Read Ebook: The American Missionary — Volume 41 No. 12 December 1887 by Various

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John Brown was John the Baptist of the Christ we are to see-- Christ who of the bondman shall the Liberator be; And soon throughout the sunny South the slaves shall all be free, For his soul is marching on! O Glory! Hallelujah!

The conflict that he heralded, he looks from heaven to view-- On the army of the Union, with its flag, red, white and blue; And Heaven shall ring with anthems o'er the deed they mean to do, For his soul is marching on! O Glory! Hallelujah!

Ye soldiers brave of freedom, then strike, while strike ye may, The death-blow of oppression, in a better time and way, For the dawn of Old John Brown has brightened into day, And his soul is marching on! O Glory! Hallelujah!

WM. W. PATTON.

MISSISSIPPI CONVICT SYSTEM.

The horrid barbarity of the State convict-system in Georgia is paralleled by Mississippi. The moral sense of the people in these States is waking up and public attention is being called to the cruelty and inhumanity on the part of those who have prisoners in charge. It seems incredible that such things can be so. What a disgrace to our country and our civilization! Here is a report recently made by the Grand Jury of Hinds County, Mississippi:

After a most arduous session of eleven days we, the Grand Jury of the First District of Hinds County for this the June term of the court, having completed our labors, beg to submit our final report. We have examined 220 witnesses and have found and returned into court thirty-eight true bills, of which six have been for murder, eight for grand larceny, and the remainder for minor offenses.

We find, with the exception of murder, there is very little crime in this district; but we are compelled to deplore the fact that homicide seems to be on the increase. We feel we have discharged our duty toward the suppression of this crime as best we were able, leaving the court to carry on the work.

We have examined the public officers' accounts and settlements and find everything in good shape. We have examined the jail, and find the roof and floors in bad condition and the bedding and covering of the prisoners insufficient and in a bad condition. We recommend that proper and clean bedding be furnished the prisoners and that the roof be repaired or replaced by a new one.

We call the attention of the Board of Control to these matters, but under the law we know they can do but little to remedy these evils. We believe they will do the best they can. We are not to be understood as condemning the lessees in person for these things, but we do inveigh against the principle and system of this great State taking a poor creature's liberty and turning him over to one whose interest it is to coin his blood into money.

As a fair sample of this system, on January 6, 1887, two hundred and four convicts were leased to McDonald up to June 6, 1887, and during this six months twenty died, nineteen were discharged and escaped and twenty-three returned to the walls disabled and sick, many of whom have since died. God will never smile upon a State that treats its convicts as Mississippi does. After a full examination and conference with the kind-hearted prison physician, Dr. Johnston, we find the following persons in the hospital almost in a dying state, some of them with hopelessly incurable diseases and others badly afflicted, and all of them confined for minor offenses, comparatively speaking, and who have long since suffered the full penalty of the law in being beaten and so cruelly mis-treated, and whom we here earnestly beg the Governor to pardon immediately, so that they may at least die free.

Then follow the names of twelve persons, all colored, who, in consequence of the abuse to which they were subjected in prison, are now suffering from incurable diseases. Oh, for some John Howard to arise in the South and become in God's hand the instrument of wiping this terrible evil out of existence.

FORTY-FIRST ANNUAL MEETING

of the

AMERICAN MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION.

The Forty-first Annual Meeting of the American Missionary Association convened in the Second Parish Church at Portland, Maine, on Tuesday, October 25th, at 3 o'clock P. M.

Owing to the recent death of its President, Hon. Wm. B. Washburn, of Massachusetts, the Association was called to order by one of the Vice-Presidents, Alexander McKenzie, D.D., of the same State, who, after the singing of "Coronation," read the Scriptures--Mark vi, 30-56--and led in prayer.

Rev. Henry A. Hazen, of Massachusetts, was elected Secretary, and Rev. Edgar M. Cousins, of Maine, Assistant Secretary.

In the unavoidable absence of W. H. Fenn, D.D., Rev. Charles H. Daniels welcomed the Association in behalf of the churches and the city of Portland.

Response was made by Vice-President McKenzie.

The following committees were nominated and elected:

Secretary Beard read the portion of the Constitution relating to life membership and delegates, and the roll of the Association and Visitors was prepared, as follows;

ROLL.

James Bell, N.J.; Ruel P. Cowles, Ct.; Rev. T. M. Davies, Me.; Miss Anne E. Farrington, N.C.

Rev. G. W. Christie, Me.; Elnathan F. Duren, Me.; Rev. Wm. A. Houghton, Mass.; Rev. C. G. McCully, Me.; Rev. Wm. G. Mann, Me.; Charles Morse, Mass.; Rev. B. G. Northrup, Ct.; Miss L. L. Phelps, Me.; Rev. Lauriston Reynolds, Me.; E. N. Smith, Me.; Rev. N. J. Squires, Ct.; Edward A. Williams, Ct.; Rev. Alexander Wiswall, Me.

