The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-05-26


fcosaapondeisee Of tl.e Ciuennaa Garette.l
NASHVILLE, May 2O.--Early yesterday
morning your correspondent, in plain
citizens dress, rode out to City Road
Chapel, seven miles North Of Nashville,
to attend the Tennessee Conference of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
CITY EosD cHArA
This is adilapidated old frame church,
standing in pleasant grove opposite
the residence Of the venerable Bishop
Soule. Around the church, on the
Of the 18th, a few lean horses
and mean looking carriages were col
lected
THE CONFERENCE
Ientered the Conference room Be
hold There sat Joshua Soule and
thirteen preacherSt And this was the
wealthy, proud, domineering Tennessee
Annual Conference Three years ago
il mustered near two hundred ministers,
and every man Of them was a rebel
Lol here are thirteen, and where are
the others Nearly all the Conference
are in the South--many Of them iii
Ihe rebel army. Well, / sat there all
day and listened 20 The graybacks, for
nearly al the ministers We're dressed
in grayback cloth literally.
The names Of the presiding elders
were called, and it seemed that with
one or two exceptions, they had been
south for near two years. But one pre-
siding elder was present. Presiding ell
der Ransom, Of Columbia district, was
reported to be laboring in the Confed-
crate army. He is good mar" some
one remarked Yes, yes, was respond
cd and this was the response, gener-
ally, to the names Of absent members
The great and fiery PRS was mentioned
in terms Of affection.
BISHOP sOULE.
The bishop is eighty-three years old,
and feeble, yet he spoke often and with
clearness. lie inherited from his New
England mother a good mind and body.
lie has been for many years one of the
lords Of MethOdism; but, sitting as /
saw him yesterday, among a little
squad of gray-back preachers, he look
ed like an imprisoned lion. Referring
to the order of the Secretary Of War re-
specting rebel churches, he said 1T
seems that the Secretary Of War at
Washington has become an archbishop
and has been appointing preachers to
churches in the Methodist Episcopal
Church South" lie said the Methodist
preachers of Tennessee were never be-
fore 80 poor, and that they now can see
the force Of the injunction clay not up
for yourselves treasures upon earth,
where moth and rust doth corrupt and
thieves break through and steal" As
he said 'Uiges Jreak through" l hosgkt
he looked North with an expressive
glance But my brethren" he added,
''the Prophets and Apostles suffered be
fore us. He seemed not to have the
slightest convictions that the Tennessee
preachers were suffering the penalty Of
treason. He spoke of his colleagues,
with deep emotion. ~ have not had
word or q line from my respected col
leagues for eighteen months. / don't
know whether they are dead or alive
As the presiding elders had all gone
South, an aged minister asked the
bishop whether he could not appoint
elders to fiji the districts until the others
should resign or return. No he could
not They had been duly appointed to
their work at the last regular confer
ence, and he did not wish to remove
them Our Nashville, McMinnviIle,
Lebanon p Eswent away with Bragg,
and yet the Bishop holds them to their
work, and viii give the people no one
TO take their places. He regards their
as excusable. The Bishop made
a hard hit at the military authorities in
Nashville 81 have been in Nashville
said he, land / have seen churches
turned into hospitals and barracks, but
not a single theatre -
Two men we're ordained The sta
tons OF the preachers, as made at Har-
nersVille two years ago, with changes
since made by P. Els, were confirmed
by the Bishop, and then the conference
adjourned to meet a year hence, at Pu-
laski
WHY THINK THE CONFERENCE REBEL
/. Not a word of prayer was offered
for the Government, not a syllable was
uttered in its favor and no sign of 10y
atty appeared.
2. The rebel resolutions passed at the
session Of the Conference, two years
ago, were not revoked They are, there
fore, virtually readopted
3. Rev NJ Abbey, the book agent Of
their printing house in this city and
publisher Of very nasty rebel Alma
nae, and much other bad stuff, was at
the Conference, aud leading member
He did not say he was sorry for the AZ
manac, with its wishy-washy secesh
songs.
1 Not word Of censure was uttered
the absent brethren, who
are known to be active rebels and in
the Southern army. On the other hand,
they were spoken ofwith the greatest
respect and affection.
8. Not a word was said against the
rebellion
was very closely questioned, you
may be sure, but ] told them that !
was well acquainted with Nallandig-
ham, and that gave me no little favor
but when they saw me some time III the
making note of a remark,
they looked daggers at mo. After that
l sat somewhat uneasy until the pro
were closed, watching my fine
horse through the window As / was
some miles outside of our pickets, and
the only Yankee; save the Bishop,
about, was glad to be in my saddle
again and to gallop back TO Camp,
where / could see the old flag, and look
into loyal faces.
The Forged PrOClamatl0R-AFF Of