Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-02-11
A Church Organ ON Intolerance Of
Opinion al the North.

Under this head lions Herald has a
jeremiad on the snubbing Of Northern
Methodist ministers at the South,
which is considered very uaseemly, as
Southern Methodist ministers were
very kindly treated at the Round Lake
Camp-meetIng.
We dare say this seems all the more
strange to the Herald, as Southern
MethOdists nave the reputation Of be-
ing frank, courteous and hOspitable.
Admitting the alleged fact, there must
be some way of explaining it; cannot
the Herald imagine what it is?
Suppose Southern men were to 90 in
to Northern cities-organize Churches
with the avowed object Of 'disintegra-
ton and absorption" in utter disre-
gard Of the Plan of Separation-get
hold Of Northern Methodist Church
property by hook or by crook, and hold
on to It till forced to relingUish it by
legal prOcess-slander and Willy the
Northern Methodist community as a
set Of rebels, traitors, cut-thrOats, and
KuKlux, invoking all the power Of the
Government against them-and iftheTe
were a liberated servile population IN
the North as there is IN the South, in
cense that population against them,
and so engender '~treasOns, stratagems,
and spoils"-then what? We need
not say what.
But now suppose Northern MethO-
dists would ~relInquish ali our property
which they u~nlawfully hold-suppose,
in the spirit which dictated the Plan Of
Separation, which we consider sacred,
they were to say, as Laban said to ia
cob, This heap be witness, and this
pillar be witness, that l will not pass
over this heap to thee, and that thou
shalt not pass over this heap and thus
pillar unto me, for harm"-suppOse
they were to cease denouncing us as
rebels, and traitors, and bandItti-then
what? They know, or would soon
know, what. The treatment of Bishop
james and DR.. Harris at Memphis, and
Drs. Hunt and Fowler, and Gen. Fisk,
at Louisville, might serve as a hint.
When the venerable DR.. Bangs asked
US IN New York in lS47-we think it
was-"What would you do to me if 1
were TO visit Charleston" we re-
spOnded instantly to our now glorifed
friend, "Open our houses and pGlpits
to you, and ring all our bells for the
occasion! =" The dear venerable old
man was delighted at our rather gush-
ing answer.
The terrible scenes Of the war, with
its disastrous consequences, have not
changed our principles n jot or one
tIttle-they are unchangeablc-but
then they have not changed our kindly
feeling toward the Northern people
and there are myriads of them
who are disposed to deal magnani-
mously, or even Justly, with the
conquered and submissive South.
The conqUerers hardly expect
ed the conquered to do more
than to comply faithfully with the con-
ditions imposed and accepted at the
time OF the surrender. And, as a peO-
pie, have not the citizens of the South
done this? Are they not disposed to be
true to the nstitution-altered though
it may have been against their wishes
and TO the Government under which
they are providentially placed? As
Southern Methodists we solemnly de.
clare that we are true and faithful In
u allegiance to the powers that be,
according TO the tenor of our twenty
third Article; and that we desire no
religious or social intercourse with any
who assert the contrary, and stigmatize
us as rebels and traitors. Does the
Herald comprehend the situation?