The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1872-10-18

ne OleU only last week, Duh uo wa
older than the photograph, the Pro
testant Episcopal Prayer-Book, thu
American Postofice, the telegraph, oul
oldest railway, ocean steamers, and thu
Constitution of the United States.
He was contemporary to John Wes
ley, George Neutrality-suspicious. Han
cock. Patrick Henry, Tho jefferson
Henry Clay, James Madison, John Ran
dolph, Roger Sherman, Richard Henry
Lee, and other shining ame HI
came into the world before Abraham
Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglas. Theodore
Frelinghuysen, Thomas Ewing, Rufus
Choate, Edward Everett, and others
Who made their records long ago
When he was born the Union had but
thirteen States, it was still under the
Articles of Confederation, and the Con
tinental Congress was in session in New
York city. When the first census was
taken, five years after his birth, the
country had 8 population of less than
100000.
His long life of 81 years seems a short
one, but the period is more golden than
the seventy-five years that witnessed
the invention of printing, the mariners
compass, gunpowder, the Reformation,
and the first efiectusl blow against
Popery. The period bounded by l785
and 1872 has no rival in history, and
Peter Cartwright's lie spanned it all.
He died AS old as the Republic, and all
his labor was given to Methodism, that
ministry Of the Republic as sturdy and
vital rs Turitanism.
At Cartwright's birth, John Wesley
was still living. When he was convert
ed, in 1901, the American Methodist
Church had less than $4,000 members,
and the whole world had less Metho-
dists than are now within the patroniz-
ing territory of the Northeastern. Long
before his decease, in 1872, the world
had 3,0O0,0N Wesleyans and a Metho.
dist constituency of over 12,OOO,O0U.
His chronology alone will attract a
casual reader. He was born in Virginia
of a Revolutionary father and q Metho-
uist mother, in 1855; came to Ken
lucky almost on the heels of Daniel
Boone; was converted in 1901, at q
camp meeting; joined the Methodist
Church in the same year ; was licensed
to exhort by Jesse Walker in 1902; was
ordained deacon by Bishop Asbury in
1906 ; was ordained an elder by Bishop
McKendree in 1908; was married in
that same year in 1868 completed his
fftieth year al d presiding elder; and at
Pleasant Plains, ILL.,, on Wednesday,
September 25, he was promoted to a
land far better than the one in which
he had labored so long.
The wide swing of his life's pendulum
is illustrated by the facts that he was a
member of all quadrennisl general con.
ferences from 1916 to 1860, inclusive,
and, for the thirteenth time, sat in the
conference of 1868 at Chicago; thsth
the year of his birth our church in this
county had but $4,000 members, while
now the branch of Methodism in which
he died a member numbers one millien
and one half; and that he cast ballots
when George, Roberts, Soule. Heddins,
j. o. Andrew, Emory, Waugh, Morris,
Fiske, Hamline, james, Scott, Simpson,
Baker and Ames were elected bishops
of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
What grasp to he experience that
grouped the manned heroes of the war,
which broke the power Of kings, and
those oil the n which swept slavery
away from among freemenl
He wasa true gospel minister. Though
not by any mean a Chrysostom, or a
Melancthon, or even a gowned gOsling
who SO mumbles the invitation to sin.
ners tina, it may be mistaken for the
multiplication table, he did work of
which the other Peter, his prototype in
all ave denial of the Mister, might not
have been ashamed. He began West
ern evangelization when forty dollars
per year was scarcely underpay, when
Gothic architect Ire had not yet crossed
the Atlantic, when o log, u stump, OF
kitchen-table was an eligible pulpit, |
when a circuit was as large US New En- |
gland, and "a Methodist was here a
synonym for everything grotesaue, hor. |
rible, or prescribed. This Peter was 30
brave, odd, ready and irresistible, that
tho Ranters, Shakers, proselyting Bap.
tists, Universalists, and interruptions
sinners OF that date came eagerly, saw
him effectually, and were conquered to
their hearts content. The story of his
life is stirring, militant, industrious, de.
vout despite its brusaueness, often outre,
and always triumphant.
He was a true apostle, and, though
also a rough one, the Church in earlier
ages would have placed him in her cal.
endar OF crowned, if net charming.
saints. The record printed in 1856
reads like an apochrypha written by
pretentious boaster. He says
truly, that he had already travelled
eleven circuits and twelve districts had
received 10000 persons into the church:
had baptized 1900; had preached 400
funeral sermons; had pronounced an
average of four discourses a week for
thirty'three years; and had preached in
al near $1,000 sermons.
Two books yet in press give a good
ldea of the times, the work, and the
characteristic makeup of Peter Cart
wright. These are his autobiography.
md FIFTY Years a Presiding EIder.H
me latter has a chapter relating to the q,
cartwright Jubilee, a full report of
which appeared, the week after the &
vent, in the Northeastern. That
jubilee" in 1868 was in honor of the |
residing Eldership. On the occasion !
he old illinois Conference had a cele- I
ration. Several orators, including I
Thompson, made addresses, lei. n
srs were read from Bishops, Governors, /.
and other dignitaries, I
nd presents were made to the old hero. Il
is speech in response was droll, touch q,
Y, and memorable. II
If that autobiography seems at times Il !
arse, almost irreverent, and Nun. y
lausen like, please consider the times,
I'd imagine how ~nerveless, inefficient, N
ncible, and ridiculous a pale, prim, ii
'lite, modern theologue would have Ii
Peter Cartwright was called of sc
to the peculiar work of those DAYS. m
aid those surroundin es. and IN fhcaa %