The way to Washington, and to influence with the Governing Authorities, was prepared for me thus. Being a stranger and only a poor Missionary, I asked every Public Meeting, held on any day except Sabbath, to forward a Petition to the President and the Congress, signed by the Chairman, in favor of the Prohibition of Intoxicants and Fire-Arms, as barter by American Traders on the New Hebrides, or other unannexed Islands in the Pacific. The Daily Press reported all these Petitions. The Public became thoroughly interested. And even the Authorities were expecting my appeal in person. Nay, I cannot but regard it as of the Lord that my first Sabbath in Washington happened to be in the pulpit of Dr. Bartlet, where I, altogether unknown to myself, was pleading the cause before the Chief Secretary of the Government. He sent me fifty dollars for the Mission, invited me to lunch with his family, and gave me ample opportunity, by answers to many questions, to state all the case, and to deepen all round the growing interest in our Mission.
On the forenoon of the following Sabbath, I occupied the pulpit of Dr. Hamlin, and the President of the United States heard my story and appeal. Many Senators and Members of Congress, having matters thus rehearsed, were able to weigh the question carefully, before I made my official statement at all. The President declared himself quite frankly to be deeply interested, and willing to expedite in every possible way the negotiations with Britain. It emerged that in the British reply there was a new clause, empowering one of the contracting parties to license Traders, under certain circumstances, to sell Intoxicating Drinks. The President struck his pen through that clause, and at once returned it, insisting on its excision. Had Britain agreed to this, President Harrison would then have signed the Treaty. But, alas, week after week elapsed, and no reply came. A new Election took effect, and President Cleveland was installed at the White House.
My Advisory Committee in America now insisted that I must wait till the new Government’s arrangements were all completed, and once more press my appeal. I resumed my work of addressing Public Meetings every week day, and Congregations every Sabbath Day, always sending, from the former, Petitions to the President and Congress regarding the proposed Prohibition on the Islands. I had also private interviews with many leading Politicians. To all I pointed out that, as America was now united with Britain in the Dual Protectorate of Fiji, we only sought the extension of prohibition on that Group to the Group of the New Hebrides.
Constantly engaged in these Mission interests, I planned my second visit to Washington to take place at the same time as the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of the United States. I had the honor to address it on Foreign Missions, and to preach before a number of Congregations during its sittings, for a very deep interest was manifested in the wondrous workings of God on the New Hebrides.
I was introduced to the new President, when the General Assembly went in procession to do him honor. Both he and Mrs. Cleveland welcomed me to America, and, a few days after, they invited me to lunch at the White House, privately, that they might question me freely regarding the Islanders and our work. They both seemed to me to be genuine followers of the Saviour, and sincerely interested in the salvation of the Heathen World.
The Presbyterian Assembly thereafter appointed a large Deputation of its leading men to accompany me in laying officially before the Government our grievance regarding Fire-Arms and Intoxicants, and pleading that the United States should unite with Britain in the Prohibition of all trading with Natives in the same. In order to save time, and secure lucidity, Professor Hodge carefully prepared and read our statement. The President expressed himself as deeply interested, and requested the document to be left with him for reference. We anxiously awaited the result; but the final reply from Britain was still delayed. Our hearts grew sore with hope deferred!
In course of time I was informed at the British Colonial Office in London, that as France and Russia had withdrawn from the proposal, the negotiations were for the present suspended. France, for years, postured before the world as ready to enforce this prohibition, if America would; and now, when America was ready, France withdrew! Still, on the highest of all moral grounds, let us plead with America, Germany, and Britain, already united in their triple Protectorate of Samoa, to extend the same prohibition to the New Hebrides, and the other unannexed Islands in the Western Pacific. If they would do so, the other Powers interested could scarcely fail to agree, and France would be ashamed to stand before the world as the only Civilized Nation, exploiting the bodies and souls of poor Savages by trading with them in Fire-Arms and Drink for mere godless greed of gold.
In Boston, the Ministers of all the Reformed Churches, having formed a representative Committee, organized a series of meetings, and cordially invited me to address them. Dr. Joseph Cook and his gifted wife gave me a public reception, to which many of the leading Citizens, as well as Professional men, were invited, and where I answered all sorts of questions regarding Missions in general, and the New Hebrides in particular. I was also twice introduced to the audiences at his famous Monday Lectures; and my replies to testing problems, there submitted, were printed in Our Day, and woke not a little interest in the work of God amongst the Cannibals of the Southern Seas. To all these generous friends at Boston, I am forever indebted, but very specially to John Gilchrist, Esq., an office-bearer in the Presbyterian Church, who toiled in the cause incessantly, and whom may the Lord Jesus richly recompense!
One curious experience befell me there, outside the range of my ordinary work. A “Temperance Union” of Women engaged me to address a Working Folks’ Meeting on a Sabbath afternoon, in what they called the Peoples’ Church. When I arrived, nearly half of the large Platform was occupied with ladies scraping away and tuning their violins, large and small! A lady occupied the chair, and introduced Dr. Blank, a Unitarian or rather an Infidel, who was to speak for ten minutes, and then leave the meeting in my hands. He knew that I had to leave within an hour, and drive to another meeting, but he went on and on, tracing a Carpenter all through his life to exhausted old age, manifestly stirring up class against class, and sowing the seeds of infidelity. At last, he wound up by picturing the Carpenter, outworn and ready to die, sitting with his wife and children around the table at their evening meal, taking the bread and breaking it and saying: “Eat ye all of it, for this is my body broken for you; this do in remembrance of me, for I have worn out my life for your sakes.” Whereon, his wife poured out the tea, and said: “If the bread is your body broken for us, this tea is my blood shed for you; drink ye all of it in remembrance of me, as I have spent my life in toiling for you.”
Being able to stand it no longer, I turned to the ladies behind us and said aloud: “Who is this blasphemer that you have set up to speak to the people? He is simply belching out Infidelity, and setting man against man. This is a black disgrace to you all!” He paused a moment, and then said: “I wish this Congregation to understand that, in what I have just said about the Carpenter and his bread, I throw no slight on the name or memory of one who thus parted from his followers long ago”—and thereon he resumed his seat, having spoken for nearly the whole hour. Reply was impossible for lack of time, and my expected Address was crushed aside. But, ere I left the Platform, I uttered a few burning words, and the whole audience seemed to go with me. I denounced all setting of the poor against the rich, as alien to the spirit of Jesus. I branded as an insult to the Divine Saviour of the world the blasphemer’s parody of the Lord’s Supper, to which we had been treated. I warned these Temperance workers that, in bringing such a teacher of Abstinence before the people, they were degrading the cause which they desired to promote. And finally, I summoned them to remember that we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, and implored them, and Dr. Blank amongst the rest, to seek pardon and acceptance at the feet of Jesus now, that they might find their Judge was also their Saviour in the last awful day! A hasty Benediction was pronounced, at the Chairwoman’s request. I hurried from the Church, greatly shocked, but encouraged by the handshake and the “God bless you!” of many whom I passed. There was one small consolation which I unfeignedly enjoyed—the fiddling ladies had no opportunity of displaying their skill on that Lord’s Day!