Rev. W. H. S. Aubrey, England; Geo. B. Barrows, Me.; Rev. E. Bean, Me.; Rev. John B. Carruthers, Me.; Rev. R. C. Drisko, Vt.; Rev. C. H. Gates, Me.; Rev. W. H. Haskell, Me.; Rev. H. C. McKnight, Me.; J. L. Perkins, Mass.; H. Porter Smith, Mass.; Rev. J. W. Strong, Minn.; Rev. T. J. Valentine, Mass.; George L. Bunster, N.H.; Rev. Edgar M. Cousins, Me.; Rev. John Dinsmore, Me.; Rev. Henry Farrar, N.H.; Rev. D. E. French, Me.; Oliver H. Hay, Kans.; Charles Heath, Mass.; R. N. Holman, Mass.; Rev. Charles G. Holyoke, Me.; Dea. A. Kingsbury, Ct.; Ira L. McClary, Vt.; A. R. Mitchell, Me.; A. T. Muzzy, Me.; Rev. E. S. Palmer, Me.; Rev. H. F. A. Patterson, Me.; Rev. Augustus Root, Mass.; A. H. Siegfried, N.J.; Dea. Richard Smith, Mass.; Rev. Prof. Richard C. Stanley, Me.; Rev. David D. Tappan, Mass.; Joseph Walker, Me.

The Treasurer, H. W. Hubbard, Esq., presented his annual report, which was accepted and referred to the Committee on Finance to be appointed.

The report of the Executive Committee was read by the Field Superintendent, Rev. Charles J. Ryder, and the various portions of the report relating to different departments of work were referred to the special committees to be appointed.

The Association, led by Secretary Strieby, united in a concert of prayer with workers in the field.

The programme prepared by the Committee of Arrangements was adopted as the programme of the meeting, unless otherwise directed.

Adjourned to 7.30 P. M.

TUESDAY EVENING.

The meeting was called to order at 7.30 P. M. The devotional services were conducted by Pres. James W. Strong, D.D., of Minnesota.

The annual sermon was preached by A. J. F. Behrends, D.D., of New York, from the third verse of Jude, according to the Revised Version.

The sermon was followed by the administration of the Lord's Supper. The following named persons officiated at the service: Ministers--W. L. Gage, D.D., of Connecticut; Rev. George S. Dickerman, of Massachusetts. Deacons--E. F. Duren, R. H. Hinkley, S. W. Larrabee, Horatio Staples, John M. Gould, of Maine; Augustus Gaylord, H. W. Hubbard, of New York; Elbert B. Munroe, of Connecticut.

At the close of the communion, adjournment was taken to Wednesday at 9 o'clock A. M.

WEDNESDAY MORNING.

The prayer meeting from 8 to 9 o'clock was led by Joseph Anderson, D.D., of Connecticut.

At 9 o'clock the Association was called to order by the Vice-President presiding, who read the Scriptures. Prayer was offered by Rev. Henry S. Loring, of Maine.

The records of the previous day were read and approved.

The Committee on Nominations reported the following committees to act for the Association, and the report was adopted:

On Mountain Work: Alonzo H. Quint, D.D., Mass.; Geo. W. Phillips, D.D., Vt.; Rev. Geo. W. Grover, N.H.; Rev. Charles C. McIntire, Vt.; Rev. Henry M. Grant, Mass.; Rev. Henry J. Patrick, Mass.; Rev. John A. MacColl, Vt.

On Indian Work: Frank Wood, Esq., Mass.; Elijah Horr, D.D., Mass.; Rev. George A. Tewksbury, Mass.; Rev. Frank A. Warfield, Mass.; Galen C. Moses, Esq., Me.; A. L. Williston, Esq., Mass.; Carlos Montezuma, Ill.

On Chinese Missions: Rev. S. Lewis B. Speare, Mass.; Rev. Henry L. Griffin, Me.; Rev. George S. Dickerman, Mass.; Rev. Charles H. Pope, Me.; Rev. Charles P. Mills, Mass.; Dea. Horace W. Otis, Mass.; Mr. Yan Phou Lee, Ct.

A paper on "The Influence of a Life and the Life of an Influence," was presented by Associate Corresponding Secretary Augustus F. Beard, D.D.

A paper on "The Brotherhood of Man; or, The Three Brothers who Settled America," was read by Corresponding Secretary M. E. Strieby, D.D.

A paper on "Need of Intelligence in Giving," was read by Associate Corresponding Secretary James Powell, D.D.

The Committee on Nominations reported the following special committees upon the papers read:

Rev. Dr. Behrends, of New York, spoke upon the subject of Missionary Literature as presented in Secretary Powell's paper. Rev. G. S. Dickerman and Rev. O. S. Dean, both of Massachusetts, spoke upon the same paper.

The Association listened to addresses in memory of its late President, the Hon. William B. Washburn, of Massachusetts. These addresses were given by Rev. S. G. Buckingham, D.D., of Massachusetts, and Secretary Strieby, of the Association. The latter presented a minute which had been adopted by the Executive Committee at their first meeting after learning of the death of Governor Washburn, and which they recommended for adoption at this meeting, and to be forwarded to the family of the late President.

The minute, which follows, was unanimously adopted by a rising vote:

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