800 



UNITED STATES. 



UNIVERSALISTS. 



the bitterness of controversy. "We desire a proper 

 equality, equity, and fairness, protection of the weak, 

 restraint upon the strong, in short, justly-distributed 

 burdens and justly-distributed power. These are 

 American ideas, the very essence of American inde- 

 pendence, and to advocate the contrary is unworthy 

 of the sons and daughters of an American Eepublic. 

 We cherish the belief that sectionalism is, and of 

 right should be, dead and buried with the past. Our 

 work is for the present and the future of our agricult- 

 ural brotherhood and its purposes. "We shall recog- 

 nize no North, no South, no East, no West. It is re- 

 served by every person, as his right, as a freeman, to 

 affiliate with any party that will best carry out his 

 principles. 



A "Women's National Temperance Conven- 

 tion assembled in Cleveland on November 19th. 

 Its organization resulted from the women's 

 crusade movement, and was intended to em- 

 brace and concentrate all the bands of women, 

 in all parts of the country, who desire to 

 bring to the work the kind of effort which the 

 crusade inaugurated, viz., persistent prayer, 

 personal appeal to drunkards and drunkard- 

 makers, and social influence. Sixteen States 

 were represented by accredited delegates, and 

 the crowded sessions of the three days' con- 

 vention were presided over by Mrs. Jennie F. 

 Milling, of Bloomington, 111. The president, in 

 her opening remarks, drew attention to the 

 fact that this was a distinctively religious 

 movement, and one which demanded full con- 

 secration to and trust in Almighty God. 



The fifth national convention representing 

 persons desiring to secure a religious amend- 

 ment of the Constitution of* the United States 

 assembled at Pittsburg, Pa., on February 3d. 

 Felix E. Brunot, of Pittsburg, was reflected 

 President. Some other conventions were held, 

 but they were chiefly of local importance and 

 limited in their results. 



Within a few years fish-culture has become 

 very extensive in the United States. In 1873 

 the subject was presented to Congress and 

 favorably acted upon ; the result being an ap- 

 propriation of $15,000 "for the introduction 

 of shad into the waters of the Pacific States, 

 the Gulf States, and the Mississippi Valley, 

 and of salmon, white-fish, and other useful 

 food-fishes into the waters of the United States 

 to which they are best adapted," for the fiscal 

 year of 1872-'73, with a supplementary appro- 

 priation of $10,000 for the same year, having 

 special reference to the propagation of shad. 

 A further appropriation of $17,500 was sub- 

 sequently made for the same object during the 

 fiscal year of 1873-'74. This action on the 

 part of the United States was the natural cul- 

 mination of what had already been done by 

 many of the States, accelerated by the action 

 of 'the American Fish Culturists' Association. 



The financial question was the most impor- 

 tant one before the country during the year. It 

 was extensively discussed in the debates of 

 Congress. (See CONGRESS, U.-S., and the arti- 

 cle FINANCES OF THE UNITED STATES.) Under 

 the expeetation of the passage by Congress of 

 the bill known as the " civil-rights" bill, much 



apprehension was excited in the Southern 

 States relative to the public schools, which the 

 bill originally contemplated to make "mixed" 

 schools, containing both white and black chil- 

 dren. The bill was amended. For the relations 

 of the United States with foreign countries, see 

 the article DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE. The 

 preparations for the celebration in Philadel- 

 phia of the hundredth anniversary of the inde- 

 pendence of the United States were greatly 

 accelerated during the year by the action of 

 public bodies and States. 



UNIVERSALISTS. The Universalist Regis- 

 ter for 1875 furnishes the following statistics of 

 the Universalist churches in the United States : 



The General Convention of Universalists in 

 the United States met in the city of New 

 York, September 15th. The Hon. Olney Ar- 

 nold, of Rhode Island, was chosen President. 

 The reports of the Treasurer and the Board of 

 Trustees showed the Murray Centenary Fund 

 to have reached the amount of $120,901.10. 

 The General Secretary had attended the State 

 Conventions of Missouri, Indiana, Massachu- 

 setts, Kansas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota, 

 Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, Illinois, 

 and Iowa, and had been led, by what he ob- 

 served at these meetings, to take a hopeful 

 view of the missionary work in the United 

 States. 



*' One meeting-house is reported in this State, and the 

 value of church property is given at $40,000. 

 t One meeting-house ; value of church property, $5,000. 



