The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-08-12

Letter frosn The Vir
Einia valleys Christian Confer
encc "---s ecession---The Weather
Crops, etc.
"Thc Virginia Valley Christian Confer
ence.'' member of the General Chris
tan Convention South" met pursuant tt
adjournment at Edinburg, Shenandoah
county. Va, on Friday the 9Th OF August,
and WINS Organized at II o'clock A. M
Among the visiting or fratcrnal messengers
VIC noticed the Rev. d. A. Long, of Ora
ham, n. c., and Captain ]. B. Riddick, Of
Nanscmond county, Va. The President o.
the General Convention, the Rev. W. b
Wcllons, Of Suffolk, Va, was present, ano
explained the object Of, and offered to tho
Conference the s'the Declaration OF Prln-
ciplcs and Form of Government" devised
by the General Convention in 1886, anc
published in complete form and adopted BY
tlat body in 1866.
1t appears that motion TO confirm wha'
had already been done in convention, mac
been ordered ono year ago to lie over untl!
this Conference, for material dciibcrahon.
During the past year the influence o; inc
leading minister of this body, who had be-
come disatfcctcd towards several OF the
most useful churches, had operated &c
ALLEVIATE the churches. Il turned the eyer
Of those churches under this influence
no,thward, and led to the invitation Of the
Rev. J. W. Marion, of Danville, Ohio, to be
present, and to oppose the adoption OF the
system of government, &c, approved ny
the Convention, and acknowledged to be n
true declaration OF their form Of govern
mcnt and doctrine rs they have ever been
held.
This minister is q member of the North
crn "Christian Church" which Ill general
convention in 1854, at Cincinnati, excluded
the Southern Christian Church from thelr
fellowship on the slavcholding test, ana
which have never rcscindcd that action.
The discussion of the motion toadopt was
LENGTHY. interesting, and able. A dccldcd
majority was given against adoption. "A
COMPROMISE was offered by the minority
for the purpose of maintaining unity ana
peace. But o motion to secede from inc
Convention South prevailed. The minority
promptly protested against any such mo-
ton as out Of order.
The President decided the motion to DC in
order. The principal church OF the minor
ity appealed to the house. The house sus-
tanned the President. At this time the sec
rotary of Antioch church entered the :. APP
neal to the General Convention" ana DC
clarcd that the disposition to cntei tam such
= motion was at once revolutionary, an insult
TO the minority, and usurpatlon u tIc moor
and the appointment OF the Virginia Nalley
Christian Conference; that such vote, II
taken. was Uirtud} secession, not only from
the Convention bat also from the Confer
cnce.
The Pre- 3ident proceeded to call vote.
The vote being announced, the minority,
through the President Of the General Con-
vention, inquired of the President if 1t was
their intention to continue to usurp the
floor? He replied in the affirmative, and
wag Immediately informed that the Fir-
LIMA Valley Christian Conference then pre-
icrrcd to quietly yield the floor rather than
30 press the delicate question OF the RICH! on
the floor upon the members of that body,
which had so kindly accorded them TIC use
Of their house.
The secession having carried, the officers
of the body, the old Virginia Valley Chris
,ian Conference, Immediately proceeded toa
room kindly protlcrcd near by and or
canized anew BY the unanimouD election OF
officers.
An evangelical house OF worship was now
rendered for the use OF the body, and
vote Of thanks given for this and the many
expressions of love and sympathy received
frcn tic citizens of the town.
On motion, the Conference adjourned to
meet at Aptioch, Rockingham county, Oh
Monday the 9th instant At night, preach
inc BY Rev. W Is. Wcllons on the night
before, by Rev. D. a. Long.
The Rev. d. A. Long is Il young man OF
at,ainments, of brilliant talents, and will
make his mark wherever he goes. The
Valley Conference will retain him, and
have shown no little wisdom in this choice.
Your readers know that Edinburg is a
small place Oh the line of the o., A. and
NJ. railroad and the great Valley pike, con-
tanning about six hundred inhabitants, who
arc noted for their hospitality and their
GENIAL frankness Of character.
The crops have, it is known, been over
flowing everywhere in the Shenandoah
Valley, but the drought is giving us reason
to believe that the corn crop will be exceed
incly short. Rockingham and Augusta are
particularly dry. Is.
IOur correspondent will see that the SYM
mctry Of his letter is somewhat married by
the excision of sentences which we could
not publish without obligating ourselves to
allow them to be contradicted OF answered.
We beg that he will accept this as good
reason for the liberties we have taken with
his letter.