AMERICA. 



39 



ussedwere: the religion* condi- 



6 ('limvh of England ; tin- Scottish 



iie-; (lie connection of missions with 

 civili/ation. ( 'liri-t ianity, literature, art, ami 



e; tin- methods of operating missions; 

 tin- religious condition of Germany. France, 

 Holland, l!clgiuin, and Italy; Evangelical non- 

 conformity; Christianity and the nationalities, 



;rious Mihjects of theology and philosophy. 

 InU'iv-iiim reports were received on the prog- 



f religions liberty in Turkey, and on the 

 tliraJdom of opinion in Spain. The observance 

 of the Sabbath received especial consideration, 

 resulting in the adoption of a resolution calling 

 upon the members of the Alliance to use, in 

 their several places of abode and spheres of in- 

 fluence, earnest endeavors to secure from states, 

 municipalities, and masters of establishments, 

 for every one, the weekly day of rest from 

 labor, in order that all may freely and fully par- 

 ticipate in the temporal and spiritual benefits 

 >t the Lord's day. 



A letter of affection and sympathy was ad- 

 divssed to Christians scattered abroad, particu- 

 larly to those who are laboring against the hos- 

 tile influences of heathenism or of superstition, 

 and whose, rights of public worship are re- 

 M rained or abridged. An address of protest 

 a--aiii>t war was adopted. Statistics were given 

 f Voung Men's Christian Associations, show- 

 ing that there are in the Christian world upward 

 of eight hundred such associations, numbering 

 some fifty-five thousand members. Special 

 meetings were held on Sunday-schools and sys- 

 tematic benevolence. 



An invitation was presented and urged by 

 the representatives of the American branch to 

 hold the next General Conference at New York, 

 which was referred to the different branches of 

 t!i Alliance for consideration. The assembly 

 adjourned on Tuesday, the 27th of August. 



The Evangelical Alliance of the United States 

 was organized in New York City on the 30th 

 of January, 1807. Eminent divines and lay- 

 men of the Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, 

 German Reformed, Reformed Dutch, and Bap- 

 ti>r Churches, and from various parts of the 

 country, signified their approval of the move- 

 ment, either by attendance in person or by let- 

 ter. A letter of cooperation was read from the 

 secretary of the British branch of the Alliance. 

 William E. Dodge is president of the American 

 branch. Hitherto the British branch, only, of 

 the .national branches, has been in the practice 

 of holding annual meetings. 



AMERICA. The year 1867 made consider- 

 able changes in the territorial divisions of Amer- 

 ica. On the 29th of March a treaty was concluded 

 between the United States and Russia, in ac- 

 cordance with which the latter power surren- 

 ders, in consideration of the payment of seven 

 millions of dollars, to the United States its 

 sovereignty over all of Russian America and 

 the adjacent islands, thus adding some five 

 hundred thousand square miles to the terri- 

 tory of the United States, and considerably 



reducing the amount of American territory 

 under the rule of European governments. In 

 the latter part of the year, the Danish West 

 India Islands, St. Thomas and St. .Joh'i, were 

 purchased by the United States for the price of 

 seven millions of dollars, subject to the approval 

 of the Senate, and to the decision of a popular 

 vote by the islands neither of which had been 

 obtained at the end of the year 1867. It is 

 creditably reported also that the governments 

 of Sweden and Holland, regarding the future 

 success of the Monroe doctrine as inevitable, 

 are anxious to sell their colonies in the West 

 Indies to the United States. In Cuba and Porto 

 Rico popular opinion begins to manifest itself 

 very strongly in favor of independence of Spain, 

 and the majority of the leaders of the move- 

 ment are said to bo in favor of annexation to 

 the United States. A strong annexation move- 

 ment is also manifesting itself in the Pacific 

 provinces of British North America. On the 

 whole, greater progress has been made in 1867 

 toward ending European rule upon the Ameri- 

 can continent than during any previous year 

 since the establishment of the independence of 

 South America. (See ALIASKA ; WEST INDIES.) 



The French troops in Mexico were withdrawn 

 in consequence of the peremptory demand of 

 the United States, and Maximilian soon found 

 that his rule was not based upon the national 

 will, but upon foreign support, and was cap- 

 tured and executed. The Mexican Eepublic 

 resumed its functions amidst the hearty con- 

 gratulations of the native governments of Amer- 

 ica. (See MEXICO.) 



In addition to the purchase of Russian Amer- 

 ica and the two Danish Islands in the West In- 

 dies, the United States received a formal offer 

 of the lease for ninety-nine years of the Bay of 

 Samana from the Government of Santo Do- 

 mingo. (See SANTO DOMINGO.) 



An important measure has been proposed by 

 the Government of Peru to those of Bolivia, 

 Ecuador, and Chili, namely, that these four re- 

 publics should organize a confederation for 

 mutual defence and the conservation of mutual 

 interests. The proposition seems to be well 

 received, though no formal action has yet been 

 taken. The idea of a closer union between all 

 the Spanish-American republics has influential 

 friends in each of them, and appears to have a 

 great future. (See PERU.) 



The war of Brazil and the Argentine Repub- 

 lic against Paraguay continued throughout the 

 year with varying success. The allies made 

 some progress, and the Paraguayans through- 

 out the year had to act on the defensive, 

 and at its close they still held out. (See 

 PARAGUAY.) The war between Spain and the 

 allied republics on the Pacific side of South 

 America Chili, Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador 

 was not ended, as the allied republics declined 

 to accept the mediation proposed by several 

 American and European nations; but no new 

 aggressive acts on the part of Spain were com- 

 mitted. (See CHILI and PERU.) A serious in- 



