The New York herald., 1875-12-27
THE METHODISTS And TTE THIRD Term.
Bishop Haven from a Methodist
Point of View.
LETTER FROM A METHODIST LAYMAN.


Himself a third termer and that He slew the Vice
President because poor Mr. Wilson did not agree with
Bishop Haven. AS the Methodist people-of whom
am one-do not believe in human infalbility they
VIII probably be little affected by Mr. Haven assertions
OF this KIND There is reason TO believe that no
knows any more about Gods wishes and purposes than
the most obscure ayman But what bishop saws Is
not unnaturaily supposed by the public to represent
more less accurately the general opinion OF the sect
OF which he Is a spiritual head Some OF his recent
uterances would, were they really approved by the
body Of Methodists, make these justly odious and,
they approved, II only right to explain
why what he says and does cannot fairly be charged
upon the denomination Of Christians he in such cases
misrepresents.
In the first place the Methodist bishops are not in
general politicians persons who concern themselves
In political questions They were probably without
exception, shocked at Bishop Hayens third term
utterances, though doubt If any Of them sur
prsed He IS known as man Of great zeal and energy
and Of respectable abity, extremely lacking in judg
ment and lover OF notorety and it is probably
unfair to him to say that his most cherished posses
sions are his prejudices. He is entirely wanting In
moderation and faith in quiet and peaceful ways,
which believe in his position ought to possess,
and greatly lacking in the spirit Of love toward all
human creatures, which certainly Christian clergy
force back of them remedy all evils and exurpate
all wrongs Among the objects of his bigoed detesta-
ton and fear the more prominent, suppose, the
Roman Catholic Church and the Southern white
people.
His desire to renominate General Grant is no new
thing More than year ago and after his from
Mexico, about which country he then issuing what
proved TO be in the general opinion very offensive
book, he surprised me with the declaration that 1--WE
must have that country" holding map of Mexico be-
fore me, and when replied that IL could be got
without a war he said 1--WE must have ii il belongs
to us people it, what do you think Of Grant
and Mexico platform In 1897 Don't you suppose
that would sweep the counryY" was a little shocked
that any clergyman Bishop Haven, should dehb-
eratcly propose scheme OF public robbery, he
claimed, you'll see that am right; you all wrong
about this matter You are opposed to third torn,
hear; you don't like General Grant; you don't know
anything about it, you're as wrong as you can be-
That such a man could have much influence among
the Methodist aity would argue that they had very
little In fact he has none except where he ap
peals TO their humanity by msrepresenting the cond
tion of the South
Bishop Haven lives in Atlanta Ho was sent TO the
South years ago with the object OF revviny
the Northern Methodist Church, and with the hope
cherished by most Northern Methodists that the
many years ago by of differences the slavery
question, could, that slavery extinguished be
persuaded reunite with the Church North To this
end many OF the wisest members of the Northern
Church have iaborcd believing that they could thus
by obliteratng an old division in numerous sect
help 70 strengthen the bond Of brotherhood between
the sections, at least remove what seems
to be Of irritation. Bishop
Haven, to whom, If TO any one, was
committed this task Of reconciliation, has in fact
found when in the South last summer, done
grea. deal to widen the breach He deested all
South for public expressions favor Of amalgamaton
OF the negro and white races and became he
had done great deal to keep up and even embitter
wherever he labored not only prejudces but the
feelings naturally remaining from the When he
TO the North industriously spreads tales or
the 'disloyalty" Of the Southern whites and OF the
wrongs suffered by the poor negroos and Of the
ger their future In fact he talks OF the South pre-
csey like the average political carpet bagger, and
the final clause Of his argument, like that
Of the political carpet baggor, Is always, ave
must ro-elect General Grant to keep down
the rebels and protect the negroes These
appeals he makes in the face OF the fact well known
10 him as y Is TO me, that 10 Georgia in which State he
hves and which has been since 1871 in the hands OF
the democrats the negroes own and pay taxes to-day
more farming real estate more city and town prop
ery, and more personal property, than any other
Of the cotton States all OF which have been under
publican rule, SO called They paid taxes this year
over $1,OOOOOO oil property and their own republican
organ at Atlanta has repeatedly accused thom OF being
wastcful and thrftess and Of drinking and
smoking away more OF their earnings than would edu-
cate all their children do not mean to say that
Georgia Is an Eden-there arc some fools and some
rough, violent men m that State-but have
the word OF United States officers strong re-
publcans tnat there is political IN
that State; have the word OF Northern missionaries
laboring entirely among the colored people that the
period OF violence is past and that public opinlon
the backwoods counties, is against il and
where any talks with coored people found dscon-
tent almost always because they do In Geor.
gia as in Mississippi under the Amcs rule and IN Lou
under Kellogg, hold the Offices and live the
taxes Finally, not only have the negroes prospered
In democratic Georgia than IN republican Missis
sipp Arkansas or Louisiana, but they understand per
ecy and have asserted for years the right OF removal
10 other States Twenty-Five thousand Of them have
left Georgia and the planters not anxious 10 lose
any Thousands Of them have gone to Mississippi
a State where to believe the Ames mon no negros lifo
is safe 0ther thousands Of them went to Arkansas
the very time when, according 10 common report ne
gro massacres were held there daily before breakfast
II Is easy TO make list Of crimes N any Southern
State, easy in any Northern State Certainly
there is no more lawessnoss IN Georgia which Is st
essentially frontier STATE than IN Pennsylvania
give this denial OF Bishop Havens reports, be-
the Northern people are as think rightly, very
easily moved by tales OF wrongs TO the Southern
blacks should myself resent very quickly any sys-
tematic wrong 70 those people and would support the
most severe and peremptory measures n these were
necessary Tor their protection But there is such
wrong down thcre Color and prejudces stil OBJ
tain, and they are more intense In Georgia than in
some other States partly at least because Of the care
presumes to sit in judgment upon the late Vice Prcs
dent and 70 declare that he was struck down by God
be9use he would not support the Force
bill l. the other hand, declare that
in journey through SIX Southern States
made for you during the last spring and summer, 1
saw, with exception, not single honest andre
spectacle republican who did freely tell me that
there need Of Force bil that the present
Enforcement act useless that what the republican /
party needed IN those States was purhcaton from the
control OF rogucs and punderers, and that what kept
up the III feeling against negroes, SO Tar as u exists
anywhere, their ready and constant ahiiation
with low whcs and artful demagogues who, under tho
plea OF being republicans the negro vote TO rob the
taxpaying and property owning citizens
II is not pleasant 70 Methodist ayman 70 have TO
speak severely Of and TO contradict positively bishop
Of his Church. but in this matter Bishop Haven is
capable OF doing good deal of mischief by misleading
not only Methodsts. but otherR
Ii would be extremely unjust 70 charge the Methodist
clergy body with propensity 70 interfere IN polit
ica questions They do not do 80 more than the clergy
OF any other sect in this country and they have
among their number democrats rs well as republicans,
and as tile Methodist laty Of both K
Dpf INN FaNta