The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1862-12-25
tFor the News.

'. --.. '.. For the News.
Extracts from q Recent
Letter of q Southern Methodist
Minister to o Friend in the North
The "Sober Second Thought" Re-
suming Sway. ..5
MR. BoARDIAN:-T send you for
publication the following extracts from
a letter just received from friend and
relative, who has been for eight or ten
years a resident of Nashville, Tenn
Having been most Of that time connect
ed with the Methodist Publishing
House of the Church South, and a Lo-
cal Preacher in that Church, his COM
municatiOn, though not written for
the press, may be of sufficient general
interest to appear in your paper, and not
violate the confidence of a much re-
spected correspondent. 1t is dated
NASHVILLE, Dec. z, 1862.
II agree with you, for the most part,
in your views and sentiments in regard
to the present state of the country, aud
the origin of the war. In the frst out
break l was carried away by the excite
ment of the times and the misrepresen.
tation Of newspapers. believe that
the war is causeless. All the grievan-
ces of which the South complained
could have been remedied pcaceably at
the ballot-box, and the country might
have been saved all the bloodshed and
ruin which have come upon it. I am
heartily sick of tho war, and this is the
feeling of thousands of people 10 the
South.
"All of the Methodist churches here
are closed or occupied by the Federals.
[ attended McKendree Church this
morning, the largest and most infuen.
tial in the Tennessee Conference, but il
is entirely deserted of all Of its large
membership, and the Federals have ex.
elusive possession. The Methodists are
scattered like sheep without a shepherd
they seem to be more obnoxious than
any other denomination to the army
What is the cause? The Publishing
House took the lead in the cause of Sc.
ccssion, and it has resulted in its ruin
All of its officers escaped South before
the city was given up, and nothing has
been seen of them since. McFerrin has
large property here. His farm near the
city has been laid waste and destroyed
The army seems to have particular
spite at the property of prominent reb.
els. The Book Concern men rather
boasted of being original Secessionists
and of taking the initiative in the whole
matter, when they split from the North
ern Church in 1874. But l doubt
now, whether they have not all repented
of their course, when they contemplate
the ruin and desolation which theil
preaching and writing have brought up
on the South. Withdrawing from the
Northern Church and setting up fo
themselves was comparatively an cas-,
matter; but the breaking up of thu
Government they have found ditferen
affair. ... .......
"The saddest feature of the war /
the demoralizing effect which it ha
brought upon the country. The Chris
, tian ministry and the cause of Chris
are brought into disrepute by the con
duct Of those who should have hel,
; themselves aloof from the war question
altogether But a wild mania seems t.
| have seized the minds of the Souther,
peoplo--precipitation was the word, an,
they were hurried, pell NELL into tn
vortex Of revolution. But they hav
had ample time to reflect upon thei
course, and with that reflection ha
, como a different feeling. They begin t
see that they have been duped and le
blindfold by desperate political game
sters, and heartily wish things as the
once were. ..... Ut. A.