Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1872-09-05
The Methodist Conference.

1CSdLuICSS vi SUI VI pOllSINSII -
felt honored in having our town Sc
ected for the meeting of Conference,
and with laudable pride, eXerted eve
ry energy, in most harmonious con-
cert to make the sojourn of the mem
bers, while with us, pleasant and mu-
tually agreeable. We recognize the
great Importance of religious and tru-
ly christian OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES are
sensible of the great power they can
and should exercise over the tempo
raj and spiritual welfare of the people
wherever they exist, and while not
connected with any Church, we still
stand ready to encourage, by word
and deed, the establishment of Chur-
ches, and the founding of religious
associations for the moral elevation
of mankind. We had further hoped,
that in the present political cortro-
versy, the Church, profiting by pre-
vious lessons. would, AS \ CHURCH,
refrain from engaging in the strife
Ministers of the Gospel, like all other
men have the right to their own polit-
zeal belief, and with perfect propriety
a express their political preferences
through the ballot box, but they have
no right to insult the intelligence of
their own membership, by converting
the house of God into Il political hus-
tings. Those who have read the re-
port in the Cincinnati ENQUIRER, OF
the proceedings of the Conference on
last Friday, need no further informa-
ton, but to those who have had no
opportunity to read that report, we
feel it duty to say u word.
The afternoon of Friday was occu-
pied by those Drs. of Divinity, in what
was supposed to be an examination
of the condition and wants of the col
ored people OF the South, but in real
ity, it was an indirect depreciation of
the ability and efforts of all other or
thodoX Churches, a fearful abuse of
the Catholic Clergy and Sisters of
Charity, a wanton and unchristian at
tack on our Irish fellow citizens, wind
ing up with ridicule of the Liberal
platform adopted at Cincinnati. The
ANECDoTE of a converted man, whose
greatest sin consisted in having been
a Presbyterian and q Democrat, was
received by. this digniied representa-
tive body of the NJ. E. Church, with
applause, and was a direct and wan
ton insult to all Prcsbyterians, and to
the thousands Of members of their own
Church who are of the Democratic
faith. This Pharisaical assumption,
that the Methodist Church had done
more for northumberland christianity
than any other, and that it was the
ONLY Church capable of educating the
colored men and women, and protect
ing the government, was q libel on the
only be accounted for upon this theo-
~. The Grant family and all their
connections and dependents, the Chap
lains of both Houses of Congress, par
son Newman and the Indian robber
Harlan, who controls the actions of
the President and virtually run the adj
ministration, arc all Methodists, and
therefor all other religious organiza-
tons must "pale their Intellectual fires"
in order that the politico-religious
Methodists may become the EsTAB-
LIsHED Church of the Government
and the keepers of the public con-
science. As a campaign document
for Grant, the proceedings of last
Friday will probably have proper eff
fect-but it was a disgrace to the Con-
ference and a dissertation of the house
of God-it reused in the bosoms of
many of their members, antagonisms
which should have been left in eternal
slumber-in short, it weakened the
cause of Christ and brought ridiculc
and shame upon the Church. But
this is not ala great many members
of the Methodist Church here are
Democrats, also many Liberal Repub-
licans-thousands Of dollars were Civ
Ell by Democrats toward the building
of the Church in which they were i'll
suicidal least one third of the prea-
cheers at Conference were entertained
by Democrats, Greeley Republicans
and Presbyterians, and the gratuitous
slurs of last Friday constituted an
abuse of generous hospitality at which
q heather might blush. The Confer
ence was received by our people with
open arms-no word of unkindness
has greeted their ears while among
US, and nothing but their own actions
prompts us to say, that any other place
that wants a political Menagerie, tray
cling under the guise of a christian
Conference is perfectly welcome to
have it.
BY these remarks we do not wish to
be understood as casting reproach
upon the Methodist clergy generally ;
there are, we are glad 10 know, many
honorable exceptions. During Con-
ference week many excellent sermons
full of true religion and exalted faith
~, ,onoonlal o,1 In l~.l4l@--