The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-02-26


tremely difident. By too close ap-
plication TO his study he had nearly
ruined his nervous system, but in
process of time he regained his
former vigor and his diffidence
passed of, and he spoke with conf
dence and ease. He preached at
first in various places, and his dis
courses were well received.
CHAPTER VIA NOTICE OF MINISTERS
VARIOUS PREsBYTERY AND &C.
CURRENCEs.
Mr.. Rankin was brought up nn-
der the ministrations of Rev. Rob-
ert Henderson, who served two
churches, Westminster and Hope
well. The church of Hopewell was
at Dandrige, the ssat off justice for
Jefferson county, Tennessee. At
that place there were divine service
es every other Sabbath. This is the
church at which Mr.. RaDkin's faith
err and family attended. It was
seven miles distant. They some
times went on foot. This was a
walk of fourteen miles to hear two
sermons, with one hour between
them. The meeting house was
large, and generally well filed with
hearers. It was q neat log build
ing, and was ceiled overhead with
planks. The openings between the
logs were nicely closed with lime
and sand mortar. There was no
place for fire, hence the people had
cold sitting during the winter. To
ride seven miles in winter and sit
without fire to hear q sermon was
cold business. No power of elo-
queDce could move the hearers.
The prea cher was talented, eloquent
and very severe in rcproving the
vices of the people. At the assem-
blages of the people on public days,
fist fighting was a common prac-
tice. This beastly practice he ex.
posed both by words and actions.
He exhibited the hateful conduct of
man going into q fist fight by
seeming to be in violent passion, by
clenching his fists, and by Selling
his coat, as if he would tear it off
him in a moment. In this way he
exhibited to his congregation the
ridiculous appearance of men going
into fist fight. And he portrayed
the brutality of beating each other,
and biting of ears and noses, which
was often done. He denounced in
strong terms the retailers of ardent
spirits. He portrayed intemperance
in its horrible criminality and des-
tructiveness in running souls, in
prompting men to commit murder
and terrible crimes, and in reducing
wives and children to poverty, ig-
norance and degradation.
Some men who would have been
thought to be gentlemen were in the
habit of cock-fighting. The preach
er W ould describe a finely dressed
gentleman passing along the street;
he has something under his arm.
The preacher would look under his
arm, as If something was there.
"What:has the gentleman got under
his arm 2" "It is a chicken" "My
negro boy should no do such a
thing"
In these early times the barbar-
Gus practice of fighting duels pre-
vailed to some extent among a class
of men who professed to be gentle
men. This horrible barbarity Mr..
Henderson depicted in its darkest
aspects as fraught with cowardice
and murder. 1t is said that he de-
livered at Nashville, Tennessee, in
the presence of General Jackson,
who was a duelist, a discourse in
which he stated that a sea captain,
who had become q preacher, was
the means of converting the daugh-
ter of an infidel, who became very
angry and determined to kill the
preacher. For this purpose he con-
cealed himself by road on which
the preacher was expected to pass.
But Providence so directed that he
did not go that way. The infidel
then sent the preacher a challenge
to fight duel. This the preacher
accepted and fastened to the inf
del's home, and found him in bed.
"Sir." said the sea captain, son a
certain day you lay concealed by
the wayside to murder me. In this
you acted the coward. You sent me
challenge to fight a duel. In this
you acted the coward. You know
that it was inconsistent with my CALI
ing to fight q duel. But I am de-
termined to fight you Immediately
in this room. and it is my right to
choose the weapons of combat"
The infidel was seized with conster-
nation and trembling. The preach
er drew out his bible. "This," said
he, els the weapon with which /
mean to fight YOU" "O," said Mr..
Henderson, "never was there a
poor fellow SO glad to see the BIZ
ble.7 The design of this narrative
was to ridicule duel fighting. It is
said that Jackson was SO pleased
with the boldness and faithfulness
of the preacher that he gave him a
fine suit of clothes.
Mr.. Henderson was to small ex-
tent slave holder. During that
period people in. general believed
slavery TO be wrong, but then many
good people thought that to set the
slaves free would be to ruin the
poor creatures. So they were held
as q matter of benevolence, and,
therefore, conscience was at case.
1t is easy for people to deceive
themselves when prompted by self
interest. A large part of them
then, as now, believed that slave
holding ia sinful.
What became of Mr.. Hendcrscn's
=