Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-07-03

of Richmond, has created much excite
ment, especially in church circles there.
The certificate of every Baptist clergyman
in Richmond, that they had read the man.
uscript of the lecture delivered by him be-
fore the Roanoke Female College at Dan
vile, and found nothing to offend the most
refined, has brought out a counter state
ment of the leading people of that town.
The Danville Chimes" has the folio owing:
We have no judgment to pass upon the
document Which those clergymen decided
to be entirely chaste and proper to be de-
livered on any occasion; but we nave
nothing to retract of what we stated with
regard to the address delivered by that
gentleman before the young ladies OF the
Roanoke Female College on the night OF
the 10Th. ultimo. On the contrary we are
more fully persuaded than ever that we
reflected the sentiment OF the people OF
Danville For we have taken the pains
to procure the signatures OF large num-
Der of persons of all denominations, who
heard him. to a certificate endorsing to
the fullest extent all that we stated in our
first article with regard to the unfortunate
address When we made the grave charge
that we did, against minister OF the Cos
pei, we fully realized the situation; nor
should We have made it, unless we had
been certain of our ability to prove it.,
and by such an array OF witnesses as
would be perfectly overwhelming. 1t at
fords us 10 pleasure to wound the feelings
of DR.. Wilson and his friends; nor to
witness the fall of such MIA from his
high estate: but we should wanting IN
our duty as an editor Of az Wspaper II
we permitted any mali, whoevt3 and what
ever he might be, to deliver Without re-
Duke an address which Should cause the
ladies of Danville to hang their heads in
shame and shock the sensibilities OF every
man in the hall. Nor are we to be deterr-
ed from the honest discharge OF our duty
by the formidable array of names append
ed to the document put forward IN DEFENSE
of the reverend gentleman in question.
In our first article we dealt leniently
with the accused, but since the effort has
been made to sustain him and tu place
tho people Of Danville in false position,
we shall 90 further and state how the ad-
dress WAS viewed by different individuals
who heard it. We heard one member OF
the Baptist church say he would not have
had the thing to happen for fifty dollars
another, of the same denomination, de-
clared that he would not have had the
speech delivered on that occasion for five
hundred dollars. it was regarded by
some as the most outrageous performance
they ever saw. Others we It still further
in their expressions Of disapprobation.
The Judges in this case have acted hast
lily and ulladvisedly. They have acquitted
the accused without trial, without even
summonilg witness. 1t strikes every
unprecedented mind that the proper plan
to pursue was to take the testimony OF
persons who heard the address delivered 4:
not to pass judgment merely upoiaa man.
uscript submitted, purportlng to be the
true and genuine article. We venture to
say not 4 single letter was written to
a citizen of Danville to ascertain the facts,
nor, did we imagine, a solitary message
pass over The wires in regard to the mat
ter. -4t
The ten clergymen, who signed the ve1-
diet of acqu ttal of DR.. Wilson. state that
he read to the meeting ''the address us de-
| livered." How do they know that Aud
| how do they know that he read it to them
as he delivered it here, with all his dis
gushing actions and indecent play upon
| Words Those gentlemen should have
been more cautious. We cannot believe
! they meant to reflect upon the people or
| Danyille who had pronounced against the
address ''as delivered here" in the most
| unmistakable terms. ss,s
We have great confidence in the purity
and integrity of the ministers who signed
the document above quoted, and we cail
not believe that it is their intention t
/ white-waslI Dr. Wilson but their hlsty
action has given rise to sttetl a suspicion
in the minds of q large number of persons.
| We are confident they will do right III tlt
e d, and that they will npt persist in say
ing that the s.aol'ress is delivered, " Wa:
read to them Never, While the world
stands, will they make the attempt K
commit the whole Baptist CHURCH to TIN
emdorsation of -indecency and vulgarlty
J One thing is csrtain, the Baptist crufcf
/ III Danville do not endorse the address o.
the Rev. DR.. Wilson as delivered here.
s. STATEMENT OF THE CITIZENS. Y
The 'iTiines" then publishes Il list o
the signatures. of about fifty prominen
citizens of the town, endorsing it
statements about Dr. Wilson'S address
The names include Hon. Thos. L. Flour
noy, w. H. Harvey, Samuel G. Pace
Henry E. Barksdalp. VIM. G. Grasty, Jno
T. Stovall, $. Womack, and others, ant
adds: tl@ tA--
Some of the audience left the room
among them Mr.. R. q. Pace. The fol
lowing is his certificate, endorsed by tht
mayor of Danville, DR.. II. w. Cole
l was satisfied from hearing DR.. Wilson
! fifteen minutes, that his lecture WAS yer,
| improper. [ believe it to be the almos
unanimous opinion OF his audience tina
! The editor of the '.Times" did not criticlst
it too harshly.
ROBERT G. PACE.
|
endorse the above statement.
H. W. COLE.
! The Danville Register" adds to the
| ''Times'' Statements:
| We did not hear the address delivered
| by Rev. n. w. Wilson. of Richmond, III
| the commencement of Roanoke Fenalt
College in this place last week. but W,
J have heard much unqualified censure of it.
coarse illmor and innpportune illusions
The gentleman made a grave mistake-Ont
| which he now sees and repents himself
and which he will not be apt to re2eat.
LETTER FROM. REV. VIM. HATCHER.
PETERSBURG. June 26, 1874.
To th@ Edito, Of the hadea-Appeal
NV Dear Sir-Permit me to express tc
you my sincere gratitude for the wisdom
and kindness of your illusions to the cas-
of my honored and cherished friend. Rev.
Dr.. Wilson, Of Richmond Beyond ques-
ton he has been for years more intimate
and unreserved with me than with any
ot!'er man in the world. In all of his as
soclatlons with me he has shown himself a
gentleman OF singular purity, mndesty and
plety. | cannot recall a single allusion or
act OF his III my presence that bore upon
itself one shadow of infalioacv Eonrorn