Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-10-12
NORTHERN METHODIST CHURCH AND MR.
NJ

F0rhs hn9HrT.
NORTHERN METHODIST CHURCH AND MR..
LETCBER.
Messrs. Editors :-ln booking over your issue OF
the fret instant, | cav, with some surprise, the follow.
iry editorial paragraph, which you will be good enough
TO re- publish, in order thar what | any OF it may be
the more readily comprehended:
The correspondent of q New York daily paper has
already seized upon the urgency of Mr.. Letcher TO
bring scandal upon q religious denomination ct our
State: an unjust and unfounded charge has been made,
that the NJ e,honist Church, sympathizin9 with anti.
slavery sentiments, would support MIR. Letcher, be-
csuse of his osst anti .slavery views. This same New
York correspondent, writing from Lexington, has even
insinuated shat Mr.. Letcher did not reply to Dr.
| Ruffner, because be feared any dlsavowal a. this time
would injure his cause with the Methodist church,
and, strange to cay. neither Mr.. Letcher nor hs friends
have repelled the insinustion. Thus the very urgency
with which Mr. Letcher is pressed. is made the occh-
| sion of unjust insinustion against the soundness OF a
religious denomination TO the institution OF slavery. IL
! his mere advocacy for the nomination bsa produced
| such charges, what ia 10 BE- Expected from The same
source, ehould he be elected
an IN advocate fo- Mr.. Letcher's nomination, nor
do | know anything Of The correspondent OF the New
York Times" lie may or be may not speak the truth.
Bat ! ain pretty sure the object OF the Times .
writer wns 10 injure Mr.. LeIcher in the Valley OF Vir
.iaia. Convince the people Of this Valley, that the
meubers Of the Northern Methodist Church are at
work 10 elect John Letcher Governor OF Virginia,
and you need nothing more 10 drive every sound
| D.mccra. aud Old Line Wing forever away from his
support. True. this Church has considerable in.
A.sncr in tue Valley and West Of the Alleghanies,
wiz & considerable membership; but The whole com
biued :or L.tcher, would be but rs a drop in the ocean,
compared with the losI he wouId inevitably sustain
trom cnliusion with an anti slavery organization, such
ns the Northern Methodist Episcopal Church is known
u be.
/ do not intend TO say q single word Of the Northern
! Methodist Church, which they do not say OF them
| -~ives, and boasiiugiy cay. They declare to the
world that they are anti slavery, and glory 10 their
succsssta! propagation of anti slavery views. uenc,,
I nave no doubt this Times man mean: to inlure
Mr. Lsicher by his Instructions.
You, Messrs tditor-. | humbly submit, have done
this Methodist Church North an injustice. You speak
in the above paragraph OF "unjuat insinuations agalnet
their soundness." Now, if you mean by this that
they are sound on the question OF domestic slavery,
~ 1t exists in the Southern States, you unquestionably
misrepresent them -unin;entionaily, doubtless-snd
would thereby rob them Of the brightest jewel in
their crown, as they believe. This CHURCH anti
shartryism, in Western Virginia, ia a question Of no
little Importance, and the leading Democratic paper
in the State should treat il as IL deserves. 2. ).