Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-04-24
CoRRESPoNDENCE.
Brother s. Gress;agr

Do . F|NH4 30 Hf#.E .NF ID
i DEAR SiR4As . Christian brother ]
address you In this way, because the honor
Of religion; the Triumph Of liberty, civil
and religious; the welfare Of our country,
and tho cause Of truth and right have equal
.ly, with you and me, a common interest in
the subject Of this correspondence. You
are . member Of tho NJ. e. Church, and an
Editor Of . public Journal, and must cor
Hsequently exert an influence proportioned
tosyoar wsisAgsf noraA "a r~elisioasohss-
Some of the hte issues Of your journal have
struck-us-with astonisbment, and, we arc
constrained to sly, with ~sorroio, too When
We noticed the announcement Of your new
position as editor, We felt a thrill Of pleas
ure JOY indeed, that . Christian brother
vas about being placed in position to exert
q healing influence upon community, and
upon our distracted country. W. hoped
yop would be conservative, at least.
The prominence you have so porsevering-
" given ID slavery. has led us to look over
the doctrine. the discipline, and history Of
your Church On that subject. We had pre-,
sumed you honestly beloved the doctrine.
and assented 10 the discipline Of your own
Church, and could not ignore these by de.
Tending a system, for whose ''ertrpatioa,''
as dsess yobis - . member, arc pledged to
We had, TOO, somehow formed the opinion
that you could not Be. o S~ecessionist, o,
sympathl ser With Southern Secession, eithel
ecclssissdcaHy or politically. That yor
should referto slavery, occasionally, in you
journal is not At all strange; for the found
ing, the rise, progress, spread, history
doctrine, discipline and administrations o
your Church, and the labors of the yer,
aower Of her ministry. time immemoriai
from John Wesley to Bishop Simpson-al
are identified with the discussion, 'condem
ssii to t b !. e.ssss.as .F''P b., 'i 70 3. i :, ~ a.
passing strange to fnd tho whole weight 0
beariss dirsetly against the creed Of you
OWu V00IOut 0u0 ~ A8vQI " 110vOIys OO
i any time on sho subject Of Inc pressn
rebellion, your influence u editor Il man
EstL ees,jortaM 10 rebsis and encouraginI
IL sbs essss Fl thS rebellion.
These thin6s distinctly nsrkcd 90 slmos
every issue, forced 9poo our udBd, 10 read
TSet md ahsac{ : S~eeesdosss bctk i
fcivil and religious thihgs. The STATES Soutl
4 have sscsdsd from ~ 6overnmeut Of ID
United Ststes. The N. r. Church 8out
has seeded from che N. E.,hChurch {
North America. Aud b. every koMess, In
/, telligeut man the oasss b hsotss 70 BE- slas
Nor do We 6ud fault or hipk strange IN,
lin every sheet Of your Issue you dissuG
slavery. Though you should evss Wy I
avoid is discussion, ell, IN spite Of you
sslf, YOU dissuss-ryoa setate the question
|, Sir ths discussion Of tbs ccn~trabsndthin
il upon ~. It'd discussed b. the patiot
|. Of IN Chfistsndom. Il psu u discuaset
And when you oan lave dry the Atlant
With & spoons and whom you can arrest II
rush Of Lake Erie down the Niagara by
= resm of your Gasetts, then may you arre
the discussion OF this universally discuss(
thing. II IL, and must be the question:
! the sas. Nothing but sheer stupidity y
v ignore or evade It,. And since you Wild
evss II yourself, can Il b In good taste
! deny To- othsrsths right Of free discnssit
because thsis views diGsr from youyf y
Brother q ts love candor and oonsii
sssy. We loya argument, reason, fAs
philosophy, history .o9,c, experiences :,
sltheif sognAtss, IA the dipcpasioos OF
lnrbliA iournaliyt. Hut We ! are Meth
\ plsAsed nor instrsptsd1 nshlhsr enlightsn
d nos es4yinesd; nor are We Asftersd IN 2
~ b. ssd same naeo1nsisSons. A1ett
I'D T.ssrss by hau1isd epithsta bcssoysd: f!t
.hssyos.bSl.sz e I'VE isns.sss .saS. violc
bscias sssAet isisdsat Church. !