Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-01-04


luton of that Church it did not follow that all re
gion at an end so, trust, with the dissolution
of our existing Union of the States, it will not fol-
low that all good government is at an end. As the
declaration of independence was rSoclaimed-tlle
revolution fought-liberty achieved, and law and
order established, before present Union, so l
trust and believe these blessings will continue after
the Union has ceased to exist believe that in the
Providence of God the separation of your church
was intended to the end that infdeiity might not
obtain possession of the entire body as is likely to be
the case with the Northern wing of it. So, if dis
solution of our present Federal Union must take
place honestly believe it will have wisely been
dained by Providence to us from the crazed IA
naticsm of the North, and to the end that good gov
eminent and model Republic may still be preserved
among the people of America,
Respectfully, your friend
F. c. DUNNINoroN.
NASHVILLE Dec. 26, 1860.
+ +. C. DuNN1NGToY EsQ-Dsdr Sir: Your favor of the
oath inst. was received to-day, and | reply briefly
You aware, that though decided in my political
sentiments, have ever refrained from any partici-
patton in political discussions Being minister of
the Gospel have ever regarded il inexpedient for
me to enter the arena of politics. l have had
enough to do to study and proclaim the doctrines
of the Gospel aad to advance far as in me lay
the Church of Christ. Yet have not been an idle
or Indifferent spectator. have been for years
watching the movements of the various parties
which divided the people, and especially have l
watched the movements of AbOitiOnists at the
North Ny attention in this direction has been the
more fully drawn, because of the difficulties in
Church to which you allude in your letter. have
been satisfied for years. that in the North there is
strong sympathy between religionists and designing
politicians. The former have become fanatics and
the latter selling upon the morbid state of feeling
existing among church members, have appealed to
| their preJudices and passions until many who call
themselves christians, feel that they doing God
service in opposing to the last extremity slavery
and Shareholders. Hence Aboitionists not only de-
nounce the institution OF slavery, but they declare
OneHOlDShip with all christians and christian min
listers who tolerate slavery or Shareholders; they
sing, pray and preach against Shareholders and feel
it to be their bOunden duty, first to rid the Church
of the sin of slavery and secondly to prosecute
their labor of love till the bonds shall fall from
every slave in the South. From an early period
in the history of our Church. this war against sla-
| very in some form or other haR been wag d. Now,
a rule was introduced or a resolution passed to put
shareholders under the ban or to exclude them from
the Church: then it was modified or repealed and
! reenacted, ever changing according TO the times.
The enemies of the South were thus ever eyincing
spirit of restless intolerance. The South had many
reasons to complain and many an occasion to with
draw from their fanatica brethren but they depre-
Gated the idea of separation. Their Church WAS a
] great Church. a growing Church. the largest Pro
| testant Church in the United States q federated
Church, united in bond, from the lakes Of Cana
| da to the line of Mexico. Separation would break
| their force, destroy in a measure the prestige of
their name. Ay more, it would be a source of bit
terness and strife, the OF elimination and re-
elimination and blight to many of their cOnnec-
| tlonal institutions.
From these and similar considerations, the South
for many years endured the contradiction of the
members Of their own family; In the meantime con-
tending for their rights and hoping that better day
| would come, and that wise counsels would at last
| obtain. Sometimes they would gain temporary
victory, but this only stimulated their brethren at
! the North to greater zeal.
! In 1874 the question came up in new form.
] Bishop Andrew of Georgia, had married a lady
who owned few slaves, and Mr.. Harding, of Mary
/ land, had also become the owner of two three
| slaves by marriage. The General Conference, in
the latter case affirmed his suspension, and the case
Of Bishop Andrew declared that il was nexpedient
for him to exercise his Office in the church, because
of his connection with slavery.
| Against these actions the Southern members en-
! tered their solemn protest. They portrayed the
evils that would follow, they declared that their
ministrations 10 the slaves Of the South would be
cut off if they submitted; in a word, that all would
be ruin and 1isasteri that the church would be rent
| m twain
The Bishops of the church interposed and asked
the General Conference to postpone action for four
years this awaited nothing. Bishop Soule, the senior
superintendent, placed himself upon constitutional
grounds and declared their action in violation of the
! Constitution of the Church; this awaited naught.
The majority went forward, and regardless of the
rights and feelings Of the South laid Bishop Andrew
under official disabilities, amounting to a virtual
! deposition, thus attempting to degrade him for no
! other cause than that he wss connected by mar
riage with an excellent Southern woman. who owned
f; few slaves.
| Here was cause for division The united South
| moved for a separation, and demanded 'plan" Sc
curing to them their rights, determining not TO re-
J turn home prescribed and trodden down.
That plan included provision for ratification
by the Annual Conferences in the South. The ques-
ton was submitted to the congregations and quarterly
meeting conferences and then TO annual conferences
! who, by overwhelming majorities, amounting al
most to a perfect unanimity, declared in favor of
! separation Thus we come 10 a division, and have
/ tins day united church in the South, based upon
| Apostolic grounds. We have excluded everything
from our book of discipline on the subject of slave
ry, and on New Testament grounds preach Christ to
/ the master and the slave
Since the separation and the settlement of the
property question. we have had but little collision,
except along the border we have occasional Skin
| mishIng. Our church South, in all her interests
and institutions has enjoyed prosperity, and now
| we have new open doors for further usefulness.
Our numbers have greatly increased, and our mis-
sions especially among the colored population, have
very much enlarged.
low lar the parallel runs between the action of
| taeF Northern States, and Northern politicians and
NortRerns ethodst conference and Northern Metho-
| DIST preachers, leave you and others to Judge
Whether or not, we have sufficient cause now to
dissolve the Union, or whether we should wait for
further Developments, il perhaps does not become
me 70 say in this place. but will saw that most
sincerely hope, that the South win act wisely nru-
IDENTITY and harmoaiously; and if dissolution does
come let the South present an unbroken 'front.' plan
ed upon the Constitution.
Doing right we have nothing to fear. If we are
true to God and true TO ourselves, we have right
to trust in Him whose eyes are over the righteous
and whose ears are open to their prayers"
| have heard it intimated, that the cause of all
the present trouble, is justly chargable to the
preachers and especially TO Methodist preachers
who divided the church and set bad example to
politicians.
To such an mputation would reply that South
ern Methodist preachers could not have done less
than they did. Had they submitted their mission
in the South would have ended they could no
longer have preached to the slaves, nor would they
have been respected by the citizens of the South.
Moreover prohibition was laid upon them, by the
majority not authorized by the law of the church.
nor the law Of God. All the enactments on the
subject of slavery we're innovations upon the orig
nal constitution of the church. Aud furthermore
the people in their primary assemblies determined
to sustain the action of the preachers and Instructed
| them to divide which was solemnly done in con-
vention year after the offensive action of the
general conference ofylS44 transpired.
In the separation OF the Methodist Church, the
doctrine and poiy ofthe Church were retained in the
South, and We brought with us the senior Bishop,
whs maintained that the South lad stood on consti
tutional grounds and were not seceders but a CO.
ordinate branch Of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
and was entitled to her rights and privileges the
same az before the separation. So the Supreme
Court of the United States decided aud decreed 10
the Southern Church those rights and privileges
How far the analogy may be traced between the
Church and the States and how far the action of the
one influenced the other, shall not pretend to say
but sure am that the Southern Church acted pro-
perly and has had the sanction of the Great Head
Of ihe Church.
srs