The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1856-06-05
FATHER FlNLEY,s SPEECH.

L
now in session at Indianapolis. we find
the following characteristic speech OF the
old veteran, FATHER FINLEY:
EXTENDING THE TINE OF STATIONED MIN
| listers.
The unfinished business of yesterday,
to wit: The resolution instructing the
Committee on Itinerancy to report in fa-
vor of continuing a minister over one
church for three years--(one year longer
than at present was then taken up, and
Father Finley, of Cincinnati Conference,
having had the floor on the adjournment
yesterday, rose and commenced his
speech:
FATHER FINLEY's SPEECH.
After some remarks about the extent of
the Conference to which he had the hon
or to belong. he said. that he was the first
Methodist Minister that ever went out to
the Indians; he had learned there to eat
raccoon and maple molasses, and to sleep
between big niger and an Injun, on a
puncheon. A puncheon is a board made
from the log by riving-lke barrel
stave; they were common before the in
PRODUCTION of mills.-Rep.)
| His brethren from Canada had boasted
of their success under the extension Of
the time of Ministers. He was prepared
to argue that point a little. and could show
them that we in the United States who
had acted on the two years rule, had left
the Canadians so far out Of sight, that
they would never see us again, especially
if we continued this rule.
He replied to Mr.. Hibbard's argument
of yesterday. He said it did not amount
to anyth ng, but he had listened to it be-
cause he respected the man and knew
bis daddy, DR.. Kennedy. .'Who was his
daddy?" why old Billy Hibbard. Didn't
you know him." daughter, Father
Finley continued. He had no D. D. to
his name, yet when boy he once learn
ed to say he hac hoe, and he would say
here that when boy, he was as good
Latin scholar as any Doctor of Divinity on
the floor. They had not much sense in
the West, but what little they had was of
the best kind. to wit--common sense.
There were two classes of preachers
nova -days-one kind had rubbed their
backs against the walls of Colleges, and
learned to conjugate amo. aDaotur, amari,
onaare, Laugh ter;) and another from the
plow.
If he was Methodist preacher, God
made him one. He had left his plow and
started with as little knowledge of Meth
odism or anything else, as any other
man. God sent him out with all his SIM
plicity and ignorance, to preach salvation
to everybody. If this extension prevail
ed, it would keep young men, called from
the plow, toll and work bench, out of the
ministry.
He would relate an anecdote-when
they talked in Cincinnati Conference Of
establishing Seminary of learning,
certain learned Judge in their church was
consulted "a member near me said 'tthat
was Judge Mclean" and after being
pressed to give his opinion. said finally,
Brethren, if l must say it; I firmly be-
lieve that the more Doctors Of Divinity
we have, the less gospel we shall have"
He could point to plenty of men in this
Conference, who, when they entered it,
had no more literature than they ought to
have, and they know as much as ANYBODY
now.
The West was settled by poor people.
When he went to housekeeping he had
not as much furniture as he could tie up
in table cloth; his bed was oak leaves,
that be and his wife gathered in the
woods; but the rise of property had made
these poor folks Almost all rich, and now
he understood some Of these rich Meth
odists were sending their children to dan
cling school. daughter.
He related an anecdote. A Methodist
preacher called at the house of one of
these rich Methodists, and found young
lady in the parlor with her hair curled,
and rings in her ears. Ifshe had one in
her nose she would have been pretty near
an Aborigin. Laughter. He went into
the kitchen and looked around. "Wha:
are you looking for?" said the father
"I'm looking" he replied "to see the
trails OF your pious mother, but it's all
gone. She was the first generation
you are the second, and that thing there
(pointing to the girl with curls is the
third"
He hoped the Methodists of this gen.
ration were pious. but they did not look
like it. 1
Mr.. Parks of Oneida Conference, here
rose to a point of order, Father Finley
had spoken longer than bis time Fifteen
minutes. He had no objection to his con-
tinuing. but hoped he would be kept to
the question. and be didn't see the neces-
sity of his complimenting the ladies so
highly, over the left. On motion the time
vas extended