The Shipping Agent has received for the Asylum. I was at J. B. a donation of 14,000 back numbers of Braithwaite's a short time ago, and the British Workman, large numbers when I bid the children farewell, one of which have been shipped South, of the little girls, aged ten years, put both to our own stations, and also ten shillings into my hand for the those of Ohio and Western Yearly orphans; she had been saving up Meetings, and arrangements are being money to give me for those poor made to ship some to Iowa and Kan- children when I came. I hope this sas. These have been sent to us may stimulate some American girls through Richard Cadbury of Phila- and boys to do the same." delphia, and with their large, excellent wood engravings and healthy, stirring articles, showing the value of that religion which acts on our every-day life; they will have direct tendency to drive away the natural indolence of the colored people. а He has also received a large supply of the Tracts, published in Dublin, together with a number of Philadelphia Tracts, packages of which have been shipped to the various stations. The Treasurer has received £300 from Ireland this month, through Samuel Bewley, which has realized $1958,91. John Henry Douglas writes from Lisburn, Ireland, 3d mo. 22, 1867: After speaking of the great importance of raising money at the present time for the Freedmen, "God in his good Providence has opened up a great field in which we may easily manifest our love for Christ by caring for his helpless children, and should it take half the income of many whom God has for years been blessing, and should it be called for for several years to come, the promise will be found sure "he that soweth bountifully shall also reap bountifully," and even if at the close of life some should not have as many acres of land as they had expected, they will have, instead of the land, the cheering prospect of hearing the blessed words "inasmuch as ye gave it for the benefit of these, my brethren, ye gave it to me." "I am now at the house of James H. Richardson. His daughter, Anna, has taken great interest in our work, and has forwarded a cask for Lauderdale, which has reached its destination, I think. Friends are still at work OHIO. Damascus, 3d mo. 25, 1867. THE property occupied last season as a house for our teachers, and for the accommodation of our Industrial School, and by our present teachers for the same purposes this winter, for a short time, being given up to former owners, a commissary building, standing on the same lot, was given by the officers of the Freedmen's Bureau, to our Agent, who removed and erected it on one of the lots belonging to the Yearly Meeting, convenient to the school houses; and thus made a comfortable home for the teachers and accommodations for the Industrial School. Up to the 12th of First month, two hundred and thirty-seven families, comprising 1123 persons, were visited, by which it was ascertained that there had been great improvement in their homes since last year; and John Watson informs us that the tone of public sentiment among the whites, in relation to Freedmen Schools, has perceptibly improved. School reports for Second month have not yet come to hand, but those for First month show 203 pupils enrolled, and an average attendance of 130; one First-day school well attended, and one night school. The interest manifested by the pupils and their progress in learning, are represented as very satisfactory and encouraging, After continuing the Industrial School through the First month, it was decided that it would be best to discontinue it, in consequence of the impracticability of applying its benefits where most needed. And all the teachers now find full employment in conducting the other schools,in which it is thought they can apply their labor to better advantage. A letter from one of our teachers informs us that on the night of the first of Second month, they were visited by a violent hurricance, which destroyed or badly damaged twelve houses within about one-fourth mile On behalf of the Committee, WESTERN. CHICAGO MONTHLY MEETING. Quarterly Meeting of Friends in InBy the authority of Whitewater diana Yearly Meeting, a Monthly Meeting for Discipline, was set up in Chicago, Illinois, on the 17th of Fourth month, 1867. A committee of the above named ing by reading the Quarterly MeetQuarterly Meeting opened the meeting's minute upon the subject, and by certificates of a number of Friends receiving and accepting the removal in Chicago, after which these Friends organized and held the Monthly Meeting. The occasion was a deeply interesting one, both to the Committee and to those who will constitnte that meeting. Chicago Monthly Meeting will be held on the third Fourth-day in every month, at 10 o'clock A. M., PLAINFIELD, 4TH мо. 25th, 1867. and the Preparative on the previous TIMOTHY HARRISON:-We have de- Fourth-day, at the same hour. We ferred the meeting of our Committee trust that Friends in this great until next Sixth-day before our commercial city will receive the symQuarterly Meeting, when we hope to pathy and encouragement of their have the Friends from the South with brethren everywhere. us, or some of them. The schools closed last Sixth-day week. The friends from Macon, Miss., returned FIRST-DAY SCHOOL CONFERENCES. the first of last week. J. Wilson remained behind for a few days, but I presume is now at home. Shall write thee after our Committee meets. Thy friend, B. H. WRIGHT. TREASURER'S REPORT. Blue River Monthly Meeting. $43 00 .111 65 Bridgeport, M. M't'g, paid up quota..56 Bloomfield.... West Union... 