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by long and patient labour in larger publications from the press. Those have most leisure and ability who do the most. Neither is there wanting a necessity. We approve and admire English literature, and especially English religious literature, but we need in every department, and especially in our Tracts, local scenery and local adaptation: Half the tracts from England, when reprinted here, want adaptedness. English broadcloths and cutlery, answer a very good purpose here, for those that can purchase; but English Tracts are a manufacture so nicely suited to their own sphere, as to be rather an incitement than a soporific to our ingenuity. Surely there are scenes and subjects for most interesting Tracts among ourselves. But it is time we returned to the Report.

By the Treasurer's Account it will appear that the balance in the treasury, at the close of the last year, was $70 18, against which was an amount of debts due from the Society, of about $1,360. Since that time the amount accruing from the sale of Tracts has been $542 49, which, with the whole amount of subscriptions, donations, and contributions, $1,241 92, makes the sum total of receipts $1,784 41, besides the loan of $500-placed with the Printing Committee for a specific purpose-and $26 60, the surplus funds of the Oliverstreet Auxiliary Society, which came to hand too late to appear in the Treasurer's Account for the present year. The payments from the treasury have amounted to $1,708 3, of which $1,588 50, have been appropriated to the liquidation of the debt due the former printer of the Society, Mr. Jonathan Seymour, to whose liberality and patience in waiting the convenience of this body, many thanks are due. It will be perceived, likewise, that Mr. Seymour has generously granted the "Society, in the settlement of his accounts, a donation of $38 59. (To be concluded.)

UNITED DOMESTIC MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

WE hail the formation of this institution as a most auspicious event, as a notable era in the history of American Home Missions. Our present limits oblige us to reserve further observations and lay before our readers the

Proceedings of a Convention of Delegates for the formation of a Domestic Missionary Society.

THE Convention met in the city of New-York, on the 10 of May, 1822.

PRESENT,

Rev. ALEXANDER PROUDFIT, D. D. from the Northern Missionary Society. Rev. DAVID PORTER, D. D. from the Missionary Society of the Middle District. Rev. WILLIAM R. WEEKS and Rev. MES SOUTHWORTH, from the Eastern Division of the Youth's Missionary Society of the Western District. Rev. DIRCK C. LANSING and Rev. BENJAMIN STOCKTON, from the Middle Division of ditto.

Rev. STEPHEN PORTER, from the Western Division of ditto.

Rev. ELIHU W. BALDWIN, and Mr. ELEAZAR LORD, from the New-York Evangelical Missionary Society.

Rev. JAMES M. MATHEWS and Mr. JOHN D. KEESE, from the Young Men's Missionary Society of New-York.

Rev. ELISHA YALE and Rev. WILLIAM CHESTER, from the Presbytery of Albany. Rev. HENRY DWIGHT, and Mr. ABRAHAM B. HALL, from the Genessee Mission

ary Society.

Summary.

Rev, JOHN SMITH and Rev. JOHN TRUAIR, from the Union Society for Domestic and Foreign Missions.

A number of gentlemen, from different parts of the country, not expressly commissioned as delegates, attended the Convention, and took part in its deliberations. Rev. Dr. PROUDFIT was appointed President, and Mr. J. D. KEESE, Secretary. The meeting having been opened with prayer; it was stated that the Convention had been called for the purpose of forming a Missionary Society, on such a plan as to unite the friends and patrons of domestic missions, and concentrate, as far as possible, the efforts of societies now in operation; and the following resolution was unanimously adopted:

Resolved, That it is expedient to form a Domestic Missionary Society.

The Convention then proceeded to consider the general principles upon which the institution should be established, and having agreed on all the important articles of association, they appointed a committee to arrange them in the form of a Constitution. This committee, consisting of the Rev. Dr. PROUDFIT, Rev. Dr. PORTER and Rev. Mr. LANSING, reported a Constitution, which, after being amended, was unanimously adopted and signed by the members of the Convention.

The Officers and Directors, contemplated in the Constitution, were then chosen; some of them, however, from the multiplicity of their previous engagements, resigned, and the vacancies were filled at the first meeting of the Board.

It being understood that the Young Men's Missionary Society, and the Evangelical Missionary Society in this city, were disposed to unite in the institution now formed, the following resolutions were unanimously adopted:

Resolved, That this Convention affectionately invite the two Domestic Missionary Societies in this city to become members of this instiution.

Resolved, That it be recommended that the relations which the members of those societies sustain to their respective institutions, be transferred to this Society. Resolved, That in the event of the above recommendation being carried into effect, existing engagements to those societies respectively, shall be fulfilled by this Society.

