THE BRITISH BAPTIST REPORTER, AND MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCER. NEW SERIES, VOLUME XVIII.—WHOLE SERIES, VOLUME XXXV. EDITED BY JOSEPH FOULKES WINKS. MOAM PUBLIC 1861 BARY LONDON: SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, & Co., STATIONERS' HALL COURT. PRINTED & PUBLISHED BY WINKS & SON. Editorial Annual Address. IN reviewing the leading events of the past year, the disruption of the once United States of America is the most prominent. Fearful forebodings were entertained by many a year ago, which have since been realized. The South seceded from the North, and their armies are now arrayed against each other in tremendous numbers on the banks of the Potomac. Contests have taken place, and thousands of men and millions of dollars have already been sacrificed. And why? Whence came these wars and fightings in the land to which our forefathers fled for freedom? Slavery has done it all. That accursed thing, that sum of all villanies, that greatest sin that man can commit against his fellow, is now ruining the Great Republic of the West. Well that work of the devil must be destroyed; the Son of Man must "break in pieces the oppressor," and we now wait with awful expectation the further developments of His interposition, who in "saving the poor and needy" can make the wrath of man to praise Him. Glancing eastward there is little of importance to record, except the gradual improvement of our Indian Empire. The European despots are uneasy on their thrones; Poland, Hungary, and Venetia, are thorns in their sides. The Pope is yet at Rome, but shorn of his glory, and begging "Peter's Pence" of all nations for his support. The new kingdom of Italy has lost its patriot statesman, Cavour, by death; but the good work of liberty and consolidation progresses. The best of all is, over all these movements of the nations, THE LORD REIGNETH. At home, we have been favoured with an average harvest; but fears are entertained of scarcity of work and wages in consequence of the interruption of the supply of raw cotton from the Southern States of America because of the war. Having thus noticed, generally and briefly, the leading events of the year, we now turn to a matter which more immediately affects ourselves and our readers. Repeal of all TAXES ON KNOWLEDGE, was, a few years ago, the watchword of the friends of universal instruction. One by one those taxes were repealed, and, a few weeks ago, the last—the tax on paper was removed. |