The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-06-26
sprtng-street Church and Rev. J. H.
Pickett.
THE EDITOR OF THE NEWS.

| ToTHE EDITOR OF THE NEWS.
In your issue Of last Saturday appears
another characteristic invective from the pen
of that meek Christian Pastor Of Spring street
| Church.
We wish to call attention to the spirit Of his
letter. ard to the TACT that he does not reply
| to, or even deny, one of the statements we
made in reference to Spring-strest Church, or
| the MCGEE will c Use. He asserts things that
we never uttered or thought OF, and then la
bors. like a '.mountain in travail" to dlsprove
them. When did We ever claim any rtgn to
SprIne-street Church as ''trustee?" When
did we take it or hold it by "bayouet" or sell 1t
outp This is ''ma Of stra%,"oi bis own Gre
atiou-a spiders web, spun out OF his own
bowels. But L will not invoke the shadow OF
Blackstone and Marshall, or ask. with Donna
Julia. "AntonIa, where's my pocket handker-
chietp"
Perhaps his .scountry friends" for whose
benefit he says he writes, will appreciate his
learned and classical illusions, and they may
be enlightened by bis statement that "Chief
Justice Chase presldes over the Temple OF
Strife" and that he made "speech over the
graves OF the Confederate and Federal dead at
Magnolia"
But his city friends. doubtless, have differ
ept opinion OF the United States supreme
Court, and also know that he never made o
speech, or was present, ut the decoration OF
either Confederate or Federal dead at Mag
nolia.
The whole reply Of MIR. Pickett reminds US
Of the ''scuttle fish," whose habit is, when at
loss for means OF Defence to stir up cloud OF
r,Le in the water, and then scoots out OF sight.
Thus Mr. P. dips bis pen in gall, strs up
cloud OF invectiye words aud epitbets, and darts
out, saying: II have done with these men,"
Well. discretion is the better part OF valor.
IT, ,ta ., fn
Church ate these It had been occupied by
the Contederates as a military storehouse TOR
two years before the city fell. Alter the sur
render the trustees and official members OF the
Methodist Churches in Charleston requested
Colonel Woodford to issue military order
turning over to oui care their churches and
parsonages in the city, which ne DID. a
hold religious services for the white Methodists
at New Bethel and Spring-street should be
opened for the colored. Ibis was done for
two reasons FIRST, to provide another needed
place Of worship; and second, to prevent it's
being occupied again by the military.
At this time March, 1865, there was not
preacher Of the South Carolina Conference in
the city. Every one had fled. Rev. A.
Mood had run the blockade to Nassau; Revs.
MIR. Meyusrdie and Rogers had left with the
retreating army "The shepherds were scat
tered and the focks were smitten," and not
one pastor returned for nearly seven months.
During this hot and slckly supmer, we serv'
ed the people, white and colored, according to
the plan agreed upon, to the best of our ability,
and 30 far as the white people at New Bethel
are concerned, to their satisfaction, as the fol-
lowing testimonial will show, an original copy
OF which was handed me by the secretary:
"CHARLEsroN, January 2, 1855. -.
"Whereas, Rev. T. W. Lewis, Missionary OF
the Methodist Episcopal Church, who has had,
NJ
church. and now at his request has been re-
"Resoiued, That we. the official members,
tender to hum our thanks for his faithful labors
in our midst, and that We devoutly pray that
the Blessing Of God may be with him and his
family.
"Signed in behalf Of the brethren.
'WM. B. MOORE, Secretary.
At quarterly meeting, composed OF all the
official members Of the Methodist Episcopal
Church. South, In this city, held IN September,
1865, DR.. T. Roar. presiding elder, and J:
Chamberlain, secretary, vote was passed
continuing the use Of Spring. g.street Church
to the congregation of colored people under
my charge worshlpping there" and that body
Chnrch from that day to the time we volun-
tarily surrendered it. We kept it in as good
repair as we found it, using 1t only for place
OF worship for the colored people, who have
worshpped there ever since the church was
built, and such Others, white and colored, as
pleased to come.
Rev. MIR. Loyal raised 800 to help seat the
grove at "Tivoi Garden" in March, 1858,
which was condition to the congregation at
Spring-street leaving. 1t was in no sense o
purchase or sale. II it was. let MIR. Pickett
show the ''tite Decd" which, he says, is re.
quisite in such cases. About the "McGee
will" referred to by MIR. p, we will only say
Spring street Church or the ID. E. Church
South are not so much as named in it, but we
doubt not every heir will receive his por.
ton in due time. The Court Of Equity will
decide. and not Mr.. p, who may be more
learned in novel quotations than BLACKSTONE.
In regard to "mlitary authority" and the
"bayonet," so frequently referred to, we have
only to say there has been no other authority
in this State till Governor Scott's inaugura-
tion. and in the city till Mr.. Plllsbury became
Mayor.
The keeping Of Spring street Church laQe
lonqer than MIR. P. and his friends desired, but
no longer than the Quarterly Conference OF the
Methodist Episcopal Church South allowed,
is the whole head and front Of our offence.
And now, Brother Pickett, il your present
course does not bring in the "Dollars for re-
pairs" and printing your phillipics against
your co-workers in the Gospel, try more e1-
cellent way, ''Let Us have peace"
r. W IEWIs