Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-11-15
DEATH OF BISHOP JOHN EARLY.


From the Lynchburg virginian. New 81
This venerable servant of God sank
peacefully to rest yesterday morning
between Z and s o'clock.
80 fades the summer cloud away: ...,...-.z
! So sinks the gale when storms are Ger;
So gently shuts the eye OF day;
So dies wave along The shore. iit
Life's labor done, as sinks the clay,
Light from its load the spirit flies, 81
While heaven and earth combine 10 say,
How blest the righteous when he dies.
This result was not unexpected. The
Bishop had been evidently failing for
some weeks, and when we visited him
the evening before his death it was
painfully obvious that he was near the
end of his long journey of life, and
would soon be gathered to his ia
| Tiers.
A brief newspaper paragraph could
not suffice to chronicle the death of n
man who has figured so prominently
in the ecclesiastical history of this
State and country. Bishop Early was,
what we have often heard him say of
others, "a noted man. Born in 1786,
in the adjoining county of Bedford, he
became Methodist in 1904, and was
licensed to preach two years thereafter.
Before he had attained his majority he
had commenced his ministerial labors
among the slaves Of Thomas Jefferson,
at Poplar Forest, about twelve miles
from this city. For many years he
was an itinerant preacher, and was re-
markably successful in winning souls
| to Christ. At the early age of twenty
seven, Bishop Asbury appointed him
Presiding Elder, and, as We have
heard him say, he was member of the
first delegated General Conference Of
his denomination, that met in New
York in 1872. These facts indicate
the esteem in which he was held, and
the high estimate placed upon his abil-
tiles as preacher. and his remarkable
capacity for business, ecclesiastical and
secular, by his brethren in that early
period of his history.
While devoted to his church and
the great cause of our common Chris
tianity, for which he labored so ardent
", no citizen felt or manifested more
interest in the State. Removing to
Lynchburg in 1S2l or % (Which has
ever since been his home he soon
identified himself with its interests
He was one of the most active promo
tiers of the scheme for furnishing our
city with water, and prominent par
ticipant in the ceremonies incident to
laying the corner stone of the City
Water Works on the 23d of April,
1923. He was also, at one time, an
active member of the City Council
President of the Virginia Bank, Di-
rector in the James River and Kama
VIVA Canal Company, an early and ar
dent friend of the great railroad that
was finally pushed from this city,
through the mountain gorges of South
west Virginia, to the Tennessee line
To him we are chiefly indebted for the
project of locating and opening the
beautiful cemetery at Spring Hill,
where his remains will be laid by the
side of that beloved wife who was one
of its first tenants, and near those OF
his most active and valuable associate
in the same enterprise, the late excel
lent Ambrose B. Rucker, one of the
best citizens Lynchburg ever had.
Bishop Early was also the CHIEF
founder Of that growing institution Of
learning, Randolph Macon College, Of
whose Board of Trustees he was con-
tinued the President for many years
Mingling freely with men of business
politicians and statesmen-though his
Christian character or ministerial dig.
nifty were never compromised-the
Bishop was rendered nominations to
Congress, was offered the governorshir
of the Illinois territory, was solicited
afterwards by President Adams to
take that for the Arkansas territory
and was offered the position of Comp
troller of the Treasury by President
Tyler, all of which honors he respect
fully declined, believing that the mis-
sion he was to fulfill in the world was
of different character But yet, We
must accept these as evidences of the
very exalted opinion entertained of his
integrity and capacity.
In the measures which resulted in
the division of the NJ. Z. Church al
New York, in lSH-occasioned chiefly
by the arraignment of the good Bishop
Andrew, whose wife owned few
slaves, and the intolerant course of the
Northern representatives = Bishop
Early took prominent part. He was
President pro tenn of the first General
Conference of the Church South, held
at Petersburg in 1915, and was there
elected its first book agent. In 1854
at the General Conference held al
Columbus, Georgia, he was elected
Bishop, his principal competitor being
that great hearted and richly endowed
man, the late DIR. VIM. A. Smith, Of
blessed memory. Since that time, and
until he retired from active duty, in
1866, the Bishop travelled extensively
and labored efficiently in the discharge
of his high functions. He was devo.
ted to his work, and never more happy
than in active employment.
As a preacher, Bishop Early was
pointed and practical, Those who
knew him in his prime, say that he
preached with great power, directness
and force, his words being freighted
with the eloquence of earnestness and
truth. Frugal and simple in his tastes
and habits, though exquisitely neat in
his dress and personal appearance
Bishop Early was always a plain, un.
ostentatious man, approachable to all
and very entertaining in his converse
ton. His colloquial powers were
great, and when he opened the rich
store-house of his memory and brought
forth the treasures that had been gath.
cred through long years Of experience
and observation, he was exceedingly
interesting. His individuality was
marked. Endowed by nature with q
strong understanding, he possessed an
iron will joined TO infexible integrity
? and utter fearlessness. He would have
dared to do what he believed to be
right, even though earth and hell op
posed, Many incidents illustrating
} these peculiarities of his character are
remembered and told by the friends o.
the good old Bishop.
But we are admonished by the length
of this article-not common, nor yer
wholly inappropriate under the circum.
stances, in the columns of secular
journal-that it should now be brought
p to close.
A venerable citizen, one of the
fathers-venerable for virtues as wei
as for years-having served his gener
alton, has been removed, and We dc
we'll to honor his memory and hold uI
his example as one worthy of imita
ton. His last days were peaceful. HI
told the writer of this Recently thal