The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-01-06
An Indiscreet Bishop.
from the N. o. Christian Advocated J


Good Bishop Haven is the fast boy In
the family, and he gives his brethren
and the Northern Methodist household
a great deal Of trouble. They are sorely
at q loss how to apologize for his way
ward course, and it occupies much OF
the space and time of acute editors and
the more polite church leaders to ex-
plain away his antics, and to maintain
tho decency and responsibility of the
connection. Gil. is u sad dog indeed,
u constant worry to the more circum-
spect brethren, and constantly putting
his foot in it, mauger all their solemn
warnings and admonitions. They
have labored with this erratic
little purpose. He will write about
the limbs and busts and destinations of
the tinted Venuses," and 90 into rap
lures over miscegenation, whereby the
impoverished blood of the degenerate
Caucasian shall be enriched and enno-
bled. Then he is very spiteful toward
the South, and tells hard stories about
us, just as we are ready to fall into the
fraternal arms of the Round Lake COM
pany. While the common sense of his
church Is at the conclusion that whites
and blacks do better in separate houses
and conferences, he will have none Of
GHlS CoWuIuly compromise.
Judging from the buzz and clamor
created by it, the last deliverance on
the third tern. has been the worst of his
offending. It was at u meeting Of
preachers i'm Boston, where Brother
Ives, OF strychnine memory, was so
loudly applauded that the speech was
made. This is the substance of the
offensive utterance;
'There was one class of people in the
South who had been recognized as q
nationality by the Pope, and they would
welcome his followers to these shores !;
but the race freed by the people of the
North will never strike blow against
constitutional liberty. Bishop Haven
political battle this year, beginning with
the election Of Democratic Speaker of
the national House of Representatives.
He said that the ministers of Boston
are in the, field Of battle, their words
are reported, and the Southern pa
pers comment on them. The ques-
tion is: Shall the Northern people
rule the nation?' Shall the Puri-
tan or the Cavalier be the ruler?'
Shall Boston or Charleston be the
centre" The Methodist Episcopal
Church is the only institution in the
South to-day that represents the Ameri-
can nation. You must, he said, stand
by your church. There are in the South
nearly three hundred thousand mem
bers Of the Methodist Episcopal Church
as the people of New England, and
better. They appreciate liberty, and
those who gave 1t to them; they never
will be betrayers, and let the people Of
the North never betray them. The
malcontents of the South know that
they were defeated by one man; that
man Is President Grant, and IL tho peo-
pie throw him overheard, ut the com
mand Of politicians, they will rue it..
Pray, brethren, that President Grant
may be reelected. Pray for the true
people Of the South, and you will find
that thus you will be able to keep down
kindred threatening powers-the slave
power and the power Of the papacy."
After such a mild-mannered speech
as this the hue and cry is raised. The
audience Methodist preachers more
than two hundred stronghold applaud
to the echo. 1t was just what they had
all thought and felt, and could not help
cheering. Then came from the press
censure or attempts to explain. The
AdUOcate of New York knew the Bishop
had been misrepresented, the Methodist
protests that he does not represent the
Northern Church, DR.. Vincent washes
his hands of the matter. and tells us
that the Sunday school and Tract So
ciety had nothing to do with it, and
Bishop Simpson comes out in card to
clear his skirts and those Of the church.
It is shame to go back on "a mana
Bishop especially-in this way. In
spite OF all the disclaimers and fretting
Of the Bishops more reticent and wary
brethren, we must commend his cour-
age, candor and consistency. He does
not stab in the dark, he does not fight
under cover, but unfurls his banner in
the open field, and marshals his forces
in the light Of day. The men who most
severely condemn are likely to be those
who have the same convictions with
himself, but who regard their expression
as inexpedient or untimely.
What our Northern friends are to do
with their wild colt of Bishop we do
not know. If he could be impounded
in some distant field, as Mexico or Alas
ka, or IL he could be kept close to his
work in Georgia, it would be well for
them, but we fear that he is utterly IT.
repressible-a spirit that no man can
tame. His tongue and pen are an un-
ruly evil.