The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-11-09
THE SOUTH AGAIN IN PERIL.

THE SOUTH AGAIN IN PERIL.
We are sorry to see the South again in peril
II is marvellous what slight causes distu b ITS
peace and fill it with alarm. Its vigiant aard-
ians are constantly detecting signs of con 'plra-
CIV. or footprints of the incendiary. We all
recolleet what a narrow escape the gallant
State of Mississippi had from Smellee, tie ter
rible Yankee schoolmaster, who forgot, m his
letters to home folk, to speak III courteous
terms of the peculiar institution. But there is
a later horror" than this. We learn from the
semi-weekly Creole of New Orleans, that the
fears Of our Southern friends are just now ex-
cited by the fact that the African Methodist
Episcopal Conference has a church or t 20 un-
der its care in New Orleans and that Il ere is
some talk of establishing one in Mobile. The
African Methodist Episcopal Church " Is or
ganized great many years ago, is Methodist
in creed, forms, and government, but pee pie of
color alone compose its membership.
:! For four or five years" says the Cree e, " a
branch Of it has been in operation here! num-
bering half dozen preachers and sewers hun
dred members. 1t has been quietly yet INDUS
! triousy operating, and now has two or three
pests in the city; the main one being large
| brick chapel built by themselves, in the Second
! district near the corner of Bienville anfi Clai-
| be rne streets. They make returns, and ere un-
| d. the jurisdiction of the Indiana (orfOhio)
| Conference, andreceive preachers free n6sroes)
| frcm it. Their preachers living here gotap for
ofdination However, the Recorder, about
L a Loft
Bishop Quinn himself dated and acritter from
| Mac Orleans, in which he seems to have at
tended to ordaining deacOns and elders on the
spot. The letter alludes to Mobile also, and
| speaks encouragingly Of the cause in the South.
We should quote some significant sentences
| from this but it is not before us. An eX-Alder-
man borrowed it out Of our Office, and has not
returned it. One of the bishops, in the Re
corder, 10th inst, calling for aid to the e"rgdn,
uses this language: VIII not our people come
up to the work, and help us? Show tn! this
little sheet finds its way, through God'f kind
Providence, to the far South to the greet JOY
and comfort of many precious souls We
judge it has pretty good circulation this
CITY,"
This is the sum and substance Of the yriev-
ance. No charge is made against these hum
bic Christians-no evil laid at their do {. If
they were not inofensive, well-behaved, 'eace-
able, the New Orleans press would soon let us
know the fact. What, then, is the objeci on to
them? Let us hear the Creole:
sour reasons for stating these fact that
have necessarily come under our notice { &c:
81. We would not hinder any that do good !;
but such an organization must, in this CT mmu-
nifty, exert more of social than religis us in
| fluence.
80. The effect upon other churches, legitimate
to the country, is evil 1t breeds disco Atent,
| impracticabity of wholesome disciplin, and
restIessness for ministerial orders whcre it
would be inexpedient to confer them.
SO. This society has established itself md is
seeking extension in neighboring cite: and
villages, under the public opinion that j, is IN
connectionwith the Methodist Episcopal Church
South. We give notice to all, (long aga the
authorities have been notified that the 2etho-
dist Episcopal Church South is no way con-
nected with nor is it responsible for this SSotic
The Methodist Church South enjoys tho conf
dence of the country. Her missions ~ the
slaves have been carefully confded to SAT men,
and hence this confidence. Their sole func
ton has been to preach the Gospel to bond
and free not meddling with their REF hons,
but leaving them where the Bible leaves, hem.
Over 100000 colored people are undo reli-
gious instruction. This confidence, so ieces-
sary to the moral welfare of thousands, ia,peril
ed by having this questionable orgafl alton
operating under cover of her name. Act''di$tS
they call themselves, and as such they Sass-
few persons taking the trouble to inqui fur
ther."
These objections resolve themselves imply
into this: an independent church organ, .ation
of free colored people, with its own b HOPS
elders, and deacons, its own prOpers% and
discipline, may nurture feelings of selftespect
and habits of selfrelance in that classtsf our
population, and the example may be nslschie-
vous by quiclening in the slaves the latent idea
of manhood. Therefore, it is questionable, in
fact, dangerous, and must be put down!
The Creole informs us that it condenseS the
facts just stated from an editorial in tn New
Orleans Christian Adrocate of the 30t Sep
TENDER, and that the grave subject has riready
been presented to the local authorities The
AdrOrate, we presume, is one of the orsSAns of
the Methodist Episcopal Church South which
doubtless is anxious to exclude the blac,- Bish-
op Quinn from the South, and gather tFsether
his coorcd flock in its own sheepfold, 1nder
white shepherds.
What a commentary is this whole afai upon
the manhood and religion of the SlaveF llding
Caste Would Bishop Quinn, with his sur or
five hundred harmless disciples, worsbfpping
God in their own simple way, throw an com
munity into panic, not conscious of me ntain-
ing an institution at war with human ,eature