Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-08-12
To the Public, North aud South

TO the Public, North aud South
Ia circular recently published at the North,
and copied into our city papers, appealing tor
pccuDiary aid to erect 4 Northern Methodist
church in the city Of Richmond, IL Il paragraph
of endorSaton written by +. H. peirpoint,
Governor Of the State Of Virginia, In these
words:
''rhere is great need Of the church I'ulldIng
lust referred to- The spirit OF the southern
pulpit il thoroughly dsloyal; active in the
propaganlism Of rebel sentiments, and In cher
ishpg the hope that the lost cause' may be
reeained by the destruction OF 1 republican
government in the country.
II is the unanimous opinion OF the under.
signed ministers of the Gospel, speaking in be-
half of ourselves, and representing az we be.
lieve, the sentiment OF our Southern pulpit,
that the relation which wc sustain TO the allie
cations Of Gov, Perpoint, our fidelity to the
cause of God, and oar sincere desire for the
peace Of the country, require that We should
promptly and firml y assert our actual position
in the premises; and Tor the following special
reasons
These allegations are made, not by private
individual, bur by the highest officer IN the
State and carly with them, to those abroad,
the influence Of his official station. They are
reported, not as the nterances OF IN Incidental
conversation, but as the deliberate and mature
convictions Of resident amongst u, whose
position is presumed to entitle him to credit !;
they nculpa thousands of pulpits and hun
dreds OF thousands Of Christians, many OF
whom are the constituents OF the Governor
Besides, inasmucll, as Gov. Peirpont, trans
cendne the prophecies of his office, has repre-
sentei the pulpit of the South as peculiarly
antagonistic to the pacifcaion Of the country,
it is our solemn duty to vlndcate our sacred
vocation from so unwarranted IN ssperslon,
and to repel 50 unj ustifiabe an attempt to
throw the responsibility Of the existing polltl-
cal disauietude upon orr impractlcablllty as
ministers OF the Gospel.
As to the propriety OF the erection OF church
es in the South by Christian denominations in
the North, we have here simply to say that
the country is open and the people are free to
sus, in religious institutions OF their own choice
But we DO object to and protest against the
manner in which he has arragnedthe Southern
pulpit before the Northern public
In the charge, quoted above, are three dis
tnct specifications:
First. THAT 1.-THE spirit Of the Southern
pulpit is thoroughly disloyal;"
Second That it is 'active in the propagan
dism Of rebel sentiments -
Third That it. is acti0e Sin cheriShing Z
hone that the lost cause may be regalned by
the destruction OF republican government in
this country.
These are grave allegations. and were evl'
IDENTIFY designed so to be- If they were true,
we should be implicated, not only in the crime
Of positive and outright disloyalty to the Gov
eminent Of the United States, but in the lar
greater sin OF prost!tuting our calling to pollt-
zeal purposes We do not propose at present
to argue the injustice Of these allegatlons.---
The burden Of proof obviously does not fall
on us.
In the meantime, VIC take the Christian lib
ertv Of saving, that to each and all of these al
legations we offer unanimous and unequivocal
denial Further, we affirm that scores OF I'M
mpeachable witnesses are ready to testify that
they arc totally without foundation in fact,
viz, that since the restoration OF the Govern
ment Of the United States over the Southern
States we have in no instance exhibited dlsloy
atty in our pulpits, or used them as political
agencies against said Government that we
have in no instance propagated from them
what IL termed rebel sentiments - that least
of all have we, in the discharge OF our minis
terial duties, expressed directly or indirectly a
hope Of the establishment of any other than
republican form Of government in this country.
In a word. we assert, that the pulpit Of the
South, so lar as we know, is not liable to the
charge of either disioyalty or sedition against
the Government of the United States.
On he contrary, We are conscious OF having
adhered strictly and constantly to our ecclesas-
cal functions, and have sudiously avoided all
| complication Of our pull pits with the political
issue Of the day.
This is our testimony and our record, and We
calmly submit the declaration thereof to the
world SigneaE
George Woodbridge, rector of the Monumental
church:
Nelson Head, pastor Of Centenary Methodist
church
J. j.. Burrows, pastor First Baptist church
G.. H. Reed pastor United Presbyterian church;
f. NJ. Peterson, pastor Clay-street Methodist
church
VIM Brown, editor Central Presbyterian
f.. r. Baird, secretary Of Presbyterian PnbiI-
cation;
| y. s. Dogsctt, one Of the bl,h"ps Met odlst
Episcopal Church, South;
| II. Y. Moore, pastor First Presbyterian church;
| i. NJ. Baker, rector of Grace church
f.. II. Rutherford, pastor First Presbyterian
church, Petersburg, Va;
?. A. Peterson, pastor Union Station, Meth
odist Episcopal church, South;
R. n. Sedd, pastor OF Trinity Methodist
Episcopal church, South, :.
| T. A. Ware, pastor Of the Methodist Eplsco
pal church in Charlottesville, Va;
| Leroy NJ. Lee, pastor CRANKY Metho'
dist church, Norfolk, Va;
Leonidas Rosser, presiding elder Richmond
| district.
1t is proper to say that when these signatures
were obtained, a number Of TIE ministers OF
Richmond were absent.
RICHMOND, August 9, 1867.