tures in foreign, and especially pagan tries, and was suggested by the growing lands. Some, also, of the State and other conviction of many persons in the United local Bible Societies, such as those of Mas- States, that until pure Christianity be resachusetts and Philadelphia, have done stored in nominal Christendom, the con-something in this way. The American version of the heathen world can hardly Tract Society has likewise made yearly be looked for. There are millions of Protgrants of from 10,000 to 40,000 dollars for estants, and tens of millions of Romanists, the publication and distribution of religious so manifestly ignorant of the great doctracts in foreign, and chiefly in heathen trines of the Gospel, as to prove by their lands. The American Sunday-school lives that they are little better than bapUnion, too, has granted both books and tized heathen. Hundreds of thousands money for promoting its objects abroad. professing Christianity may be found in I am unable to state the yearly amount of some countries who have actually never all these donations with perfect accuracy, read a page of the book which God intendbut believe that, taking the average of the ed should be emphatically the people's last ten years, they have exceeded 50,000 Book, but which those who put themselves dollars. forward as their guides have kept from them, either from ignorance of its value, or from a dread of its influence when read. CHAPTER IX. AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR AMELIORATING THE CONDITION OF THE JEWS. Now, while many societies seek to promote true religion in the United States, and many also to send the Gospel to the heathen, the Foreign Evangelical Society THIS Society was formed in 1820, for that great intermediate field, presented by makes it its peculiar province to cultivate the purpose of providing an asylum, and the means of earning a comfortable live- whatever may be their civilization, the professedly Christian countries in which, lihood in America, for Jews whose con- Gospel is really almost as little known as version to Christianity exposed them to it is to the very heathen; some being persecution and the loss of the means of buried in the darkness of Romanism, and living. A farm, accordingly, of about 500 others in the still worse darkness of Raacres was purchased, on which it was pro- tionalism. In many such countries God, posed to have a colony of converted Jews, in his holy Providence, has been evidentwho, by tillage and other useful arts, might ly opening the way for the admission of support themselves and their families. the long-excluded light. Stupendous revSomehow or other this project did not an-olutions have in the course of the last fifswer the expectations of its projectors, ty years shaken, for a time at least, the and so much did the Society lose the confidence of the Christian public, that for a long over a great part of Christendom, spiritual despotism that had reigned so while it seemed quite lost sight of. A both in Europe and America; and the bityear or two ago, however, the impulse giv- ter fruits of infidelity, in all its forms, have en in Scotland and other European coun- disposed many, in countries where it had tries to the work of converting the Jews, sapped the foundations of faith, to return led some of the old friends of the Ameri- to the simple truths of the Gospel, unpercan Society to think of reviving it, and di- verted by human speculation and "philosrecting its efforts to the employment of mis-ophy falsely so called." The last revolusionaries among the Jews, either in America or elsewhere. As the Society is incorporated, and has property to the amount, I believe, of from 15,000 to 20,000 dollars, it may commence its operations immediately among the Jewish people, of whom there are said to be about 50,000 in the United States, whose conversion has never, it must be confessed, called forth the interest and the efforts that it ought to have done. CHAPTER X. tions in France and Belgium, in particular, seemed to lay those countries more hoped that, at no distant day, Spain and open to evangelical effort; and it was Portugal also would be found accessible to the Word of God. After much inquiry, partly conducted by an agent sent expressly to France and othformed in 1836, which, three years after, er countries of Europe, an association was took the form of a regular society; not, however, for sending missionaries from America to Europe, but for assisting the friends of evangelical religion in France, Belgium, and other countries similarly cir FOREIGN EVANGELICAL SOCIETY OF THE UNI- cumstanced. It has accordingly aided the TED STATES. THIS, which is the latest in its origin of all the foreign missionary societies, was formed in 1839, for promoting evangelical religion in all nominally Christian coun evangelical societies of France and Geneva, and, though not to the same extent, some other, and more local associations. Gradually extending the range of its efforts, it has also promoted the same cause by the distribution of tracts in Germany, and has even aided the friends of the truth in Sweden in what they are doing to communicate the blessings of the Gospel more effectually to the Laplanders. As the Society's Executive