Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1866-05-30
The Southern Methodist General Con
ference


Mr.. ED1roR:-I propose, in brief article or
two to call the attention of your readers 70 some
the savings and doings of this Conference. They
will indicate, it seems to me, state OF teelng
towards the government of the United States and
towards those who have been loyal to that govern
ment by no means promising 10 the future unity
and peace of the nation. On the seventh day of the
session, DR.. Keener, in discussing the change of
name by removing the afix, South, used the follow
ing language:
DIR. Keener thought the time unfavorable for such
a change 1t might be supposed that no man IN
his senses would claim their property, but it has
been done. No extravaganza need surprise them.
Even Bishop Ames had seriously proposed to refer
the subject to Chief Justice Chase for decision.-
/" But want to know if you have any confidence IN
the courts of this country from the least to the great
est9 # you hare hare not. Why, have just
read in the papers that Mr. Chase is in New York,
presiding at centenary meeting, associating with
Bishops Simpson and James. I knot0 that aoe hare
strong friend in Uery high position, and had it not
been for that strong friend, the Conference would
not be in this church to-day. But there is limit
to his power, as We haveso recently seem"
He said he could not any benefit attending
the change of name, and doubted the power of the
General Conference to make the alteration. He
deemed the present name fortunate one. The
South is the depository of all that ia good and great
and strangers visiting the scenes in the South
made memorable by recent events. He again said
that this is not the time for changes. They had
not been out of the jaws of the lion one hundred
and twenty days. They must be quiet; they do
not know what may happen. There are those who
have deliberately argued their claim to these church
es before high military authority, and they are
waiting to do so again. 1t had been decided that
there are two Methodist Episcopal Churches-the
one North and the other Southland they will al
In ocSrp ofodh Nv
name is appropriated and he believed IN sectional
| name, as theirs is sectional Church.
On the same subject and on the same day, DR..
Wightman followed in an able and logical speech.
| He cautioned the Conference against hasty ac-
| ton. He declared that change OF name wou Id
imperil the property of the Church, and that for
this statement he had good legal authority. Theirs
u1as the Church Of the South, and bound TO be
| such The Church South cannot hope to go to New
York, or to the East or to the West and root out
the old rival Church. Theirs is the Church for the
Southern States. Hang out this idea, and let it
float on the flag from the masthead of the Church.
The name and organization of their Church are the
same and to alter the former would endanger the
latter At this time it would not be safe TO GNo0
their property to 90 into the court, acouLd it be
safe Il. the hands of the Chief Justice Of TIE Supreme
| Court Of the United States.
| On the tenth day of the session, an amended re-
port of the committee circulating the Scriptures
and cooperating with the American Bible Society
was submitted.
Dr. McTyeire followed in bitter and self-con Sc
| Quential speech. He corrected the statement he
had made the previous day, which was that Dr.
Taylor, of the secretaries of the society, had
declared in resolution that g. the rebellion had
eliminated in the assassination of the President
The language, however, he said is contained in the
last report Of the Board of Managers. Several
members interrupting, That makes it worse" y
He then read from the report follows: "Our
wicked rebellion, which has had its elimination in
the murder OF our Chief Executive" etc. He de
ied that the late the part Of the South
",ocked rebellion, or rebellion at all" He regarded
it righteons conflict for ;odich Our people poured
out their prayers as nell their blood" After
quoting from addresses made by Gen. Fisk and DR.
Spring he declared that Gen. Fisk thirsted for the
blood Of Lee and Davis, and that DR.. Spring had
slandered the clergy of the South by asserting ha
but for the influence of the ministry, the South
never could have seeded. Shame for the Southern
ministry that it is So" This he declared to be
SANDER and he 1g0uLd not consent to be called "a rebc
and traitor" He demanded of the Bible So
ciety security for the future
Another speaker used the following language:
DR.. Marshall obtained the floor, and denounced
DR. Spring es q man of intense and violent preju
dices against the Southern people, and if invited t
abusive language. He said the society must be re
buked for the publication of such offensive senti
ments; that The people Of the South are not rebels
that they will not patronize an institution whos'
managers are political partisans; that said mana
gers must promise amendment, and that if they die
not the South would go elsewhere for Bibles. Thu
am ended preamble which censures the managers
was then adopted and ordered to be printed.
AL the passages italicised were itaicised by III
to fix the attention Of the reader upon them.
1t should be remembered that DR.. Wightman
who claimed that theirs was sectional Church
/, ~ the Church for the South and who accused tn
Chief Justice of the United States Of official cor
rupton, and that DR.. McTyeire, who denied " tina
the late war on the part Of the South was wicke
rebellion or a rebellion at all, but claimed that
was righteous conflict for which our people poure
9 out their prayers as well their blood" and VIII
glories in the fact that the Southern ministry ass
ted and promoted secession, elected Bishops
. the Methodist Episcopal Church, South
ARGUS.