SOUTH AMERICAN DISTRUST.
By G.
THE "expansion" of the political influence of the United States in the direction of South America seems to have a dampening effect on the work of Protestant missionaries in the more northern republics of that great continent. The Panama matter gave a fresh cause of suspicion. The Spanish War and the Venezuelan controversy fed the little distrust that existed previously—a distrust that was really that of Roman Catholicism toward Protestant missionaries from this country. Then the Panama rebellion, under the virtual encouragement of the United States Government, added to the fear of further encroachment. A missionary press correspondent says that "the beneficence of our work for civilization on this hemisphere must vindicate the benevolence of our purposes toward Latin America." It is little wonder that people distrust the missionary work of a more powerful people whose every political move in their direction has been to secure more potent political influence. It is the logical effect of a claim of national Christianity in connection with enforced worldly advantage at other people's expense. From their standpoint the more northern republics of South America have some cause to distrust "the benevolence of our purposes toward Latin America;" and, whereas our Christianity appears to be in sympathy with these purposes, we could hardly expect that they would not also be suspicious of our missionary work. Christian missions, to do really effective work, such as will finally be represented in the kingdom of God, must do more than vindicate political policies, however benevolent, by mere efforts, however beneficent, to establish modern civilization. When the apostle Paul went forth as a missionary to the Gentiles, he determined not to know anything among them, "save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." He had no political purposes to vindicate. G.