Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-09-29
From the Georgia Constitutionalst and Republic.
!. EeTrrEFs FROM REV. A. b. LONGSTREEF.

BRETHREN: have concluded to uiVlue my PROM
ised appeal to the Methodist Church, into two parts
ond TO address the first to you aud the last to the
Church at large. And here, IN the language OF MI
Wesley, let me say to you, " beseech you, oretll-
rem, by the mercies of God, by Whatever love you
bear to God to your country, to your own souis'
do not consider who speaks, but what is spoken
If be possible for one hour, lay prejudice asloe
give what is advanced fair hearing. Consider SIM
DIV on each head-Is it true, or is it false is
reasonable, or is it not?" Remember, brethren,
am not before you to PROPOSE but to resist lnnoVa
tons upon old Methodisrn. l stand where have
always stood since joined the Church, upon the
Unlatform of Wesley. You stand with one loot
upon that platform, and the other upon rickety
structure, first reared by criminal if report be
true. and miserabv patched by unchrstian hands.
would have you withdraw the truant limb from
the dangerous platform, to its original position.
When we covenanted together we were OF one
heart and mind But you have formed new
covenants with men who have no kindred feelings
with you There is no fear OF God before their
ewes" They cause divisions and offences contrary
to the doctrine which you have learned" "Their
mouth speaketh great swelling words, having mems
persons in admiration because of advantage. These
be they who separate themselves, 'sensual, having
not the spirit" "They such serve not the
Lord Jesus Christ but their belly, and by good
words and fair speeches deceive the hearts OF the
simnle.n "They are given to debates, envyings,
wraths, strifes 5ackbiting, whsperings swellIngs'
tumuts." With feigned words they make mer-
chandse of you" They are ashamed " even TO
speak of those things which are done OF them IN
secret" These be the to whom you have join
ed yourselves 1 do not say all your companions
are such but know many of them to be such
and most of them to be men OF the world: WouId
withdraw you from them; but if cannot and h
nal separation should take place between US, re-
member, if you please, that you made the hrst
move in it.
and live in peace?" answer, because your lodges
will not allow me to enjoy my opinions in peace
but upon pain of surrendering the freeman's right
of speech; and because, with my notions OF the
olobo.o lain of Order
can live in peace while you remain IN 1t, and re-
main in the Methodist Church How -" can two
walk together except they be agreed? L am not
the only Methodist by hundreds, if not thousands,
who entertain my opinions of your Order; and L
should suppose whatever you may think of 1t, that
for their sakes, you would abandon it, upon the
principle that you should do nothing whereby thy
brother stumbleth, or is offended, or IS made weak
Your opposition to Catholics and foreigners, deem
impotic and unchristan but this will never dis
turb our peace you will not prosecute it in way
dangerous to the peace of the country, enervating
to Professionalism, fostering to Romanism, parayzing
to Methodsm humiliating to her ministry, distract
ing to her membership, encouraging to talsehood
smothering to truth, and demorazing in all its as
poets and movements. And here L beg you to bear
it in mind, that it is not your principles to which
object Gf naked conspiracy against two classes OF
men can be called principles) so much as to your
manner of propagating them. But, as L cannot
hope to wean you from the Order, without at least
shaking your confidence in your principles, shall
in the first place address myself to them.
In what have to say upon this head, I shall take
it for granted that you all went over to the Know
Nothings with good intentions; that you sincerely
believe that Catholics are about to take the coun
try and the foreigners are about 10 take 1T too;
and that handled as it has been by Wings and De-
mocrats, it is even now hardly worth having; and
that without the interpostOn of Know Nothing
ism, it will soon be but putrid carcass upon any
party that shoulders it. [ cannot reconcile these
suggestions with each other; but they must be
made, to reconcile the professions ofyour Order with
sincerity.
will 60 still farther, and admit for the sake of
the argument, that every emigrant who comes into
the country is pauPer and Cathohc-that the
Pope of Rome is fully advised OF every election
that comes off in this countay, from California to
Maine, and from Oregon to Florida-that every Ca
thoc in the land feels himself bound to vote just
the Pope orders him to vote, i'll every election that
occurs in this country, from that of village consta
bles to that of President of the United States. Let
this issue of absurditcs be admitted and still main
tain that Know Nothingism isnot the remedy for
The supposed evils and that il it were, 1T is remedy
with which you should have nothing to do. 10 the
proof:
Paupers are annually coming by multitudes into
the country. Very well; and who are paupers?
Why, they poor people. They are not necessa-
rily lazy dishonest So far from 1t, they are
generally both honest and industrious-cer
y honest and industrious as natives in their con-
dition. These, an oppressed, afflicted doWn-trod-
den overweight, enslaved people, seek shelter
and living in your free country, where millions of
idle capital only waiting the hand of industry,
and strengthens nation these the people
which your Order would drive from shores,
simply because they poor! You tell US, with
more candor than self-respect, that the rich may
come without opposition but you will not have your
country burdened with paupers. With you, the
old motto which you learned from the lips of your
sires and grandsires, America, asylum for the
oppressed" is changed to America, asylum for
the oppressor and a scourge to the oppressedl'
Your aims are as impolitic they inhuman.
Hear the language of one who knew the effects of
immigration upon country, far better than the
wisest man of your Order: A nation receiving
stray child" ca tortiori grown MANI Into its bo-
som again, acquires real treasure; inasmuch as it
receives in him addition to its population,
cesson to the profits of national industry, and
acquisition of capital. 1t at the same time RECEIVERS
a lost Citizen and the means for him to subsst up
on. If the exile bring back his industry only, at
any rate the profits of industry added to the
tional stock. 1t is true that source of consump-
ton is likewise superadded; but snpposing it to
counterbalance the advantage there is no diminu-
ton of revenue, while the moral and political
strength of the country is actually augmented"
[Say's Pol. Econ, Book II, Chapter X, page 1851
In this short passage will be found the secret of
country's unparalleled advancement in wealth and
greatness. The foreigners who now focking in
the country precisely such as have contributed
so largely to our manufactures, and the mechanic
arts. Some who came hither paupers, when l was
a boy, died millionaries; many died possessed of
large Estates and almost all of them died in easy Cir
cumstances. Few, very few, comparatively, fell
upon the parish. They enrich the country. by the
C.