Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1842-01-12
For The Vermont Telegraph.
RE CTION.

F0T TIE vermont 1eLe4f1ph.
co r BOTTOM.
Dear Brother Murray In No. S Of
the present volume Of the Telegraph. un-
der the head Of Tie departure Of Mr..
Scott. the Wesleyan missionary. from
SUeden." find statement of yours, said
to have been made by myselfin Passump-
sic village, which il is due TO myself, 10
the Editor Of the Telegraph. and 10 the
cause ofour blessed Redeemer, 10 correct.
The statement to which | allode and
which you represent me as having made,
is the following" That after preaching
one day in Virginia. was invited home
by a member Of standing in the church to
which J had been preaching. As sup
per was getting, my attention was attract.
ed 10 child that was following its moth.
er, mulalto woman, about the house.
The man. who with his wife was sitting
and conversing with myself probably no
tioed the attention given to the child. A,
length he humorously inquired Broth.
er Merriam, don't you think that child
looks like me p Yes was the reply, 4
have been thinking about thatf "Aad
there, said brother Merriam to the au.
dfence, were the most perfect lineaments
OF the fathers countenance exhibited IN the
lace OF the child /! All this was said IN
the presence Of the mans wife-a not a
blush or any in;imation that any thing
improper had occurred"
Now, dear brother. have not the least
suspicion of any designed misrepresenta.
ton on your pan, but attribute the inaccu.
racy OF your statement, either to misun.
derstandirg at the time, or to the inlu-
ence of SIX years time upon a memory
crowded with succession oilhoughts }
on an absorbing subject.
The fact in The case is this, the man to
whom the story relates soas moi. as repre-.
scented. "a member Of standing IN the
ehnscA," nor ucas he a professor Of relig-
70. hall. His lady had then lately en-
braced hope 10 Christ, which was the
occasion Of my making frequen. visits to
the house.
You represent the statement attributed
TO myself as but an item Of universal ;es-
timony on the subject j. e. Of the corrup-
ton Of southern churches. This may be
true. and perhaps in other instances the
acts Of ungodly men may be charged up.
on the members OF the church.
For myself, | am bound to say tina.
from any thing saw TO the contrary dur
ing residence of more than two years
among slavery and an acquaintaEce with
large number of churches. am led TO
believe that Baptist churches at the south
Woaid no more countenance or connive at
the conduct referred 10 in any OF their
members, than would the Baptist Church
III Orwell, or any other IN the State Of
Vermont. Indeed, am sure that a pure
and hofy God would no, pour the spirit
of grace and supplica,ion upon any church
toferating such wickedness, in the man.
ner. tina, Witnessed its exercise in the
very church, with which was laboring
y. the time the incident referred to trans
pired.
| desire that this communication may
be published, not only ia the Telegraph,
but 10 any and every other paper which
may have copied your article.
JONATHAN MERR1AM.
Emiaenee, Logan Co, Illinois.
REMA RKs.@ sas.s. s.<
am always happy to correct any error
find myself to have fallen into. In
which of the two ways. very charitably |
by brother Merriam, the error
nay have come. it is dificuls for me TO
iecide. Perhaps some Of the friends at
ndssumpslc. who heard brother Merriam,s
at the time it was heard ov me.
AN aid me in getting al decision for nv
elf in the case.
Brother Merriam thinks that the cause
# the oppressed is greatly Injured by
harges known BY slaveholding churches
. be unfounded." Think the good cause
ar more injured. and hindered in its pro-
ress. BY the opposition it meets, and The