Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1867-10-30
Rebel Methodist Conference.

On Wednesday lest, the Holston Annual Confer
ence of the Methodist Episcopal Church South"
convened at Cleveland, East Tennessee. For the
information of our readers at a distance, we will
state that this Conference embraces large men,
bership. In territory it includes all of East Ten
nessee, Northern Georgia, Western Carolina and
South Western Virginia In East Tennessee the
membership Of this Conference is very small, be-
cause Of the reasonable character of its proceed
ings during and since the war, and the atrocious
rebel record of nearly all its ministers Because of
these things the old loyal NJ E. Church called by
the rebels the Northern Church y" embraces in its
membership an overwhelming majority Of East
Tennessee Methodists. But in the parts of Virginia,
Carolina and Georgia referred to, the Rebel Holston
Conference is very strong and its deliberations and
doings are therefore matter Of interest TO the gen.
eral public
The Conference at Cleveland is presided over by
Bishop Waightman, an aged South Carolina rebel
In sermon preached by him on Sabbath last, he
gave vent to his reasonable proclivites and malg
nancy toward his brethren of the old loyal Metho-
dist Church. The Bishop told his subordinates in
the ministry that they were not to "preAch Red or
Black Republication, but Christ and him cruci-
fed" &C.; that Tours is a non-political Church,
&c, &c.
In unmistakable terms he charged the ~ E.
Church with being political Church" and was
especially emphatic in asserting that his own branch
Of the Church was and had ever been "non-politi-
cal" That such declarations should come from q
man of Bishop WaightmAn's intelligence only
accounted for on the ground that he regards the
people Of East Tennessee as set of fools who know
nothing of the history of their section since the
war began
Within hearing Of the Bishop were several min
isters native Tennesseeans-men whose probity and
piety have never been questioned-who were ex-
PEELED, during the war, from this same nom politi
cal Church" for no other ofense alleged implied
save loyalty to the Government Of the United
States.
OF the large number of ministers belonging to
this Conference, and who heard this sermon, there
was not in Eve who did not actively participate
in the rebellion and preach and harangue the peo-
pie to destroy their Government and persecute their
Union neighbors Isn't this a nice record for q
"non- political Church"
Nay, more, majority OF the Bishops "non-po-
itical ministers who are in attendance at this
Conference and heard his sermon, and "preach
Christ and him crucifed," have preached nothing
but politics for six years. and during the talked
preached and prayed nothing but JEFF. Davis and
the Southern Confederacy.
A few cases will illustrate the political
character Of this Church.
Among the members of this Conference, now at
Cleveland, are W. NJ. Kerr, Chaplain in the rebel
army and incendiary hsranguer of rebel regi-
ments during the whole war. Rev. VIM. Hicks,
member of the Convention of North Carolina
which adopted the so-ealed ordinance of secession
from the Union. The aforesaid Hicks voted for the
ordinance James Stringaeld, Chaplain in the
rebel army; Rev. Virgins, Lieutenant in the same
in Bradley county company; Rev. Grant, another
rebel Lieutenant; Rev. Walter Stephens, ditto;
Rev. Richard n. Price, private soldier in the
rebel regiment recruited by Ex-Gov. Vance, of
North Carolina; Rev. David Sullins, Quartermas-
ter in the rebel army and Rev. John h. Bruner,
Colonel G. S. A. The last named man of God"
who breaches Christ and him crucifed" was COM
mssioned to force into the rebel army regiment of
East Tennessee Unionists. He had his headquar-
tiers for a time at Strawberry Plains, fifteen miles
east of this city, and while here piously o. remark
ed in 1861 that IF there was keg of powder un-
der Brownlow's printing Office (Bruner) would
set fire to IT,"
We could give the names Of many more such
"non-political parsons who are shining lights in
Bishop WAightmans Conference now in session at
Cleveland. What we have said would not have
been written but for the unblushing eHrontery Of
this rebel conclave assembling in loyal East Ten
nessee to calumniate the ministers and members of
the loyal Methodist Church.
A beautiful pack these fellows are, to openly
boast in public places in Cleveland that they are
going to crush out this Northern (meaning thereby
loyal) Methodist Church in East Tennessee" The
great mass of the Methodists of East Tennessee
have lost confidence in these men, and will not trust
them any longer, especially since they find them
endeavOring to keep alive the smouldering embers
Of rebellion and sectional hate.
In our next issue we expect to refer to this sub
sorf