Committee is not restricted to any particular method of effecting its objects, it has turned its attention to a variety of ways of procedure. While making these efforts in Europe, the Society has found among the Roman Catholic population of Lower Canada, which is almost wholly of French origin, an important and providentially-prepared field, which is now occupied by a very prosperous mission. As this mission originated with some friends of the Gospel in Switzerland, it is supported to a certain extent by an association at Lausanne. Attached to it there is a large missionhouse, in which above twenty Canadian converts are preparing for future labours as teachers, colporteurs, evangelists, preachers, &c. There are no fewer than eight or nine missionaries, all but one or two of whom are natives of France or Switzerland; all have been accustomed to the French tongue from childhood, and several speaking no other. No one can foresee what may be the results of this auspicious commencement among a people with whom all previous attempts of a like kind had failed. The society contemplates commencing operations at several points of South America, as soon as persons fitted for the work can be found. The receipts of this society for the year ending on the 1st of May last (1843) were about 15,000 dollars; and the number of labourers, in various fields, whom it supported, was about eighty. CHAPTER XI. AMERICAN COLONIZATION SOCIETY. FINALLY, we propose to say a few words respecting the American Colonization Society, because of its connexion with missions in Western Africa, and its bearings upon the general interests of humanity, though not a missionary society itself. Though originating in a sincere desire to promote the benefit of the African race, on the part of some of the best men that America has ever seen, this society has for many years past been much decried in America, and misrepresented to some extent in Europe. The three persons who may be regarded as its founders have all passed from the present scene to their reward above. These were the late Rev. Dr. Finlay, of New-Jersey, the Rev. Samuel J. Mills, of Connecticut, and the Hon. Elias B. Caldwell, of Washington City, Clerk to the Supreme Court of the United States. The Society was organized in 1817, and its objects are expressed as follows, in the second article of its constitution: "To promote and execute a plan of colonizing (with their consent) the free people of colour residing in our country, in Africa, or such other place as Congress shall deem most expedient." The primary motive of its founders was to place the coloured man in circumstances in which he might acquire that real independence of station and character, and, consequently, that equality in social life which they supposed that he cannot reach in the midst of a white population. Soon after the Society was constituted, the Rev. Messrs. Mills and Burgess were sent as commissioners to explore the west coast of Africa, and select a site for the proposed colony. The first expedition was sent over in 1820, under the Rev. Samuel Bacon, who was appointed governor; but he and many of the colonists were cut off by the fever of the country, in attempting to form a settlement at Sherbro, which consequently failed. Another attempt followed a year or two afterward, and though the site was not so good as might have been found, it proved far better than the former, and is now called Liberia, lying between the 8th and 11th degrees of north latitude. No great extent of country was bought at first, but other parcels have been added since, and the Society hopes before long to obtain the entire coast from Cape Mount on the north to Cape Palmas on the south, and extending to about 300 miles in length. Its chief possessions at present are about Cape Messurado in the north, and Cape Palmas in the south; a large part of the intervening coast is now in the possession of native chieftains, and on purchasing it, which the Society hopes soon to be able to do, it proposes to plant colonies at different points, for the double purpose of extending the present settlements and of abolishing the slave-trade, still vigorously prosecuted at two or three points on this part of the coast. Monrovia, the chief town in the northern cluster of colonies, has a convenient port, and is of considerable extent. There the Governor of Liberia resides. There are eight or ten villages, also, to the north and south, and in the interior, settlements having been made on the Stockton and St. Paul's Rivers, as well as at other points to the distance of eight or ten miles from Monrovia. A colony planted at Cape Palmas by the Maryland Auxiliary Colonization Society, consists of about 550 or 600 colonists from America.