The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-10-08
To the Minis,eriai Friends Of Win


DE,E BRETHRES You VIII not esteem e
ottcious ii aH humble member Of Method
ISM address you this letter. The cause So
dear 20 him, which you have So much at
heart and the prosperity and advancenent
Of which j. nov SO much under your control
shah plead Whatever OF apoioFy il may be
thought necessary for this article.
Your iriends, and 7 datier myself that
they are many, scattered throughout the
state you represent, look % you with feel
lngs Of Interest, and hope that you viii de-
port yourselves as become you ia difficult
and opposing circumstances, aud that your
sections Will be such as 90 elicit the appro-
baton OF your great esuse. They ask that
you see the cause Of Reunion suffer no de-
triment, that e free, frank and houest ex-
pressien be had upon its mefits that
while displaying due submission and caur-
teous respect 70 your Supporters in Church.
and the rules that govern your "body'
| You VIII ALTO see that discussion Is not cut
Of, and, through misapplied rules. the
whole subject evsded
They trust you viii not be Woosd by iat-
| tery, nor silenced by an array % opposi-
uon- Your cause is your strength, and It's
success VIII be your gorious reward. Your
brother, who pens these lines. would have
been reioiced TO have met y0u-many Of
you for the FIRST time-aud to have received
! n ANAA OF ENaH1AaAHnI ana NUEuura meat
from you but tbe spirit displayed In other
places to rule OF al that entertain reunion
sentiments, 70 hinder those who are not q
UNI for soulheru Method .sul, from advauc-
icg in the Ministry, caused the withdrawal
Of bis apphcation, and as a consequence the
deprivation Of necessary prellminarles %
attend, IN due form, your present sitting
lie feels glad 70 ssy be did not surrenoer
has firm convictions and opinions unon this
I .
10 any such inconveuieaces rather than CD
| cast up his views and hopes Of one dav see
I iug our Church united in the sacred Ties Of
! friendship snd love.
/ he had contemplated perfect silence, and
/ to drsw the mantle OF charity over the
| spirit that was maintained toward his posi-
tlon, but as some Of the instruments in this
| tragedy have unbosomed it % others, he
/ feels under no special obligations 10 rcmsin
silent. After passing his character snd re-
neTing his license, tpey hestated 20 give a
recommendation for Dezcons Orders upon
no other plea than his reunion sentiments.
And 4 is 70 you he looks for elicitne the
| voice Of our church in Tennessee. upon such
/ spirit, and know if such Is 70 b. made
1 precedent. III 60. those who earnestly desire
/ our church restored well know that there Is |
/ 10 them one path only lea. and though it |
may be thOrny and bereit Of the cheering |
nAAAAAe' hA N0AAAANN AAANANHr lN aMuNl De walked
| m 'Fhey that bear the cross shall wear 1
| the crown, 30 We are acustomed 70 say.
He wishes 20 state, that in an be ever said |
/ upon this subject he studied conservatism
and sought 10 avoid using harsh, equivocal |
/ and eNsspersting language towards those |
/ who might choose to differ with him, end So /
/ 20 express himself as to give none offence.
/ He never publicaily delivered an opinion
upon the snser Of our reunion and the
! Conditions frnffrnH Hhn-nHs. H..
toned in the Quarterly Conference, he stat !
ed 70 10, his views and opinions IN substance |
/ as follows; He wGs in favor Of reunion Of /
| our church:
lst. Because the subject that divided US /
was removed, and 10 HIM there was no an
parent good reason for continuing two sepa- I
/ rate organic bodies agreeing In d0ctr ne and /
discipline, aud that whaevsr Of the subject /
| Of slavery remained, could be easily dis
posed Of as nov il had no practical import. /
| In confirmation Of this conclusion, he is |
pleased to refer 20 the published cause Of /
separate Church South
In the judgment Of the delegate Of the /
several annual conferences in the slave
holding States The continued agitation Of the /
subject Of slavery and abolition in portion Of /
the church, the frequent action on that SUBJ |
lcct in The General Conference. aud especially !