80 .18 00 ..51 00 .73 00 .84 68 MIAMI QUARTERLY MEETING. Ar a mass meeting of the friends of First-day Scriptural Schools, held by appointment at Green Plain Meeting House, 3rd month 29th, 1867, the meeting was organized by calling Samuel C. Howell to the chair, and appointing Achilles Pugh, clerk. After reading the 5th chapter of Romans, Thomas Arnett stated the object of our coming together, which .23 00 was the encouragement of the Sab30 00 bath School enterprise within the .56 75 borders of Miami Quarterly meeting .27 80 of Friends. .46 45 After a short interval of quiet, sup.55 50 plication was made for Divine favor .23 00 on those present, and on the object of .210 00 their meeting together. The business was then entered upon by presenting the following subjects for consideration: ..124 00 ..27 00 ..10 00 ..$1071 63 JOHN P. WOOD, Treasurer. 1st, How can we most interest our scholars? 2d, The best manner of conducting student. He would reject none exschools. cept absolute scoffers at religion. 3d, The lesson and its preparation. 4th, How can we bring the Sabbath School work to bear on isolated families and neighborhoods? 5th, How can First-day afternoons be best employed? The meeting was well attended, and much satisfaction manifested in the sentiments advanced by the different speakers. The interest was well kept up from 10 o'clock, the time of meeting, until near 4 in the afternoon, when the conference concluded in much good feeling with all present. A. P. NORTHERN QUARTERLY MEETING. Thomas Jay thought in thus bringing forward those who had given no more evidence of conversion than engaging in the work, we would incite them to good works, and thus lead them on until they became full Christians. The Secretary, as an endorsement of this, had known some instances in which this had been the result. In the afternoon session, the first subject brought before the Conference was, "The size of classes and assignment of lessons." Most of the speakers favored small classes, urging the necessity of keeping the attention of each member of the class riveted on the subject before them. Some spoke of varying the size of the class with the capacity of the teacher, which was approved. PURSUANT to notice, the Friends of First-day Scriptural Schools met at Back Creek 4th mo. 13, 1867, and organized by appointing Henry Charles The custom prevalent in many plasecretary, and Wm. A. Moore, assist- ces of assigning the same lesson to the ant. After a season of reverent different classes in the same school waiting, a few Friends were nomina- was adversely spoken to, as detrited to propose to the afternoon ses- mental to the success and interest of sion such subjects as they should the school. deem proper, to claim the attention of the Conference. In answer to the question, "Was it desirable to employ any as teachers in our First-day schools, who have not experienced a change of heart, S. Knight thought no more discrimination should be made than in other schools. In being too particular we might exclude good workers, and thus much good that might have resulted, would be lost. I. Pemberton thought we should get the best, as the life of religious meetings, often depends very much on the Scriptural schools connected with them. N. Rush thought the very act of accepting the position of teacher was an evidence of interest in the cause, and should be encouraged. John Allen agreed with the last speaker, that in such teachers there was a beginning of that regenerating influence, which ultimately makes the devoted Christian. The work is a two-fold one-the teacher often receiving much benefit, as well as the The second subject brought before the conference, was "the preparation of the teacher, including his ability to unfold the doctrines and principles of our Society." W. A. Moore urged the absolute necessity of special preparation on the part of the teacher, and favored copious illustrations, including stories and incidents, as would fully explain the lessons, and impress upon the mind the great truths of the Bible. Would use commentators and historical works to gain a knowledge of manners, customs, geography, &c. The Secretary spoke of the necessity of paying more heed to the teaching of the great distinguishing doctrines of our Society, as set forth by George Fox and other early Friends. After a free interchange of sentiment and an expression of the different views entertained on the subjects brought before the Conference, all of which was conducted in the greatest harmony, the Conference adjourned, sine die. HENRY CHARLES, Secretary. г PEACE. [THE following letter, not arriving in time to be read at the Peace Conference, held here last month, has been submitted to us, by the writer, for publication:] To the Peace Conference of Friends, to be held at Richmond, Ind.: DEAR FRIENDS:-Being prevented by illness in my family from attending the approaching session of the Convention, I feel extremely anxious that you should pursue a very different course from what was taken at our last meeting. It is not fine addresses that we need as a people, but the solving of certain practical difficulties, that presented during the late war, and of clearly setting forth how far a Christian may go, and what he may consistantly do in support of Government at such a time. I suggest that the Convention recommend to the several Yearly Meetings to adopt something like the following, as a part of their Disciplines: We hold as a fundamental proposition, that a religious society has no right to impose on its members any rule of conduct which is not directly expressed in, or clearly to be inferred from, the Holy Scriptures. Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews." From which we infer, First, That as Christ's Disciples were not permitted to fight to deliver him from a cruel death, there cannot possibly arise any circumstances in which a Christian would be justified in fighting. 2d. No member is to take any office connected with the military branch of the Government, either as soldier, clerk, hospital officer, agent or servant. 3d. No member is to sell anything for military use, and if a horse or other property be impressed for such use, he may not receive pay therefor. 