Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-10-04

:. this charge or has 10 ever been made again
met Do spend my time Ia the lap Of an ain
: l0aa and luxurious Incidence, or AtteFing ava
In trihes the life and talents which God hs
given me for worthy and noble uaes2 iappei
tor an AnsWer 10 candid men en- all the charge
which have occupied for the fifteen years
my ministry. In particular appeal TO my dill
I, gent studies, to my FIVE sermons on the averag
} per week, TO my weekly leaders meetings, an
to my faithful visitation among nearly fou
hundred members of the church, aud man,
more nos members, during the past year; and
appeal to the exhibits of the statistical record
Of the Conference, which show Ia all respect
thas state OF things and those results Whicl
could ply have been won by seiulous industr,
, In my ,,.. chsfge .H1e
But II the cause Of my "unaccsptabIlIty'
7 does not lie in any Of these facts, Ia What,
pray you, dues Ii lie2 In nothing, cir, obyious
iy nothing, butt my politicsl cqinioas. Theas
Constitute the intolerable fault--"the unpar.
donable sim" What caused my removal from
St. Psuls2 what caused my removal from
DAibyvilie Ciicult2 What but these opInionsi
wa9 not acceptable" In my last charge until
late In the year, political prejudice that 600
Of Bitterness" plantsd by evil hands, began
to "spring up and trouble us7" Why, then,
WAS called more than seventy times to
" minisieS comfort and ediHcation 10 the
beIeaVed--the "ltrioken Of God and aH1lc,edfn
Why did receive 80 many generous proofs
10 private OF esteem and affectlon7 And hov
slse came there to be ground for that singular
COMPLAINT whispered in the cara Of yourself and
she Pfesiding Elder BY men hard pressed for
some slander, that declined one donation and no.
espssd SHothn ?--ihe truth being, however, that
Declined three aud accepted three Others.
| Dnt n mn nnn a
tlon for trllh aud honesty Ia worth farthinR,
that Will even pretend that there was aug6t
elHe that gave just occasion for complaint, In
my conducs through the whole year, except my
political opinions. Il Is true shat certain pa
psEs have been sent here to yourself and nv
Pftsidlng Elder designed 10 affect my appoint
ment, aud bigued By some dozen indictments,
most OF whom enjoy no enVabe fame at homo
for truth, hOneaty, sobsety, or virtue, and some
Of whom haSs designated themselves as "lead.
era" and "steHards," bns arc like come Of old
"who said they we're apostles, and were not, but
did lie." They said, indeed, that formal charges
would have been presented, but 70: lack OF
time. But who does not know that some such
silly plea is the usual resort of lmbecle malice7
| sm gIati6ed TO perceive that the committee
have had the dlacernment and candor to pay no
atttn lion to such shRlloa slandsrs. And nov,
Mr.. President, allow me to ask whether it is
| not mere political prejudice which has been oper-
atng against me here, among the members of
this Conference, for several years past, especial
ly fur the last two or three? Have 1 not had
eyes have not had ears, to see and understand
that there Vas etrong aud growing prejudice
Of this sort heref Did not a young brother of
radical proclivitiea ssy to me a year ago, "Giy-
en- We ell know you are a fine fellow, etc.,
4 - -hnln :, I.,-
account OF your vieWs2' Do not know that
more than one memberot this Conference have
/ been threatening 10 make me trouble here be,
cause they deemed me "Copperhead"--a
''sympathzer," and such like / now appeal to
every man on this floor to answer me this ques-
ton, Do you know of aught against me az
man, as Christian, az minister, or as men,
Der of this Conference, except my views of
questions Of public INTEREST," Do you know of
any thing in me that gravely initiates against
my standing or usefulness 10 tae minIstry, but
this2 -.+
Bat, thirdly, ALLOW me to ask, Mr.. President,
whether there be anything in my political sen.i.
ments which renders NE worthy of oensure2
anything which a loyal and patriotic citizen
may not hodf anything which ought to render
me unacceptable On any circuit or atation In
this Conferenco7" l propose not TO iuquire
whether they be correct, but whether they proye
dislOyalty or want of patriOtism. Sir, an ingen-
uous prldo seorns the imputation, and would
dIsran tho inquiry were IL not for the benefit of
"Eeak brsthren." then humble myself to
consldfr the Qusst0n--snd,
First. What are ny political opinions? /
answer, they are, aud have been, those Of the
great Democratic party, You have them In the
address which l made to friends at my house
last June, and which was afterward published by
their earnest request in "1hs Crisis" and many
other papers throughout the country. 10 this
address, as no doubt many Of you have seen,
declare myself earnestly in favor of three
things, viz: 1.-THE Constitution ga 1t it;" ''the
Union ae it was," and "Hon. c, L. Vsilandig.
ham as the next Governor Of Ohio" And
new additionally declare myself to be strenu.
oualy opposed to maty particulars In the policy
OF the present Federal Administration, espe
cally the coercion of sovereign States, Son
1scation, the proclamation of Emancipation,
the Conscfp.ion bill, arbitrary arrests, and ell
those acts dcre under the plea OF the "war
power" and military necessity" which are
not authorized by the Constitution and AVS OF
the republic, | am opposed to the act of se-
cession by the Southern States, believing that
there was better remedy In the conservative
sentiments OF the patriotic people North and
South tor any danger which existed to the fair
and honorable administration ofths Cove ent
from fEantio and lawless fanaticism. recoe.
nizs Mr.. Lincoln as the lawful Chiet Magistrate
of this republic, and by the q overnment, even
under his Administration, propose TO stand to
the last honr, as God may help me; and yet 4
scarcely reach the full force of my feelings
when declare that am strenuouslg opposed
to many things In his Administration. As /
love the Democratic institutions and the consti-
tutional liberties Of my country, and 90 l am
warned by the ofl-repsated lessons Of history
against toe encroachments OF power, through
plausible pretenses, upon liberty, l feel my
self bound to make oil lawful oppositlon
TO the extraordinary proceedings Of those who
now administer the Federal Government: for
In my Judgment they trsmple on the ConstItu.
ton OF my country in all Its guarantees of
State rights and personal liberty; are subvsrsye
OF the Union Of these sovereign States, as
established by the Constitution, aud atrociously
perseeute one OF the noblest patriots and ablest
stAtasmen which this country ever prod -
While say this do not forget that the mem
hers of this Conference have within the iaet
three days been netvously exhorted BY most
sosmn coasidsratlols, to "put their foot on
CoppssheAdism;" nor that they have declared
that they regard all who are opposed to the
policy OF !his Naturalization as traitors to their
coun J"--I do not forget such utterancss, nor
/ do | Iegerd them: aud moreover. l summit