* Many natives, Cape Palmas, Mr. Rushworm, is a gentleman of colIt is an interesting fact, that the governor at our, brought up in America as a printer, and who however, live both there and in Liberia on lands of their own, but within the limits of the colony, and subject to its laws; in fact, they form an integral part of the population. These colonies have been of slow growth, for the Society, unaided by the General Government, has been unable to conduct the enterprise on a large scale. Inexperience, too, has led to several blunders in the first years, to which must be added want of union and energy on the part of the National Society, and the loss of the confidence of part of the public, particularly of the members of the Anti-slavery and Abolition Societies. Notwithstanding all this, the Society has been gradually advancing. Its yearly income has for some time past been about 50,000 dollars,* and its colonies, now supposed to number about 4000 emigrants, are in a tolerably thriving state. Fatal as the climate of Liberia is to white men, the coloured find it so much otherwise, that the mortality among them has not been greater than was to be expected -not more than what was experienced by the first settlers in Virginia and Massachusetts. Cape Palmas, from its elevated position, has been found remarkably healthy, and not oppressive even to the missionaries, though whites. It has been well ascertained that, at the distance of from fifteen to twenty miles the country rises in the interior, and at no great distance farther becomes even mountainous. Hence it is inferred that the climate there is salubrious. A few more years of success will enable the colonies to purchase the lands east of the "back settlements," and to open a way to the hilly country. Already, in fact, they are making a road from Monrovia into the interior, so as to have a highway for trade in camwood and other productions of the country. The soil is almost everywhere fertile, and vegetation luxuriant, so that a large population might be abundantly provided for. Instead of a single crop in a year, as in colder climates, two may be had of many vegetable productions. The sweet potato, rice, sugar-cane, the coffee plant, and other tropical produce, can be raised with ease. The grand difficulty in agriculture lies in the want of good fences, and the destruction of posts and rails by insects. This must be overcome by making hedges of the sour orange, or by employing shepherds, herdsmen, and boys. Many of the colonists have now their ably conducted for several years the Liberia Herald, a newspaper of respectable character, established at Monrovia ten or twelve years ago. But this is exclusive of that of some State societies which manage their own affairs, like that of Maryland, to which the state of that name granted 200,000 dollars, payable in ten yearly instalments. The colony established by that society, it will be seen, is at Cape Palmas. little farms. Others, and perhaps too many, are more occupied in trading with the natives. They keep a quantity of small craft for trading along the coast, and carry on a brisk barter with numerous vessels, American, British, &c., &c., touching from time to time at Monrovia. It appears from the testimony of impartial men, with good opportunities of information, that these colonies have had a beneficial influence on that coast, and have tended to repress the slave-trade. Such was that of Captains Bell and Paine of the United States navy, who were there in 1840, and who both vindicate the colonies from many charges equally false and absurd; among others, that of conniving at that infamous trade. That plantations mainly composed of liberated slaves should be altogether immaculate, no man of sense would expect or require. But that they are, as communities, thriving well, and that they are also exerting a happy influence on the natives, is what I for one must believe, from the abundant testimony of credible witnesses; among others, of several excellent missionaries, with whom I have been long and intimately acquainted.* I have remarked that the Society has been much opposed, especially by the friends of the anti-slavery societies in the United States. This opposition has arisen from the manner in which the Society has been advocated. Its friends have been apt to recommend it as presenting the sole method of ridding the United States of slavery. This is absurd. It has diverted the minds of slaveholders in the South from the duty of universally emancipating their slaves, whether they shall remain in the country or not; and in this way has done mischief. Its friends have said too much, also, about the impossibility of the coloured population rising to respectability and political equality in the United States. The difficulties are indeed great, but good men should never lend their aid in fostering the unreasonable prejudices against the coloured race, entertained by too large a part of our people. Notwithstanding these and some other errors which might be mentioned, I cannot but feel the deepest interest in the cause of African colonization; first, because it may be advocated even before slaveholders in such a way as to favour emancipation, a thing which cannot be done at present by the agents of our "Abolition" and " Anti-slavery Societies;" secondly, because it provides slaveholders who wish to emancipate their slaves, and who, by *This applies chiefly to Liberia. I regret to say, that very recent information makes me fear that the Maryland colony at Cape Palmas is not acting so favourably on the mission there as it ought to do. It is to be hoped that the society at home will see the necessity of directing it to alter its policy. certain State laws, are obliged to remove the victories of the