Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-03-23
From the Alexandria Gazette.
Remarks By Rev. Chas. King.

MIR. FRESIDENT.-One year ago, May last, L
left St. Charles city to take charge of Rock
bridge Circuit Baltimore Conference NJ. E.
Church. E
Before leaving St Charles made an grafton
before the Convention, or association of teach
ers In that city. In which | expressed my high
appreciation of the Virginia character and ex-
pressed the opinion that the great drawback in
the Southern States was the want of a liberal
system of public schools, and entertained the
opinion that those high toned Virginians would
acquiesce in the new order of things, and that
the people of the South with all their vast re
sources Of wealth would enter upon an un-
paralleled era of peace and prosperity, the dis
cordant elements being thrown out of the body
polite by the casualties of war. My remarks
were received with marked attention and ap-
probation on that occasions by the noble Vir-
ginia families who had emigrated thither, and
am glad to say none more so than by those
sympathising with the South in the 'great con-
hct" for southern Independence.
I returned to Virginia knowing nothing about
the peculiar character of the work further than
reported through the papers published under
the supervision of the NJ. E. Church. [ was
greatly surprised on my arrival in the Valley to
learn the character of the unnatural strife that
was raging like the "Asiatic cholera among
preachers and people. [ determined to be non
participant in the strife, and hoped by cbn~
ciliatory course to get along as quietly as possi
BILE, and advised the people to avoid uncharita-
bic comments upon the conduct OF themembers
of the Church South, and to go andhear
their preachers preach, and pay them for
their services if they could do SO consistently
as supposed they needed it, and that in due
time ''old things would pass away, and all things
would become new," but to my utter surprise
learned that the preachers and members of
the Church South were seeking in every dis
honorable method to hedge up my pathway, re-
presenting me as political agent sent there to
organize the Republican party notwithstand-
ing no such suggestion had ever been made to
me by any person or party, and would not have
been entertained for moment if it had, as I
had never conceived that to be very appro-
pirate calling having been impressed with a
sense of the greater duties OF the christian
| ministry from childhood, and having been con-
secrated to that work by the Right Reverend
Bishops Morris and Scott, [ felt that this work
should make my heart rejoice, and in at would
spend the remnant of my days. | had no con-
nection with any political party, further than l
had always endorsed the main features of the
..Whig party" and had been opposed to the
suicidal act of the Southern people and fanatics
elsewhere, such as the unfortunate lunatc of
Harper's Ferry notoriety, plunging the country
in civil war, having never seen Union League,
or any other secret political organization, and
bad never been connected with any ''secret So
ciety," except the ''Sons of Temperance, or
der of "Odd Fellows, and Free and Accept
ed Master Masons.'
When the houses of worship were closed a.
eainst me in Rockbridge, | consulted with an
eminent Southern lawyer who had been pro
m;nentlv connected with the South in the late
war. and was assured by him that this property
| In Virginia decided for the use of the members
| Of the M. ID. Church in America was certainly
ours. the recent Virginia Legislature to the con
| trary Notwithstanding, and received the addi-
| tional assurance from gentleman who was since
| member of the Virginia COMMITTEE of Nine, y
and therefore we presume representative
Southern man, that the legislation referred to
| above, was certainly unconstitutional, extra
| judicial and therefore null and void" wrote
| to Gen. Schofeld 10 regard to the matter, Civ
| ing him the appropriate and necessary references
| whereupon he sent highly accomplished Of
| ficer of the Federal Government to place me in
possession of the churches half the time as re-
nuested. until the civil authorities could decide
nnon the respective claims of the parties. I'll
| have been wrong in this action it has been bas.
ed unon information obtained FROM Southern
LAWYERS altogether. Therefore if I am in error
| mine error remaineth not altogether with me-
and it is somewhat remarkable that Southern
Judges have inya riably decided these church
suits in favor of the IN. E. Church. I was
so anxious to get along peaceably that arrang
ed my appointments on different sabbaths from
theirs and assured them publicly and priuateh
that when the church suits in Winchester and
Accomac were decided, if they gained the pro
pertv we would at once retire from the occupanc,
Of the churches and disclaimed ali intention
/ whatever of interfering with the churches ad
her;ng South in 1914 and those built for Ih,
NJ. E Church. South, since and speciazlv advis
ed our people to be conciliatory, having HOPED
that the Seeding bodies Of Methodists'' woult
ali take shelter again in the bosom of tha
church, which under God had saved their faith
ers and mothers.