Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1865-11-28

preached Q political sermon, yet you could sing
the doxology at time and under circumstances
when the Conference might have been mistaken
by a stranger, for one of the political assemble
ges in old Tammany, in times Of high party ex-
citement. angels pept to see the impious beha-
vior of conference calling themselves the Lords
anointed, and whose blood d-thirsty spirit would
have done credit to the French population in the
days of Murat and Robespierre. Shade of Otter
bein Could you have been permitted to visit
earth, and have entered that convocation of bish-
ops and clergy, who professed to represent the
church, founded by you, would you not exclaim,
chow prophetic the language of the sainted As
bury, taksa from the sv5 to comet" s" Yet, you do
not rest content with singing the doxology, but
you participate in the adoption of some dozen
resolutions, that for bitterness and uncharitable-
ness, might have been concocted in some political
caucus. Time and. space forbid reference to
them all. ssResolved, that We see in secession, i,
treason and rebellion, the moral turpitude Of the
sin of slavery and in the wanton and wicked as
sassination of our good and beloved Chief Magis
trate, the elimination of that iniquity." You
have spen the most of your life in community
of shareholders. Did you believe all that you
said in that resolution, especially of the charge
contained in it's last clause? categorical an
swer is desired. Did you really thank God. as
you say in the 7th resolution, for the capture of
jeff. Davis and staff, and if so, how did you man.
age to conceal SO perfectly your sentiments from
yeur neighbors and friends here You said in
the 9th resolution that justice demanded the exc
cution of Davis, Lee, johnson and the leaders of
the rebellion, and that mercy to them was COM
plcity with crime" Did you sanction that reso-
luton from the bottom of your heart cate
gorcal answer is desired In the 10th resolution
you say that 'sw believe that those persons and
churches that have and do still defend slavery,
and plead for its diuiniN, to be deeply implicated
in the crime of treason and murder, and as being
unworthy of Christian fellowship" Do you so be-
lieve? Do you remember ever to have seen or
heard Of any church in the South pleading for
the divinity of slavery If so, when and where?
You have oftentmes been invited by your breh-
ren, Of other denominations, to preach for them,
and it may be, to the communion table. If so,
did you accept the invitation, and sit down with
slave holders If you answer in the affirmative,
how you reconcile your conduct with the
truth of this resolution
The 18th resolution says "we rejoice to know
&c. Now that slavery is ascending to sehere it
came from Sc.' Where do you meant Was it
to the devil and if so how could you reconcile
it to your conscience to sit with shareholders at
the table of the Lord Where do you get the
proof of its descending to the devila Please
explain. But to go back to the 9th resolution,
which passed Intentionally for a time. You
say ssthat we deplore the loss OF the many brave
men who have falieu in defence of the Cove rn-
ment, and deeply sympathize with the many,
who mourn the loss of loved Ones" This re-
fsrs, Of lourse, to the soldiers of the q. s. army
yet let me inquire, if yo1 and the clergy and
laity of your church, have felt no symp athy
for the thousands of brave men in our Con-
federate army, who made th emselves a bul
wark, be tween our cruel foe, and you and your
families, and your property7 Have you not felt
sym pathy for the few brave and noble men Of
your own Church, such as Accord and others who
lell in righteous cause AS you pass to and
fro thro' your diocese since your return from
the last Conference, do you meet the same kin d
and cordial greeting you were accustomed to
receive, outside CT your own Church, before the
ware If not, have you asked yourself, why it is
SO? All your sympa thy was expended in owa
upon those sold iers who did, for four years
visit pom US so much affliction and suffering,
and your nei ghbors, and for mer friends, remem
Der this against you. Does it surprise you!-
How many of your brethren, of other denomina-
tions, have invited you into their pulpits since
your return An answer is desiied. AS re-
marked before, your Church has, fer years, aid
ed IN preparing the public mind, in the North,
to precipitate this war upon us. You know this
to be true. You aided in preparing the minds
Of your people in Virginia, if lot to take up
arms against her, at east to assume a position
hostile to her, in this, that they avoided, by al
means in tbeir power, to aid her, which, as
have shown, was clearly their duty. Youi
and their sympatties were manifestly, upmista
ka bly,, with the n orth, as has been most con
clusively demonstrated. So, Bishop, when mex
you mount your horse, and turn your face to-
wards the Sou tf1w est, and have travelled les
than twenty miles from your door, you may
pass spot ever memorable as the scene of
foul and cruel murder, perpetrated by tina
arch -iend of hell, DaUe Hunter, and as your ey,
re SITS on the tree, from which dangled the body
of that pure, brave, noble minded martyr, Dapit
Creigh, you may sigh,Iand exclaim, s'alas that
should ha We aided by my teachings to have per
petrated such crime.' Pass on few miles, in
dulging in this feeling Of remor Sc, and ere there
has been time enough to calm your feelings
the bare and crumbling walls Of what was, a few
months ago, the ssVirginia Military Insttut te, ,
the reso TT of so many of the youth Of the South
engaged in securing the inestimabie benefits O
| liberal education, and ever hallowed spot
from the associations that connect it with
the name of Jack son, and fresh pans
enters your soul, as you remember thai
your teachings aided in melting that child
of the devil (Dave Hunte) to commit il
to the flames. You cast your eye across the
lawn, and it instinctv ely peers around to find
the tomb of that brave Christian soldier, the i'm.
mortal Jackson, VIII ich was desecrated by the
ruthless hands of Vanda1 soldiery, and you
sigh again, and exclaim. ssOh for draught from