The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-05-21

Do you not, leaders of our church,
when you let your minds revisit the
scenes Of other days, where, after -four
years Of arduous and severe trial in
the vineyard of God, you meet those
veterans Of the cross, witnessing the
happy faces and cheerful countenances,
feeling the warm grasp of friendship,
and hearing the welcome, "God bless
you, when you go over these hours,
remaining only in memorys waste, do
you not regret they never return, and
can you not express yourself in the
familiar couplet,
"What peaceful hours l7c once enjoyed,
How sweet their memory still
But they have let an sching void,
This world can never all"
Divided, severed as we are, we are
deprived of their friendly aid and wise
oounsels. Who can say We can do
without them? Do we not need their
prayers2 Do we not want their SYM
pathy, their advice, their knowledge,
to help US. If we could have done
without them in the past, we cannot
afford to do without them now. Our
church edifces are despoiled, our
means to erect new ones limited, in
some districts none at all, our publish
ing interests and periodicals disarrang-
ed, in truth, the entire paraphesnalia OF
a complete and successful organization
broken up, and left to ourselves, it will
require many years before we shall be
capable of carrying forward to any
great degree the cause of God, and
thereby the restoration of civil rule.
These difficulties, with others which
may suggest themselves, will create an
adverse tide against US, and it will de-
mand the Hottest genius combined with
all the individual resources of our
church, 10 stem the torrent and out
ride the storm / am not prepared to
say such an effort would be fruitless.
but what could learning, genius if you
please, and individual sacrifice, how
ever cheerfully given, do against 'res
sources and numbers" Other contest
ants, entering the field unencumbered
with equal embarrassments would be
capable Of out doing Us and leaving Us
far ii the rear, to drag along with fee
bic churches and weak memberships,
until perhaps they would sicken and
die, and the organization, like some
once towering and magnificent build
ing, crumble into dust by its own weak
ness.
do not behold any difficulty in the
way Of our church restoration. We
shall 20 back to that church n which
our fathers and now sainted mothers
lived and reioiced in their day The
church Of Asbury and Wesley, Of Jesse
Lee, Hope Hull, Cosden, Taylor, Of
Phillip, Wager and Coleman, and a host
Of Others too numerous now to speak
Of whose iIlustrious Gervices viii be
remembered to the last period Of re-
/ corded time. Their spirits, bending
from heir celestial habitatiou, impiore
us 10 return to that church which God
did 50 abundsntly bless IN their time.
Yes, there is a something about it that
draws our hearts to it We shall carry
the same discipline, the same organize
ton With us, deprived only Of the ele
ment Of our discord, and the source Of
our national woes. We will be happy
! in it. There they stand ready to re-
ceive u.s. They Will reciprocate our
| feelings and actions, and there will be
re-enacted those heaven-born scenes
recorded by the Evangelist Luke. sand
he arose and came to his father But
when he was a great way of, his father
saw him, and had compassion on him
and ran and fell on his neck and kissed
him. And the son said Father have
4. siuned against heaven and in thy sight
and am no more worthy to be calleC
thy SON. But how affectionately anC
with what feeling the father responded
But the father said to his servants
3 Bring forth the best robe and put it Of
him and put RUG on his hand, en-,
shoes on his feet, and bring hither tn
fatted calf and kill It, and let Us ca
A., and be merry"
, Buried be all that has been done,
Or say that nauyht Is done amiss :
I For who the dangerous path can shun
b In such bewidering world a. this
But love can every fault forgive,
Or with a tender look reprove,
r And now let Uaught in memory live
But that we meet and that we Lore"
t As ever, your brother,
I W B. CMCmow.
Murfreesboro, May 8, 1855.