The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-06-19
The Spring street Church and Northern
Methodist Preachers.
TO THE EDITOR or THE NEWS.

TO THE EDITOR or THE NEWS.
During my late absence from the city, there
appeared iu your journal T. W. Lewis and A.
Webster, denying the statement Of my circular,
chat their church obtained and held Spring
street Church and the Mckee estate by mill
tary authority.
Their communication wears on its faoe tho
expression OF Injured innocence, and the holy
purposes OF ambassadors OF peace and truth.
They say they hold not by the military, but
by tender to him Hew,s) BY a vote taken nsts ai
meetins.n Shades Of Blackstonel aud Mar
shall Titles 20 property by "vote OF public
meetinqln What will our learned bar say to
this mode Of getting titles to property? They
have usually called for ''signing, sealing and
delivering, ;" by "trustees," Of church property.
The bayonst is the only. other mode, unless
these men propose Split 5n tapping, a ,hero ,evsr
was meeting Of their board for the purpose
OF giving their consent, and that consent was
never asked or given for MIR. Lewis or MIR.
Webster to use their church.
Sir. W. published in his own paper the TACT
that he knew the use Of trustees; for he says,
the "bogus' "rickety' "chaos' OF tthe .'Confed'
eracy," and it promised to repair; but like
the lest of its promises, 1t never fulfilled"
The truth Of this, or the want OF that virtue.
is proven by the workmen, who say the Con-
federacy paid for the replacement OF the roof
and other repairs. The abusive terms be uses
only give illustration to their cry for sectional
from g. J. Chase, who presides over the temple
of strife (the Courthouse) in his noble speech
over the graves OF the Confederate and Federal
dead at Magnolia. This Northern church
makes its own commentary on Its love OF truth
and peace. There is no plea OF ignorance for
Its crimes against both. .,.- .
Did they get our church by military power ?
NV friends In the country, for whom I write,
we're deprived Of the city papers till the war
closed, do not know the facts, which every in
telligent man in the city knows, for they read
the history IN the daily papers.
TO the point before us. Not holding by the
"trustees," did these Northern preachers pos
sess and keep by the sbayonet."
The first person Mr.. Lewis called upon after
arriving in Charleston was DR.. G. 8. p, then
living in No. III Coming-street. he says Mr..
Lewis produced an "order from the War De-
partment for him to seize all churches with
out PASTORS" &C., &C., which he (mr. Lewls)
| regretted to do.
& friend hands me this from the Charleston
| Courier, OF date Of June 1, 1866:
81 hold in trust for their use 1.-THE colored
| people) the three churches they occupy, by an
order from the War Department, and have
served them as pastor for nearly three months,
and propose to continue amongst them.
(Signed) 7. W. LEWIS"
Nearly three months before that, there is an
advertisement in the same paper, date OF
March II. 1866, where he asserts the same re-
sponslbihty.
The above agrees with the spirit and temper
OF their church. The Secretary of War gives
the following order Of date November 80, 1868;
ssThat all the houses OF worship belonging to
| the NJ. E. Church South, in which loyal min
| lister. who has been appointed by loNal blsh-
| op. does not now oficiate, are hereby placed at
| the disposal Of Rev. Bishop Ames," Northern
| bishop.)
| My Church came under that description.
Mr.. Lewis says in his notice above that he held
| by order Of the War Department.,
There is now before me a military order da.
ted November 1s, 1867, refusing to give as
back our church, and refers to former act by
which We were deprived OF it. These nen,
with seeming injured innocence, should ask
| with Donna Julia:
"Antonia. where's my pocket handkerchief"
As to the Mckee estate. they deny the "bay-
onet" as deprivng US Of it by special plead
ing disgusting to those who know the shifts
| taken before the provost court in this city,
which the citizens never can forget, to deprive
as of it. Our church carried the decision OF the
frat military court, by appeal, to the higher
bayonet authority, but the bayonet gave 1t to
them. Rev. L. C. Loyal, more truthful man
the city cannot furnish. tells me that, in pur-
chasing back Spring-street Church from MIR.
Lewis, the military trustee, Mr.. Lewis requir-
ed, at first, besides the money, titles to the
MCGEE estate and also to old Bethel from our
church.
Our friends in the country should know that
when MIR. Lewis was sworn in the trial OF the
above case, he said, on oath, that be had fulfll-
ed his promises to our church." Old Brother b.
TO wh ON with others Mr.. Lewis, with tears in
his eyes, when he first came TO the city trying
10 get the members 70 be reconciled to his min
istrT. saving he only came to TRY to save their
souls. and that when the Southern preachers
returned he ''would give up the property and
members to them" when he vas sworn as
above, Brother B. said aloud. "rhat is -"
In the decision Of the Supreme Court t16
aos.ra @ Rspssss S@n w. asedes tSs'