Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-06-05
THE IRREPREsSIBLE CON
FLICT.

Daniel Wat kins 10 Peter LOwery
Greeting
To the Editors Of the Union and American:
On my return from Murfreesboro
where l spent few days pleasantly to
myself, and trust not without profit to
some ofmy colored friends whomI had the
pleasure of addressing few times on
moral and religious subjects feel that
the interest of my work demands of me
again q hope and trust for the last tirne)
to defend myself from certain calumnies
of Peter Lowery, who appears still to de-
light in prefering false charges against
the brethren. In his last TRADE, published
in your Saturdays issue, he says che
takes occasion to yindicate himself from
my malicious assertions of the 18th,
Now the article is correctly introduced
''Daniel Watkins on the defensive" and
was written in reply to false charges
made by him, and published on the 2lst
in the Banner. Thus it will be seen that
he provoked the publication of which he
complains. He says that he joined "the
white Christian Church and was treated
with the utmost courtesy and respect for
fifteen years, " and that too, after having
said in his former scurrilous Article re-
ferred 10, that officers of that church held
an generating meeting and exOnerated
me as far as possible from misapplying
money that / had collected. He also
charged them by implication of having
arrived at the sublime conclusion that q
black man has no soul, and that Christi
anity means whiteness of color only, to
which he denied and appealed to the New
Testament TO sustain his demurrer. If he
had received such kindness for 50 long a
time, why put forth TO the world such
statements, because they, after careful
scrutiny of the whole subject, pronounced
me guiltless? The truth is, never knew
of the existence of a white Christian
church with cOlOred members in it before;
but such statements are in keeping with
the source from whence they come. He
says that he does not claim to be called
Reverend-by what right, then, does he
claim and receive half-fare tickets on the
various railroads OF the brethren that
he claims to have withdrawn from and
subsequently applied to for letter of dis
mission (though he docs not say they gave
iD, he says: "They settled difficulty in
q way that was SO utterly repugnant to
every principle of Christian cand0r and
truth, that he was compelled to withdraw
from them" Now, these brethren,
whose word, think, ought TO be as good
as his, say that they withdrew from him,
and that for what he is still doing
making charges destitute of truth-and
that he was not dealt with to his face be-
cause he would not bring his face with
him to the meeting that tried and expelled
him. He asserts that | carried round q
paper to stop free schools, but don't say
who | carried it to. Suffice it to say that
no truthful person will risk his standing
in the community by saying | ever present
ed such paper to him, or to anybody else
in his presence. As to the certificates of
Messrs. Walter Scott and Joseph Vaulx,
neither say positively that they gave me
money for the school of which he signs
himself President.
| have no doubt that they can call to
mind the fact of my placing in their
hands one of my circulars, appealing ''to
the friends of Moral and Religious In
struction for colored people, before they
were asked to contribute.
As to the certificate of my refusing to
give to Peter LOwery, without written au-
thOrity from those whose names were on
it, the credentials l had, it is true; but |
can see nothing of the least Importance
in that, and now, Messrs. Editors, permit
to say, that think the public would pre-
fer light on the present condition and fu-
ture prospects of that school, to reading
what Peter Lowery, or have to say about
these personal matters. hope, as he is
so very anxious to say something, he will
answer the following interrogatorles
l. How much money up to this time
has been given you and your son for the
SCHOOL,
2. What disposition have you made of
it!
3. How much of the property sent TO
the school for the labor department has
your son sold to support himself and
family!
4. Who are the Trustees, and by whom
elected
3. Who elected you President, and
Treasurer, AMI General Finance Agent and
Manager.
6. BY what authority did you establish
a church after you were excluded, and
before you have been restored TO fellow
ship
z. Who organized it, and what other
church or organization recognizes, or
fellOwships it?.
S. What do you wish to accomplish by
this useless and unc4llcd for course of
conduct y. WATKINS. ST..
MAY 81, 1870.