The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-01-21
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
DEAR READERS OF THE NEW NORTHWEST:

peace on earth and good will to men
and women.
A two or three hours ride upon the
snug little packet, "Vancouver," that
plies daily between the town whose
name it bears and the metropolis of the
great Northwest, and we landed at the
wharf of the former one, and proceeded
to the tidy, cozy home of dear friend
of the days of our youth, upon whose
sweet face time and sorrow have plowed
many a furrow, but whose hospitable
soul beams through her eyes with all
the warmth, if not the brilliancy of yOre.
Brother DeVore was on the steamer
as we came over, and knowing him to
be a professed friend of human rights,
and knowing, further, that he well knew
that we would never say a word in any
lecture that would desecrate any church;
also cogniZant that Vancouver possessed
no public hall suitable for lecturing pur-
poses in cold weather, except the Meth
odist Church, Of which Brother DeVore
10 poHGOli VIC pOhC " blll dOOhb dliuW-
ing US the church for lectures, and re-
ceived for answer that he had no objec-
tion; but he had no power in the prem
ises-the matter lay with the trustees.
We knew the declaration was de-
cidedly thin when he made it, for pre-
siding elder always has power in such
cases, but we held our tongue and
tested the matter.
Byron Daniels, Esq, the estimabIe
and honorable editor and proprietor of
the Vancouver Independent, called
upon four of the gentlemen in author
ity in the church, and received their
sanction for its use. With the aid of
other obliging and intelligent young
gentlemen, the bills were distributed
and the lectures announced.
For reasons that will hereafter be
made apparent, when half-past seven
came, we met fine audience, not in the
Methodist Church, but in Brant's Hail.
Miss Almira Knight, sister of Rev. P.
S. Knight, of Salem, and right worthy
representative of her noble brother, pre-
sided at the meeting, rendered some ex-
cellent vocal music with a guitar ac-
compartment, and introduced us in a
neat, well-chOsen speech, which was ex-
ceedingly well received. Then we pre-
faced the lecture, as nearly as we can
recollect, as follows:
"Nearly two years ago the great
church of peace on earth and good will
to men and women, of which I have
have ever since its organization in this
State been presiding elder, was holding
its regular annual association in Port
land. There was a certain minister of
much local renown who was under
censure and suspension in his own
church for alleged high crimes and mis-
demeanors. Believing it to be the duty
of all Christians to hold all men land
women innocent until proven guilty,
I, with much difficulty, prevailed upon
said suspended minister to be invited to
our pulpit. Many of them privately
objected, saying that our cause could
not afford to countenance a man as a
speaker who was not in good standing
among his own people. answered
them that had too much faith in ouI
gospel to believe it was so easily 're-
preached My counsels prevailed, and
the suspended preacher made US q
splendid Woman Suffrage speech. Now,
that minister, reinstated in authority in
his own church, resides in Vancouver.
I received the sanction of all the
trustees of his church except one, to use
it for these lectures, and that one being
absent, could not be consulted. Having
already received the PASTORS sanction,
the bills were distributed, and all was
supposed to be well understood. About
dark this evening, this minister of the
gospel took it upon himself to slip into
the house of the neighbOrs nearest tC
where was stopping, though he could
easily have called upon me, to tell them
W lOll inO LHdb LhC bluSlceS udu ROuS
back on their contract, and I couldn't
have the church, according to theil
agreement. had, during our conver.
sation the day before, asked him why
they didn't turn the one heather
trustee, of whom he told me, out Of
power, and elect a Christian in place
Now, 1 am disposed to exonerate that
trustee, and place the blame right
where it belongs, upon the preacher
himself. I want to be charitable in the
matter, and hope you won't go off anC
say that have traduced the preacher
Truth never traduces anybody. When
think, though, of his present treat,
ment of me, presiding elder of gooC
standing in my own church, as com
pared with the reception I gave hin
when he was under an ecclesiastical bar
in his church, can only account for hi
conduct upon the philosophy so feel
J ingly expressed by Hezekiah Bedott
and so eloquently repeated by hi
widow, we are all poor creeturs.'
The audience, composed largely o
Brother DeVore's congregation, in
cluding his choir, and all the leading
citizens of Vancouver, highly enjoyed
our plainness of speech, and grew very
6 iustIv INDIGNANT Ovar tho pastoria salf