s. _The American Missionary Association_, is their
organ for the spread of a gospel untainted, it is claimed, by contact
with slavery. Out of four stations under its care in Canada, at the
opening of 1853, but one school, that of Miss Lyon, remained at its
close. All the others were abandoned, and all the missionaries had asked
to be released,[49] as we are informed by its Seventh Annual Report,
chiefly for the reasons stated in the following extract, page 49:

"The number of missionaries and teachers in Canada, with which the year
commenced, has been greatly reduced. Early in the year, Mr. Kirkland
wrote to the committee, that the opposition to white missionaries,
manifested by the colored people of Canada, had so greatly increased, by
the interested misrepresentations of ignorant colored men, pretending to
be ministers of the gospel, that he thought his own and his wife's
labors, and the funds of the association, could be better employed
elsewhere."

This Mission seems never to have been in a prosperous condition. Passing
over to the Eleventh Annual Report, 1857, it is found that the
Association had then but one missionary, the Rev. David Hotchkiss, in
that field. In relation to his prospects, the Report says:

"It has, however, happened to him, as it frequently did to Paul and his
fellow-laborers, that his faithfulness and his success have been the
occasion of stirring up certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, so that
at one time it was thought by some lookers-on that his life was in
danger, and that he might be compelled to leave the scene of his present
labors." He had succeeded, however, in gathering a church of 28 members,
but "on the 21st of June, the house in which the little church worshiped
was burned to the ground. This was undoubtedly the work of an
incendiary, as there had been no fire in it for more than two weeks.
Threats now were freely used against Mr. Hotchkiss and the church, but
he continued his labors, and procured another house, and had it fitted
up for worship. On the 24th of August, this also was burned down. They
have since had to meet in private houses, and much doubt has been felt
relative to ultimate duty. At later dates, however, the opposition was
more quiet, and hopes revived. This field is emphatically a hard one,
and requires much faith and patience from those who labor there."[50]

On the 30th of August, 1858, Mr. Hotchkiss writes: "My wife's school is
in a prosperous condition. Sh