Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1864-03-19
The Hiorarch aad III. Pries.ly Pae.Osu..

a
From the Chicago Times, February 20I
Ia eur ysstsrdsy's Memphis correspondents,
WAS given the extent OF the powers conferred on
Bishop Anes by the Secretary OF War. 4 form
al order from the Var Department has placed
under the direction Of the bishop all the church
60 belonging to the Msthodiss denomination il
the departments Of Missouri, Tennessee and the
gull. The bishop is authorized to eject any pas
tor now officiating IN said churches, If be Is not
" loysl" minister, and appointed By 10y.
al bishop, and to select and appoint smother
in bis stead.
The generals commanding these departments
and ofieeTs commanding srmys, detAehments,
ard corps and posts, and sll officers in the ser
vice Of the United Ssstss, in the above men
toned departments, sre directed to place at the
direction of Rev. Bishop Ames all houses Of
worship belonging to shS Methodist Episcopal
Church Seuth.
This Is The Language Of 40 order, and the
prolsss upon whom such extraordinary powers
are conferred has entered upon the duties of bis
new and singular Office. How unique and IN
precedentsd i is may be inferred from the fact
that hs, SO & Christian bishop, hs8 taken upon
himself the supreme jurisdiction Of q religious
denomination entirely disconnected with and
foreign TO his own. The Msshodist Episcopal
Church South is an organization entirely inde-
pendent Of th0 jurisdiction of the Methodist
Episcopal church. In Nay, 1916, at q conve8-
ton in Louisville, KY, a separation was for
merly declared, and the jurisdiction Of the gsn-
erAl conference over the eoafsrenees there rep
resented WAS dissolved, and legally dissolved
as the eouTts Of tho United States enforced 3
fair pro rata division Of the church property.
TIE separation of the church was said By Mr..
Clay 20 have EundeTed ene Of the sTongss.
bonds Of Union. and was justly regarded az
-, -
Of cur religious organizations into separate sec
tioual bodies. A references 10 these facts is Tee-
want to this discussions, as thsy show that the
Secretary Of War 10 arbitrarily imposing upon
the Methodist Episcopal church South q I1ris-
dietion il FepudiAtsd before the rebellion, aad
which reputation our laws and courts sus-
tanned, and which the Government and diseip-
line Of the church must have sanctioned, OF o11
courts would not haye Tecognizsd Its validity.
Something Of the tyranny exercised In the sp-
pointment Of Bishop Ames, and the grant to him
Of suthOriiy 50 supreme, ard his acceptance Of
and action in the Office, may be imagined
from the facts we have Tecitsd. If this wers al
the proceeding might be permitted to pass, with
slight comment, among the ordinary trespssssa
upon law and justice aud custom hAbituAl TO the
administration. II the proceeding was a Lawful
one, its despotic character might be forgiven
Bat It is not more tyrsnnous shan it is defiant
of the Constitution, aud Of the discipline and
customs of the church. The Constitution de-
clares:
"CozgEess shall make no laws respecting an
establishment Of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof"
Can It be imagined that those who incorporA-
ted saeh restriction in tbs supreme law coz
tsnplatod tho es sblishmsns of hierarchy, oi
which he Secretary Of War should be chief p
In what portion of the Msthodist discipline, OF
By what rule of government in the eknTeh, do
eleTgymen of thsi denomination derive appoint
msRts from civil officers Whers is il provided
that Bishops Of the Msahsdist Episcopal church
may connect themselves with and supervise
chRrchss beyond the jurisdiction Of the General
Conference, and yet retain their oftiee aud stand
ing in the church.
Following fast upon the appointment ol
Bishop Ames comes the announcement that the
Baptist Home Mission Society" have been EN-
powered by the Secretary Of War to take pos
session of the Baptist churches in the Eebel
S.stes. The agents Of The Home Mission s..
eisiy, as is also the Bishop, His made the judges
of the loyalty which IS to deteTmins thsil
rights Of possession and property. The order
10 somewhat vague upon this point, bat we
think the ecclesiastical sppeintses of SisntoR,
the Hlerarch, may designate the "dsloyaP
ministers, and our officers are required to Gust
| mem hsfe tAe very paK1nent inquiry htla75i
IS 10 the test of loyalty" Is the same rule 20
govern in these departments which was enforced
| in New Hampshire in the case Of EdgaLlJf
With this rule as q eritsFion Of Judgment and
spectators as Judges of those whom they are 70
/ dsspoil, how many ''leyap clergyman can 5s
| fonnd in these departments ARd the same
| roeasures are to be- enforced against ether de
nominations in the rebel States. According g
the rs Of war, church property Is excepted
nom con6seAsi0n, and il is regarded IS vAndal-
ism throughout the Christian weird foE con