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

the tongue OF deception, toralse bitter
ness in our hearts towards them, to di
vide, to separate, ourselves from and
look upon them az unworthy of our
trust and associstion. / appeal to yeu,
aged snd venerable men of God, who SO
soon must disappear from the scene OF
this earthly frame; whose locks are wet
with the dews of many summers; whose
voice now low and tremulous, and the
fitful flame of whose life burns low to
the socket, readkat the masters call to
go out in death forever, did you not
enjoy yourselves with those brethren
before the spirit of division entered in
to your minds? and those of our young
er brethren2
And We, reverend ministers of Christ,
whose burning slequence glowed and
warmed the vast multitude, that hung
entranced upon your words, did you
not erj OF yourselves, when in days of
yore, you sat down by our brethren of
the North in the Conference Hall, and
retired together to the same chamber
of consultation. Did you not lind them
as able, as efficient, as far-reaching, IS
generous, as bros.d in heart as your
selyes2 When they spoke, did not
their words fash with as much FIRE of
eloquence IS your own? Were they
not as ready in debate, as flowing in
speech, as emineat in learning, as pure
in character? Did not the multitudes
bend over the altar with equal interest,
with the same breathless attention,
while one of their number lifted him.
self up to some imperial thought, and
argument waste / have no doubt what
your response will be. You can but an
swer yea The history of our General
Conferences, upon due examination,
will be found to contain unbroken tes-
timony to your answer. Look into
their books of sermons and they will
exhibit asssmuch eff those high qualities
that constitute true greatness of mind
and heart, as any ever published in our
States South. And after all enquiry,
there will still be left minority who
will persist in denying to them their
just need of praise. Yet the judg-
ment OF mankind, history, record of
just, clear and impartial decisions,
drawn from what things are, rather
than what they seem, will declare, in
unmistakable terms, the equal capaci-
ty, learning, genius, eloquence, of our
brethren North, with those of the
South. 1t may appear peurile to some
that we should pause to consider the
question, "whethe. the southern church
has ADLER men than the northern" but
Knowing as I do how wide spread
such doctrine sand the habit such
view has had UPON our people South,
ITO cause them to think more highly of
themselves than they ought to think,
to be pulled up above measure" it be-
comes necessary for US to look at it in
the testimony which our own church
history offers. 1t may tend likewise to
lower our pride and make US feel that
this whole people are one-one in en-
ergy, one in capacity, and equal to
each other in all those elements that
make a nation great and happy, and
men able and renowned.
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 memory's waste, do
you not regret they never return, and
can you not express yourself in the
familiar couplet,
"What peaceful hours noe once enjoyed,
How sweet their memory still
But they have lett an aching void,
This world can never fill."
Divided, severed as we are, we are
deprived of their friendly aid and wise
counsels. Who can say we can do
without them? DO we not need their
prayers? 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 parsphernalia 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
therebythe 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 loftiest genius combined with
all the individual resources of our
church, to 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 tres
sources and numbers" Other contest
ants, entering the field unencumbered
with equal endorsements would be
capable of out-doing us and leaving US
far in the rear, to drag along with fee
BILE 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 ssny difficulty in the
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