Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-12-26
belmont Chronicle
ST. CLAIRSvILLE, OHIO:
THURSDAY MORNING, DEC. 20, 1867.
WurrtdNe TowNsHrp Dec. II, 1867.

/" Returned Soldier, u who seems to have |
periodical attacks of disease called by
theiearned monomania; and the attacks
are so violent at times that he loses all |
self-rontrol, and Is obliged to yield him
self to the lofty inspirations of his genius |
and give Information to the public" re- |
specting things about which, alas! as
facts sufficiently demonstrate, he,has no |
correct information at all. We know it |
is a privilege accorded to.transcendent |
genius to give to "airy nothing local
habtation and q name, " but this privil-
eye cannot be allowed to those whose |
genius develops itself in fabricating false
hoods and in making scurrilous attacks |
upon any minister of the gospel or any |
part of the church of Christ.
That your correspondent has'lent him
self to the low business of detraction and |
calumniation-that he has published !
statements with reckless disregard to
truth, in order to excite the prejudices of
the community against an excellent and
esteemed minister of the gospel, and the
denomination to which he belongs, and |
especially against the people composing |
the Associate Reformed congregations in
this County-wili be abundantly evident |
from the following letter:
M 4. ~ Nichol:
DEAR sIR--There is n time when forbearance I
seases to be a Virtue Hitherto, as think wise |
". YOU have treated your public calumniators |
and the calulnnlators of your church, with 81 |
1ess iene m ,rni ond @ iinpsrStiyey
demand that the false statements made in the |
last Communication of" Returned Soldier shall
be refuted You are therefore, authorized to
publish the following statements, and Qf there
is any necessity am willing to be qualified to
First, in regard to my tale. am uniformly
designated In these scnrrIouS communcatons
nomer. IneUeT iocS a Chaplain in d'iy @Wy and
never received any commission from, or held
,,,ffiaa ttt,1a tho
Would 1t not be well for Those who aspire TO the
dignity of oorrespondents Of q n,ewspnper TO- be
what they affirm, before they authorltatively
declare what Is downright faisehood2 is there
that they shalt stultfy themselves, and bring
themselves into contempt, at the very time
they are seeking 10 cast Opprobrium upon 9TH
ersY am free to acknowledge that labored at
different times during the war as a missionary
Is there any mon rous wrong in that? anything
Incompatible with tue duty or dignity of a min
Of my commission to "go unto all the world"
wheresoeycr God in His providence offers oppor-
Granting that these Confederate soldiers were
sinners than any others'nHers of man.
kind, aud that their cause was as infamous and
wicked as their worst enemies affirm 10 was, is
that any reason why tho Gospel should have
been withheld from them? Nay, Is 10 not con-
clusive proof that they needed It all the more?
Is tany disgrace to ministers of Christ to preach
His gospel to the chief OF sinners? Did not
their Divine Master preach il to publicans and
harlots? and did he not say that these publicans
and harlOtS enter the Kingdom OF heaven before
your Pharlsalcal relgIonists, who are ready to
THANK God that they are not as other men are,
and especially AS these wicked Shareholders?
Another point you are authorized to deny is
presented In the following statement:
c.al me- faci a e w,s an an enry and earnest
advocate OF secession and rebeliion ana TOOK
voluntary oath OF allegiance to the so-called
Confederacy and voluntarily served ns Chap
lain In the Rebel Army"
An unprovoked and calumnious mlsrepresen-
tetion from beginning TO end! ASacitizcn. not
"of South Carolina" AZ this wiseaore nftrins,
but OF the proud old dcommonwealth q virginia;
was ardently attached to the old Union, and
never changed my sentiments Till the war was
actually inaugurated.
