Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-05-19
NUMBER XXXVII.

CHURCH PROPERTY. The rights of &c.
cleslastlcal bodies in and to church propertv
conveyed to them by regular deed ofconyevance
snail not be affected by the,late civil war. nor
Oy any antecedent or subsequent event, nor by
any act OF the Legislature purporting to govern
sne same, out all such property shall pass to and
be held by the parties set forth in the ORIGINAL
deeds of conveyance, or the legal assienees of
such original parties holding through or by con-
veyance and any act or acts of the Legislature
In opposition thereto are null and void
This seems to be harmless provision. But
1t Is not 1t is intended to transfer large
amount of property in this State from the hands
OF the rightful owners into the hands of the
northern Methodist Episcopal Church-the
most dangerous body of partisans in this coun-
try. 1t is intended, under cover of legal tech
nlcalities, to defraud the persons who hold the
equitable title to this property. The reader
will remember that before the division of that
church In 1874. the Methodist Episcopal church
owned much property in this State that after
that division there were two churches-the
legal title Of the one being the Methodist
Church. and of the other the Methodist Epis.
copal Church, South; that the Baltimore Con-
ference, which extended from Fredericksburo
to the Maryland line throughout northern Vir-
glnla, and throughout the Valley of Virginia
from Winchester to Bristol, az hered to the
former church, up to the time sohen the late oar
commenced; and this being SO, that the church
property was of course all held in the name of
the Methodist Episcopal Church and not in the
name ofthe Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
The preachers of the Baltimore Conference who
reside and preach within the boundaries named
above have, SINCE the ,oar, joined the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South, aud all their parish
loners Tor at any rate, nine out of ten them) an
prove OF the transfer of membership. The Leg
lsiature OF Virginia passed law declaring that
the members of these charges should have the
legal title to this large amount of pronery since
1t is notoriously their own. Now, this Conyen.
ton, made up of northern carpet baggers, igno-
rant negroes, and traitorous Virginians. has
undertaken to provide in the section a.
ooVe quoted that the property in question sf all
go to the northern Methodist Church-not be-
cause that church has any moral or equitable
right to possess it, but simply because it is a
hadical machine-a church whose preachers are
political puppets worked by the scoundrels who
run the Radical party. The design is to
secure foothod in Virginia for this scheming.
dangerous political organization, or church, if
so you please to call it. There are no names
given, and no pretence of justice is set up. 1t
Is plain declaration that because certain
ecclesiastical body has the name in law of
Methodist Episcopal Church" it shall have
the property which rightfully belongs to men,
who have withdrawn from that corrupt organiza-
ton and Joined the Methodist Episeopal
Church South. 1t is an attempt to play the
game OF Beast Butler-to steal under cover of
legal technicalities. This section alone will be
sufficient to unite all the people west of the
Blue Ridge in opposition to the Constitution.
Dispatch