Religious Movements In Detroit: Tract Distribution--churches...

DfcTHoiT, March 25th, 140. Frieno Fostr.ii : - Among the nieans of rcligious iïiflucncc now n operation in our ciiy, therc is OlM which al;hou!i noiscless and unnssuming n its charac:cr, ie calculnted to accomplíáh tnucli good. - [ refer to the sysiem of moiithly tract distribulion rccemly cslablishcd, (or rather revivcd, ns it was lortnorly in operation somc years since) in our city. It is an cffirt in which ncarly all of our Protestant Evangelical Societios unite. the avowed or leiding object of whlch is to give to every fitmily in the city, willing to reccive them. a rcliuioiia tract once a inonth. Although this is its Inading object, yet itie by no mcans conlint-'d to that, but enibrace9 nmny collateral bonefits, eiich as eecking out nnd supplying the temporal wants of mnny desitute.faniilios,3ecuriii2 tlieir aticndance i'pon our Sabbath schools, promoting the cause of Tcmpcrancu by obtainng names upon the pledge, and prevniling upon individuáis and families not connectcd with any of our rcligious societics,. nnd. conscquently in the liabit of negleciing public worship, to altend upon the etated meana of gracc. Theso nnd kindred resulis, calculated to promotc the temporal and rcliijiutis intcrestBof rnany of tlie inhübitanta of our city, will doubtless flow from the cfibrt. It ia tindcr the auspices of nn Aswciation fornied aboul thrce months since. composod of mcnibers of tho vnrious Kvangehcal Societies among us. One of their nrrangüincnts ;s to hold a tnonthly meeting of the distributora on the 4tii Monday evening of each month, for prnycr nnd consultaiion, nt which, repons are read from sumo of tlie districis, and siich facis coinmuiiicated. as are calculated to encouragc those engnged in the work.The city is divided into C8 districlB, nnd a distrilm'or nppointcd to each.whose duty tis to vki every fainily within the district, willing to reueivc a tract, wiihio tho lirst 15 dayB of each monili and report the rcsult of thcir labora. - The 3d monthly meeting of distrbulors was held on Monday evening last - from the reports prescnicd it nppcared that 1,700 tracts has been distributcd thf present niouth, a nuinber of deslitute families rchevcd. pomc 50childrcn of suitablc age, to attend Sabbath School, but not connectcd with any, prcvailcd upon to altend, and tnany othcr facie sKowing the general utility of the syBierru One distributor reported a fact lionorablc to the liuinnnity of n ibmalc of that despised closs of our community wlu are at times rbaiiciousíy or ignorantly stijmntizcd an "not bcing nblc to take ctre of tliomselves." It was ihis - "two inlüle childrcn wero found who had been neglccjed by their pnrcnis ond liad been taken and jirovided for by a colorcL wonian. - She exprcösed a desire for air (her own ineans beiii" vcry liniiicd.) to próvido ilioni withhle clothing to cnable tlicm to aucnd Sabbnth School." It is a systcm pecuiiarly adapted 10 bring the blcsscd truihs of llie Gospel wiihin ïhc ' reach of alargeclass of floatmg population, s'ich ' as ia found in all our cities and populous : ges, cspccially nt the west - and wlnle wc bclicvc, il' universally csiablished nnd vigoroualy sustained it would bo productivo of incalculable good in every panol' the land, wc fcel tliat na a monns of diiFufiiiig rcliyious trutJk among tnultitildes of families in our more populous townsand citiG5, it is indispensable. Upon the eubject of Churehcs in our city, I mayremark. that il the moral and religious improvcnicnt of ur community uiight bo fairly mcasured by the increase of religious societies nnd the erection of Church edifices, it would cerainly show a very rapid advance within the past year, for (including what are still in the course of ercctlon. nnd a building now preparing for the Bethel Society,) there has boen no loss than scen new places of public worship crectcd or provided viihin,that lime- 6 Protestant - (viz.I Congregationnl, I Mcthoriiat, 1 colorcd da., I Epiácopnlj 1 Luihcrnn nnd 1 Bethel) and onc [lotnan Caiholic. Tiic latter isan immense edfice, and wlien completctl will probably hold a largor nsscrnbly tlian nuy building west of New York. The "Bethel Associatiüii" rccently formcd in our city have leased a large building (built for, and eomc y care eince occupied as a i!is:'i'l:ry) on Woodbridgo St. ncarly ia the roar of the Michigan Exchangc, Tliey nre now engagcd in fitting it up, and purpose opening it for public woreliip in about tvso weck?. Wlien prepared it will makoa very comfortable nd comniodious place of worsliip and will doubtlcss do niuch to elévate the characlor and condiiion of ihose eniploycd on our inlaud waters, by providing them with o place that thcy will regard as pcculiarly their own. I ani adviscd that tho Association have engagcd iho llev. Mr. Janiison of the Mcth odist Fiiiscopul Church in this city, as chaplain lor the ensuing ycar. An immense quantity of rain has fallen in our city within tho past 4b hours, al most flooding soine of the streets in the tastern part of it where the ground is low. If it haa extended any distancc upon tho Lakc, it niu3t bo favorable for break ing up tho ice. Boats have comnicnccd running frotn hcro to Port Huron (river St. Clair,) and thorc is prob ably but littlc if nny obstruction to navíation between this nnd Mackinac. As youjwill ncrceive by the papers, the steamcr "Nile is ndvertiscd to leavo tlrsport the 9th of next month for Chicago.Tho "Ben ftanklin" orrivcd this moming from Erie - report no ico between here nml iluii pOrl - leavcs ngnin to-iglit, and is conlidcnt ol rcacding Dunkirk ('15 niilca tliis side oí Buflalo) and perhops Buffalo, 60 ihut wc shall doubtless sooii have unobetructcd navigation of the Lakcs. Youra truly.