The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-06-15
REV. VIM. WATKIN HICKS.
HIS REPLY TO CHARGES AGAINST
HIS CHARACTER.
I,dvertisement.l ,
MACON. GA. NAV %. 1871.

[adyertigement.l.
MACON, GA, May %, 1871;
To General D. Il. Hill, Editor Southern
Home, Charlotte, n. c.:
In yeur issue OF the 23d inst, the following
editorial note appeared:
REV, W. W. HIcKs-This brilliant orator Is
recurring over the South on the HE and character
OF General Lee. He is q Northern man, who
came South Ia 1866, professea ultra Southernisa,
started the XlXth Century as q CONSERVATIVE
magazine, then opposed the RefQrm movement IL
South Carolina. aud favored the. reelection of r.
x. Scott. The PIttsbnrg Commercial radical
and the Bellefopte Waterman warn the South
ern people against p n; the n;d prime ss5, says; I'm. I'm
grave At the euloGy OF this hldeous hypocrlte.
THEREAFTER says: 'He "a not worthy TO speak the
great cliefra;n,s name, and could the latter but
bS a ioos.m fhe Yankee scalawag is about as
NANCY as the Southern.
It will, of course, go the rounds, and to the
extent Of such stuff will injure my character,
twiSre lam not known,) and cripple my nse.
fainpss Ia the country Of my adoption. How
much truth 1t contains, the statement l now
proceed, reluctantly, to make public will
show:
/. ! was born almost under the shadow Of
Caerphilly Castle. in Wales, 1859, II Think
lam not, therefore, a Northern man, a Yankee
OF q Southerper.
2. I was broughtto America by my parents
in 1913, and my father settled II. Central Penn
sylvania. a. .
3. / entered the ministry OF the NJ. E. Church
In 1857, East Baltimore Conference, and was
assigned to q circuit in Hartford County, Mary
land, where I am well known.
4. Up to 1861, I lived and labored in Mary
land, near the City Of Baltimore.
s. When the war began between the States,
I was opposed to the doctrine Of secession as
txr as I understood it, and believed that the
happiness and prosperity OF the country de,
pended on the perpetulty of the Union. !
meyer was an Abolitionist.
6. I was educated in the ~strictest school'of
Radlcalism at home with great care and en-
thusiasm, and knew nothing Of the South or
its institutions from q Southern standing
point.
appointment) I set sail for India (August IL,
1861 as a missionary, under the direction OF
The n. E. Church.
8. In February, 1868, my health had become,
as was feared, hopelessly impaired, and we
were hurried. to sea and to England, with the
hope of saving my life.
g. In September, of the same year, we ar,
rivedaat New York, utterly broken In health
and with little hope for the future.
10. During the winter 6f 1863, my health raj
lied, and In the spring Of 1864 l resumed my
ministerial labors. The Town Of Bellefoate,
Pennsylvania, was considered eligible on ac-
count OF its heaithfnlness and the inconstder-
able duties OF the station, also on Account Of
the proverbial kindness and appreciative SYM
pathies of the people. served The Methodist
Church at Bellefonte for one year, near the
close of which time severe domestic Affections
9isited.us and necessitated our removal to a
milder climate at the earliest practicable mo-
ment.
1 am. we'll known In BelletoBte; as to whether
that knowledge Is favorable or no. a letter
from you, addressed 10 any respectable citizen,
will bring you 8 true answer If you are In
the least curious, any OF the below named
gentlemen will, / I'm sure, satisfy you, viz:
His honor Judge Linn; Messrs. McAllister;
Yocum, FUrsb, prominent members OF the bar;
DR.. Green, n. N. Mcclure, Esq, or George
Tate, Esq; Messrs. Mcclellan, Burnside, Wag-
ner, prominent merchants.
Politically, I was known there, as elsewhere,
as a Republican. was brought up 80, aud aa
found no cause for q change Of views.
There was O paper published there, called
the Watchman (the same, / presume. from
which you quote.) It was u very obscene
sheet, and OF no political or intellectual slgnia-
canoe.
never met its editor, that remember, In
all my life. He did not move in respectable
SOClSGf OE hCGOdhg u LIZ ANS ~
per, and, perhaps, for other valid reasons.
His paper was a sort OF police gazette, a. TO
the substance Of Its columns, without the Illus.
~trations. 1 remember that The editor seemed
to delight in abusing everybody VINO would
not speak to him, or who was not OF his way OF
thinking, and believe was the objective
point Of much of his wrath.
This poor creatures name was MeeE. lot
whom I had q sincere pity, Tor l was informed
he was respectfully connected oJ marriage
and other ties.
I have gone thus into detail to give You an
OF. the source Of your recent editorial IN
sa,ratioR, and not from o desire to defend my
self or indulge in "Reminiscences.
IL. In 1866 l was appointed to take charge
OF the II. E. Church In Frederick City, Nd.
Here my stay was briet for several reasons.
Nv wiie's health (also wrecked In lndia) grew
afarmingly worse, and our physicians urged
cur Immediate removal to the home OF our
childhood, with, the hope that the presence OF
friends, ;congenial climate, &c, &C., would
conduce TO her recovery. The change was
made accordingly, and we removed TO Brook
Ign, New York.
Il. While We were in Frederick City, Mr.. Lin
coin was assassinated. There was intense ex-
element, and / was requested to deliver an
address touching the melancholy event. 1
did so. l believed in Lincoln. ! saw no nope
from his death. ! blamed the South largely
LOT mat cdlaWlty, lWTOuSluly ~ INV oenonN'J.
and ~eulogized the "Martyred President" The
address was published. There are many ut
terances In that address that appear unwise
and absurd to me now. Whatever was SAID ei
Lincoln as q man,.I think can safely slap9.
In other respects, and so lar as the addresses
unjust to the South, / have long since ignored
and repudiated it, and my conduct as q maj
and q Christian minister will not humoiy
believe, give color and justice TO your terrible
charge Of ''hi6tous hypocrite" or 'Vlllaln.'
IT 80, then, >allihones., progressive men are
hypocrites and villains, since few men WGrlh
Knowing have not had occasion 10 repudlate
long cherished views n adopt JuSter anu
Is. on leaving Frederick City for Brooklyn,
I lett the NJ. E. Church. There was no differ
ence between the authorities and me. twas
simply this I must cease preaching or give
mo The it%inerancy. l chose the latter alterna.
tive, and proceeded, with the confidence ana
good will of all my brethren, to supply tne pni,
pit of Estate street Congregations Cnurcu,.
Brooklyn. ] continued TO 90 so lot eiSatesn
Apnthe; to the Christian satisfaction OF the
cengregation-hsvipg declined 10 become the
settled pastor after repeated solicitation.
IA. ABOUT this time | received o Gail to The
Lee avenue Reformed Dutch Church,
prominent church in Bcooklyn-to become lts
settled pastor. ] accepted, and was insiaileu
in September. 1867.
(You affirm that ] came South in 1862
is. During. all these changes, rendered
necessary for sacred domestic reasons, my
shattered physical constitution only slowly re-
assertedisself. and with many relapses. After
O wears labor at Lee Avenue. my nealtl again
failed. and fears were entertained by my
friends of a speedy fatal issue. My congrega-