admitting the importance of schools, academies, and seminaries of learning, and the multiplication of ministers, we are told that "if all these were in operation it would by no means supersede the necessity and desirableness of an agency which is truly republican," etc. We may have, then, schools and colleges and churches in full operation, and yet an agency which is "truly republican" may remain a desideratum in our system. We were not prepared for this sentiment. We are not, even now, quite prepared to say to the missionary of the cross, with whatever sect connected, who has endured the toils and privations of a frontier life for the sake of preaching the Gos-1 pel to the poor, to those to whom "no one else goes," and planting in the wilderness the garden of God, You have done very well, to be sure, but it is a pity you had not some agency which is truly republican." Nor are we quite sure that it is right to hold similar language to the men who have devoted their lives and their energies, both of mind and body, to founding the institutions of education on the borders of civilization, and opening that arterial system of a free community, through which the life blood of Christianized knowledge may flow to the remotest member of the body politic. We are of the opinion that both these classes of laborers are quite familiar with an "agency which is truly republican." You might as well represent the travelling pedler as more democratic than the regular merchant, as to talk of any thing peculiarly republican in the labors of the colporteur, as compared with other branches of Christian effort. Indeed it is time we had done with so narrow a view of the subject. There is but one thing which is either respectable or permanent in modern democracy, and that it derives from the Christian religion. It is the grand peculiarity of the times of Christ that to the poor the Gospel is preached. Christianity is a system which cares for man as man-as an individual subject to the government of God; it cares therefore as much for the poor as for the rich-it has a heart of sympathy for human want and human woe, in whatever condition found. Out of this feature of the Gospel grows the great foundation-principle of democracy and wherever the Christian religion goes in its purity, there will be a constant tendency to this true democracy. Away, then, with all pretended systems, whether of Christianity or democracy, which do not recognize and carry into practice this principle. However specious, they are but an empty name. If any portion of our religious system is not in this only respectable sense truly republican, let us forthwith abandon it, for it is not of Christ. But if the various parts of our system of benevolent effort be founded on this great common principle of the Gospel and of republicanism, as their very life, then let not one part boast itself over another as being "truly republican." Enlightened Christianity is the life of true republicanism; and every system which tends to fill our land with that freedom wherewith Christ doth make his people free, is truly repub lican. But again, it is claimed that this system is peculiarly-yes, exclusively adapted to meet the various classes of errorists, which are rapidly springing up and multiplying in our country. "But whatever view may be entertained of these statements, it is plain that by no other system can prevailing errors and delusions be dispelled, and the saving truths of the gospel be commended to their reception with the hope of their conversion to God." We are aware that there are certain districts of our country, to which, for reasons in perfect harmony with all which we have thus far stated, this mode of labor is peculiarly adapted. Such are the foreign Catholic population of our cities. They are strangers among us-they know nothing of our religion or our people-they are ignorant of our language, and consequently unable to receive benefit from attending our places of worship, if they were not prejudiced against doing so. If, now, a man who speaks their own language-especially if he has once been a Catholic, and understands all their prejudices, sits down at their fireside, and enters into familiar religious conversation with them, he may remove their prejudices, and find an access to their hearts. If then he has a pious book in their own tongue to give them, he leaves them with a reasonable prospect of doing them good. If this visit can be repeated after a few days, to the same individual, and soon again renewed, it rapidly wins on the man's affections and his confidence. In such circumstances this is too promising a mode of doing good to these strangers and sojourners amongst us to be neglected by American Christians without guilt. But even here, if the same individual can receive such a visit only once in one, two, or three years, the prospect of much good will not be flattering. * Am. Col. Sys. page 17. Our soil is very rich, and produces weeds very luxuriantly. A Western garden wants a thorough hoeing out, oftener than once in "one, two, or three years." Such a field as this requires rather the labors of the city missionary, accompanied by a corps of lay-helpers who are full of the spirit that preaches the gospel to the poor, than such a system as colportage. Still, the colporteur system is capable of adapting itself to this sort of labor. How extensively then may circumstances analogous to these be found, calling for these reasons for the application of the system! We think our Eastern friends are sometimes greatly in error, in their ideas of the prevalence of Romanism at the West. They seem to imagine it is necessary for colporteurs to traverse the length and breadth of our valley, in constant close combat with "the beast." This is a great mistake. A man may travel hundreds of miles together, and never meet either a Catholic, or a foreigner, who cannot speak the English language. Foreigners are not spread over the surface of our country-they are grouped together in particular locations, of limited extent, chiefly in the vicinity of the large cities. The limits, therefore, to which the colporteur system is demanded, for these reasons are very narrow. We have lived fifteen years at the West, and travelled much, both by