Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1868-01-23


WHEEb.NG TOWNSHIP, Jan. 8.
To lic Editor OF the Belmont Chronic'e.
SIn--rhc following reply to Il. NJ.
Nichoi and W. NJ. McElwee you may
publish in your paper, should you feel
inclined TO give il space:'
10 Hon. T. NJ. NIcHoL and Rev. w. NJ.
MCELWEE.
SrRs--In your com mnuuication YOU say
there Is time when Forbearance ceus-
O. to I've u virtue" So thought we when
we wrote the communication heretofore
pubished. We returned from the army
With desire to olive at peace with all
men, especially with our neighbors;
aud we even cndeavored 10 cultivate So
cinl and friendly relations with those
whom We knew to have sympathised
with our enemies during the war; ignor-
ing the fact that a beloved minister,
whose first born son had given up his
life a sacrifice upon the altar of his coun-
try, and who lies buried in Southern soil,
far from kindred and home, had been
driven from his congregation-his pay
refused, and his pulpit filled by "mis-
sionary" of the Rebel Army. But, when
the leading man of the new church gave
!. utterance to political harTangue which
made q venerable and honored citizen of
this County n liar, and .heaped abuse
spon the memory of a beloved and la
Ilented President, we felt that the time
had come when forbearance had ceased
to be virtue. And yet you say our at
tacks, as you call them, are unprovoked.
,s-- You represent us rs calling the Ass0-
ciate Reformed Church the church of
the "negro exterminators. We said
nothing about that church. We spoke
of a different church. viz: the Associate
Reformed Church, South. It was not
our fault that the printer left q couple of
letters off the word.) The former church
you know was anti-slavery, and excluded
slaveholders like you (McElwee) from its
communion, and the latter pro-slavery.
But we did not say this church was the
church of negro eXterminators. We said
it was, before the war, slaveholders'
church, exclusively-having no exist
ence except in slave States, and but n
feeble eexistence in any State except South
Carolina.
We did say the new church or con-
gregation TT Uniontown was sometimes
called the church of The negro extermi-
nators. a leading member of this new
church made n speech during the late
campaign, in which, after the manner of
the Lacrosse Democrat, he threatened
the utter determination of the negro
race; and from that circumstance the
boys gave II the name aforementioned.
We said 1t was appropriate, because we
had seen men who have read Democratic
literature until they have had revere
attack of negro on the brain, and can
seemingly think of nething but negro
insurTections, n war of races, and the ex-
termination of the negroes, and who live
IN parts remote from UniontOwn, wend-
ing their way toward that place on Sab
bath morning, intent OH hearing the
"pure gospel" preached by n late slave
holder and missionary preacher of the
Rc,lel Army.
You object to your title, and say you
were not chaplain in the Rebel Army,
: only missionary preacher; distinction
without difference, so far "a the moral
effect OF your presence with that army Is
concerned. A man, who had requested
his physician to give him an emetic,
complained, after taking 1t, that IL did
him no good. "How did you take it?"
inquired the Doctor. "Just rs you told
me-" replied the patient; "I took half
bowl OF warm water, put In the powder,
stirred IL up, and drank IL down" "You
old fool" replied the Doctor; "you ought
to have known that it would do you no
good taken that wayl told you to put
tho powder in the bowl first, and pour
the water on 10, then stir II up, and take
II down. The Doctor had as good reason
for being angry with his patient as you
have for being angry with me about your
title.
And you We're n citizen OF Virginia,
not South Carolina. You came from the
presbytery of South Carolina, and we
were ignorant enough to suppose the
Presbytery of South Carolina was In the
State Of South Carolina
You say you were "Ardently attached
TO the old Union till the war commenc-
ed.n Since the war closed we have been
unable To find any one who did not mako
the same plea. Seven hundred thousand
men were found In arms against the
Government: yet no one can be found
who was not "ardently attached to the
old Union"
You say you have no recollection OF
having taken an oath of allegiance to
the Confederate Government. Our in
formation on this point came from one
"who attends ON your ministry
You ask, WHO ever heard me preach
politics?n You prench polltlcs In the
same sense MS did ID. Il, Read and other
ministers OF this neighbOrhood, about
whom 30 much has been snid in connec-
tion with political preaching. They
showed by their conduct, their assOcla-
tions, and by casual expressions of their
feelings, that their hearts were on the
side OF the country and Government =
You, In the Same way, show your heart
to ne OH tic OtntF sue, our llIe Is,
therefore, "A continual sermon In advo-
cacy OF Democratic politics. The mass
es o. the Democracy of this locality re-
gard you as champion of the principles
{ oftheirparty, and gather In great crowds
TO hear you preach. One, seeing your
hearers assemble, might readily suppose
that Democratic mass meeting was
about 10 be held at UIlontown.
"a In your published letter TO your people
In South Carolina. you say that these
people who attend on your ministry are
all Democrats, and were opposed TO the
war on the part of the Government and
TO the emancipation of the slaves of the
South.
Two classes of Democrats "nttend on
your tninistryn: the good Elder who
bought a pistol 20 shoot the draft officer,
and the man who publicly expressed n
wish that certain soldiers of the 0Sth o.
% v. !. might get "a punch from a Rebel
bayonet," nre specimens OF one class
Then there are the Taylors, the Cald.
wells, tho Glllespics, and others, who are
clever men, notwithstanding their poll
ties.
You have much 10 say about instruct
Ing the negroes, but you neglect To tell
III anything about the progress they were
making In learning to read and write un-
T der your instruction. You would have