Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-09-07
THE PROGRESS OF AFRTcASrzA-


THE PROGRESS OF AFRTCASTzA.
TION.
Black moves and checks the white,
as the chess-players say. The New
Orleans Times, referring to the opening
canvass in Louisiana, saws.
1t is undeniable that strong feeling o
caste-Of exclusiVeness is growing up il
the breasts Of the colored people, and tina
the tendency to ignore white men az coun
sellors and leaders-even though they be
Of the most Radical type politically
constantly on the increase. Even at Thu
early day, long before an election for. new
local governments can be held, there il
scarcely a Stale or municipal Office tha
can be named, for which a negro candidat,
has not already been put forward, Will
strong and active supporters at his back
A eolored man now holding Office by ap
pointment Of Gen. Sheridan, boosted on q
leading thoroughfare, in tones to be heard
by passers, that he would be the mex
Sheriff elected, if it cost him fifty Thousand
dollars. He is confident Of succeeding
without any such liberal expenditure an
other is quite as confident of being tho
next Mayor. The member of Congress
from the first district is decided upon, anC
so on to the end Of the list.
As another evidence Of the advance Of
the Africanizing process, we cite the fol
lowing from the proceedings of wha
is called the Missouri Conference of tbs
African Methodist Episcopal Church, nov
in session in this city, Bishop Campbell
(colored,) presiding.
On Thursday, 1--WE quote from the
Press and Times communication wat
received by the body from B. F. Crary
Chairman Of a Committee of the Mis-
souri, and Arkansas Conference Of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, North, to
bear salutations of fellowship and pro.
pose articles of fusion to the clergy and
membership of the African branch The
communication is rather humbly solicit
Gus in tone, suggesting the abandonment
Of the African organization, and the
policy of merging it into that of the
Northern Methodist church. 1t pro-
poses a fair division. and equality of
privileges, and is careful to pledge the
party Of the white part to the cultiva-
ton Of all the anti-Southern preiudices
which the black party lie supposed to
possess When it was read, Bishop
Campbell, who is the Coryph@us of col
ored preachers in that denomination,
thus delivered himself
Bishop Campbell said that before they
took action on this document he had a few
words to say. He thought that Mr. CrarY
was a friend of the colored man but he was
one of those who regretted the existence of
the African Methodist Episcopal Church,
and if he had the power would termi~
nate its existence. He had talked with
Mr.. Crary and DIR. Clark on this same
question Of church union. He told them
plainly the terms, which were COM
plete equality Of bishops, elders and
membership. He did not like the idea
Of one party occupying a big church
and the other being pushed off into
some diminutiVe house of worship. If
there we're colored ministers who possessed
pre-eminent talents, let them OCCUPY the
big churches and get the big pay. This
complete equality the Doctor had laughed
at and ridiculed. The Bishop then made
a comparison between the ministry of the
ATzfbDAsgf E,froov,oI 0b,rr,l,
sorting that the African Methodist Episco-
pal Church was equal in educated and tall
ented ministers to nine-tenths of those of
the other church.
Now that they had fought out and ac-
quired position, they were not going to
take back seat-those were not the terms
upon which they could consent to church
union.
The Bishop also spoke of the utterly false
and malicious charges Of disloyalty which
had been brought against him, and which
his entire course and conduct disapproved.
Well, after awhile Bishop Clarke, he
said, came around nearer to them. He
came this near. He would have no obiec-
ton to receiving the best Of the bishops
and elders of their church. His great heart
brought him that nearer to the African
Methodist Episcopal Church. But they
should not accept this offer. They would
come in an entire body or not all all. They
could never break up the union of the
African Methodist Episcopal Church to
unite with any other denomination, except
on the strictest equality of members,
bishops and elders. The document Of
brother Crary was respectfully drawn up
and they must treat it the same in manner.
They must reply that they would cease to
spread the banner of the African Metho-
dist Episcopal Church. Fifty years ago
heir church was founded, when their
were under the lash of the slave
holder, and when their people were turned |
)ut of the white churches. Not now, after
70 many struggles, were they going to break |
up their noble structure. Already they
'ould count their numbers not by tens Of
If thousands, but by hundreds Of thousands.
They had in the African Methodist Episco- |
pal Church 10000 communicates and |
more than 1000 preachers. They could |
lever consent to Join with the Methodist |
Church North on the grounds proposed. |
The Methodist Episcopal Church was look |
ng forward to the time when the Northern |
md Southern branches of the church would |
De united. The time was coming when all |
hese distinctions will be broken down, and |
he Methodist Church North and the |
Methodist Church South and the African |
Methodist Episcopal Church will be one.
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