the proceedings Of the General Conference III /
the Methodist Episcopal Church Of 1884, In /
the ease OF the Rev. Jas. o. Audrew. ID. d.. /
! one of the Bishops, who had become CON
nected with slavery by marriage, produced /
a state Of things IN the South winch render
ed a continuance Of the jurisdiction OF that /
General Conference over the Conferences |
aforesaid, Inconsistent with the success of |
the ministry in their proper calling. This /
conviction they declared In solemn frm 10 |
the General Conference, accompanied with |
protest sgsinst the action referred %. as |
sured that public opinion IN the slave hold |
ing States would demand, and that q due
regard % the vital interests Of Christ's king
dom would justify a separate and iudopeu- I
dent organization"
Il is readily seen throughout this section /
that slavery was the only difference between |
the two wings OF the church, and nc other 1
cause Of division il announced. And 10 all /
essentials We are agreed 10 this day in gov ]
ernment and doctrine, The attempt of our /
Bishops TO remove the cause Of difference /
TO some other subject displays no fear, |
though unwittingly a dispUsitiOn 10 pro- |
tract unnecessary division, and as a conse- |
quenee the delay Jt healing the wounds of /
the country. We do not believe our North |
ern brethren Of the III. E. Church teach for /
doctrine the commandments Of msn-that |
they preach differeht gospel. Their doe /
trines are a. pure and as full Of truth as
gospel Of Christ If they teach doctrines /
averse 10 those Of the New Testiment, so do 4
we for they preach and teach the same /
doctrines that we do. Il is granted that
some Of their number may not teach the |
true doctrines Of the Bible, a. s-me Of our l
own members may do the same. And tits an /
unfair way Of reasoning TO draw q universal !
conclusion from minor premise. II our 4
people persist in prOnouncing the whole 1
Mufhan ffhrfnah or he ..na
corrupt, because oue OF two, or even more Of /
their members are 50, they have an equal !
fairness and right in pr0n0uncing the same /
judgment upon the whole Church South. /
because some one or two or more Of its /
members are corrupt.
And II we begin such warfare, where viii /
be the terminus, and what its results7 Let /
US put away crimination and recrimination
and abuse Of each ether.
I'd. He is in favor Of reunion because It /
would create good 10 the country. As We.
the "Horth and South" are entering To-
gether upon new, unknoHn aud untried /
future, Il would give some promise and hope Il
that Il viii not be a. peril0us and sorrowful |
as the past !our years, and thas the horrid 4
scenes and suiferings Of that time ars never
70 revisit our land that instead Of seeking
70 destroy. We will unite our voices and
prayers, our hands and cur hearts, 10 re-
build the waste places 10 bury all the past
differences 10 forgive and forget 10 make
happy and prosperous our country; 70
unltedly sustain It 10 its republican and lib
eralized views and American idess, 10 be for
possession 10 US and our children's chill /
dren, 20 the latest ages of the world. Who
eau estimate the incalculsble advantages
such a policy would bring with iU ID Il
beyond our capacity 70 relate. 70 would re-
eoneile the disafisetedi give assurance 70
the hesitafing and suspicious stop the
"mouths Of lions :" ''quench the violet cs Of
ere - "bury low in the dust the edge Oh TIE
sWo q 4" mpart strength 10 the yeas make
the doubling wax "valaut in fight for the
truth tufn 10 Aight the armies Of the
aliens Of the right roll back the heaving
tide Of separation and hale, and usher for-
ward IN the path OF safety, quiet sud rood
viii, the nation 90 recently wes with the
dew Of constant vigils and marred bvthe 1
blood Of enragod battle.
Sd. Il would make our Church more pow
eriul add susceptible Of wider and more
extensive usefulness. And when be begins
20 cast about him Of what our Church could
do, panoplied iu the unity and talent, she
could thus bring to her aid, his mind Is iost Ia
the grandeur and "a 1oliIaity Of her conquesfs.
sad the bright and uucoutncd trophies 0f
her united labor. Truly she would 70 forth I
"bright a. the sun, clear o. the moon. and I
terrible o. an army" with streaming fsbau-
nsrs" upon whose head fold would IS writ
ten Peace on earth, gosd Will to men,
shall we ever iorget tbe iast triumphs Of
her united eiIorts3 No. They InVe- uron
our ear like the last sounds OF 8 rnelIov- NJ
81 the grave q irisHdship aad love. Forvet
these memories, no, never noverf
Alrcady posaibly your brother has prne-
ticed this article toe long. His fselinrs Ia
the cause is the only excuse be- can ofe-.
And now, brethren let the action of tbe
tonierrnee De Ehas it may, We trust our
cause u secure. lt IS the cause of right. sr
good vii, Of Christianity, and thss of our
dear native country. its Triumph viii H.
seen. Many dark shadows may hu upou
~ path, many shifiug clouds nav I
gather over iis fo.l0wers. its wsv
may be traced By the tears and sacrffess III
he aavocateTg they may be casi cut 81 evil
a1d regarded as the ofaeouring of all tbings
IN the hearts Of some, bus sufely % We fsel
% The glowing light Of rising day chsses
away the grim shadows thatlingcr upon the
retiring footsteps Of night, 90 the warm. rudy