Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1867-01-16
Anti-Slavery Churches in the Southern
States,

At the close of the war, many of the an
tl-Slavery Churches of our country endeav
! ored to gain a firm footing IN the territory
OF the late Rebel States, from which, here.
tofore, brutal force had excluded them.
| The beginning was, of course, feeble, but
the progress has been steady, and the year
now closing has again made gratifying ad-
| ditlon TO their numerical strength and social
! influence.
The greatest success, thus far. has attend
ed the labors OF the Methodist Episcopal
| Church. 1t has organized, during the past
two years, for annual conferences, Holston,
Tennessee, Mississippi, and South Carolina,
| the first of which, extending over East
Tennessee and Western North Carolina, has
membership Of more than $4,000. Theo-
logical institutions, for the education Of ma
tive ministers, have been established at New
Orleans and Charleston. At New Orleans
denomInatlOnal organ Is issued, which Is
among the most outspoken and best Radical
papers OF the South In Louisiana, Texas
and South Carolina, it is chiefly tne colored
people who constitute the church member
ship, but in East Tennessee, and Western
| Carolina, 1t Is the white tnIonIsts. In
Georgia, the Rev. Mr.. Caldwell, native OF
New York, Is meeting with greater success
| among both white aud black Southerners
than almost any other missionary OF u North
ern Church. The white Southerners who
are thus re-elterlng into communion with q
Northern Church are but gradually being
weaned from the very deep seated prejudlceS
against the colored race; yet the example
OF Gov. BroWniOw, who is member of the
Methodist Church, shows there Is real pro-
greSS, and reason to hope that Il closer inter
course with the anti-Siavery Conferences of
the North viii, by and by, mould them into
| good and souDd antl-Slayery Methodists.
As regards the colored Methodists Of the
| South, large numbers are connecting them
| selves with one OF the two Methodist organ
lzations, called the African Methodist Epis-
copal Church, and the African Methodist
Episcopal Zion Church. Together, the three
| Methodist denominations referred to are
| likely to have soon under their control very
! large proportion OF the cUoTed population
| of the South
The United Brethren in Christ is one
of those religious denominations which al
ways excluded slave holders from their COM
muni0n. They had before the war two An
nual Conferences In the Slave States Park
ersburg (West Virginia and Virginia
mostly IN the Shenandoah Valley The
latter maintained its loyalty to antI-Slavery
principles and to the Union under trying
circumstances. Both have had u large III
crease during the past year Beside these,
a tennessee Mission and kentucky Mis-
sion Conference have been established, nav
ing together a membership OF about GOO.
This denomination numbers over 81 200, and
is likely to make considerable progress IL
the South.
The Old School Presbyterian Church has
this year undergone a new process of purl-
hcatIOn by the secession OF the prO-Slayery
churches In Kentucky and Missouri, which
are likely to be followed by some of their
Northern friends, like the Rev. Mr.. Van
Dyke of Brooklyn. Thus the Church has;
become better qualified for taking part III
the education OF the South. During the
past year three Presbyteries have been es-
tabGshed In the late Confederate States one
IN Tennessee, mainly among native whites,
one IN North Carolina, chiefly among color
ed people, and one IN Louisiana, mostly a
mong Germans. Several Others are to be
established In the course of the present year.
The New School Church, of which Horace
Maynard is prominent member, has one
Synod and three Presbyteries in successful
operation in East Tennessee, and Is doing
good service by founding literary instltu
tlons of high character Among the Bap
fists, 1t is almost exclusively the colored peo
pie who repudIate the ASSOCIATION with the
still pro-Slavery Churches of the South, and
attach themselves 10 the religious societies
of the North. Many of the other religious
denominations of the North sustain several
missionaries and teachers among the Freed
men, without, however, having thus far
done much toward perfecting permanent
organization.
Viewing the labors of the anti-Slavery
Churches in the South as a whole, the coun-
try has reason to thank them for what they
have contributed to the establishment of an
ti-Slayery. communities. They would have
done much more had not the Adminstra-
ton cast as many and as great obstacles in
their way as possible As soon as the Fed
eral protection of Southern Unionists shall
again become more efficient, the growth of
anti-Slavery Churches will be rapid The
speedy education OF the whole colored pop
ulation is certain to follow. They, with the
loyal immigrants and those native Southern
ers who are converts to free principles, will
soon constitute power which the Rebel ar
istocracy, with It's followers, will find it i'm
possible to break Every anu-Slavery
Church of the country can aid IN bringing
about this result, aud we hope that both
their efforts and their achievements may ex
ceed those in the year now closing. Tribune.
A beautiful and accomplished young lady
Of one ot the yxaalthIaSt Of ouiS