Az To the other charge In the above sentence,
i have no recollection that ever, either volnn-
tsrily or otherwise, took tho oath 9f allegance
quired OF any but those who held oihce under
the government.
leave you and those who attend on my min
istry 10 say whether the other charge preferred
against me In this communication Is true, or
whether u is not r. base Islander, dictated ny
malice? Who ever heard me ''pTedchhi0 politics."
or advocating the doctrines or measures of any
political pnrtyP In my estimation, those min
listers of the gospel who so far forget the duties
ofthelr sacred vocation as to prostitute the pull
pit to the business of political demagoe4eeism,
party are guilty OF the desecration OF lhcir
nable Rercsy even that d being traitors to
the King and Head Of the Church! =" Hut God
forbid mat should OIL glory save In the cross OF
As to The allegations in regard TO the 4ssoeq'e
Reformed church Uhts correspondent shows the
IL, not less than three or four times In the same
G sRrowy mi snspset tsut iG t2s re-
turned Soldier"'is a U. p. mau, He seems to
know noas 81 ths orgn i1r Of his Church
Does he not know that the u, L. Church IL the
result Of q union between the Ass9cate @ and h Az AS,
not hesitate to call the Associate Reto,1msdSynod
the south the church nn OF osy
an expression 10 any evangelical body OF Chris
tans Is demented With malice and perpstrrsIs, p rates
being unfriendly to the blacks u has been one
grand oblee, with the A. H. synod Syn OF tne rs south
Tiny q th, asgsSGd ts heFe have as no.
knowledge, who has not given special pains e
impart religious instruction to them; aud dc
not know asingle church In the southern SYNOD
that does not number some colored members IL
It's communion. In the congregation NJ Due
West q. O., the seat of our College and Semina
every Lords Day one OF the Professors OF til,
College IL In the habit OF preaching to the color
other congregations where aan acquainted ii
the synod, there is acolored membership, vary
mnign Influences were brought to bear upoI
them, to alienate and scntterthem.
This correspondent himself undcsignedlyad
mits that the churches, South, were not alto
gether reereant 20 their duty TO the colorod pop
these people In front of their iowly cabins, oI
the cotton plantations or Alabama, GeoTsl,
aud the CurOltnas, and the rice swamps aloni
the savannah md Ogeechoe Rivers, and hav
found them everywhere hacing ne same spirit q
Nunbte piefH, Ws same lftfn ~ t5Of, ditu Hc sam
DedrnnD for more kno,Dtege Of the Bibie, ~ religion
osid o( ue lSfpf0f." Now, whence this spirit q
humble piety9 whence this faith In God, an,
this yearning for moro knowledge the Bbl
and the Savior? Ont of thine own mouth thQl
art csndeninedt The A. H. synod OF the Soutl
was actively engaged, In conf junction with olhe
Christian denomi II at ions. IN putin forth earn
est efforts for the Capitalization or the dolores
population, and hssloe the -"sprit OF hprhbl
piety," Ac. And yet this oorreSpondont, Will
singular reck lessness la regard 20 hisOwn state
nents, has the effrontery To brand this churcl
a. the church OF negro exterIninators" Ii
so doing he shows his intimate relation TO on
who was called long ago ''khe accused o( Use 6reh
ven" Like his father, too. he can quote scrip
ture IL might be we'll for him 70 mark the fol
lowing passage, and ponder Well ts meaning
(Itsv. XXI, ~ "But the fearful, and unbelley
ing, and the abomlnable, and rnu rderers, an
whoremongers. and sorcerers. and idolator'
aud al Nsirs shall have their part In the LAX
that burneth with nre and hrinistope; which !
the second death.n such oalumnies. think
will not break our heads; but they may tall ~ X
milestone upon his own pate. Meanwhile
for our consolation, lot US remember that Di YIN
beatitude which says: "Bessed are ye whe
Insnehali reviie you, and perseoute you, nm
shall say all manner OF evil against you ydisei
for my sake, Rejoice, aud bd exceeding glad
for great IL your reward in heaven for so perse
cuted they the prophets which We're before you.
Yours, DC, w. III. McELwgE.
Now Mr. Editor think that the LET