Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1874-04-04

of May next, to consider measures
of harmony with a view solely to the
coming political elections. Those
GAINESVILLE men whose names are ap-
pended to this call have good MEM
cries, and it VIII be late before they
do anything to restore to power those
who under the leadership of Brown
low, land of others who had gone be-
fore him and who were even worse at
heart than he) disfranchised this
people and robbed them of their civil
rights.
HENRY WARD BEEcHER When
Lacrtes started upon his travels, he
warned Ophelia of the perils Of her
intimacy with Hamlet, and altho'
she promised to heed his counsel, sac
also warned him not to follow the
example of those ''ungracious pas
tors" who while pointing ont to others
the steep and thorny path that -lO1
90 heaven, rocked not their own les
son but trod the primrose path Of
dalliance. There are many in New
York city who deem Mr.. Beecher
pastor of this kind, and the conscience
of the great Congregationalist com
munity is disturbed by the suspicion.
In former issues of the Wing and
Tribune, telegraphic notes have been
published, telling of council to be
held by the churches presided over by
the Rev. DIR. Storrs and the Rev. DR..
Buddington, two leading Congrega-
tional ministers. The object of this
council is to decide whether these
churches are right in holding and
saying that there is something wrong
in Plymouth Church. Our readers
are perhaps already aware of the
fact that Congregationalists are Pres
byterians, and that they differ from
their brethren mainly upon the ques-
ton of Congregational independence,
each church being left to govern it.
self. What then, it may be asked,
have the congregations of Drs. Storrs
and Buddington to do with that of
the Church of the Pilgrims?" This
question is answered in this way.
Whatever Injuries the usefulness of
any one Congregationalist church in
lures the whole denomination. Espe-
cially is this urged to be the case in
the present instance on account
of the prominence of Plymouth church.
1t is alleged that Mr.. Beecher is
marked and suspected man-that the
press of New York city is constant
ly throwing poisoned darts at him
declaring that he is not such a lead
or as the matrons and maidens of
Brooklyn should follow, and that his
church in failing to Investigate these
accusations against Mr.. Beecher, shell
tering him behind its congregational
privilege, is impairing the cause of
religion and keeping a stumbling
block in the path of others. To sum
up the whole matter, it is asserted
that Plymouth Church loves its pas
tor so well that it loves him not wise
ly. The answer to all this rims thus:
eve don't allow anyone to inter
fere with our membership, we don't
acknowledge the right of any one to
interfere with our church affairs"
Thus the matter stands, and we see
no likelihood of any further result
than this.-The Council of the Con-
gregationalists profoundly impressed
with the belief that their duty to
their faith and organization, requires
them to put their sentiments upon
record and to do all that they can to
impress them upon others, will wash
their hands of the Bcecher scandal,
while Plymouth Church win cling to
its pastor with partisan and personal
intensity. In this matter we are with
the Storrs and .Buddingtons of New
York. Mr.. Beecher is unquestiona-
bly, great and eminent man, but we
cannot reconcile pulpit levity with
clerical soundness. He is too flip
pant, and his jests are too broad. 1t
is not for us to interfere in sacred
things, but it seems to us that a man
who in the Intensity of his sectional
zeal and vain glory can proclaim that
the blood i'll the veins of the Puritans
is the blood of Christ, treads
close upon blasphemy. Mr.. Beecher
never impresses his hearers with the
idea that the true secret of the histc-
ry of mans journey through life, is
to be found in the sorrows and the
sufTerings of Christ. There are many
people outside of New York who
think him an infdel, and he moves
daily among men,of his own denomi-
nation who look upon him as a con
scious hypocrite and imposter. As to
what he really is we know not, but
the lapse of such man to wantonness
is certainly q lamentable thing, not
only to his church but to the world.
The TICHBONE CAsE.-We have no
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