Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-07-04
THE gINT.ELLIG.:t.E5I5.NIl55Cl=F,,RlE {: t.5I5
The Methodist Conference
and the Texan Mob.
LETTER FROM BISHOP JANns

. d n
WE have already published some accopnt of
the late disturbance, by mob, of the NJ
Conference, which assembled at Timber [,ro,l-
heSas' we have now before ms the statement
o1 n Blshop james, which we find in the Western
CHr'stian Adroeats of Wednesday last This
statement is too long for our columns, and we
must be content with presenting the moro inn
Portant portions of it TO our readers. After
lew preliminary remarks, in which the Bishop
styles the occurrence violation of the Consti.
tuition Of the United States, which cxpresslv
OF dams that "the citizens ofeach State shall be
entitled to all the privileges and imnunities of
citizens of the several States" and also of the
sacred rights of speech and of conscience, he.
proceeds: 81 .
The Arkansas annual conference of the Meth.
odlst Episcopal Church met at Timber Greek
Famn county, Texas, on the l1th day of last
March The conference proceeded with its
business pleasantly up to Saturday evening, at
which time the conference, being small, had SO
nearly finished its work that We might have
adjourned sine die without Inconvenience
But the brethren felt that it would be pleasant
to retain their conference association overzthe\
SaNoath, a"d therefore adjourned to meet at
six oclocl; on Monday morning TPhis early
hour was fixed upon because the brethren,
most Ct whom came to the conference on horse.
back desired to make a full days ride on their
return journey.
Soon after reached my lodgings some breth.
ren came i'll and informed me that public
meeting had that afternoon been held i'm the
ourt mouse ut Bonhum, about three miles from
the seat of the conference, that very inilam,na.
tory speeches had been made, that great excite
| ment had been created, and that they were com.
IlTlV nc off u
them TO be careful motto give any just cause of Of
tenSe, and prayerfullY await the hour and reli-
siouSIy meet its responsibilities. Approaching
my position, as president of the conference /
te!t iorsmySelt but one anxiety, that was to do
right, to fully meet nv obligations to all 1ariieS
ana interests concerned. a social meeting had
been appointed for nine o'clock on Sunday
morning. The sacrament Of the Lords supper,
was 10 be administered as part Of the service.
1t was announced that would preach at eleven
o'clock and ut the close OF the sermon ordain
| the dcacons. Only one person had been elected
10 elders orders, aud he had been ordained on
Friday At the appointed hour all the minis
ters and most OF our ncnbcrs in the place were
present, and united in the exercises of social
meeting. The speaking of the brethren and
sisters were Intelligent and! spiritual. A very
devotional spirit was manifest Near the close
1l the Sel Vice the sacrament of the Lords sup.
per was administered, aud the members of our
Church and the memhers Of other Churches
present generally partOok of it. At eleven
0cIosl commenced the more public servicc--
The house was not FULL though for the place the
audience was good in point Of numbers; in my
opinion was not as large as it would have been
but for the apprehension Of disturbance and per-
haps violence While reading the Scrinture
lesson, incidentally lifted my eyes in the direc.
ton OF n window and saw the mob approaching
the church. They were mounted on horseback.
ana marching with considerable regularity, as
] tNo 80, Il,
OF them, in platoons of from three to five
The Bonham paper states their number to
nave eecn about two hundred. think most of
them We're armed. The rcvolvcrs and bowie
knives of some of them were exposed
During prayer they gathered around the
cnurch' While singing the second hymn, as
many as could crowded into The church At
the close of the singing | commenced giving
ont my text. AT the same time their "spokes2
man, as he Styled himself standing about half
way up the aisle, said, "Do | address the Bish-
OPP made no reply, but continued giving
out OF! my text. lie repeated, ''Do La,ldreSs the
BlshoI'! then replied, 81 am Bishop of the
Methodist Episcopal Church." He then said,
II have an unpleasant duty to perform, and
presume it will be equally unpleasant to Won"
He then described the meeting at Bonl,am the
previous Gay; when, looking round upon his
associates, and pointing. me to them, hc said,
'Ihis large and Respectable committee was mn.
,
nnd make known to you the determination of
the meeting" lie then called upon one Of his
company to read to us the resolutions adouted
at the meeting.
The following are the resolutions adopted by
the meeting:
Whereas, as secret foe Turks in our midst
known as the Northern Methodist Church, en-.
tertainng sentiments antngoniStic to the insti.
tuition of slavery, and the manifest intention Of
whose northern coadjutors is to do away with
slavery in these Uaitcd States; and whereas,
the further growth of, this enemy would tbe,
likely to endanger the perPetuity of that insti.
tuition in Texas; and whereas, sentiments dia-
mctrically opposed to the Interests of the south
have been. this day publicly proclaimed upon
our streets by minister of said Northern. Meth.
odiSt Church; therefore belt , not
Resolred, !. That the Methodist Church hay-
ing separated into divisions north and south.
the organization ofa northern branch Of that
Church in our midst as n screen behind which,
to hide the enssaries of northern POLITICAL
faction known as abolitionists is dangerous to
our interests, and ought not, therefore, to be
tolerated by the people of Texas.
q That the public denunciation of the insti-
tuition of slavery, and the public assertion by n
minlstar of their Church to the effect that the
Northern MethodiSts designed the extirpationl
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