Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-08-09
cAUTIoS-A CoLoRED VISITOR.

0AlIAON- IELOhED NAsAlOAs
To the Editor Of the London Baptist: Will
you favor me with space sufficient to expose
the 6oings OF a colored man named Lewis
Charlton, who is going round this city and
country collecting money under false pre-
fences. Having imposed upon such geuer-
Gus Christian gentlemen as Mr.. John
Houghton, Of Liverpool, and Rev. G. H.
Sturgeon and Lord Justice Lush, Of London,
besides msnv others, It is high time that the
truth was told, and / am now IN q position
to tell It.
On the 25th Of May last this said Lewis
Charlton called at my house bringing let
ter of Introduction from Mr.. Houghtnn,
who had given him e5 on the recommends.
ton Of Captain Dutton, Of the steamship
Sardinia. He affirmed that he was from the
State nj MARYLAND, U. 8. A., where he held
the Office Of Baptist minister over a church
of colored people in q small town or village
named Westminster, not very far from Bal
timOre; that he was deputed by a confer
ence held in Westminster IN proceed to
England to collect $4,000, or e400, to build
a Baptist meeting house aud school room
for his people, who had no place OF wor-
ship and no school house for their chill
dren. AS knew from seven years. resi-
dence in the Southern States that the
white people were ever ready to aid their
eolored brethren in every good work, l
funds. He, not knowing that l had been
in America, answered that the white people
would do nothing for the blacks. aud that
II a colored man entered a church of the
white Christians anywhere IN Maryland.
che would be kicked out like dog"
am sorry to know that some English minis
tiers would have accented these statements
as faithful sayings. But l, being at once
convinced that all this was false, quietly
let him go, and Immediately wrote to one
Of the most respectable religious papers
In the United States and asked for
information. / have since received two
documents in reply. One is from a commit
tee Of ministers conference held In the
city OF Baltimore, and consisting, as we
shall see, Of ministers both white and col
Ored. The committee was of three mem
bers Rev Franklin Wilson, D D, Cores
pondiDg Secretary Of the Maryland State
Mission Board for over thirty years {; Rev.
j. G. Allen (colored), who has been pastor
Of the First African Baptist Church, Balti-
more, for more than eighteen years and
Rev. J. W. NJ. Williams, D D., pastor Of
the First white Baptist Church, Baltimore,
for over thirty years. A respectable, repre-
sentative, reliable committee; q bet
ter could not be wished. Drs.
Wilson and Williams say that none Of the
cOlored Baptist ministers of Baltimore know
anything Of this Lewis Charlton, and that
Rev. Harvey johnson, pastor of the church,
Of achich the Westminster Church is mission,
writes: 81 do not know of any such name as
Lewis Charlton. ! am sure he has no con-
nection whatever with the church in West
minister" Drs. Wilson and Williams add:
"We may say that for many years the dele
gates from the cOlored churches have been
welcomed to the annual meetings of our Asso-
citation, and that some from each city church
are members of our executive board" But
l. - - l.. Il
mittee says / quote from bis own original
document, written for the Religious Herald OF
Richmond, and not seen by Drs. Wilson and
Williams until the writer handed It to them
himself. Rev. J. G. Allen writes: 'fAs for
this Rev. Lewis Charlton, do not know
who he is. / never heard of him It'll saw
his name in your paper" Again: "Since
the close Of the war, the white brethren
have spent IN building houses OF wor
ship for the colored Baptists from
thirty-fve TO forty thousand dollars.
This is in Baltimore alone 4" And
again: "The pastors of the colOred churches
meet in the minister's meeting every Mon
day, with the pastors of the white churches.
and are treated kindly and respectfully. l
know whereof l affirm when I say that no
man, white or cOlored, was ever refused sd-
mission in any Of our white churches" In
dependent testimony comes in a printed
letter from a female member of Rev. ].
e. Aliens church "Our pastor asked
the white brethren of sister. churches
to give us a collection, ard, like
faithful servants Of God, they
readily and favorably responded. They ali
came together at the first (white) Baptist
Church, Of which Rev. DR.. Williams is pas
tor, and gave US the neat sum Of eight
thousand dollars" How often do our
stronger churches in England do "neater''
thing than that for their weaker brethren
who are not DaekF So far then this Lewis
Charlton's statements are proven utterly
untrue. He preferred some other charges
against the white people of the South re-
gardiDg their treatment of the colored PEG.
pie, of which l hope to get information.
But the above will suffice to show what the
man Is.
l have ventured 10 ask insertion for this
somewhat lengthy communication, because
this is not the first time that English pity
has been played upon and English charity
abused by colored men who have come over
here with doloroUs tales about wrongs they
never endured, and with pathetic appeals
for money, ostensibly to build churches,
but really to support their own idleness and
hypocrisy. The white people of the South
are, as a rule, chivalrous, generous, and
deeply religious. ever ready TO help the
needy and to further the cause of truth and
righteousness among all classes, irrespective
of creed or color. / am neither an advocate
nor an apologist for slavery or its abuses;
but as an eye witness for seven years in the
Southern States, which are so misrepresent-
ed by ignorant or prejudiced travellers, and
so misunderstood by many Englishmen, to
whom distance lends disenchantment to the
view, l unhesitatlDgly affirm that the white
people of the South are the trHest and best
friends Of the colOred people who live
among them, and that the colOred people
themselves know and acknowledge the fact.
Yours very faithfully,
TIMOTHY HARLEY,
Minister of John Street Chapel, Bedford
row, W.
July 25, 1881.