Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1865-11-22
From the Press and Times.
TOM INC IItss anu IIlIts'
To the Tenn eSSee Conference.

Jfyou will not regard it as presumptuous
in an humble layman, l will make a few
suggestions to you. have been a member
of the Methodist Episcopal Church for
more than twenty years, and ever since the
word South has been attached to it. l
have been q member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South. During that pc
Rod have tried to keep in good standing,
and no allegations have ever been made
against me of drunkenness, gambling, OF
any other crimes against the laws of my
church OF government, either State or Fed
eral. | have helped to pay the preachers,
and support the Church. Feeling that
those antecedents will entitle me to q hear
ing by all good men, [ beg your indulgence
while l make few suggestions for your
consideration.
see published'in the city papers series
Of Resolutions, which are said to have been
adopted unanimously, and among others is
the following
l. That we regard all wars, and especially
civil wars, rs sore calamities, and that we
deplore the desOlation Of our common cOUn-
try in the late sanguinary conflict, which
deluged our land in blood, and carried
poverty, grief and sadness to thousands Of
families in our once happy country.
am much gratiied to see this resolution
adopted unanimously, for have no doubt
but that it speaks the truth. And the sUg-
gestion have to make to you upon it is,
that inasmuch as YOU have declared AL
wars, and especially civil wars, as sore
calamities, that you examine among the
preachers of the Tennessee Conference, and
ascertain if any Of them have been using
their influence Or position, to bring upon
the country the "sGre calamities which
have brought such "desolation upon our
common country" Hundreds and thousands
of our brethren have been killed, numbers
OF our sisters have been made widows, and
their children penniless orphans. In other
words, the late '!civil war to which you
refer, has been an intOlerant and infamous
crime, for which somebody is responsible;
and, | will here add, that it is rumOred
through the community that some of the
Methodist preachers Of the Episcopal
Church South have had something to do in
getting it up and carrying it on. respect
fully suggest to you that you poll the Con
ference, and if any of its members OF the
preachers under your control, have been
guilty of any acts unbecoming 4 minister
of Christ or have violated any Of the laws
of our discipline or Government, that you
do yourselves and the Church the justice
to deal with them in such way as to leave
the Church without rcproach before the
world. Our ministers must come to their
work with clean hands and pure hearts, or
our Church Is ruined! | do not think it
would be proper for you to make any inves-
tigation in relation TO parties out of your
Church, for that might subject you to the
imputation Of being meddlesome, and going
into matters not proper for preachers OF
the gospel to interfere with; but it is your
peculiar province and especial duty to
closely and thoroughly look into the char
acter and conduct of your preachers, and
the Church and the world expects and dc
mands that you should keep them straight.
Will You, for the sake Of our cause and the
character Of our Church. investigate the
conduct of the preachers, and let the world
know who Of them you regard as worthy
of public confidence and sympathy as min
isters? Did any Of them do anything that
brought upon the country, or helped to
carry on the late civil war, that you say
with such unanimity has carried poverty,
grief and sadness to thousands Of families
in our once happy country" II they did.
are they III IL preach
\ LAYMAN