The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1868-06-16
l E T 7 3 R
LOYAL LAND PIRATE.

LOY AL LAND F1HAEE'
tFrom the Baltimore Episcopal Methodist
aFor whyi Because the good old rule
suficsth them; the simple plan
That they should take who have the power.
And they should keep who cam"
We lay before our readers probably the
most extraordinary letter ever written
We take it from the Southern Christian
Advocate, where we find it attributed to
s. F. Waldro, of Chicago, who is said tc
have addressed it to the editor Of the
Tennessee Free Post, November IL, 1867;
aFrom all I have seen and heard on
this subject in the last three years, I con-
olude that all the supposed trouble in
church property among East Tennessee
ans has grown out of the action of Bish.
op Simpson in church matters in that
State; and supposing am right in this,
I beg leave to say few words in defense
Of Bishop Simpson, on the basis of gen.
eral principle. tits evident. to my mind,
that the gulf which separates the South
ern Methodist from the Northern Meth
odist, is much deeper and wider than ma
ny suppose. So great indeed that it were
folly to attempt to bridge it, or for the
two classes ever to meet. I, Of course,
belong to the Northern Methodist class,
and feel and speak in their behalf, and, in
doing so, shall exercise that frankness
and candor of expression on the Metho-
dist affairs that Wendell Phillips is wont
to do on political affairs. X 4 4
"It is the religious mind which makes
and executes the laws, and shapes in ev-
cry feature the legislation Of govern
ment. = = 4 Now, the stronger pre-.
vailed and took possession of all the
and appliances pertaining to the
organization of the weaker. The word,
Methodist, it is true, is applied to the two
classes Of the people North and South,
yet their religions are no more alike than
either one is like that of the Hindoo.- -
Bishop Simpson represented the Northern
masses in taking possession Of property,
fairly won by conquest, in support and
defense Of Northern religion, as opposed
to Southern religion, in the United States,
and in which Northern religion nearly all
other small denominations in the North
agree and sympathize, and have an inter-
est, therefore, in the property acquired.
ssThe Methodists of the North consti-
tute the great directing power of relig-
ion in America. All the other denomi-H
nations called Protestants, though differ
ing in form, in ritual and other minor
points yet follow in substance the relig.
ious course marked out by the great ru-.
ling power, the Northern Methodists.-
You may as we'll say thatau army has no
right to the arms and supplies which it
wins on the hard fought 6eld Of battle,
as to say that the Northern Methodist
Church has no right to every church,
school house, and every acre Of land for
merly held by the Southern Methodists.
Not only so, but it is Just as wrong and
pernic;ous for Northern Methodists to
permit Southern Methodists to meet and
worship at all, as it would be to permit
Lee or johnson to call together and drill
their disbanded men under arms.
.Methodism in the South was con-
quered and subjugated, and henceforth
has no claims on anything used or be-
longing to its former self. Even their
Bibles, booksand printing establishments
became the property of the victors, and
ought to be used. Did Spain allow Mex
leo to continue its religious exercises af-
ter Cortez conquered it? Certainly not.
Neither did any nation or people ever
concede such q privilege to the one they
had to subjugate. No more then ought
the North to co6ccde such to the South.
But you may say that the Southern Meth
odists and the Northern Methodists are
one and the same religion. \ The
Bible of the Southern people We Of the
North want nothing to do with. We
have our own views and sentiments, which,
with us, are the Creators views and de-
sires as to us, and being the stronger, we
announce our claims, by Gods laws, to
al those men and things which come IN
our way. We therefore claim to own in
fee simple every person and thing in all
the conquered South in any wise apper-
tanning to the Southern people, white OF
black. The blacks belong to US just as
we'll as the whites; and if it were our re.
Iligion to buy, sell and work them as
slaves, then it would be done unless .
stronger religion should interfere to pre-
vent us.
ave, therefore, hold that the Southern
people luot only Methedists, but all) have
no religion, and ought not to be allowed
| to assemble either in former churches OF