public and private conveyances, and we have never met but two Romish priests, and scarcely above a dozen Romanists in the whole time. But as to errorists generally at the West, who speak the language of the country, and are daily mingling in the stream of conversation, and feeling all the excitements of the passing scene, we deny utterly that colportage has any special adaptation to meet their case. Indeed, to us, the idea of counteracting the almost innumerable forms of religious error, which are contending for the moral empire of the West, by such a system, seems exceedingly preposterous-almost too unreasonable to be reasoned with. If errorism in the West were old, decaying, and rotten-if the minds of its adherents were in that state of stupid inactivity, which characterizes a system of error after the fervor of that fanaticism which gave it birth has expired, there would be some reasonable hope, that even an itinerant colporteur, with his bundle of books, might throw a new element into the mass, and perhaps awaken the mind to a new and salutary thought. The passions of such a people are asleep on religious questions; and if the intellect and conscience can be called into action, the happiest results may follow. Such is, to some ex tent, the condition of our German Catholic population. But the religious systems which pervade the West are not in this condition. However old and spiritless they may have been in their native beds, when once transferred to our soil they speedily feel its stimulating influence, and manifest those tendencies to growth and expansion which characterize every thing Western. They imbibe the spirit of restless aggression and proselytism. Such must be the condition of Romanism itself in all classes of our population so soon as they are able to mingle freely in the current of American society. But the adherents of a proselyting system are always characterized by an intense mental activity. On such a population, we are certainly warranted in asserting that the itinerant colporteur can expect to exert little influence. If he discusses in his intercourse with them the merits of their favorite systems, he has little chance of telling them any thing new. If he does not, they feel little interest in what he says-and they will treat his books in like manner. The religious systems of the West must be regarded as so many separate hosts in battle array and engaged in mortal conflict. It has often reminded us of Daniel's vision, in which the four winds of heaven were striving upon the great sea. That conflict must go on till truth triumphs and error is defeated— and its course or its ultimate issue is not likely to be much affected by the momentary presence of the passing stranger. It must also be borne in mind, that this conflict is not a succession of skirmishes in the open field. It is a war of fortresses. It is mostly waged in defence of what each party esteems to be the permanent institutions of society, and yet so as to draw into the conflict every great principle of the gospel. Now we appeal to any man of tolerable acquaintance with the state of religion at the West for the truth of this picture; and granting it to be true, we refer the question to the sober judgment of every reader, whether, in such circumstances, colportage is adapted to counteract and dispel the various forms of religious error. Must not our main reliance be on a regular soldiery, well equipped, and enlisted for life? Will not any other reliance lead to miserable disappointment? Need we suggest to the reader, in view of such a condition of society, that efficient effort in founding the permanent institutions of education and religion upon true principles, affords the only reasonable hope of our salvation. But perhaps we shall hear it said, in reply to all this, that colportage is the only available system, because it is the only one which, in our present circumstances, can be applied. We are told "there is no homogeneousness, and no possibility of sustaining the ministry of a particular order in the midst of prejudice or carelessness." Why may we not with just as much propriety say, "there is no homogeneousness, and no possibility of sustaining a colporteur, &c. True, the American Tract Society may, if it has the means, sustain a colporteur "in the midst of prejudice or carelessness." And why not the Home missionary Society, if it has the means, equally well sustain a missionary? The one is just as practicable as the other; and the only question is, Which is the most economical expenditure of funds? if indeed we can have but one, as it seems to be here implied. But it is said missionaries cannot be found in sufficient numbers. How is this known? Who will venture to assert, that if American Christians address themselves in good solemn earnest to the work of providing a preached gospel for our entire population, God will not pour out his Spirit on our churches and our seminaries of learning, and raise up a sufficient number of regular soldiers, enlisted for life, to occupy every post and man every fortress? "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now herewith, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room, enough to receive it." One thing at least is certain-the Church should support the mssionaries she has, before she begins to doubt the willingness of God to raise up in answer to her prayers as many as she needs. While we see around us so many excellent ministers of Christ, struggling with the accumulated difficulties which grow out of inadequate support, without books and periodicals, and so harassed with worldly cares and perplexities as to have neither time nor mental energy for those studies which the real necessities of the people daily call for at their hands, we shall not think the time has yet come for us to despair of God's willingness to raise up as many issionaries as we are willing to support. Let the Church show, by her faithfulness to her missionaries, that the youth who devotes his life to the missionary work may depend on enjoying the privilege of wearing out in the appropriate labors of the Christian ministry, with such means of prosecuting religious study as the condition of society really demands of him, and it will then be time |