The southern press., 1850-10-09
From the Montgomery CHA. Advertiser.

Some months since, we had Northern preacher
among us begging monev for the uyowed pur-
pose of circulating the Bible. He preached in
several of our Churches, and succeeded in OBJ !
tanning a considerable amount of money from
our people.
The late Mobile plpcrs contain a letter from
some gentleman, whose residence | now forget
making enquiries as to the whereabouts OF Mr.
RAY, who, it is said, is the very man who fav-
ored us with the visit and relieved us of II por-
ton Of our cash. as have above detailed. That
letter charges this Mr.. RAY with gross immo
rality, to say nothing Of the fact of his having
been the preacher in an Abolition Church in the
North
The people of the South seem to derive less
profit from experience than any people in tn,
world Scarcely Il year passes over our heads
but that some "wof in sleeps clothing" pays
us similar visit, with similar purposes and
with similar esuIts; and yet we continue, BY
our own inconsdcrate conduct, to encourage
this species of fraud and imposition.
fall the people OF the world, we of the South
have the least excuse for being thus imposed
upon. In great number of the Churches of the
North, they will not permit slave owner to
preach. | have heard, indeed, that some Of their
pulpits were, upon an occasion not vaey remote,
refused to clergyman who lives in our midst
and who is universally beloved and esteemed by
our community. In many others, they VIII not
permit the owner OF slaves to sis with them q.
the communion-table. In many others, the pull
pits Sabbath after Sabbath, thunder forth their
dennnciaiions against us, until many are made
to believe that they arc serving God by depriying
us OF our property and yet the principal part,
if not the whole of the money we of the SoutE
contribute for Bible, Missionary and Tract So
cetcs, goes directly to the North for investment,
and distribution As a general rule, these So
ceties are managed and controlled at the Nor h
and we have but little agency in the matter.
further than collecting and contributing money.
Now is it not time for the South to pause and
reflect No man is Il more decided advocate than
| am Of the Bible, Missionary and Tract Sociel
ties. would not, by word or deed, impair the
efficiency of these great instrunentaties.
desire to see every effort to send the Ii hit OF
Truth and the Gospel to 'the utternost parts o!
the earth" entirely successful. Yet, does not
prudence, and Il proper regard for the objects
we have in view, require us & TO contribute oti
money, that we shall have the best assurance
that it shall be appropriated 10 the objects for
which we give it! Why may not we have oul
o,cn Bible, Missionary and Tract Societies
If it be necessary to have parent society,
with auxiliary societies in the different Southerr
States, why may not that parent society be 10
cacd in the South! Can't we trust ourselves?
The course of the Northern Mcthodsts TO-
wards their Southern brethren, affords an IN
structive lesson on this subject. BY mos, lib
eral contribution of money, on the part of til,
Southern members, the United Church became
the owner of a very large fund, which was used
in the circulation of the Bible, religious books,
&c, &c. The Northern portion OF the churci
managed to get up dispute with the Southern
as to the right of slave owner to hold oicein
the Church In general Conference, the South |
ern and Northern portions of the Church agreed
to separate, and to divide equitab]y the fund
which had been formed by the common contri- |
buttons Of all the members, and which was the
common property OF the whole. Indeed, it is
well known that the South contributed more
than her proportion to make up this fund. In
short time, however, the Northern Churches re-
pented themselves of this honest intention, if,
indeed they ever had it, and coolly determined
that the South should have no part of it, and
that they would keep the whoie. To-be-sure,
this iniquitous example has been followed by
the General Government, under precisely ar
alagous state of facts vet the Southern
Churches have not been able to see either the
morality or justice of such proceeding and
have determined 20 resist it by all the means in
their power. A union of the Church has no.
thing in il to commend itself to them, when its |
course is no longer characterised by far-dealing,
Justice, and honesty. Whether union of the
States whose whole legislation towards the
South is remarkable for the entire absence of
these qualities shall continue to be the object OF
the doatry of the people OF the injured section,
remains to be seen.
Now there is but one REMEDY for this species
of imposition. Let every man of the South re-
fuse to contribute single cent for such pur-
poses, until we have better guarantees that il
shall be faithfully d,bursed in promoting the
objects for which he gives it. And, with this
view, let us begin by utterly repndiating all
Northern agencies. Let us have our Benevo-
lent Societies. which shall not occupy depend
ent or subordinate relation to some parent So
cety in the abolition North. These are great
and glorious works, and If we cannot print
books and tracts quite so cheaply in the South.
we can, at least, by this means, avoid the toll
and stenlage which are. now frequently levied
upon us, and thus our books will in the end
be cheaper to u.s. ra MONTGOMERY.