Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-14


influence in conversion and sanctihcation,
and the "expediency and tendency Of ecele
siastical creeds as terms of union and com
munion." This debate with DR.. Rice EN-
braced a period of eighteen days, and wa,
conducted before large and interesting as
sembly, Henry Clay presiding as moderator
assisted by some of the first men of Ken
lucky. A like interest had been shown in
the Owens and Purcell debates in Cincin-
matt, which were thronged by eminent theo-
logians from all parts of the country.
In 1923, Mr.. Campbell's career as a Jour-
nalist began, at which period he established
at his home in Bethany, the ChriStian Bdp-
tia. This publication soon became to the
religious world what the Spectator had been
10 the social world in the days of Joseph
Addison. Questions were here freely COM
pounded and discussed between friends and
opponents, believers and unbelievers; cor
respondents we're answered. accusations re-
futed, and dogmas and doctrines commented
upon with all the freshness and vigor which
Mr.. CampbelIs active and original mind in
fused into everything that claimed his atten-
ton. Those who would understand the full
bearings of his position to the religious
world of that period, and who would know
how ably and fearlessly he sustained him
self in every variety of intellectual encoun-
ter, must go back to the bound volumes of
that publication. The ChristidR Baptist was
after many years, succeeded by the MilieniGl
Hdrbsnger, of which journal Mr.. Campbell
was proprietor at the time of his death. We
have not space to notice here, even in cur
sorry review, the written discussions which
were carried on in the Harbiaqer with repre-
sentative men of the various religious de-
nominations. One of the most noted was
probably debate on Universalism with the
Rev. Mr.. Skinner, of New York.
In the year 1910 Mr.. Campbell, in pursu-
anoe of long-cherished design, founded
Bethany College, an institution which ever
since has be n the pride of his life and around
| which his warmest affections seemed to
twine. Toward its founding and subsequent
endowment he gave his best energies. He
made the tour of the West and the South
more than once in its behalf His appeals
brought liberal responses from the proven
bially generous people Of those sections,
many of whom were so devoted to him that
they travelled fifty miles to hear him speak
Even Whitfield, in the zenith of his popu-
larity, never drew together crowds more
completely under his influence. No religious
reformer ever was more completely enshrin-
ed in the hearts of his followers than was
Alexander Campbell at the time of these
celebrated tours during the last twenty-five
years. He had then begun TO grow old, and
his head was whitening his views had spread
far and wide among the people, his name
was venerated, and thousands of men, wo-
men, and children regarded him with all the
fondness of filial affection. And no wonder,
as any one would say, who, during those
days, could have seen him standing like Saul
among the people. His whole presence was
commanding, his enunciation was sonorous
and magnetizing his pronunciation was ac-
curate and scholarly in the first degree; the
outward evidences of the highes: mental and
moral discipline, combined with original
greatness, were unmistakable, while his ar
gumentation was as luminous and as grand
and all-sweeping in its comprehensiveness
as the sunlight itself Men of all creeds
heard him enraptured, and the tributes that
were paid him by the journals of the day,
wherever he went, were, perhaps, never
accorded to any mere theologian in this
country.
Ever since founding Bethany College hehas
been its President. Those who have attend
ed that institution do not need to be told of
its most interesting feature Mr. Campbelps
morning lectures, reported as many Of them
were during the late years for publishers
will always be read and remembered. A
chapter was read in the Bible by some stu
dentselected by alphabetical order and then
commented upon by the President. During
these lectures he always sat in his chair, and
his remarks were of the easiest and most
conversational character Frequently the
whole hour would be consumed on the phi
lology of single verse. Misconception of
generic terms, Mr.. Campbell always con-
tended, had been the foundation of untold
errors in Biblical science In all his debates
and in all conversations, not less than in
these lectures, he, therefore, stated a propo-
sition, stripped of every vestage of ambigu-
ity, by compelling a definition of terms.
These terms he would trace down to their
roots in the dead languages. 1t was GUS
tom with many students to leave questions
on his desk, and these were often made the
subject of a lecture Thus his intercourse
every morning with the whole class of stu
dents in attendance at the College was of |
such character as to greatly endear him to
them.
But it was in social life, in the midst of !
his friends and relativ es, especially around
his own ever thronged and ever hospitable |
hreside, that Alexander Campbell was most
truly loved and honored, and there the va
cuum can never be filled. As conversa-
tionalist he was as constantly the devoted |
centre of attraction for old and young,
stranger or relative, as ever were Coleridge |
or Macauiey. Children loved the very sight |
of him. None knew him but to love |
him"
We have not had time to dwell upon |
Incident, of NJ To,,,,hoII1. VI
have omitted his career as a member of the |
Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1929 |
80, in which body he sat a member of the |
Judiciary Committee along with Chief JUS
tice Marshall, and in which ne encountered |
Randolph and the most distinguished men |
of that day III debate. 1t was in that BODY |
that he gave prophetic notice of what would |
be the course of Western Vir- |
ginia, and of what he lived to see accomp-
lished. He had for his colleague from this
part of the State man worthy to be his ally |
Philip Doddridge-and no two men in |
that body Of great minds, gave more evil
dence of Virginia's intellectual resources in
those days.
OF Mr.. CampbelPs tour to Europe, in 1S47.
We have also emitted to speak Partly for
his health and partly to visit the congrega-
tions of his Church in Great Britain, he un-
dertook the tour. On reaching London he
was the honored guest of our Minister at the
Court of St James-Mr. Bancroft. and
through him and through letters from the
first men of this country, was the recipient
of honors and attentions from the great
leaders and moulders of political and reli-
gious opinion in England. Only in Scot
land, in the city of Edinburgh, did ANYTHING
occur TO mar the influence and pleasure of
his trip. His position on the slavery ques-
ton had been grossly misrepresented bv a
clergyman who was desirous to engage him
in debate, but with whom Mr. Campbell re-
fused to hold any intercourse on account of
his questionable character. The refusal for
the cause assigned lead to recourse before
the civil tribunals on the part of the clergy
man in an action for libel, the final result
of which was a verdict in Mr. CampbelFs
favor. Mr.. Campbell never was the cham
pion Of American slavery. He believed,
however, that the relation of master and
slave had existed Biblical times under the
divine sanction, or, at all events, tolerance,
and, while he did not desire to be regarded
as the apologist Of American slavery, he
that it should not be test
question Of communion in the churches.
This was his position in Scotland before the
people of that country, as it had been here
at home before the American people. His
own slaves he had emancinated many vears