New-York tribune., 1866-12-31
A ANTT-SLA VERY CHURCHES ~ TILE
SOTTHERN STATES

ANII-SLA VERY CHURCHES IN IliE
SOU7UERN STA TES.
At the close Of the war, many of the anti
Slavery Churches Of our country endeayored to
gain a firm footing in the territory of the late
Rebel States, from which, heretofore, brutal
force had excluded them. The beginning was,
of course, feeble, but the progress has been
steady, and the year now closing has agan
made gratifying addition to their numerical
strength and social influence.
The greatest success, thus far, has attended
the labors of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
1t has organized, during the past two years,
for animal conferences, HolstOn, Tennessee,
Mississippi, and South Carolina, the first oil
which. extending over East Tennessee and
Western North Carolina, has membership OF
more than $1,000. Theological Institutions Tor
the education of native minister's have been
established at New-Orleans and Charleston.
At New Orleans "A denominational organ
is issued, which is among the most out
spoken and best Radical papers of the
South. In Louisiana, Texas, and South
Carolina, il is chiefly the coored people
who constitute the church membership, but IN
East Tennessee and Western Carolina 1t Is
the white UniOnists. In Georgia, the Rev.
Mr.. Caldwell, a native of this State, is meeting
with greater success among both white ana
black Southemers than almost any other mis-
sionary of a Northern Church. The white
SOutherners who are thus rcGntering into com
munion with Northern ChuIch are but gradually
being weaned from the very dcep-seated preJu
dices against the cOored race; yet the example oi
Gov Brownow, who is member of the Methodist
Church, shows there is real progress and rea-
son to hope that closer intercourse with the
anti-Slavery Conferences of the North Will, by
and by, mold them into good and sound anti
Slavery MethOdsts. As regards the colored
Methodists of the South, large numbers are con-
Meeting themselves with one of the two Metho-
dist organizations, called the African Metho-
dist Episcopal Church, and the African Metho-
dist Episcopal Zion Church Together, the
three Methodist denominations above referred
to are likely to have soon under their control
n very large proportion of the colored popula-
tion of the South.
The United Brethren in Christ is one o.
those religious denominations which always eX-
cluded Shareholders from their communion.
They had before the war two Annual Confer
ences in the Slave States; Parkersburg (Nest
Virginia., and Virginia (mostly in the Shenan-
doah Valley. The latter maintained its loyalty
10 ant-Slavery principles and to the tnioh
under trying circumstances. Both have lad
large increase during the past year Beside
these, Tennessee Mission" and Kentucky
mission" Conference have been established
having together membership of about GOO.
This denomination numbers over $1,000, and Is
l.. 4, IN
South.
The Old School Presbyterian Church has this
year undergone new process o. puI1hcatloh
by the secession of the pro-Slayery churches IN
Kentucky and Missouri, which are nkely 10 De
followed by some of thcir Northern friends,
like the Rev. Mr. Van Dyke of Brooklyn. mus
fine Church has become better qualified for tax
inc mart i'm the education of the South. during
the mast year three Prcsbyterics have been
established in the late Confederate States, one
in Tennessee, mainly among native whites, one III
North Carolina chiefly among colorcd people, and
one in louisiana, mostly among Germans. Sew
el others are To bc in the course OF the
present year. The New School Church. of which
Horace Maynard is prominent member, has
one synod and three Prcsbyteries in successful
operation in East Tennessee, and is doing good
service by founding literary institutions OF high
character. Among the Baptists, 1t Is almost
exclusively the colored people who repudlate
the association with the still pro-Slavery
Churches of the South, and attach themselves
TO the religious societies of the North Many
of the other religious denominations ST the
North sustain several missionaries and teachers
among the freedmen, without, however having
thus far done much toward perfccting per
mancnt organization.
Viewing the labors of the anti Slavery
Churches in the South as a whole the country
has reason to thank them for what they have
contributed to the establishment of anti-Slavely
communities. They would have done nuch
more had not the Administration cast rs many
and as great obstacles in their way rs possible.
As soon as the Federal protection OF Southern
Vnionists shall again become more efficient,
the growth of anti-Slavcry Churches VIII be
rapid. The speedy education of the whole
colored population is certain to follow. They
with thc loyal immigrants and those native
SouthcIners who are converts To free prlncl-
pIes. will soon constitute power which the
Rebel aristocracy, with its followers, will fmd
if impo,sible to break. Every anti-Slavery
Church of the country can aid in bringing about
this result and we hope that both their efforts
and their achievements may exceed those III
the year now closing.
In 1865, Mr.. Dudley, our Consul at Liverpool,
II - lt.Na