UNITARIANS. 



in their dire necessity at home, and as soon as 

 practicable assisted to <ustain th.'in-elve-. Pro- 

 - were accordingly shipped to Savannah, 

 Charle>ton, Xewheni. Richmond; and other 

 points, and careful and tru>tworthy i 

 spatched with them to see to their honest and 

 faithful distribution. Pauperism, or the de; 

 ence upon charity without effort at self-help, 

 wit* sternly discouraged ; the cities were 

 trieted, and the applicants visited at their h< 



The Commission has disbursed in money and 

 clothing from its Xow York office in the past 

 six months, $70,000, and the various auxiliary 

 boards probably fully as much more. (The 

 Boston Branch has expended $32,000.) 



It has already commenced its arrangements 

 for opening schools in Richmond and other cities 

 of the South, and furnishing seeds and agricul- 

 tural implements to the impoverished people 

 of the Southern States, that they may be able 

 to resume their long interrupted industry. It 

 will be its aim to do whatever it can to aid in 

 the work of restoration and social reorganiza- 

 tion, while carefully avoiding interference with 

 the military and political operations of the 

 Government on the one hand, and the mission- 

 ary and Sunday school operations of the vari- 

 ous religious denominations on the other. A 

 wide scope is opened for its beneficent labors, 

 and conducted as they are, and are likely to be, 

 by men of sound judgment, ardent benevolence, 

 and great practical ability, they can hardly fail 

 to exert a powerful influence for good in the 

 future of the nation. 



UXITARIAXS. The "Monthly Journal," 

 published by the American Unitarian Associa- 

 tion, gives the following information of the 

 number of Unitarian ministers and societies in 

 the United States, in the year 1864: The whole 

 number of sock-' . an increase of three 



over last year. In 1830 there were 193 socie- 

 ties ; the increase for thirty-five years has been 

 about thirty per cent. Of these 250 soc'. 

 67 have no pastors. The whole number of 

 ministers is 326 ; this includes professors in 

 colleges, chaplains, d:c. 136 of these are un- 

 settled, 193 settled. The year before there were 

 3-43 ministers; loss 17. There are two theolog- 

 ical schools in the denomination ; one in Cam- 

 bridge, and one in Meadville, Pennsylvania. 



The English Unitarians, embracing Unitarian 

 seceders from the Baptists (" General Baptists "), 

 Presbyterians ("Presbytery of Antrim," "Re- 

 monstrant Synod of Ulster," and the " Synod 

 of Minister"), and Methodists ("The Christian 

 Brethren "), number about 270 ministers, who 

 have charge of congregations, and about 300 

 places which have chapels, 140 Sabbath schools, 

 with 15,279 scholars. 



Toward the close of the year 1864 an impor- 

 tant movement commenced among the Amer- 

 ican Unitarians toward a more compact denom- 

 inational organization. On Dec. 7 a special 

 meeting of the American Unitarian Association 

 was held at Boston to discuss the need of in- 

 creased funds in order to make use of " rnani- 



I'NI . 



805 



churcbea 

 !i, working in 



South." Hither 

 tion, which is now ; 



;her too small lor soch ai 

 of the 



and those of UK- year before to 

 sum. The meeting, with great 



coming year, * : 

 000 for denominational pil- 

 ing organization 

 c-d insuiiicient. ', 



lows, resolved to appoint "a committee of three 

 lay men, to call a national 



convention, to consist of the pastor and two 

 church or parish in the 

 Unitarian denus ! in the cr 



Xew York, to consider the cause of the denom- 

 ination, and to institute measures for its good." 

 Rev. Dr. Bellows, of New York 

 E. Hale, of Boston ; and Rev. Charles II. Brig- 

 ham, of Taunton, were the ministerial mem- 

 bers. 



UXIYE; -. The General Conven- 



tion of the Universalists held its session for the 

 year 1864 in Concord, X. II., on Sept 



and organized by the election of the 

 G. L. Demarest, of Ohio, as President Com- 

 munications were read from several State con- 

 ventions, from which it appeared that Ohio, 

 Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Xew York, had ap- 

 proved the plan for denominational organiza- 

 tion submitted by the last General Convention ; 

 that Rhode Island, Iowa, and Illinois had re- 

 jected it, while other States !. 1 ac- 

 tion. It accordingly appeared that the plan 

 was not accepted. The general tenor of the 

 communications was. however, favorable to the 

 plan as a whole ; and the pains industry, and 

 skill of the committee who Lad \>c 

 were duly acknowledged. The principal com- 

 plaint was that the plan had too many de' 

 that it did not leave enough to the discr 

 of tli 1 Associations. The foil 

 resolutions on the state of the country 

 adopted by a unanimous report : 



Wliereas, The fearful war with which our nation 

 has been scourged for '. continues, and 



makes additional demands ou our cour. ... 

 patience, and faith, therefore 



Iced, That we recognize in it the punishment 

 of our people for their persistent arrogance an 

 pression. We cannot, therefore, hope for the i 

 of peace through efforts to rivet anew the ch;. 

 the bondman, or to perpetuate the former gl;ir; 

 -r^ncies between our professions of lov 

 liberty, and the support of shivery. 



>'ceJ, That \vliik re the bloor. 



costliness, and agonies of war, ai. 

 for peace, we yet deem a cessuti ' i : 

 which leav. d whether treason is to be 



rebuked, or petted and fondled, a delusion and a 

 snare. If followed bv .rs to 



return to a nominal allegianc 



rendering to their vengeanc< <1 thousand 



colored men, who are now I :i onr 



armies for union and order, i' 



tardly perfu'.v in our Government :. - <iown 



on our nail * displeasure of a righteous 



