Clippings of Current Events.
ThE most notable utterance of the cry of "Peace and Safety," is the following from Napoleon, inasmuch as it comes from the highest throne in christendom. From the experience of accomplished events, he is enabled "at present," to "augur a long day of peace and prosperity to the world." So he believes, or, at least, so he would have others believe: "Napoleon's response to the congratulations of the diplomatic body, New Year's, delivered by the Papal Nuncio, was as follows: "Every year at this period we make a retrospect of the past, and look toward the future. We shall be happy if we can, as at present, congratulate ourselves upon having avoided dangers, removed apprehensions, and strengthened the bonds which unite nations and kings, and happy above all if the experience of accomplished events enables us to augur a long day of peace and prosperity for the world." Under this heading, the N. Y. Independent has the following item: "That a revival is coming, we argue from the fact that it is essential to the preservation of true religion. Without a revival, the cause of Christ will not merely make no progress; it will suffer fatal defeat. God does not design that his cause should fail; therefore he will build it up." That the cause of Christ, if dependent on the popular churches, is destined to suffer fatal defeat, considering the fearful rate at which they are progressing in worldliness and sin, is evident to every unblinded mind. But it is not so evident that God, to save his cause, must grant his blessing to them in their state of apostasy and sin. The cause of true religion came very near a fatal defeat in the days of Noah; but God did not, to save it, send forth his blessing upon the ungodly antediluvians. He only devised a way whereby Noah and the few righteous persons might be saved, and the rest meet the destruction which their wickedness had earned. So with the churches. They have rejected the truth, and have met with a moral fall. But truth does not stop or go backward. It is still on its mission, gathering out a few who are willing to be sanctified through it. God preserves his cause, sanctifies and saves his people, only through his truth; and those who reject it, will wait in vain for a revival, and the power of God. SLAVERY IN EVERYTHING BUT NAME.
It appears that if President Johnson carries out his suicidal policy of the reconstruction of the Southern States, as he appears bound to do, leaving the freedmen to the disposal of Southern rebels, these freedmen will be reduced to a worse condition than their former servitude—a condition which Gen. Terry denounces as "slavery in all but its name." The following item sets forth the facts. "General Terry, U. S. military commander in Virginia, has issued an order forbidding the execution, by the state authorities, of the vagrant law lately enacted by the reconstructed legislature of that state. General Terry recites the provisions of the act, refers to the 'wrongful combinations' among the employers in many counties for the purpose of depressing the wages of the freedmen, and says: 'The ultimate effect of the statute will be to reduce the freedmen to a condition of servitude worse than that from which they have been emancipated—a condition which will be slavery in all but its name.' This is a lesson for the President, which, we should think, would serve to abate his zeal for the immediate admission to Congress of the Southern Senators and Representatives." Those who believe that the United States is a subject of prophecy, will be pleased to cherish up in their memories the following facts. Those who do not believe this, would do well to explain how it happens that while every other important nation on the globe where the people of God have been located, has been noted in prophecy, this one is omitted. "The largest army of the revolution was 17,000 men under Gen. Putnam on Long Island; and the most men that Washington commanded at any one time was 16,000 at Yorktown. In the war of 1812, the largest army was only 6000 under Jackson at New Orleans. In the war with Mexico, Scott's largest force was 8,500, and Taylor's less than 5000. In the late rebellion, the loyal states called out in the whole, some three million soldiers, and about a million at one time, more than 600,000 of whom were present for duty. In our very first battle at Bull Run, McClellan had 168,000 men, and in the final campaign against Richmond, Grant had a much larger number than that. The figures indicate the growth of the Republic as a military power." It appears that the Pope is about making up his mind to come to his end with none to help him. The N. Y. Tribune gives us an interesting item on this point, which we herewith present: "The Pope, it seems, no longer conceals from himself the impending doom of his temporal dominion. In addressing the French troops on the 1st of January, he expressed the fear that the enemies of the Church would go to Rome after the departure of the French troops. So it seems, all parties in Italy are agreed that this withdrawal of the French troops will be very soon followed by a revolution in Rome, and a demand of the Romans for annexation to Italy." CHURCH MEMBERSHIP ON THE DECLINE.
"The figures of the Baptist denomination in New York show a less membership than when the population of the state was some two millions less than at present." "The Morning Star, the organ of the Free-Will Baptist denomination, says that sect was the largest in 1814, having a membership at that time of 61,872. In 1853, it had fallen off to 48,930, and in 1860 it again increased to 59,761. It is now 55,676." NEW YORK CITY—CORRUPTION AND CHOLERA.
The following facts show that the prospects for N. Y. City the coming summer, are not very cheering: NEW YORK CITY.—The first message of Mayor Hoffman complains of the insufficient power of the mayor of this city, shows that many corruptions need purging, that the city and county debt is $41,000,000, and that the tax levy this year is $18,000,000, or three per cent. on the assessed value of property. The police surgeon reports officially that the city is very filthy, and that 501,000 of its inhabitants are packed into 15,000 tenement houses, all of which houses are fever-nests where the cholera will find plenty of food next summer.