cross still farther into them out of the state when so emancipa-the interior. If means can be furnished, ted, with an opportunity of sending them the Board expect a vast amount of native to a country which does afford the pros- agency will be called into operation. If pect of their rising to independence and the society were able to thrust forth but a comfort; thirdly, because the colonization few scores of such young men of Africa as of Africa, in one way or other, presents Simon Peter, who recently visited this the sole effectual method of breaking up country, the Liberia mission of the Methothe slave-trade; and, lastly, because it is dist Episcopal Church would be rendered the surest way of introducing civilization a blessing to thousands of the African race into Africa, and also furnishes a point d'ap-yet unborn. In view of the success which pui for the prosecution of Christian mis- has attended this mission, the report exsions. Such is the opinion of the Rev. horted the church to adhere to the motto of Dr. Philip, the distinguished and judicious the dying and lamented Cox: "Though a superintendent of the London Missionary thousand fall, Africa must not be given up.' Society's missions in South Africa, as ably maintained in a letter addressed by him, eight or ten years ago, to the students at the Theological Seminary at Princeton, New-Jersey. The chairman introduced the Rev. John Seys, superintendent of the African mission, who rose and spoke substantially as follows: "Mr. Chairman, I hold in my hand a resThe Presbyterians, Baptists, Episcopali-olution given to me for presentation to ans, and Methodists have all, as we have the Society, with a request that I would seen, flourishing missions in these colo- make some remarks in sustaining it." nies.* The numbers of evangelical preachers, of all denominations, is no less than forty. God has greatly blessed his Word in these communities, which, considering the recent servitude and ignorance of most of the colonists, are said to exhibit an extraordinary prevalence of morality. I know not how any person can read without interest the following statement, contained in the Report of the Methodist Missionary Society, read at the annual meeting in May, 1842: "The Liberia mission includes an Annual Conference of seventeen preachers, all coloured except the superintendent and the two brethren lately sent out. It has a membership of nearly one thousand individuals, of whom 150 are natives, who, until the last two years, were worshipping gods of wood, and stone, and clay. He then read the following resolution: "Resolved, That the Liberia mission, including as it does a portion of the interior of Western Africa, constitutes one of the most promising fields for missionary enterprise; and that the touching appeals from the halfawakened natives of different tribes which have reached us through our missionaries, while they proclaim the ripeness of the harvest, imperatively call upon the Church for the requisite supply of efficient labourers.' "I presume this resolution was assigned to me on account of my connexion with the Liberia mission. I can say it affords me much pleasure to present such a resolution. Years have now elapsed since I stood among you-since I was sent by you as an almoner of the Gospel to poor, longneglected Africa. "The resolution speaks of Africa as one of the most promising fields of missionary enterprise. Is it so? Yes, sir, it is so. And if the missionary sickle be but applied, the field will yield a rich and noble harvest to the Church. Out of 1000 church members, 150 are native converts. But two years ago I found them bowing down to images of wood, and clay, and stone, and leather, and everything which their fancy could make into a god. These idols they placed about their persons, put them in their houses, and carried about with them wherever they went. "There are thirteen day-schools within the bounds of the mission, in which from 550 to 600 children receive daily instruction; fourteen churches, some of which are very neat, and one built of stone, in size forty by sixty feet. There are also eight mission-houses or parsonages, four school-houses, one of which (the academy) is a stone building twenty by forty feet; and a large printing-office, also of stone, with an excellent press. In the schools there are upward of forty native children and youth, who are preparing for future usefulness. Many of them read the Scrip- "Soon after a number of them had been tures, and write well, and are burning with converted, they appointed a day for meetzeal to carry the Gospel to regions yet be-ing, when they were admitted to the Church. yond them. "Tribes at a distance have sent for missionaries, and the board is anxious to push *The Roman Catholics have also commenced a mission at Cape Palmas, and will doubtless do the same, ere long, at Liberia. The Right Rev. Dr. Barron and Patrick Kelly, priests, were sent in the year 1842 to Cape Palmas. And what a scene! Bonfires were kindled in the town of Heddington, and the praises of Immanuel ascended with the smoke of the burning idols. At the same time, the hearts of these young converts were burning with desire to carry the Gospel to the tribes beyond them. * Since dead. "Western