4th. No member is in any manner to compromise the principles of the Society by compounding or arranging with the Government for personal exemption in time of war, and should Government, by law, confiscate his goods or imprison his person, for refusing to perform military duty, he must quietly submit thereto. But should Government instead of passing such laws of confiscation or imprisonment, impose a TAX on relig ious non-combatants, our members who feel a freedom of conscience so to do, may pay said TAX, lest we be accused of loving our money better than our Savior, and because we believe such a case is directly parallel with the case cited by the Master, in which He enjoined his disciples, "To render unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, and unto God the things that are God's." Yet we do repeat that we desire every Friend to keep a tender and clear conscience on this point, at whatever cost of personal suffering or property. When we have thus clearly defined the position of our Society, we may with some force and hope of success, invite other religious societies to unite with us in the support of the principles of peace. With a salutation of love, I remain your friend and fellow servant, JOHN B. CRENSHAW. RICHMOND, VA. For the American Friend. Second, While we are in duty bound to be in subjection to the powers that be, we are not justified at any time, in doing the least thing to WHAT THINGS ARE CAESAR'S?'AGAIN. aid or support Government in war, no matter for what purpose that war may be waged. We therefore enjoin upon our members the observance of the following rules: THAT individuals should differ in their modes of reasoning, and the steps by which they arrive at certain conclusions, is not surprising. Nev1st. No member is to buy Govern- ertheless, those who occupy the posiment stock sold for the purpose of tion of advanced guards in a great raising money for war purposes. moral question, should be careful that every position taken is clearly dedu- over other greater and lesser evils in cible from correct premises. The the world;" and that the advocacy of great mass of mankind will care but the abolition of the slave trade, capivery little for our "testimonies" un- ta! punishments, &c., "belonged rathless we can show that they are based er to that developing apprehension of upon sound and consistent first prin- the relations of pure Christianity to ciples. the affairs of mankind, the end of whose development has not yet been reached. There is, perhaps, no phase of the peace question fraught with deeper interest to those who desire to pro- I wish to submit whether these asmote the cause, than that which re- sumptions have a tendency to settle lates to our duties to the Government the wavering or confirm the doubtful under which we live, in connection on the conclusion that * * * "it with a consistent adherence to the is not right for a Christian intentionpure precepts of the "Prince of ally to take the life of an assailant to Peace." I was gratified to find the defend the lives of others; or to use subject so ably handled by Dr. Harts- deadly weapons, even in defensive horne in the AMERICAN FRIEND. But warfare, or to suppress rebellion." while I admire the catholic spirit Would they not rather strengthen the which pervades the production, and conviction so manifestly prevalent while the conclusions at which the during the late rebellion, that it is a author arrives are probably correct, "Christian duty" to aid the GovernI fear that some of the premises may ment in the trial hour by an "active tend to mislead the young inquirer performance" of needful service? If after truth. I therefore desire, under the end of that developing process a feeling of that charity which the has not yet been reached; if the Goswriter recommends, to call the atten- pel has not yet triumphed over "greattion of the reader to a few extracts. er or lesser evils" to an extent which After drawing a line of distinction renders force unnecessary; if a perbetween taking life in our own de- son may execute a brother condemned fence and the defence of others; "of for a capital offence under a feeling our wives and children; of all inno- of pure Christian love; and if active cent and defenceless people; and of performance of military duty does the security of our country and society at large," he thus proceeds: "It is quite obvious that to prevent injury and crime is a Christian duty, the magisterial office typified under the expression "the sword of the magistrate" especially involves this duty and delegates it to those who yield obedience to the magistrate." "Active performance of this duty, then, necessitates no participation in those evil passions, emphatically condemned in Holy Writ, as well as in our own consciences, which are summarily indicated in the words 'the war spirit.' He then goes on to place the rightfulness of the employment of armed force to maintain civil order, and that of capital punishment, on the same parallel; shows that William Penn and other early Friends sanctioned the latter; and claims that "the Gospel was to triumph by degrees; as not necessarily involve a participation in the "war spirit," are we not taking grounds rather too high for the demands of the times? Are not our brethren of other denominations more consistent than we are? Let us briefly examine into the correctness of these several assumed points. 1st. Can we separate between the "war spirit" and actual war? The one is the legitimate fruit of the other. As leaves fall to the ground, and as clouds produce rain, so the war spirit produces war. The frightful carnage on the battle-field, is but the natural result of previous violations of the law of love. Executions, battles, campaigns, sieges, &c., are but branches of the tree of evil which has its roots deep in the corruption of the human heart and we are told that the Gospel ax "is laid at the root of the tree. "Make the tree good and its fruits will also be good. If the |