The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-09-13


Ecumenical Council Of Methodists, TIL
meetings have been held in the City Rol
chapel, which Is the Mecca OF the demon
nation, and whose caaba is the graves {
John Wesley, his wife, and his brothc
Charles, and Adam Clarke. The cOsmc
pOlitan character of the assembly Is rt
markable, and for the multiplicity Z
tongues spoken, is little short Of PentC
costal gathering like that ut Jerusalem
The proceedings thus far have been uni
mated and usually harmonious, although
there have been occasional clashes between
the gO-ahead aggressivGness OF the Amer
can and the Obstinacy and conservatism o
the British representatives, The Amer
cans seem to take tho lead in every radica
movement. They are wide-awake, ready
debaters, full OF vim, push, and suggestions
In point OF orutory, all the honOrs res
with the brethren from the New World
The American delegates have way o
saying what they have to gay with
ont hesitation, with clear enunclatior
and distinctness Of ideas. As ruiz
the American speakers In this body have
large vein Of humor, and rarely make /
speech, regardless OF the subject, without
having the audience roaring with laughter
ut intervals. Rev, DR.. a, q, George, who
is one OF the Secretaries OF the Council, ut
tracts much attention by his fine appear
ance, clear and elegant articulation. and
prOlnptneSs in any emergency, In al re-
spects Bishop Simpson il the most notice
able man In tho congress. Tall, stately
dienihed, venerable, alert, he Is conspicu
Gus in appearance, weighty and command
ing in debate, Bishop NlcTyeire, OF Nash.
vile, is another dignatary who has taken q
tirst-class position. Somewhat rough In
voice, but earnest, forciblc, and humorous
his mind is full Of historical facts and Il.
Illustrations, Another very prominent fly.
ure is Bishop Warren, Of Atlanta, who has
shown himself to be one OF the most nc,
COmplished and scholarly, as well as fin,
iahed, representatives present.
Some dozen COlored delegates, mainly
from the South, have done themselves and
the conference no discrcdit thus far. Bish.
op Wood, OF Fayetteville, N. O., held the
audience intensely interested while he
spoke OF the condition Of MethOdlsm among
the blacks Of his episCopate. Mr.. Prince, 4
cOlorcd delegate from the South, made a
very creditable speech on the power Of
Methodisn to elevate the South and the
negroes, Soon after DR.. Marshall, OF yicks-
burg, made an address on the same subject,
during the course Of which he expressed
warm fellowship for his colored co.labores,
and then reached over and shook warmly
tho hand Of Mr.. Prince. The scene was
quite dramatic, business being suspended
by applause lasting two or three minutes,
The Africans rank as operators next below
the whites. The American representatives
are considerably above the average Of the
others, b"
As q rule the American delegates arc
much younger than the others, and have
also the appearance Of being more men OF
the world. Tho other delegates are more
like Church-of.lSngland clefgymen in tho
matter Of dress, appearance, action, looks
aud sentiment, Tho American delegates
seem TO have tendency to drag the others
forward, and the others appear to have a
disposition 10 adopt largely tho modes Of
thinking, etc, In vogue among preachers Of
the established church, Tho American di.
vines have been waking up their brethren
oil other lands by series OF electrical
shocks applied from batteries Of eloquence,
progression and speedy movement. The
eastern section present carciully-prepared
essays, while the Western men depend on
olElapl etiprts, WHICH seem to carry every.
thing before them like torrents '
The conference arc having q stirring
time, ns they sum up the millions which
c6Tiifcoosa their denomination and the ys .!..
extent Of the country which they cover.
They arc being feted on the very ground
where their name was ONO reproacl, and
where their founder was mObbed. AT the
social gatherings which have been had,
Rev. DR.. o. II. Tiffany, formerly Of Chicago,
Gen. Fiske, OF Payne, Ohio, aud Bishop
MoIyeirc, Of Nashville, have shown them.
selves ready speakers. ".' 'y.
The contrast between the English and the
American members of the council, and
atnongthe Americans, the contrast between
those from the EASTERN and those from tic
western states, suggest the influence Tint
its surroundings have eSerted on the Meth
odlst church, while the Methodist church
has been exertIng no lncohsldcrnble Unfit
encc on It's surroundings. The slow,
cautious, and, ut least in appear.
anCe, the tinrcady English Wesleyan,
resembling IN his general get YIN tho pler4
gynan oil the Church OF England, and in
many instances using in divine worship
the liturgy Of the establishment, would not
be welcome In many American Methodist
puipits. The scholarly, essiIy.readlng
Methodist doctor OF the Eastern States ID
much less acceptable 10 Western Methodist
congregations than the pastors to whom
they are acct,stomed-men who look with
little favor, and sometimes with open con-
tempt on "polisli;" who look with sis-
picion on the matter where an excess oil
attention IL paid to the matter; men whose
style In the pulpit Is much like that Of the
politician on The stunp, The Amerl
cans, on the other hand, and especially
the Western ones, are not easily pro
duCed on English soil they do mol
flourish in the English atmosphere nor
u trahsplahted from America, would they
lie very acceptable here. They exist II
England, and they are Utilized as lay
preachers and as evangelists, but they arC
not selected as representative men. TO bt
delegates In eCllInCnlCal councils, Yet thu
oil.hand readiness, the enthusiasm, the dis
regard for forms and ceremonies and con
ventionalities that have heen, and still are
largely the characteristics Of the Methods
preacher, were exported to America from
England. Evidently there has been a gtea
change, In forihsat least, In Engllsh Meth
odlstn. When Methodist preachers wert
socially outCasts they cared nothing 10
society. Az they became admitted |,
society, as in this country, or as societ!
grows up around them, as In the United
states, the Methodist preachers hegil
Ito take A little interest In thel
their dress, theIt education, their man
nets, their language. The. Methods
preachers who arc dlhcd by lard mayor
and entertained In episcopal palaces be
longing 10 tie establishment are not Il
theft outward appearance like those VIII
were sent out BY John Wesley to plant th
seeds Of spirituality In the souls Of formal
Isis, and the difference Is in part th
4 IA 81