Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1867-12-11
Renlr 70 Rev. MIR. Bates.

Mr.. Bates in his article Of November
Both in the WING, arraigns me for want OF
''modesty, ia comparative stranger cut
ting and hewing the character of ministers
long know in a community" How stands
the case? The Church of which | am a
minister was assailed with virulencs and my
character was secretly traduced. l defended
the NJ E. Church, vindicating her right to
exist in Tennessee and the right, also, Of
loyal Methodists to belong to that, organi-
cation. This was done openly In doing
this it became necessary to disclose some
what Of the history Of this country and Of
certain reverend abetters of treason and re
bellion-including Rev. Mr.. Bates-who,
now that their unholy efforts have been
thwarted, claim the respect and support OF
the very men whom they had tried to
murder or expatriate and claim, also, the
unquestioned right 10 preach and admins
ter baptism and the Lords Supper to the
widows and orphans who were made wild
ows and orphans by their bad influence in
aiding rebellion. Surely it must be very
inemodest in me to presume to speak or write
of these things, even in selfdefense Mr..
Bates and his associates must be very mod
est men, after all they have done, to claim
or expect exemption from public amenabil-
ity. IF others go behind the corner to
whisper evil surmises of me, such shall not
be my course. What l say of Mr.. Bates
shall be open and hold myself responsible
for the truth of my statements.
Mr.. Bates was one of the Standing Com
mittee Of the Holston Conference of the
M. E. Church, South, at its session of 1862,
'on certain casss referred for their investi-
cation" that is, in other words, there were
a high court of inquisition to ascertain and
to reward or punish the loyalty or disIoy-
atty of the preachers of the Conference to
the Southern Confederacy and to purge the
| Conference of tories i. e. of those loyal to
the United States government Mr.. Bates,
as one of that Committee, denounced aged
and venerable ministers, some of whom had
borne aloft the Christian banner, before he
became minister, and if not as a member
of that Committee, yet as one of that Con
ference, he tore from them their ministerial
robes and degraded and expelled them
while others were prescribed and cruelty
treated for the ofense Of being loyal to their
ogn Discipline, to God, and to their country
In the report of that Committee, the Gov
ernment of the United States is bitterly de-
nounced and it is declared that the success
Of the Federal Government in any form
and under any circumstances as at present
related to this terrible controversy, could
only eventuate IN the utter destruction Of
Southern NethodiSm, as we'll as Of true re-
publican liberty" Here is the antagonism
of the NJ. E. Church, South, to the Govern
ment of the United States so distintly and
and sharply put that the maintenance of
the one would be the utter destruction of
the other. The same Conference at its
same session ordered prayers for oar Con-
federacy Yet after all this, Mr.. Bates talks
of my want of modesty for unmasking his
rebellious conduct He should remember
Christ's words, with what measure ye
mete it shall be measured to you again. -
If the rehearsal of these things, in self de-
tense, is so painful to him and seems so
wanting in modesty, how deep must be the
wrong which he and others inflicted upon
those venerable men, by their wanton, un-
Il
not done in corner" The whole land
echoed to the cry Of these ourages. Nor
will men soon forget them.
Mr.. Bates affects to deny that he made
public speech in Cooke or Jefferson county
in favor Of Secession. If he will deny
specifically, that he made such a speech in
the neighborhood of Pine Grove Chapel OF
Pine Chapel, the public-6an have the proof
He admits that he belonged to "a home
guard association, solely, as declared by the
hand bills, for protection against robbers
and bushwhackers Let him deny # he
dare, that he met nth them, that he aided and
allotted Them that he trained nth them on
Sunday. Let him deny, if he dare that
they were rebel organization, in the inter-
est, and for the support of the cause Of re-
bellion.
1 challenge denial OF these particulars.
In the meantime the public will read the
following from Jonesboro' with interest
To ALI WHOM 1T NAY CONCERN
We the undersigned citizens of the town
of Jonesboro', Tenn, hereby certify that
we were acquainted with Rev. w Fl. Bates, |
of the Methodist E. Church, South, when !
he was the stationed minister in this place !
during a portion of the late rebellion. We |
further certify that he was rampant. and
out-spoken rebel, and that he prayed in the |
public congregations, that God ucoRId in
His infinite mercy established the Southern
Confederacy. He also prayed God to drive |
back the enemies Of the South, and cause
the Southern (Rebel) army to triumph. &c. |
We also certify that we saw him, after
preaching on the Sabbath. take gun. and
drill with the rebel soldiers He also drill |
Ell with the same soldiers on week DAYS
Jonesboro, Tenn, Dec. 9Th, 1857.
MILTON KEER,
GEORGE MCPHERSON,
JOHN BOYD
S. E. GRIFFITH
j. D. Cox,