The Portland daily press., 1876-05-18
General Conference NJ. E, Church.

BALTIMORE, May IT, 1876
To the Editor of the Press
Yesterday was field day with the General
Conference. No less than eighty-eight pulpits
in this city were occupied by its members. This
afforded good opportunity to select ftom
among the large number of distinguished Di-
vines, whose reputation as pulpit orators has
become rational. In the morning we found
our way to Trinity church-M. E. South-to
hear Bishop Foster of New York. He is man
of fine personal appearance, tall, erect, with
pleasant face, keen eye and musical voice. He
speaks without notes, yet his discourses are
evidently prepared with great thought and
study. If his sermon yesterday morning is q
fair specimen of his power as pulpit orator.
he certainly has few equals 10 the country No
words of mine can describe his lofty flights of
impassioned eloquence, as they swept with
irresistible power over his large and intelligent
audience.
In the afternoon we found ourselves in the
Masonic Temple, listening to the annual re-
union exercises of the Sunday Schools, belong
ing to the seven churches in this city of the
Methodist Church South. 1t was splendid
sight; at least 1900 Sunday School children,
with glad hearts and smiling faces, were COM
pactly seated in this hall. Their singing was
grand and inspiring. Ex-Mayor Magruder
presided. Addresses were made by Rev. DR..
Vincent of New York, Gen. Fisk of st. Louis,
('wo members of the General Conference) and
Rev. DIR. Duncan, President of Randolph Ma
con Colleges of the church South All of
these gentlemen have national reputation as
Sunday School men, and their several addresses
to the children were cbeered to the echo. The
interest of the occasion was intensified, as near
the close DIR. Duncan arose, and grasping the
hands of DR.. Vincent and Gen. Fisk, in words
of impassone6 eloquence, extended the cordial,
fraternal greetings of 100000 Sunday School
scholars belonging to the Methodist E. Church
South TO the million and half of scholars
belonging to the NJ. E. Church North; and
amidst the loud cheers of the immense andi-
ence, and the waving of haudkerchefs from
hundreds of little hands in the auditorium, the
old chasm that has so long digided this great
church into two sections, was at least for the
time being completely bridged over.
In the evening we listened to an excellent
discourse from Rev. DR.. Newman, of the Met.
ropolitan church in Washington. The doctor
has too wide reputation as pulpit orator to
need further notice from us.
When. in 1874, the great Methodist church in
this country divided, and the Southern portion,
on account of the slavery question, seeded,
and established what has since been known as
the NJ. E. church South, Henry Clay at the
time publicly declared it would end in disso-
luton of the union.
His prophetic words well nigh became his
tory, for it is we'll known that the Methodist E.
church South largely through the influence of
its clergy, precipitated the rebellion, and ex-
erted powerful influence in the mad attempts
of the rebels to establish Southern Confeder-
acy. AS matter of course, the most bitter
hostility for long time existed on the part of
the church South towards the church North
Bat fortunately for the country, and especially
so for these two churches, who are still pre-
cisely the same in doctrines and forms of chnrch
government it is now quite evident that much
of this old hate and bitterness is dying out
Four years since the church North, at its Gen.
eral Conference sent fraterDal delegation,
consisting of one of its Bishops and Drs. Hunt
of New York and Fowler of Chicago to the
They were kindly received, and in return sent
as fraternal delegates to this conference Drs.
Lovict, Pierce and Duncan, and President Gar
land of the Vanderbilt University. The ven-
eral DR.. Pierce, now 90 years of age, on account
of his extreme age and infrmity was unable to
travel from his home in Georgia, so as to be
present, but he sent a long letter, full of fra
ternal feelings of Kindness and expressing the
strongest desire that all partition walls between
the two churches may be broken down, and
that they should become one. The other two
delegates are here, and on Friday last, when
formally received by the Conference, both male
eloquent speeches full of the same sentiments.
There are undoubtedly formidable indrances
in the way of a union of the two churches into
one, at present, but the signs of the times all
indicate that the day is not very distant when
these two churches will resume their cid ecclesi-
astical relations. and be blended in one No
one act would so cement and strengthen the
union of these States as the union of these two
and half million of Methodist church mem
bers into one body.
Notwithstanding this is an Ecclesiastical body
the Presidential question is freely conversed
about both among its clergy and laity. Dele
gates from different sections of the country
have freely exchanged notes as to the prospects
of the several candidates now before the peo-
pie, and as any one will see, some idea at least
can be gathered as to the probabilities upon
this question. Without any desire in the least
to misrepresent the general sentiment, as here
expressed upon this matter. 1 can say in truth
that 50 far as L can learn the general feeling
it is that Mr.. Blaine will receive the nomina-
tion at Cincinnati. This think can be taken
as something more than waif as to which
way the wind is blowing. r.