Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-10-27
From tho Daily Chronicle Of Oct q
\ MEAN ATTEMPT TO STIR UP
STRIFE.

Of the Southern Methodist Confer
enco OF the preceding day, VIC fine
the following uncalled.for, not t. sa,
UirWbtN, paragraph:
The last session Of the Conferenc, Tim
met in Knoxville WAS held in the tro. blou
times Immediately subsequent to tlir war
a period when the southern Method /,
this section were frowned upon by the rro
gancc Of political bigotry, and had D. de
Tense from contemptuous and often len
/ treatment save their own brave adhc INC,
to principle and the unwavering good vii
Of here and there 70 friendly newspaper
But times changes have wrought woi drrs
Truth, crushed to earth, hiss risen, and he
men VIII" were wont to spurn Sou b.. q
Mcthodism are now sE.ong the foremo, in
respectful consideration,
The author of the foregoing sp,. Ks
As one having authority, but we tru-,
the Conference now in session It see.
not consider this as giving expo.
sion to their sentiments.
BE that as it may, however, the "a.
sault therein made is so malicious. 80
untimely, SO mcalled-for and so Cow.
temptible, that the Conference shou
not only disavow any sympathy for
such spirit, but should openly con-
denim this mean attempt to revive a
strife that ought TO be forgotten. We
are ut loss to know what motive
could have led to the publication of
such a mischievous attack at this
time, when good men of all churches
are cultivating spirit of fraternal
brotherly love
The members OF the Methodist
Episcopal Church. in Knoxville and
throughout East Tennessee, entertain
ministers of the NJ. +. Church, South,
IN their families, and throw open to
them the doors Of their churches with
true Christian liberality.
Many Of them construe the last
sentence Of the above ill-natured
as a wanton insult offered
them because they are willing to for
get the past. Shame on an editor
that would offer such an insult. when
the only effect it can possibly have is
to stir up strife, which we were con.
graduating ourselves had been al.
Iayed,
This aIlusion to the arrogance of
political bigotry" comes with an i'll
grace from n paper, if it processes to
the sentiment of the Holston
Conference Of the NJ. f. Church,
South. Especially does it come with
IN Ill grace in a section where the
tisgraceful scenes which transpired
rom 1861 to 1865 are so familiar to
all. Take, for instance, the Southern
Methodist Conference held at Athens
Tennessee, by Bishop Early. AT the
'equest of the Bishop, a file of soldiers
stood guard in the rooms where the
disciples Of Jefferson Davis put mem.
1ers of the Conference who were .sus.
'ected of loyalty to the Government
If the United States upon trial,
md held an inquisition for the
purpose of intimidating them and
a free expression of their
Union sentiments. The object of this
vas to either force them to renounce
heir allegiance to the Federal Gov. |
,rnmcnt, or turn them over to the |
ender mercies of some keeper of a |
southern prison pen. How was that
or arrogance Of political bigotry ?"
Take another instance in the case
If Rev. w. II. II. Duggan, formerly q |
member of this Conference, against
whose pure Christian character the |
breath OF suspicion was never uttered. |
lie was arrested by Confederate SOL |
Tiers, and treated with a malignity |
hat savage cruelty has rarely sur.
passed, from the effects of which treat. |
nent he died. His ofense was pray. |
ng for the Government in which he
vas born, and under which he had |
ived until he was an old man.
Again, take the case of Rev. David |
Fleming, father of John VI. Fleming,
If the Press and Herald, one of the !
'urest men we have ever known. The
reatment he received from a Confer.
nee, Of which he had been a faithful
md IL every way acceptable member
or a half century, was 50 harshly
ruel that his sensitive nature was so
L