The Board of Directors were instructed to meet for the purpose of appointing the executive committee, and taking measures for publishing the proceedings of the Convention, and fulfilling the design of the institution; and the Convention was then dissolved, and the meeting closed with prayer.

(To be concluded.)

SUMMARY.

Ordination.-The Reverend Presbytery of New-York, at their Sessions in April, ordained the Rev. SAMHEL E. CORNISH (a man of colour) to the work of an evangelist. The exercises took place in the Presbyterian Church in Vandewater-street, on Thursday evening the 18th ult. The Rev. Robert M'Cartee engaged in prayer, the Rev. Ward Stafford preached the Sermon from John, iv. 35, and the Rev. Samuel H. Cox, delivered the charge. The whole exercises were conducted in The Sermon and Charge were highly the most solemn and appropriate manner. interesting and impressive: we regret our limits do not allow us to notice them further.

Mr. Cornish is a pious, respectable, intelligent man, and an acceptable preacher. He commends himself to all who know him, by his unassuming manners, and by the zeal with which he labours for poor and oppressed Africans. He is in the employ of the Evangelical Missionary Society, and preaches to a church (recently constituted) and congregation worshipping in Rose-street.

Thanksgiving.-Tuesday, the 7th of May, was according to appointment of the Presbytery of New-York, observed as a day of Thanksgiving to Almighty God, for the manifestations of his Spirit with which he has so eminently blessed some of the Churches within their bounds. The Congregations of the Wall-street, Cedar-street, and Brick Churches, united in the morning in the Cedar-street Church, and in the afternoon in the Brick Church.

The Rev. Dr. SPRING preached in the morning from Sol. Songs, viii. 5. "Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness leaning upon her beloved."

The Rev. Dr. ROMEYN preached the sermon in the afternoon, from Solomon's Songs, ii. 10-13.

General Assembly.-The meeting was opened on Thursday, the 16th May, in Philadelphia, with a sermon by the Rev. W. Hill, D. D. of Virginia. The Rev. Obadiah Jennings, of Ohio, was chosen Moderator. The accounts of the state of religion in the several Presbyteries were communicated, and condensed into a general narrative. We did not receive this document in time for this number. The Assembly's Missionary Sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Jennings, on Monday the 20th.

Sunday School Union.-The Sunday and Adult Union of Philadelphia, held their anniversary on Tuesday the 21st May. The Rev. Mr. Van Vleck, of the Moravian Church, opened the meeting with prayer. The Rev. Dr. Staughton read the report, and the Rev. Messrs. Boyd and Bedell, of the Episcopal Church, and Beman, of the Presbyterian Church, (Georgia,) and D. Bethune, Esq. of this city, delivered appropriate addresses. The exercises were concluded with prayer by the Rev. Dr. Woodhull.

The union of the Synod of the Associate Reformed Church, and the General Assembly, which was contemplated last year, was on Tuesday 21st consummated; and the members of the former judicatory took their seats as members of the latter.

On Monday 20th. the Rev. James Arbuckle was ordained to the work of the Gospel Ministry, and installed Pastor of the Associate Reformed Church in Sprucestreet, Philadelphia.

CIVIL RETROSPECT.
FOREIGN.

THE situation of affairs on the continent of Europe has not materially changed since our last article. The war expected between Russia and Turkey is not yet commenced, and a thousand contradictory reports are daily heard, and conjectures made as to the ultimate turn which this controversy will take. In the mean time it is certain that both those countries are busy in warlike preparations. The Russians, animated (the body of the people we mean) with the hopes of punishing a cruel enemy of the faith of themselves and their forefathers, evincing its hostility by acts the most inhuman and cruel, and with a sympathy for a neighbouring, friendly nation, professing the same religious tenets and the Turks, enraged at the idea of a restraint in their despotism over their tributary provinces, and driven to desperation by the prospect of the utter annihilation of their power in Europe, on which depends, to so great a degree, their wealth and influence as a commercial and maritime people, and consequently their ability to preserve even the form of unity among the disciples of their false prophet. Thus influenced, each party is, in its preparations, putting forth uncommon exertions. The season for activity in war is close at hand: the Turkish divan have rejected the terms of Russia: the European powers, who were considered jealous of the increased power which Russia would probably acquire by a Turkish war, have declared their intention to view the contest as mere spectators; and the plain interests and manifest feelings of Russia, and the obstinate pertinacity of Turkey, all combine to persuade us that war will not be avoided. Its issue, in all probability, will be not less important to the world than was the fall of the Roman empire.

The other parts of Europe remain in the same condition as at the date of our last article. In France, the new ministry seem to be pursuing an arbitrary course, and to be adopting measures little conducive

Civil Retrospect.-Domestic.

