The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1868-02-22
Radical Religion.


Sunday morning IS an excellent time to
read and reflect upon the extraordinary
measures Of religious liberty which we en-
Joy IN loyal Tennessee A most refreshing
Instance Of the highest degree eff religious
liberty compatible WitiIloy atty has been re-
Gently manifested IN the case of Rev. Henry
q. Neal
Dir Neal is a citizen Of B'ount county,
and a worthy and talented yOung minister
of tire Methodist Church South lie was
assigned by the Hoiston Conference TO the
Aiaryyiiie Circuit lie was born and raised
within two miles oe Athens, where his aged
parents now reside. lie is graduate OF
Emory and Henry College, Va, young
man Of popular turn and fine ability. lie
had an appointment to preach IN Alorgantpn
In the forenoon Of last Sabbath. lie was
met at the door Of the church by q mob who
n9th oaths aud curses, Threatened to kill
him S he attempted to enter the church
After some parley with the mob, he an
nounced TO the congregation that he would
! preach at a private house near by, which he
did without interruption.
ia the afternoon he had an appointment
/ to preach some five miles distant IN the
I country When about one mile from Nor
canton, Re net two men on horseback, who.
/ clappcd their pistols to his head, and.oTdered
1 him to dismaunt Jast then the balance of
! the mob started from their hiding places,
and he saTs that he had fallen into their trap.
AS they approached some one called out
{ D--n him. blindf0ld hIm so he can t.
recognize us, when one Of the Tutdans
seized him and placed his thumb and fore
/ finger IN each eye, until q large comforter
was taken from his neck, ard he was securely
+ hoodwinked BY this time Il whole party
I had got up, and he was kicked and euffed
aud stricken on the head with their pistols,
and the scalp was laid open to the skull IN
more shan one place. They then took him
by the arm and led him about two hundred
yards into the woods, stripped hin to his
shirt, made him hug tree, and after tying
his arms around il whipped him with
hickory switches until bis back was terribly
/ lacerated and his shirt saturated with blood.
I They united him from the tree and left him
in the woods.
e is said that the perpc traters Of this out
rage had no personal quarrel with Mr.. Neal,
and only sought to persecute the branch Of
the church with which he is connected.
Words fail as to express our detestatiOn
Of the coWardly wretches who have thus
1 Gisgraced TIE State of Tennessee, and still
less arc we able to properly denounce the
more despIeable and eowardy creatures
who urged their tools on to such an infa
nous atIocity under the cloak Of loyalty.
! We hope that ia Justice to itself the Nor
i thern Methodist Church will take immediate
steps to clear It's skirts of the stigma which
viii be attached to IL, if this outrage is per
mitted to goiunreproved.
The authorities Of Blount county will be
forever disgraced if they do not exert them
selves to discover the criminals, and Govern
, or or Brownlow cannot delude the world
with the idea that there is peace and order
in Tennessee, when he Permits his parti
Fans to commit such crimes in his own i'm
mediate neighborhood. -Kno1UiJIe Pres!
and Herald, IStb inst.