The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-05-21
sIasllrille Maiorl.
VII. CAMERON s CO., Publishers,
SUNDAY, MAY q, 1865.
10 fhe MefhodIsts Of Tennessee.

are uttered. The principles ana views
to which | now wish to call your atten-
ton, have no need of "letters Of COM
mendation, to recommend them to
your unbiased judgment. They are
such, we believe, as shall live, survive
and flourish in perennial freshness
when their opposites and centrairies
shall, for ages, been buried beneath the
restless and destroying hand Of time.
Like the dimly shining stars of morn
ing, hid away behind the thin veil of
summers cloud, but family seen, with /
their feeble light by the lonely watch
err So these views and sentiments con-
cealed for the present, they may be, by
the clouds Of prejudice, viii in days to
come, come forth like those stars all "a
diant and bright, and as they higher
and higher ascend toward the zenith
grow brighter and brighter until our
whole church shall rest under their
benign and sweet influence. They de-
rive their value and efficiency of them
selves not of the hand that gives them
expression and form.
Moreover / speak because it IS an
endeared prerogative of every member
of our noble church to freely canvass
and discuss those questions and poll
cies which have for their aim and end
the welfare and perpetuity Of our or
ganization. You will, therefore, re-
gard whatever is entertained in this
as we'll as that in the former epis-
tie as proceeding from no factious spir
it, but only from disposition to
contribute my small aid 70 forward
the car of truth and the cause of our
church. And while it is right, a priv
ilege, guarateed to US, we should con
slider it a service Of duty.
What more appropriate time could
be selected than now to draw up the
reins of our minds and bend the enerS
gies and powers Of our understandings
to those subjects that 50 Immediately re-
late to our spiritual as we'll as temper
al happiness. Now that the whole ma
ton from shore to shore, from noun
tain top to the vale below is draped in
the habiliments Of mourning and robes
of honorable respect In these hours
of sorrow which surely comes to every
breast, whether in the city full or the
country waste, in consequence Of the II
reparable loss which we have .sustGin-
ed, there will be moments Of soser
thoughts, and cool, impartial calcula-
tions. You cannot fail 20 allow your
minds, at such season OF grief, to run
back on the road of life over which we
have lust travelled and search out pri-
marily the cause Of so dreadful Ca
lamity. Hostile division, hate and
spleen, bearing their legitimate fruits
ever, has always been in every age, sus-
ceptible of producing evils of as mar
yelous and infamous nature. 1t ever
. bears banner red with the blood Of
Annocency and dark with a multitude
Of crimes And while the heart mourng,
:; while the shadow rests heavily upon
u our bosoms, let US learn how solemn,
{ how fraught with suffering and mis-
n chief, how dark and repulsive is that
spirit teaches US to hate our northern
brethren. and ostrscise ourselves from
them, that seeks by insidious airs and
the tongue of deception, to raise bitter
ness in our hearts towards them, to di
!, vide, to separate ourselves from and
look upon them az unworthy Of oul
trust and association appeal to you
aged and venerable men Of God, who so
soon must disappear from the scene o.
this earthly frame; whose locks are wet
with the dews of many summers, whose
voice now low and tremulous, and th'
htful fame Of whose life burns low t
the socket, ready at the masters call t.
90 out in death forever, did you no
enjoy yourselves with those brethren
before the spirit Of division entered in
to your minds2 and those Of our young
er brethren?
y And ye, reverend ministers of Chris
whose burning elequence glowed ant
warmed the vast multitude, that hun
entranced upon your words did yo
not eni oy yourselves, when in days G
. yore, you sat down by our brethren {
the North in the Conference Hall, an
retired together to the same chambe
of consultation. Did you not find thel
as able, as efficient, as far-reaching, &
L generous, as broad in heart as you
y selves? When they spoke, did q,
their words fash with as much FIRE
eIoquence as your own7 Were the
@. not as ready in debate, as flowing
an speech, as eminent IN learning as pun
in character2 Did not the multitude
bend over the altar, with equal iuteres
with the same breathless attentio
ats while one of their number lifted hiI
self up to some imperial thought, az
argument vasl2 l have no doubt VIII
your response will be. You can but a
swer yea The history Of our Generj
. Conferences, upon due examination
will be found 70 contain unbroken te
timony TO your answer. Look int
their books Of sermons and they vi
=. exhibit as-mueh of those high qualti
in that constitute true greatness Of mil
e, and heart, as any ever published in Of
St'ates South. And after al enquir
he there viii still be left minority vi
es. will persist in denying 10 them the
Jog lust need Of praise Yet the jud
ment od mankind, history, a record
"a lust, clear and impartial decision
oTs drawn f.Dm what things are, rath
than what they seem, will declare,
= unmistaksSb le terms, the equal oEpst
", learning, genius, eloquence, Of O
brethren North, with those Of t
South. ItIuay appear pourile to Sol
that we shou ID pause to consider
vs. question, whittier the southern chul
.Hry has ADLER men than the northern
co.. Knowing as / do how wide sPre
such doctrine is-and the habit 81
. view has had upon our people Sou
ITO cause them t . think more highly
themselves than they ought to thu
. to be pulled up above measure it