Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-06-22

stand as the criterion for all lesser
and inferior places where we ought
to be.
Mr.. Chairman, we declare our
heart to you. as a body we desire to
reverse the principles of the
Arab of the desert whose
"hand is against every. man and
every mans hand against him."
and stretching out our hands first to
you and then to the human family, /
we desire to join our voice with the /
united declaration of Methodism, /
everywhere breaking out like /
the sound of many waters, in |
the immortal words of the First /
Founder, our common Wesley, |
when hesaid, "Ihavea league often
sive and defensive with every sol
dier of Christ" Applause.
1t has ever been fact that great /
men were born out of the demands
of the times in which they lived.
We have ever affirmed, and / be-
lieve it to-day, that if the colOred
people of this country are ever ele-
waited, and that they must be, it
could only be done through their
own personal efforts, sanctioned
and encouraged by the white people
of the land, and l believe, further,
Mr.. Chairman, that the strong adj
vocate of African American Method
ism and the African race, the farms
of whose hands shall be made strong
by the Mighty God of Jacob" that
advocate, believe, is yet to arise
out of the assembly of massive in
tellects and fearless moral heroes
who follow the lead of the consci-
entious Christian men of your hon
orable body-men who have ever
been ready to peril their lives and
their all for the right, as they have
understood it to be the right. Great
applause. God speed the day of
his coming. Let him arise. Re-
newed applause.
Let his voice be heard for the
poor and the oppressed God give
his speech the wings of the light
] ming and the power of the earth
quake to proclaim "peace on earth
and good will to men," Applause.
Now, Mr.. Chairman, must have
done T"GO on"1 but let me assure
you that the religious truth which
was planted by your missionaries
among us in the days long ago, has
ever been guarded with all the Wig
ilance of the sacred fire. The same
"hymns and spiritual SONGS" which
stirred the depths of those days, are
said to be heard in all our sanctua-
ries. And there are those among
us who will speak with the most
affectiOnate regard of those holy and
devoted ministers, Bishops Capers
and Wightman, the Rev. Drs.
Pierce and Evans, Godfrey, j. w.
Burke, and a host of others of their
former pastors and guides. APP
plause.
| God bless the Church and the
Conference, and increase it more
abundantly. TAmens And if
there is ever to be an organic unfit
cation of all the Methodist bodies,
you may depend upon it, we shall
not be found wanting laughter and
applausel, even if we are to be the
foot of the grand autonomy, since to
some of us the foot is the principal
feature of beauty [great laughter ,
and is sometimes suggestive Of the
highest use, yea, even double honor,
especially where the exercise of
great strength or rapid locomOtiOn
is required. Renewed laughter. |
Already by its aid, being "shOd
with the preparation of the Gospel
of peace" we are brought up
through great tribulatiOn to sit with
you in one of the "heavenly places
in Christ Jesus" Applause.
Here, time depends upon a fleet
ing breath We must pass but too
soon from your victories upon the
Asiatic plains and the halls of the
Montezumas. We can give but a
glance to the cOntending hosts upon
the far away isles of the sea, and the
clOven tongues of fire sitting in
grandeur upon the eternal city.
Worlds of light sweep the path of
vision; and there, your sainted
Bishop Marvin flashes around the
earth, as a golden band of fire; and
in an instant, as it were, he departs;
he is mot, for God took him." But
bark! a voice divides the flame.
It is "My father, my father, the
chariot of Israel and the hOrsemen
thereOf!' 1t is answered by the
/, prophetic response, rolling up from
. the near future, "The Watchmen
shall lift up the voice; with the
. voice together shall they sing; for
they shall see eye to eye, when the
Lord shall bring again Zion !"
God speed the day. Amen. APP
plause.
The President Bishop McTyeire):
Brethren, this makes us feel like
old times. We are used TO hearing
: that voice. We are happy to hear
such sentiments as you bring to us.
+ You have well said-and it would
: be well if the world beyond these
, walls could take it in-that no two
: races know each other as ours and
: yours. Applause. By the provi-
dence of God our history and for.
tunes were strangely thrown to-
, gether for these two bundled years
, Our interests have been so blended
: that your enemies have been Oul
: enemies, and our enemies your enc
: mics; your friends our friends, and
r our friends your friends. Your re,
lations have been changed to us and
ours TO you, but we are thankful
! you did not go out of the house OF
! bondage empty and dowerless
: Your fathers came in heathens
Inelf sons went out with a KnOWE
edge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
r You went out far in advance o.
what your fathers were, and far in
advance of what then fathers are
who abide in their native home
: Gods hand was in it. His prOvi
dence is unfolding. What we know
| not now we shall know hereafter.
t | happened to be in the chair to-
? day, and to receive you; this is not
/ my turn in presiding. Perhaps it is
= well. Among my colleagues, all Of
/ whom have been devoted to the re-
ligiOus education of your race, say
: of myself, like Paul, that in thai
/ matter [ was not behind the chiefest
; of them. The first quarter of a dol
= lar ever made l got by teaching {
5 negro boy Of my father the alphabet
= Laughter. Among the first ser,
| mons | ever preached was to the
; cOlored people. l say what many
of these brethren will say-if, in the
, last day, we have no sheaves com
: ing up from that field, we shall be
sadly diminished. We are practi
2 cally interested in your spiritua
: welfare. We have bestowed much
I lab pr Irnn1o Won NEo nra ,rIoI 4,