebook: The American Missionary Volume 34 No. 11 November 1880 by Various

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EDITORIAL.

PARAGRAPHS 321 FINANCIAL--PROCEEDINGS AT ANNUAL MEETING 322 HEROISM AND STATESMANSHIP: Rev. Alex. Hannay, D. D. 325 GENERAL SURVEY 326 SUMMARY OF TREASURER'S REPORT 334 REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON FINANCE AND ENLARGEMENT 335 WHY WE SHOULD ENLARGE: Rev. L. T. Chamberlain, D.D. 336 SACRIFICIAL LIVING AND GIVING: Rev. A. F. Beard, D.D. 340 WORKING OUT THE EQUATION: District Secretary Powell 342

THE FREEDMEN.

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON EDUCATIONAL WORK 344 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION: Rev. Addison P. Foster 345 A SAMPLE STATE: Pres. H. S. Deforest 347 REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON CHURCH WORK 350 OUR DISADVANTAGES AND ADVANTAGES: Field Sup't J. E. Roy, D.D. 351 THE NEED AND THE OPPORTUNITY: Prof. Wm. J. Tucker, D.D. 354

AFRICA.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE 357 THE MENDI MISSION: Prof. T. N. Chase 359 THE CALL TO THE ASSOCIATION: Rev. H. M. Ladd 363

THE INDIANS.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE 364 CAUSES OF THE MISMANAGEMENT OF INDIAN AFFAIRS: Rev. A. H. Bradford. 365 LETTER FROM GENERAL FISK 370

THE CHINESE.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE 372 THE TWO METHODS: Rev. Lyman Abbott, D.D. 372 OUR GROUNDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT: Rev. Samuel Scoville 375

RECEIPTS 379

CONSTITUTION 383

AIM, STATISTICS, WANTS 384

This number of the AMERICAN MISSIONARY is sent to some persons whose names are not among our subscribers, with the hope that they will read it, become interested in the work it represents, and subscribe for it. Terms, 50 cents per annum. Subscriptions may be sent to H. W. Hubbard, Esq., Treasurer, 56 Reade Street, New York.

Entered at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., as second-class matter.

American Missionary Association,

PRESIDENT.

HON. E. S. TOBEY, Boston.

VICE-PRESIDENTS.

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY.

DISTRICT SECRETARIES.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

ALONZO S. BALL, A. S. BARNES, C. T. CHRISTENSEN, H. L. CLAPP, CLINTON B. FISK, ADDISON P. FOSTER, S. B. HALLIDAY, A. J. HAMILTON, SAMUEL HOLMES, CHARLES A. HULL, EDGAR KETCHUM, CHAS. L. MEAD, SAMUEL S. MARPLES, WM. T. PRATT, J. A. SHOUDY, JOHN H. WASHBURN.

COMMUNICATIONS

relating to the work of the Association may be addressed to the Corresponding Secretary; those relating to the collecting fields to the District Secretaries; letters for the Editor of the "American Missionary," to Rev. C. C. PAINTER, at the New York Office.

DONATIONS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS

may be sent to H. W. Hubbard, Treasurer, 56 Reade Street, New York, or when more convenient, to either of the Branch Offices, 21 Congregational House, Boston, Mass., or 112 West Washington Street, Chicago, Ill. A payment of thirty dollars at one time constitutes a Life Member.

THE

AMERICAN MISSIONARY.

American Missionary Association.

We are under renewed obligations to our denominational newspapers for their editorial representation at our anniversary, and their full and discriminating reports of our proceedings.

Our Annual Meeting in the Broadway Church, Norwich, awakened, in the minds of many, encouraging comparison with the Anniversary of this Association held in the same place 19 years ago. It was in the fall of 1861. Our country was just settling into the heavy tug of war. And yet one of the headings of the Annual Report was: "Enlargement demanded." See how God has fulfilled that aspiration in the enlargement of our finances, of our constituency, of our field, of our work. The ,819 of that year, upon the recommendation of the Boston Council in 1865, came up to 0,000 and ,000 more, and the average of these fifteen years has been that same sum, 3,000. All the work we then had at the South, the very first of the kind that was done, was that of the one missionary and one teacher among the 1,800 "contrabands," who at that point had pressed through our lines. But the men of that meeting, believing that the day of freedom was at hand, and praying,--in the words of one of Governor Buckingham's State papers--that "the country might be carried through the crisis in such a manner as should forever check the spirit of anarchy, bring peace to a distracted people, and preserve, strengthen and perpetuate our National Union," did solemnly and grandly resolve "to follow the armies of the United States with faithful missionaries and teachers". You know how this Association did follow those armies across the sunny South, and how it turned its own forces into an army of occupation, until its field became identical with the realm of our national flag.

Now this marvelous enlargement, attained within less than two decades, has brought us to "the cross of our success." Shall we take up that cross? Shall we consecrate ourselves to bear the burden of obligation which this extension of our work lays upon us? May we discern this call of God for enlargement, even as did the good men of that day?

The chief officers of this Association, the President, Rev. David Thurston, the Treasurer, Lewis Tappan, with his brother Arthur, the Secretaries, George Whipple and S. S. Jocelyn, now on high, were all here on this platform, bearing up against the discouragements of the way, and by their great faith inciting the people to "go forward." "The workers die, but God carries on the work."

