Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-10-04

Mr.. ALLEN, of Coldwater, Mississippi,
makes elsewhere in this issue of the APPEAL
an attempt 10 defend the runaway Protestant
ministers, and a German Christian" supple
ments that attempt with a note, the chief
point of which is that the Catholic clergy
have only done their duty More than that
has never been claimed for them, and more
they do not ask. It is the contrast afforded
by1their willing, in most cases eager perform
ance of that duty, and the avoidance
of it by those of their Profess
tant brethren who left their congre-
cations to find a place of safety,
which, for the time, gives them the con-
spicuity which " a German Christian" objects
to. Mr.. Aliens argument, put in few
words, is that ministers of the gospel, like
ordinary persons, have the right in times of
public distress to elect for themselves
whether their duty lies in seeking safety by
fight or remaining to help in the care ofthose
who, too poor to go away, are compelled to
face dreadful ordeal of plague and death
such as we have endured for now eight weary
weeks. Admit that Mr.. Allen is correct, that
the minister has no duties to perform
Ia times of distress and at the bed
of death, and the bond which unites
tie christian church with humanity,
would be SANDER indeed. But aside from
that, suppose that every man-layman and
cleric-acted upon the cold and calculating,
the selfish theory of Mr.. Allen, where would
the sick find physicians and nurses or the
poor the aid and succor which have been our
chief reliance during our present great dis
tress? If every man stopped to weigh the
chances, to square his duty by self-interest,
how much of human sympathy would there
be left? It would be "every man for him.
self and the devil take the hindmost."
We thank God, that so cold, so
cruel, so barbarous, we had almost
said inhuman an idea has possession of but
few minds, and that from every part of the
Union there has welled up a sympathy as
deep as our sufferings were great, and sue
cor as generous and as prompt as our neces-
sites were urgent. There was no stopping
to calculate; the cry Of the sick and needy
reached the remotest corners of the country,
and rich and poor alike contributed-widows
gave their mites, orphans their hard
armed pennies, and even the wild
arab of the street, who circulates the
great dailles or "shines 'em up" for all, gave
eagerly what they had without stopping to
take stock for the morrow. Churches and the
aters, the circus and the concert-room, all
sent what they could make, and all the socie-
ties and organizations poured in upon us, and
are still pouring in upon US, a very plethora
of food, ra1ment and funds. There was no
stopping, as Mr.. Allen suggests, ''that each
one might judge for himself after calm and
mature reflection" The people of all the
States moved spontaneously and as
with one mind. They thought not
of themselves but of us who are
thousands of miles from them, of the
decimating march of the plague, and they
sent US not only money and provisions and
clothes and christian sympathy, but many of
their best physicians, their strongest men and
noblest women. These eagerly accepted the
trust and came, some of them to die, noble
examples of the spirit that should animate
every sincere follower of the Christ who left
his own example of an ignominious
death upon the cross to inspire not
the cool calculation of personal safety, but
self-abnegation of which the church has been
the witness, even to martyrdom, In all ages.
Every branch of the christian church, nay,
every religious organization on the earth
worthy of the name, has tor its guide the
golden rule. What man sick of the fever
but would like to have near him the coun-
sellers of his youth and the guides
of his manhood. Even the runa-
way preachers would crave such a boon.
Have they, in this instance, done as they
wish to be done by2 But it is waste of
time longer to dwell upon theme, the sad
dest to which the fever has given birth, and
which cannot be touched without arouslng
public Indignation. No argument, however
cool and calculating, can lessen the measure
of failures in duty that, were they not offset
by the heroism of the ministers who re-
manned, would bring christianity into con-
tamnt