New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-10-02

In the following letter Oliver Johnson replies
to the Rev DR.. Whedon, whose letter to The
TRIRrNE was published week ago. DIR.
Whedon maintained that the Methodist
churches were anti-slavery societies from the
beginning Mr.. Johnson asserts that this state
mcnt is controverted 10y multitude of facts,
and had its only basis in few disreGarded
clauses Of the Church Discipline DR.. WhedOn
charged Mr.. Garrison with being coarse and
vituperative; Mr. Johnson warmly defends
him against that charge.
POSITION OF THE METHODIST CHURCH.
The IFsI OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. GARRISON
METHODS.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: ! am glad that my antl-slavcry sketches
have attracted the attention of a. distinguished
divine rs the Rev. DR.. Whedon, since am thereby
ENCOURAGED 10 believe that they are extensively
read. When a venerable and ,Nterienoed "swal-
low " is heard twittering on the caves ii is sure
sign that great focks of that prophetic bird are
lowering near. and that summer is close mt hand
Writing ~ am. most conscientOusly, of matters
call of which saw aud part of which was, am
vet liable through prejudice or lack of perfect Ill
formation. TO fall into mistakes, which, when
pointed out il Will give me pleasure 10 correct
The man who coavlcis me of a blinder IN anti
slavery history can only do me a favor tor which
shall be grateful. l rejoice in that freedom OF the
press which exposes every writer TO sharp criticism
aud make complaint on account of Or. Nhe-
don's piauucss of speech in pointing ont what he
regards a. erroneous in my sketches. Let mm tear
my history 90 pieces # he ! shall not wiHcc.
Blu, / must remind Dr. Whcdou, and your readers
as well. thai while have been writing almost cN-
cusiyoly, thus far of what took place between tAe
years 1929 and 1888 he has ran over the whole
field OF the anti-slavery conflict from chat tine 20
.nrHlr
lar way so that instead of fairly answering ne, he
only confuses the mind OF the unrestricted reader
anu cycitcs prcudiccs which. though fast dying ont
Of the public mind are not Yet quite dead The ei-
fort TO convict % error in regard 10 the sta;e OF
the church iu SD 10y showing what was IFS condi-
ton m 1sli l. SO transparency absurd rs TO call
for TO reply. The Doctor should lock 10 ms clIo-
nOogy-and 20 mine.
TNGIf-U AID AMFEI -AN Rrf)ENERs
Mr.. Garrison, tic Doctor say. WAS coarse and
vituperaigc." The Doctor, moreover, YVES dis
couraeed by the "vio.cn, dulu-,>' ca Tide L0t-
ator Brouclala and O'Conncii, h1w.y. r. joe assures
us. wcrc men after his own heart. Nhcn they
"thunior,d forth thcirlouuuciati'us AGAINST slave
hol3egsn Lee was. " like ST.. johnson. lhriliei a.o
deheht,ir Be- 81 Important. y.l $3.50. to have dn1H-
catoas ol " tls SOS, oi all '..'...is, tln. ,..r-
forth m suitable language. iu order to .l.t t-r
Esud..ls taste of "LlaGi an anii--iayei3
this Jos Nr Garrison was affected ly tle
spcrch.s off ImuEhtm aal otrn. il pre-
cisriy ss pr. Nlodon says Be- vr; and SD -eun-
Inc was his thrill so sincere li, DOH h., iiu i' was
filed vita longing To circulate tA,ia 100 every gMt
OF the country. Aul SD, o. relieve t.e "vi.l,nt
duue.s ol bis I.p.l. Dee -picaa ,lem ou, 40 .eaen
upon as D.. -c-. ID. N-ciol casa ,ri, 81 .e ie.'es
which aud Aor many of the Methodist pai-s. Bee
tween 1880 ana so, were iu thc habit Of " thrill
way. and h1w Jealous he hlilse was for the Circle
laiiou of those sgeat SPECIFIC, among the members
OF the Methodist Church. Pretty effective anti
slavery work their distribution would have been.
especially ii tle ringing words OF John Wesley"
had been sent along with them and Lam sure that 4
Dr. Wheaon and has Methodist friends bad ever been
seen euroncd in that work, Sir Garrison, however
widely they may have differed from Inn in other
rcsller-. would have prectc, them as brethren hs-
lovci.
Nj. Garrison. affirm. from an intimate AnoUi-
edge 81 hls character and c@lcer reycr made cone
fnrrnitv 90 his ways ard methods test Of ANTE
slav,r, or a condition Of good. owship. Tie was
al all times ON the best of terms with men Who
fought slavery IN ways different hom Inns own.
lie admired and respected such men, aud
was not only just hut generous M DIS es-
innate OF the value IF their aoors. such
men a. Joshua r.. Giddinrs. " liam Siade, Henry
they were living. would bear witness for me- To
be sure he criticised their methods, rs they did
his bl. he never questioned their integrity or
doubted the sincerity of their aboltonism. Tie
men whom hc denounced pro-slaycTy We're
those who. while dong TO sort IF earnest anti
slavery work themselves, spent their breath IN
assailnc the abo tioni,tS and Ia weaving apologies
4orslayery. Ii seems singular that DIR. Whcdon
loving tnc abolit onisin of Brcughlm and OConne.l
SO we'll should have found thar &C Mr.. Carr son so
distastelul; for they knew him farmore Intimately
than he did. and not only houogOd and admired
him ms a true fellow worker with themselves, Dht
heartily approved of his way of dealing with sllv-
cry. suspect that if d. Weldon had lived IN the
time Of Jesus, and had felt the same interest in the
Jewish Church as he did thirty years ago in the
Methodist. and II his sympathy with the orthodox
Scribcs end Pnarisees had been as keen As 1t used
20 be with ,laye-holdin- and slave-supporting
Methodists at the South, he would have thought
Jesus a very coarse and yituperatiye' refOrmer.
And he would probably have had no better opinion
of the Apostle john If ne had heard HIM say: " He
that committcth sin is of the devl"; " If man say,
I love Cod and hateth his brother, he Is lar" O,
imprudent apostles and martyrs it is a pity you
could NOT have had few lessons in Christian gen
tleness from the modern apologists for slavery.
TIE rfsT OF ANII-sLAvERYIsM.
Dr. WhedOn charges me with holding the laI-
lacy that 1.-THE genuineness or reality OF all anti
slaveryism IS 10 be tested and decided by It's ac-
cordance with Mr. Garrison and his abolition soee-
ties l beg leave to assure him that he misund"r-
stands me utterly / am the victim of no such
"failacy ~ cherish not a spirit SO narrow.
GLADLY recognize the fact that there were
thousands of men, equally hostile to slavery with
MI Garrison who never united with the organiza-
tion led hy him. but worked in ways which they