Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-09-22
North and SOuth-A Prophetic View.
BY THE LATE nIsHoP cArERs.


-, ID DU IRE Esq.
My DEAR BRoTHER:-Upon my return
home yesterday from an extended tour of
official duty find your letter of January
9th, which is now open before me. You
now understand why yoc have not been
answered sooner.
The subject matter of y0ur letter requires
careful consideration and no mere dd cap
tandttnt response Were the subject just
opened to my mind, | would not attemptto
give you a reply without careful deliberi-
ton. You are right in surprising that these
matters have been resting heavily upon my
mind and heart for the past twenty years.
God alone knows how anXously have re-
volyed them, and the real suffering have
endured in consequence of evil fOrebodings
which in spite of my resolution take pos
session of my spirit.
In order that | may properly answer you,
let me see if the following questions will
not embrace the subject matter Of your
letter-at any rate, the gist of 1T
First! You ask, Do | consider the eX-
istence of the institution Of slavery as the.
one great impedimcnt in the way OF a cor.
dial union of the two branches ofthe Meth
odist Church in the United States?
Second Do | consider the institution of
slavery so we'll established and so necessary
a feature of economy ofthe Southern States
as to warrant the conclusion that it is, and
will remain, a permanent feature OF our
civilization
These are indeed grave subjects for reaec-
ton, and call for the exercise of II degree
of philosophic penetration which l fear is
not sufficiently mine to convince one, even
if l had the leisure and you the patience TO
follow me in an extended argument This
can not be for many reasons, but for none
more appreciable just now than the fact
that l am Just home after an absence of
many weeks, and your letter. my dear
friend, is only one of several which claim
my consideration. My answers to the ques-
tons must, therefore, be as devoid of argu
ment as possible.
To the first answer that l do consider
the institution of slavery as recognized in
the NJ. L. Church, South, as the chief, the
great central difficulty in the way of a cor
dial fraternal relation between the two
great branches of Methodists in the United
States There may be other obstacles in
the way, but l regard them rs mere collat-
eral issues, springing altogether from the
want of agreement upon some compromise
of thiSslsvery question such rs some of us,
North and South, endeavored to make in
the General Conference of 1871
Slavery out of the way, there would re-
main no real, sensible cause of separation
between the two churches as organizations,
but they would in time come together by a
law of moral affinity and unite hands and
ubATIh Ill Lnb great WOTk WHICH ATOu IN MS
providence designed the Methodist Church
to accomplish in America. / can under
stand and do fully appreciate, as you evil
IDENTIFY do not, the conscientious scruples of
our Northern brethren upon this slavery
question. | knew before the division of
the Church, and yet am honored with the
friendship of, as good and as pure Chris
tian ministers among them as are to be
found in any church organization-men
who are actuated by the clearest convic-
lions oftheir consciences in regarding the
institution of slavery as grievous sin.
My dear Charles, when we desire to dis
cover the real truth of any matter, espe-
cially of such as we are directly Interested
in, we must first place our minds in mega
tive state This will require long time
with some temperaments. We must not
look at q subject we are disposed to pre-
judge through a contracted pupil. We
must discern, if we do, that there is defect
in our vision or in the position we occupy
which is likely to make an object appear
'ohite when in reality it is black.
l would to God this division wall between
the Church North and South was broken
down, and we could be united as formerly
in the glorious work of our Master, for
which our church economy is so we'll adapt
ed in meeting the tastes and genius of the
mass of our American citizens. You may
rest assured of one thing: if the Master
sees that his work is hindered by this es-
arrangement of his laborers, he will remove
the cause in his own good way and time
| am not of those Boosting spirits who
are ready to condemn all others, AMI YET
can see no fault in themselves hence, l dc
not regard the stuff you hear of from so.
called theorists, who declare that there il
an irreconcilable hostility between the
Puritan and the descendants of the English
gentry and the French Huguenots. All
this, to one who has travelled rs often as
have, from local prejudices is the veries
nonsense. Yea, and tgicked vanity. Bring
the Puritan, the English gentry, and tho
Huguenot under the influence of the grace
of God, and the devil whispers no more O
such folly
l pass to your second question. | do moi
consider the institution of slavery, or any
other institution of mere human origin, SC
necessary feature of social life as to chal
lenge the providences of God But suppose
L take more worldly view of your in
quiry.
1 am, and have been for some time, as
sured in my mind that the mission of Afri
can slavery has been accomplished in
America, and that the institution in thu
United States will soon cease to exist.
form my conclusion from the progress OF
events in the civilized world, and the won
derful developments of Christianity within
this century. The politlco-econOmic view
of this question has been we'll taken by Mr.
Fox in the exhaustive debate upon tn,
question of emancipation before the British
Parliament. No unprejudiced mind car
follow that debate and fail to recognize the
finger of God indicating to man this duty
and urging him to act in direct opposition
to his personal interests. An institution 81
long grated upon the body polite of ma
ton, such as Great Britain, could hav,
been overthrown in no other way than b.
the mysterious working of Providence.
1t is simply ridiculous to charge the New
England Abolitionists with having origi
mated the idea of Negro slavery, and will
having inaugurated the agitation of eman
cipatiOn. Certainly, no educated person
would so charge, unless he was appealing
to human passion upon the hustings. Al
rican slavery originated in mans natura
cupidity, and was an institution of Grea
Britain's before there was New England
known in America. Emancipation cam
first to be discussed in England as an ad
Uanced idea of Christian civilization, ant
can be distinctly traced to the most evan
gelical of the Christian Church in England
Such, at any rate, is my view ofthis Who'll
matter, in this, my sixty-fourth year, afte
having examined the question in ever,