Africa is a most promising field, because her native converts are eager to carry the Gospel to the country in the interior. The boys at the love-feasts tell the tale of their conversion, pray God to keep them good, to make them grow up men, and be missionaries to the tother people.' The natives will prove themselves doubly qualified for the missionary work, as they have less fear of the peculiar diseases of the climate, can be supported with less means, and understand the language of the country." was not a single foreign missionary society in the country, with the exception of that of the Moravian Brethren, and not till long after did the churches do anything worth mention in that field. The last twenty years, or, rather, the last ten years, have witnessed much improvement in this respect, and we pray that it may go on in a far greater ratio until every church shall have come up to the full demands of its duty. It is difficult to present at one view the statistics of all these missionary efforts Nor is the interest which the converted with perfect accuracy, at least if we would colonists and natives feel in missions un-include all the particulars upon which the fruitful, if we may judge from the fact mentioned in the " Africa's Luminary," the valuable and well-conducted journal of the colony, that the sum of 208 dollars has been collected at a meeting of the missionary society of the Conference. CHAPTER XII. THE SUMMARY. reader may think information desirable. On the main points we may obtain pretty accurate results. Including the missions of the evangelical churches alone, and those of the others are hardly of sufficient importance to call for notice, the receipts from all sources for propagating the Gospel in foreign, and chiefly heathen lands, for the year ending August 1st, 1843, may safely be reckoned at $510,424.* This is exclusive, also, of the income of the colonization societies, amounting, say, to $60,000, these not being missionary societies. THUS it will be perceived that almost every evangelical church in the United States The number of distinct missions proseis doing more or less for the propagation cuted by the United States churches is at of the Gospel in foreign, and especially in least sixty-five; that of stations and outheathen lands. I know not, indeed, that stations exceeds 200. These employed in there is a single exception, unless it be 1841-42 at least 375 preaching American among some of the smaller German de- missionaries, who, with few exceptions, nominations, or some branches of the Meth- were ordained ministers, and above sevenodist and Presbyterian churches. Even ty American laymen, chiefly physicians, these, however, seem almost all to con- printers, teachers, and catechists. The tribute towards this great object through American females, chiefly wives of missocieties or boards, either belonging to sionaries and teachers, amounted to 420, other denominations, or common to sev-making a total of 875 persons from the eral. Thus the Reformed Presbyterians or United States connected with these misCovenanters support a missionary in the sions, and all labouring, in one way or anEast Indies, in connexion, I believe, with other, to promote the Gospel among the the Presbyterian Church's Board of Mis-heathen. The natives who assist as minsions; the Associate Reformed churches isters, evangelists, teachers, distributors of so far aid the same board; the Associate tracts, &c., &c., amounted at least to 375. churches have a mission in the island of Trinidad, and one branch of the Covenanters or Reformed Presbyterians are projecting a mission in the same quarter of the 59,534 world; and some of the German Reform- Board of Foreign Missions of the Baptist Churches 47,151 ed churches aid the American Board of Foreign Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church 39,452 Foreign Missions of the Protestant Episcopal Church 35,197 Commissioners for Foreign Missions, as Foreign Missionary Society of the Free-Will Bapdo, also, some of the Cumberland Presby-Foreign Missionary Society of the Lutheran Church terian churches. This is a gratifying fact, whether we regard it as a sign of life, or an earnest of its still farther increase in the churches. Not that these have done all that their glorious Lord may justly look for at their hands; but that what they have hitherto done is but the promise of much greater things for the future, we may reasonably infer from the comparatively recent period that either domestic or foreign missions began seriously to interest the Christian public of the United States. Previous to. 1812, there * The following table gives the details on this point: The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Missions Church (about) (about) Foreign Missionary Society of the United Brethren Grants from American Bible Society, the American Total $244,224 3,502 3,000 8,364 15,000 5,000 50,000 $510,424 Nor does this statement include the annual grant of the general government of 10,000 dollars for the support of schools among the Indian tribes, which is laid out through the missionary societies. I have two or three of the societies; but the supposed sums not been able to obtain the exact amount raised by cannot be far from the truth. |
