Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1855-10-03
very eve of division, and that division was in

hope can be entertained respecting them; and
while agree with you that their spirit and
course of action are highly censurable [ dis
sent wholly from your differences, as to what
must be the inevitable result of their fanatical
course and l protest against the occupancy,
on the above-named churches, of the position
in which your statements would place them.-
You spread out before your hearers those loath-
some masses, and represent them as oLo"DIiHg
cgW"Ny IN all tie ch"rchr<. But the Baptist
and Methodist churches, years ago, cut loose
,fiD@s McH' puritan of those communicating
hordcs, and, of course, have ever since, stood
forth before the world, pur@cd, commendablc
and glorious; while the Presbyterian and f.
piScopal churches are HW m hc oIioo& r"n-
tac',-stiil fraternizing or striving to DO 50,
with those on whom roliticianS-not always
very faStiduouS in their moral ta>tcS-->pit on
ly venom, and from whose touch their purcr
spirits instnctively recoil q. This, sir, is the
position in which you have placed us!
Now in relation to those divided churches
I say, blessings ON them in their deed They
chose their own course-had a perfect RIGHT
to do So-acted no doubt from conscientious
motiveS-purSued the only course, which, as
they supposed, could be taken. We took 4
different course and, as shall show. r.".h.i
/ Hc same. t'nof " mo,,. G.iinLh ,.<"h
.As regards also the Episcopal Church,
have, in the above mentioned respect nothing
to say. Its proper defenders will guard its
honor. But as Il minister of the Presbyterian
church located also on the ground upon which
YOU spoke, and in the midst Of the community
before which Your statements We're made, |
consider it incumbent on mc-due also to
yourself-to state the facts as they are res
pecting said churches and thus afford You an
opportunity Of placing yourself ri ght with hi<
community and also before the Churches Ut
large in the South.
As long AGO az 1887, the Presbyterian
Church commenced its reform. and made liz
division-not by sectional line, bur in rcla-
tion to doctria,s nud ch",,h orI,r'-<cpara-
ting at one time a large portion Of that loose,
floating. fanatical element to which You have
referred. Since that period our duty. as re-
cards that matter. has been easy and generally
pleasant Here and there 4 few obstreporou>
Sprits for time remained. Most of these
have since gone of-some in one direction,
some in anutlcr-thinking themselves holicr
than we. Others little fractiou> have. under
Conservative Influences. been rcStraiucd. Thus
has the nrocc>s If rrform cane ON. until how
-aye. and for wears past we have. asa church
been wholly free from agitation ON that sub
iect. not only in the meetings of our Gcncr-
al Assembly. but. So far aS | know, in all the
subordinate indicators. The fires within have
died out for want of combustbe material !;
and all attempts to introduce frebrand$, from
without have so Si"nally failed, that agitators
have abandoned the hopeless task
There arc two points to which yoL gave
mreat prominence in Your speech: 1T. The
imminent danger. uay tile certain ruin to
Southern minorilies whenever Northern maio-
rites obtained the SWAY 2nd The utter i'm
possibility Of Southern men holding any sort
of fratcrnal Intercourse with men on the other
side of the line, Well, | do not know what
YOU politicians may find possible or impossible;
but your statements have led me to look mar
r,ul,. ;n+, tbi. ,n,ttur-,S | wiShrA to h.. ,,rp-