A SUGGESTION--FINANCIAL.

We have passed another milestone in our work. The reports and extracts from addresses made at the recent annual meeting, and placed before our constituents in this double number of the MISSIONARY, tell how far we have progressed, and indicate something of the demands that the journey beyond is already making upon us.

A perusal of these papers will show that the enthusiasm of earnest conviction characterized the Norwich meeting. The success of the past, no less than the present exigent needs of the field in every department, focused the thought of the meeting on one thing--enlargement of the work.

PROCEEDINGS AT THE ANNUAL MEETING.

The thirty-fourth Annual Meeting of the Association had for its meeting place the commodious Broadway Church in the beautiful city of Norwich, Conn. It was favored with perfect autumnal days, bountiful and beautiful hospitality, and a large and sustained attendance at all its sessions.

President Tobey being detained from attendance, the chair was occupied by Vice-Presidents Dr. Wm. L. Gage, of Hartford, and Dr. Wm. W. Patton, of Howard University, and at the closing session by Dr. L. T. Chamberlain, pastor of the church in which the meetings were held. Rev. Geo. M. Boynton was elected Secretary, and Revs. C. P. Osborne and J. H. Isham, Assistant Secretaries of the meeting. Dr. Langworthy, of Massachusetts, conducted the opening devotional services. The Treasurer read his report. The report of the Executive Committee was read by Secretary Strieby, after which an hour was spent in prayer, reminiscence and thanksgiving.

Dr. Alex. McKenzie, of Cambridge, Mass., preached the Annual Sermon, his text being Ex. ii.:9--"Take this child away and nurse it for me." The thought elaborated with great force and beauty was the claim of the child, the African race, upon the King's daughter, the Church of God.

The Committees to which had been assigned the various departments of the work as represented in the official papers, then in order reported, and addresses were made on the subjects of which they treated.

It would not do to omit the witty and eloquent address of Rev. Dr. Hannay, Secretary of the Congregational Union of England and Wales, in which he spoke of the heroism of modern missionary effort and the statesmanship needed and shown in the discussions of the work of the Association.

The Lord's Supper was celebrated on Wednesday afternoon, Rev. J. O. Barrows of Turkey, and Rev. Jonathan Edwards of Massachusetts officiating.

At the close, resolutions of thanks to the churches and citizens of Norwich, to the choir, the Committee and the railroads, were adopted, and responded to by Rev. Wm. S. Palmer, D.D., of Norwich, chairman of the Committee of Arrangements. The benediction was pronounced by Rev. Dr. Chamberlain. Thus ended one of the best attended and best sustained anniversaries of the American Missionary Association. For changes in the list of Vice-Presidents and Executive Committee we refer to the first inside page of the cover.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Second Church was filled below and above with a congregation of nearly a thousand women. Mrs. Dr. John A. Rockwell, of Stamford, Conn., presided, and, after the opening prayer by Mrs. Phipps, read a brief paper on woman's responsibility in the nineteenth century.

Miss Stevenson, Miss Sawyer, Mrs. Hickok and Miss Emery, all familiar with the condition and needs of the colored women of the South, addressed the meeting, the interest of which was so great and so well sustained that it re-assembled the next morning. At that time Miss Douglass, who had labored in Georgia among the negroes, and Miss Ludlow, of Hampton Institute, Miss Lord and others spoke, keeping up the interest which had attended the previous session.

Resolutions expressing hearty sympathy with the work of the A. M. A., and urging an organization for home mission work in every church in New England, were adopted at the close of this full and earnest woman's meeting.

HEROISM AND STATESMANSHIP.

We sometimes talk--and I think in a very superficial and wild way--about heroic ages of certain nationalities, heroic ages of the church; and there are men who will say it was a heroic age in which foreign missions were projected, whether in England or here; that then the men were of great stature, and that they rose to the opportunities the great living Head of the Church offered them, and went out and did a giant's work; and they look down on this time, and perhaps complain that it is not a heroic age, and that we cannot have a giant's test put to us. Now that is all very flimsy and superficial talk in my judgment. There are epochs in the history of nations and of churches when great opportunities occur, the record of which becomes historical, and it seems that the men who take the prominent part then are men of Alpine bulk and grandeur of nature--true heroes; and then there comes a time of equable, dogged, plodding, unhistorical work, and it is said "The age of heroism and the age of heroes has passed away." Brethren, the work of these quiet and plodding ages cannot be done well, except in the very spirit of the heroic age; and I take it there is a test of individual character, there is a test of strength and firmness in men, a strength of heroism demanded for the quiet, ordinary, fruitful work of times like these, equal, at least, to that which was needed to originate the new epoch. And I congratulate the representatives of the American churches assembled at the meetings of these great societies on the evidence which has appeared to me, , that here they are in the very spirit of their fathers, now gone to their rest, who said, "We must redeem the pagan nations and bring them to Christ."

Another thing that has struck me is this: in listening to what we have heard here to-day, I have seemed to find not merely a fulness and vitality of the missionary sentiment, but associated with that, a keen, political outlook, the statesman's thought about the demand of the hour and the special adaptations that are necessary in service for the carrying out of the great work that these societies have in view. It is especially encouraging in view of this, to which no one can be blind, that God is calling America to a singularly honorable, because singularly difficult, vocation, in dealing with the races with which her life of intelligence and faith is here being brought into contact.

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