Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-12-30

consult and decide for itself And the measure
was the more onleeiionaHl. becaas4 tha chu-ch
suPervises the Sabbath sc1ool, ana II held r.
sponsible for lis action, the school making ITS
amman report 10 the church. Nor saould the
General and his friends think Ii strange that
some regarded this, no wever unjustiy, as q frs,
move on the political chess board. Many OF
these children were drl wn away from Sabbath
schools Of their own, and nov, tbouxh the
school IL under the same teach ers, nearly an
these eolored pupils have left, thus proving
thai the effort was IN called for ana unnaturai
In November, ls67, three colored persona,
Two men and one woman, presented themselves
70 the pastor and deacons 10 be az AHMED as
candidates for admission to the church., The
men Were OF mixed blood and employees of the
freedmen's Bureau. The examination was 30
far satisfactory that NO one objected to their
admission. After the examination was over
conversation was held in regard TO the future
OF the colored race, and IL was prooaoly only
natural that these men of mixed blood them
selves should express views W hich looked TO-
ward the future complete mingling of the races,
the merging Of one in the other They were 40
understood. They afterwards denied that they
mentioned analgsmation. True. the word was
NOT used nor was II needed to express their
that God bad better thiLg In store Tor the COL
ored race than to swallow them up In the white
one. The interview ended by the deacons
present and the pastor, and some white caudi.
dates, taking each Of these colered persons by
the baud and welcoming them iato the church,
withouta thought or a word Of objection from
preached the much talked OF sermon upou thu
colored race, in which, declaring in the most
explicit and positive manner that the blacks
should be admitted, il they desired n, to our
churches, he expressed the opinion thai WHARF
they had suitable organizations Of their own,
1t would be better for them TO unite with their
own people. Upon this, two Of the colored
applicants were advised by some of the mi
nority to withdraw their application, and they
did 80. The woman was admitted as any
other person would have been, without objec-
rom anu fha b, -.
had they not Withdrawn their application
The wholly untrue accusation was now made
that the pastor had excluded colored members
fron the church, and 1t was spread indus
triously through the country, with the equslIy
untrue addition, that the sermon was preached
10 excuse or defend his course. Resolutions
imply ing censure OF the pastor were introduced
IN churcn meeting; the church refused TO GEN.
sure, but, al the same time, expressed its senti.
ments and those Of the pastor also. by the fol-
the doors OF the church are open 10 all true
believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and we
welcome such without distinction of race or
color" Neither church nor pastor has ever
expressed or held any sentiments contrary TO
thls, ana yet the war went on, on the false as.
sumption that we were opposed to the admis-
sion OF colored people, and this, in the face of
public, private, and even otfi:ial statements
On this point we are constrained to express
ourselves plainly and decidedly We do not
think it ven possible that any intelligent per-
son OF tns minority ever believed that the
sion of colored persons. The evidence on this
question was, and is so full, and so decisive as
To ADMIT OF no mistake. The Oh urch aud pastor
placed themselves unequivOcally, and beyond
the possibility of mistake, On the most adj
vanced position of the most earnest anti-slavery
churches OF the land, and any one denying this
de MES the truth,
After reviewing the subsequent contentious
IN the church, they say: The excitement under
which some of the members Of the minority
were acting may be judged of when il is stated
that General Howard, In open church Meeting
allowed himself. in a most passionate manner,
10 give the lie three times to gray haired man,
now one of the honoTed deac cons OF the church:
and when the pastor had asked and obtained
leave to make some remarks on a question, the
attempt was made literally to yell him down
with shouts OF ~ uestiou and other disorderly
cries. A large COMMITTEES was appointed TO
investigate and report upon the difficulties OF
the church. More than once during the labors
OF this committee the pastor offered through
trends to converse with General Howard,
with view 10 settlement, but the offer wa
declined 1t was then given out III |: the indorse-
ment OF tie sermon by the church prevented
the collecting OF funds, and if that sanction
could be rescinded, the contention would cease
The pastor advised the church to do this, As q
peace Offering, II IL could be conscientiously
done, as ne was quite willing that the SER
mon should stand on its own merits. The
committee reported this accommodation
with the written sanction OF the pastor.
and II vas adopted the pastor stating
that for himself he was prepared TO assert
On the ground that il might enable Gen How
ard TO obtain funds and give us peace. the pas
tor favored the resembling of the church res.
olutlon, and 1t wss done. The majority and
the pastor found that they We're deceived. In.
stead OF obtaining peace By this meas ure, they
We're tainted with having Teen obliged 20 e II
their own WORDS, and the impression was
epresd abroad that the church mad abandoned
the pastor At the close of that meeting and
In the midst OF a large company of church
members, male and female, Gen. Howard, we
4av
jress his pastor N a manner that, in our judg-
ment, admits OF no pallatioh or excuse. He
charged him with :. setting the church oy the
Fars," and with seeking to diyids, 1t; and then
told him: in The most rude and violent manner
that be thought MIN pos seSsed of the vii, say.
ing, II believe the very Sstaa rs in your
heart The shock which this scene gave to
some thnty or forty witnesses is not to be
described: and it was the more astonishing be
cause no provocatIOn WAS given either BY the
words or manner of our PASTOR
The financial complications of the church
are then adverted to at length, and its mone-
tary connection with Howard University dis
cussed, that institution having the bonds OF the
church, and Gen. Howard refusing % pay tue
interest The address says: "a meeting OF the
society was called, at winch the treasurer Dosl.
lively refused 10 pay The interest, bat gave the
people TO uU terstsn that il DIR. Boynton could
Or dismissed, be would paw the interest, finish
the church, snd pay its debt. This was after
q large majority OF the church and pewhoiders
mad requested the pastor TO withdraw his
ItsiEFdliOu anu Ne ntQ done so, and leave
others TO Judge OF this attempt u b,ar down a
church aud its pastor by the power of money,
and the influence OF a Government Depart.
ment. At the close OF this meeting General
HOWARD saw mt 10 use such language in regard
10 our pastor that one OF our deacons reb1krd
him, when he repeated II, and defied the church
In any attempt 10 discipline him."
Ihe address then recapItulate the facts aud
says: 1.-THE great majority Of this church, from
nrst 10 last, have been as well united in each
oeher and In the pastor as any church in this
land, and wedeclare that no agitation, strife. or
trouble has ever arisen among as which hae
not been directly caused by the persistent
erorts OF tlese who have organized them selves
for opposition. liza very few persons, mostly
with the Freedmsn's Bureau and
ITS various operations, were out Of the church,
we should AT once have peace and union. The
$ mall faction which in the earlier stages of our
life, disturbed our peace, created ILL feeling
and dlssension, prevented our spiritual
growth, and impeded our prosperity, had lirne
power except 20 keep mp a continued agitation;
but when The aid OF the Frecdmen's Bureau
was obtained, we had added to our other
troubles what appeared TO us an organized at
tempt 70 use our church tor the ambitious pur.
poses OF few men, who were striving to exaIt
themselves ty the elevation Of their chief We
protest against any such prostitution Of q
Church OF Christi
I he ninety -eght signers 70 the address close
by saying We represent the sentiments Of :
least two-thirds OF the church, abou; 30
hundred IN ali, and more than that proportion
OF the congregation Some Of the church mem.
bers who have recently come among u.s. not
having had personal knowledge of some az the