The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1875-12-23
Bishop Hnyen,s Performance.

Bishop Haven's Performances.
A Boston correspondent of the
Philadelphia Item gives the only full
report we have yet seer of the re-
markable speech OF Bishop Haven, at
the Boston Methodist Episcopal
Preachers meeting, attended by the
official representatives of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Sabbath School Union
Tract Society at Boston the other
day, in which that gentleman noni-
mated President Grant for reelection.
The meeting of these representative
bodies was attended by an unusually
large number of the most intelligent
and influential members of the de-
nomination, the Union and Society
having present as delegates two hun
dred and thirteen ministers and about
one hundred laymen. The church in
which the deliberations were held.
though the largest in Boston, was
crowded, and many went from the
doors unable to gain admission. Ac-
cording to this correspondent, there
seems to have been an understanding
i'm certain political and religious cir
Giles that something unusual vas about
to take place, which accounts for the
presence of so great an assembly.
Some intimation was given of it in
the opening address of Prof. Wells,
whose theme was "Bismarck and the
POPE" In the course of his address
he referred to Gen. Grant as the sav-
Jour of of his country, and said the
loyal and true people of America
could not dispense with his services,
upon which the whole audience
broke out with enthusiastic applause.
Bishop Haven followed IN an adj
dress Of two hours in length. He
described the main features of the
crusade against slavery, and claimed
for his church the credit and the
glory of having started the fight and
won the battle. When he came to
describe the condition of affairs in
the South, and said, at vas only the
strong hand and iron will of the
great hero of human freedom, Gen.
ULYSSES S. Grant, that had thus far
saved the South from a terrible and
bloody state of anarchy" there was
another demonstration of approval
by the audience. The nomination of
the President for reelection and the
scene accompanying it are thus de-
scribed by the Item correspondent:
After giving p long and detailed
account of the Church in the South,
and other matters, the speaker SEEM
ed to raise himself upon his feet, as if
to look all around, about, and above
the vast audience before him, aud ex-
claimed in loud ~stentoiian tones: 81
believe that President Grant is the
only man who could conquer the enc
mics of American freedom. If we
threw him overheard we should re-
greet it." He continued: 81 here
with, in true Christianity, nominate
Ulysses 5. Grant, u present worthy
President and defender, to q third
term, in the Office of President of tie
United States" Nearly every voice
in that vast audience of profound
scholars and venerable ministers re-
piled, as if with one breath: "I Sec
ond the nomination" Then the Rev.
DR.. Bales put the motion in regular
form, and the proposition of Bishop
Haven was unanimously adopted,
not q dissenting voice being given.
To this was added the long huzzas of
the ladies and gentlemen i'll the gall
leries.
This is a graphic description GER
tainly, and there are not lacking indi-
cations that the whole affair was. as
this correspondent suspects. what the
world calls a "put-up job" We hope
ii is not necessary to go into an argu-
meut to show how utterly silly and
absurd it all is. We wish it were on
w that. 1t is worse. 1t it az mis-
chieYous a nincn af aOsa"so=ie~n 90
was ever set mn foot. and if the prece-
dent which Bishop Gilbert Haven has
induced the representative bodies Of
hisrhurch to adopt were to be fol-
lowed by other denominations we
should very shortly be embroilcd in
the most dangerous and most useless
and unreasonable controversies that
ever afflicted a people. Why, had
any other denomination nominated in
this way one OF their own adhereuts,
these are the men who would have
howled themselves red in the face
over it. We can not believe these
people represent the whole MethO-
dist Church. Their foolishness ought
to be d:sclaimed and rebuked by the
more sensible and intelligent mem
bers of the denomination.-NeO
York Tribune.