55

to the tranquillity of that country, either in a political or religious

view.

England, during the commotions and disquietude of the adjacent continent, seems to be enjoying a state of tranquillity more considerable than has for many years been her lot. Some embarrassment is felt among her agriculturalists owing to the abundance of her produce compared with the demand for its consumption. But, however much distress may arise, when there is a greater quantity of manufactured articles produced than can be sold; the difficulties are of a nature radically different when the surplus consists of the necessaries of life in the latter case there may be equal local poverty, but no want, no famine, no desperate mobs, no tumults needing the presence of an army. In this prosperous condition of Great Britain, the land, although at times, indeed, the persecuting land of our fathers, we feel a hearty satisfaction. The condition of other countries affects us as strangers that of England as kinsmen. Although the efforts of many worthless men in that country as well as in this, have been employed to engender a national hatred similar to that which prevails between France and England; and although the haughty pride of England and and an undue vanity, perhaps, on the part of this country, have given more success to these efforts than we could have hoped, yet we on this side of the great water do, from our common language, our common systems of education, the common sources of our literary, political and philosophical knowledge, from our intimate commercial intercourse, and our unison with them in religious views, pursuits and institutions, feel a friendship which it is impossible from the nature of things that we should feel towards any other nation in Europe. This friendly feeling, as men desiring good, we delight to cherish and to foster; especially so long as we can be excited by it and by a generous appreciation and emulation of the religious efforts made in that country, to imitate its people, and in some instances to give them examples for imitation, in plans for spreading the Bible over every land, and preaching the Gospel in every tongue and to every creature. Our natural feelings of friendship, cemented by bonds of this nature, and elevated by a common pursuit of objects of this kind, will not make us less ardent patriots or less active Christians, but on the contrary will form a powerful excitement by which we shall provoke one another to good works. May such be the effect of all our national friendships and rivalry.

DOMESTIC.

Since our last, nothing very material has occurred. Congress has risen after a long but not very important session. Its chief acts have been the rejection of the bankrupt law, and the recognition of the independence of the South American governments.

The mercantile part of our community have been much excited by the prospect which appears to be opening of direct intercourse between the English West Indies and this country. It seems that measures are contemplated by the English government for opening to us this trade formerly so valuable to this country. We rejoice at it, as we

do at every new spur which is given to the industry of our country by the opening of new markets for our produce and manufactures, and new employment for our ships and seamen. We also rejoice at it as a new progress made in the commerce of the world, being an evidence, from the conduct of two great commercial and maritime countries, of the excellence of the policy of free trade. It may not appear evident to those who have not reflected on it, why the extension of commerce should seem to us, who profess to be religious politicians, so very important: The reasons why it so seems to us, are, that commerce has always been the principal means by which society has been advanced from ignorance and barbarism, and by the help of which the Gospel has been spread; it has been one of the strongest bonds by which nations have been kept in peace with each other: from its resources, and by the spirit of liberality, to the promotion of which it is so favourable, more has been done towards establishing seminaries of education, and founding institutions for improving the moral and religious condition of mankind, than by any other pursuit of men. Greece, in ancient times the most commercial country of the age, was the most advanced in learning, civilization and morals: while England, in our days, who has to the greatest extent sent forth her ships to every clime, has also been the most distinguished as the patron of every useful art, and the founder of the greatest charities in which the hand of man has ever been permitted to take a part. By a commercial intercourse our principles are liberalized and our feelings enlarged; the manners and the institutions of those who communicate with each other are elevated to the higher standard ; local prejudices and national bigotry are broken down, and the light of truth is admitted into the dark and solitary places of the earth. It has often been wondered at, that so large a portion of the globe should have been a waste of waters; this very fact is a proof of the value and importance of commerce; that more than half of the globe which might as easily have been made fruitful as Eden, has been devoted, almost exclusively, as to its apparent usefulness, to supplying the means of commercial intercourse among men.

We would beg pardon for our digression from our duty as newsmen, and add one other remark. That if commerce be thus important, thus deserving the high estimate of religious men, how willing and how active ought they to be in promoting the welfare of those by whose labour it is carried on. How generous should be the liberality of the commercial world towards those institutions which are calculated to improve the characters of the servants of commerce, and to lead them to the performance of their duty to God here, and secure to them the enjoyment of his favour hereafter. How inadequately would all the mere wealth which is acquired by their labours recompense the benefits rendered to society by the commerce thus carried on, and yet how miserable and scanty is the pittance which the most pressing solicitations, and the exhibition of the greatest spiritual necessities, can extort from the hands of many of those who are individually most favoured by commerce!

May 29, 1822.

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