The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-08-19

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MIR. EDIToR:-A copy of your interest
ing journal, Tile Cecil Wing, of July Goth,
fell into my hands few days since, and
my attention was attracted to an article
with the above caption, over the signature
of 81" The statements of J. as to the
advantages of Rehoboth Beach, as water.
ing place, will not be called in question by
any one who has sojourned here. But when
he writes concerning The camp meeting, he
gets quite off the track.
That the camp meeting has become
"smaller by degrees" and was far from
being success this year, both in point of
numbers attending and in deep religious
interest, all will agree. But that it's fail
ure is to be attributed to the ministers of
the Wilmington Conference, as intimated
by j., is not true. He makes sweeping
charge against the preachers, making ex-
ception only in the case of good Bishop
Scott" He calls them "caviling preach
ers:" charges them with seeking to con-
troll Gin the narrow manner they have
heretofore attempted" and as "seeking to
stop the growth" of Rehoboth. Accord
ing to j. the preachers are
"NURsING THEIR PIQUE,"
"carping," "discouraging their congrega-
tions from coming to Rehoboth;" joining
in "with little, senseless prejudices;" and
have need to SHOW themselves men,"
So far as all this TRADE is concerned l
may content myself with the remark that
the members of the Wilmington Confer
ence do not need to be taught by j. what
pertains to Christian manhood.
If your correspondent had been half as
anxious to find out the truth, as he seems to
be to cast mud on these gentlemen of the
black coats" he would probably have ascer-
tanned other and more cogent reasons why
the camp meeting was not success.
The comparative failure of the camp
meeting and religious features of the enter
prise, is not for aeant of interest, or because
of opposition on the part Of the minister's
The idea Of Rehoboth was conceived by a
minister; encouraged by his brother minis
tiers; and all the initial steps pertaining to
the enterprise, and that insured its success
were taken principally by ministers. A
sufficient number of ministers to do the
preaching and other ministerial work per-
tanning to the camp meetings have always
been in attendance, without compensation,
and paying all their own expenses. In
short, if all others had done as much as
the ministers of the Wilmington Confer
ence to uphold the Christian morality and
the religious success of Rehoboth, there
would have been no basis for the prophecy
Tor perchance threat) in which j. INDUCES,
when he pictures Rehoboth in the future,
full of
"BAR-RuoMs AND FARO-TABLEs,"
and as wicked as Cape May" If few
of the ministers have spoken discourag-
ingly of the religious features of the enter
PRISE they have been induced thereto by
the conviction unwelcome facts have forced
upon them-that it is the manifest inten
ton of large element of thepresent man.
agcment to tolerate, if not encourage, prac-
tees inconsistent with Methodist disci-
pline.
resolution adopted at one meeting of
the Board of Directors declaring against
ten pin ALLEYS, was, at the next meeting,
rescinded; and now there is a ten pin alley
at Rehoboth. Card playing is a thing of
common occurrence, and the large parlors
of the hotels are nightly appropriated by
the dancers. During the first season fam
lily worship was conducted daily at the Surf
House, but now even the blessing" at
the table is dispensed with. These things,
will be claimed, are comparatively insigniii-
cant; but "straws show which way the
wind is blowing" and when once the
Directors have allowed the Devil to get
his head fairly in, his entire body will soon
| follow.
Now the members of the Wilmington
| Conference are not disposed to wait until
"bar rooms and faro-tables have become
we'll established" and
| uppuoporu MAO pECouE AZ wIcEED AS
CAPE May"
before they "preach against the wicked
ness of the wicked" They now complain
against them; and this is their senseless
prejudice that has excited the ire of j.
and those who sympathize with his views.
Although the camp meeting this year
| was smaller than usual, it might have been
made success. Had J. and all the other
| Methodists in the cottages and at the ho-
tells, given as much of their presence, moral
support and personal effort to the camp
meeting as did the preachers of the Will
mington Conference, it would have been a
grand success. Many Of them seldom or
never attended the meetings; others of
them only when some eminent stranger or
favorite ID. ID. was announced to preach;
while some there were, alas! who, at the
| hour OF rehSious "orship aI Ihe ehoaihp
ment, were in attendance upon the dance,
or otherwise frivolously employed at the
hotels.
This may have been the case with .. AT
any rate, it may not be amiss to inquire
how many preaching services, prayers, or
| experience meetings he attended during
the camp meeting; what part he took in
| those he did attend; and how many sim
cere. earnest prayers he offered for the
SUCCESS of THE MEhllN''
But this is not all To be successful and
influential camp meeting must depend
largely upon local patronage and support.
The immediate nelshb0rhood or itehoooth
is anti Methodistic. This difficulty, how
ever, might have been overcome, had there
been proper recognition OF the Method
ism OF the regions round ana contiguous
to Rehoboth. A large NUMBER OF shares
VI s'ooH WHY .aNon ns n,; "
SnsseS cnnmtv. hnt thew are nurposelv and
| .ons;.t,n,Iu ;1norod Inv tho man whom tho
Rn;."a.|.' asn,;t r. man;nul,te tbe al..c-