Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-04-01
Frosa the American MesseEg
An Angry Controversy well settled.

In the year 1891 in one of the southern states,
there existed legal controversy between two neigh
bors, who had up to this time beer intimate friends,
and soon it engendered bitter persa2al animosify
between them, and alenated their respective friends
Their families belonged to the same congregation,
and their wives were members OF the same church,
and were held in high esteem for their intelligence
and piety Considering the family relations OF the
parties it is not surprising that the church aud the
eommunitE should be seriously agitated by this
quarrel; anu tbas it proved source OF annoyance
and grief not only tG Christians, but to all their
right minded peighberF.
They were men of strong nerve, OF great pfysi'
cal b over, and distinguished G high degree by
what the world calls courage. Urged on by pride,
ambiso,, or revenge, the contest waxed hotter and
hotter, ga that all acquainted with the crcunstan
ces were IN constant fear of bloody, if not dead
ly recontre.
One of the cartitS had prepared and intended to
file bin in ckssesry within the next ten days, which
he knew would grsatly irritate his antagonist, and
provoke him to a,rf-sonal assault, when the case
would Irobably have been settled by the death OF
one or both of them. ,Sn all public occasions they
carried deadly acsOYoDs.
In this state of thingsstbs Lord poured out his
spirit upon that community fSndreds OF minds De-
came impressed with religions tsuth, and At Is be-
lieyed many souls were truly eel.gerted to God.
The third SIbJath IN June is q day%s be held IN
everlasting remembrance by that congregation. On
that day more than one hundred and tti3 persons
presented themselves as inqurers after the wey OF
salvation, some of whom then and there sought aud
found bone in Christ. These two litigants were
nresept. and were smitten and wounded by the
sword OF the Spirit. "rhe strong men bowed them
.sIves aud at the close of the services went away
overwhelmed with sense of their guilt and ruin.
tbourh entirely ignorant offhe state of each other
| minds. On the morrow they again repaired to the
| house of the Lord and previous to the commence
r,ert Of public worship the two belligerants prOvi-
deptiay met face to face, while walking in beau
t;Grl grove near the church. Mn first spoke,
! I'D said, Captain --, have proposipon
- to you" The captain suppos'ng he
-uit that was to be tried in
na" ,e'e'ence 70 'ne -@h coldoess apd hau
&c" ua'S, repiie' WIN as IN" SOD, Il am
teur in his manner as he could comm
| ready to hear you sir; what is it p Mr.
unable any longer to restrain his feelings, answered
with the deepest emotion, at is sir, that are east
behind us our t0es and sns and livs together from
this day as neighborS and Christsans."
The captain was subdued and unnamed in a
moment they were locked in each others arms,
weeping like little chiIdren, and vieing with each
other in making acknowledgements and co1cess-
ions. They we're friends. The pious rejoiced and
were greatly encouraged in the work of the Lord,
and the impenitent received a most impressive IL
lustration OF the power and value of the Christian
religion and many more sought and found in it the
''pearl of great price" The lawsuit was settled
without trial, the loaded pistols were unchanged
and put away; and henceforth they lived as neigh
bors on terms of amity. J.DN.