Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 3, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 November 1859 — Father Chinicuy. [ARTICLE]

Father Chinicuy.

Our readers are already familial, wars the Cincinnati Presbyter, with the case of Father ( - bin-i-any and his people, who have abandoned the Church of Rome, anil stand' as as independent Protestant Church. The following letter from Dr. J. Leighton Wilson, to the New York Observer, wiilffe read with imerest, especially as the settlement is but a short distance from here, being this side of Kankakee City: “ Chicago, Oct. 19, ] Y l ss : .s' /'- f C try. : fl tv ng been called ia the discharge of official duties to visit thia part of tlie country, I was glad of an opportuniiy, y p.-terfla v, to visit Chiniquy and his in'cresting colony at St. Anne. Much lias already been published bv himself and others in relation to the remarkable work -i! grace going on among that people, aii-1 I a m glad so far as my comparati veiy limited observation will allow, to give a fjyoiaoe.' test.-mony to tne gi nuin-.ss and tfiorong mess of this work of grace. In a letter published in your paper ot last week, mention is made of six hundred persons . hah d partaken ofthe communion in the Protestant spirit and form. Since then one hundred and seventy-five have been added to the communion ot this church, making nearly eight hundred in all Who have '•enounced the errors o; Popery, and h ive adopted the lßhle as their sole guide in religious matters. I can confidentially say, from what I saw, that these people ureal least a Bible-reudLpg community, and they have already obtained too much light from this source ever to fall hack again into the ranks of Romanism. Father Chiniquy not only preaches the great doctrine of salvation through a crucified Redeemer himself, but he is always glad to net others to hold |u the same great doctriue to his people there is opportunity to do so. N rone can become acquainted with him without being decidedly impressed with thesimplicity of his character, the earnestness ol his piety, anti his remar table independence of character.

But my particular object in tins communication is to call the attention of your readers to urgent distress ot this little community at the present moment, They have been living in this part of the country only live or six years, and are dependent wholly upon tire produce of their tanns for the means ol their support. They have suffered in common with other farmers of the West in short crops tor several years past; but the last year their crops have been totally destroyed by drought, by the ravages ol insects, and by early trust. The only thing saved is a little Chinese sugar-cane, which is carefully manufactured into sirup. They are utterly without the means of procuring either loud or raiment, an 1 the evidences of actual sufferings are already showing themselves on every hand, even at this early part ot the winter. During the few hours I wan at Father Chiniquy’s house not less than t.venty persons presented themselves successively at his door, asking for shoes, clolttiing or food, and not one ot whom but what showed marks ol actual suffering. One rruf'i among these was pointed out as remarfeabl# tor his benevolence, giving in former times ten and tilteeu and twenty dollars to relieve suffering, but now in the utmost destitution himself.. Mr. Chiniquy informed me tha,t the mass of people were already living.on one meal a day, without the prospect of having even that in the course of a few weeks; and the appearance of most of those I saw would actually indicate this state of things. Many families, t learned, hail actually cut up their bed clothes during the summer t?

tnrmkh garments fur their children, and now, at the,beginning ol winter, they are without either: Moire than fifty children were kept away from school the day 1 was there, for the want of shoes ami clothing, and a large, number of those in seheol, I Rotycedy w-ere, barefooted, although the day was severely cold. ' The men have tried in vain 10 get Work, ami unless the Christian public contribute freely many of these unfortunate people must Hie es starvation the coming winter. Tfie Homan Catholics taunt them.! with their sufferings, aAd tell them it is a I .Judgment from God. Father Chiniquy tells •them that (tod has permitted this to befall 'theftv, that He may show them that He can feed his people without their cropss and this is theif comfort and support. RevY Mr. Staples, who, I umb rstand-, has been among you , has probably collected money enough th clear oft’the debt on the church and the school-hoe Se. But a great deal more jvill be needed to relieve their temporal wants, arid there should be no delay in sending on these supplies. Boxes of readymade clothing for men, women and children would be ve'ry acceptable at the present moment. Boxes of shoes, especially for children, are eqUally needed. Cotton and other fabrics for clothes, and leather for shoes, could readily he used if they were wi'hin reach |ol thejpeople. Anything sent to the Rev. Mr. Staples, at Kankakee, wuu'd sum find its way to the people, and would be judiciously distributed among them. The settlement comprises something like five hundred families, and there is scarcely one among them th it does not urgently need assistance. Yours in Christian bonds. “J. Leiouton Wilson.”