The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-05-15
.Qlic q,,telliQe,llfr.
SOUTHERN MErIIUDiSn.

S~abs -'ss''re'',' tAatt>p'
Al a SOUTHERN sMErHODiSn. "a
WIND ~ 1AaI J gils. - III 49, az
The Time Inns not yet Como far Heaa
I'm with tue Maln Rody Of the Churcl,
Tie Results OF tie Overturcs Ma,ie M
Snshs.iic-Dr.R idgMwny'sA an,
bishop ScTyeire's Reply, lggTa1' lG.1l.
Below will be found another and yer,
interesting letter FROM the krELL,orxcEnl
correspondent ut Nashville, Tenn, In re
gard to tho progress made at the genera
conference Of the NJ. L. Church South II
the matter Of reunion with the Churcl
North. 1t describes the situation yer,
graphically, and shows that tho time In.
not yet come for The reunion which many
had expected would at least be inaugurated
at this gathering OF the representative mer
Of the Church South. The day OF reunion
seems yet some distance of, but M impor
tant step in that direction would seem &c
have been taken in the preparations for The
joint centennial celebration OF 1881, tc
which reference is made in this letter
Coming as this letter docs from a writer
aud clergyman Of the church who has
made all phases OF AIetLodism study, and
who attended the Ecumenical Council at
London last year, his observations and in.
ferences are entitled to special considera.
ton. No doubt the letter cmbodies cor.
rect view OF the Southern situation at this
time. n
Special Correspondence Of The in.ellIsrnccr. (
NASHVILLE, Tenn, May ie.-The Gen.
eral Conference OF tho NJ +. Church South,
now in session in this city, was expected
by many TO afford evidence OF u strong
desire on the part OF that church for or.
ganic union with the Church North, us 1t
is called here. The signs OF the times, It
was thought, justified such expectation.
Fraternity and union were in the air.
There had been in recent years consider
able toning down OF the political anilnosi.
ties OF the two sections, 10 say nothing OF
! the amalgamation Of commercial interests
which the decade had witnessed "W'hy,
them" reasoned thu friends OF union,
Should notthe churches meclosertoge.h.
or" The expectation that these two
churches would speedily unite. AMI That
the present conference would DO all It could
10 favor and precipitate such result, was
strengthened, too, by the recent rapit,
growth OF friendly intercourse between The
two bodies. This question OF fraternity
between the NJ. E. Church and the NJ. T.
Church South has significant and sad
history-sad, at least, in It's early struggles
for recognition, but in the tr;u,nphs OF its
later efforts hopeful and mos, encouraging.
When iii 1913, four years after the
separation, DR.. Lovick Pearce, recent.
" deceased, presented himself be.
fore the General Conference Of the
former church, as Il delegate from the new
Southern organization, and was told that
he could not be received, his response
| being that the next orertures OF friend.
illness would have to come from the North
ern Church; the prospect for fraternity was
supposed TO be about as dark rs it well
could be. 1t grew darker, however, us the
years advanced, for bitter quarreis over
church property ard territorial Jurisdiction
arose, and with these still unsettled the
civil war broke out. This was a WEI not
only OF section against section, but Of
Methodist against Methodist, for, rs DR..
R:dgaway truly said in his fraternal nd.
dress on Wednesday night, the Methodist
churches, of I'll religious organizations, fur.
nished to each side the largest number OF
soldiers, and were in each section the Chief
popular agency in solidifying public senti-
lnent, Il fact which, your Correspondent
would suggest, might be attributable in
part 10 the bitter feeling previously exist.
ing between the two bodies, as well rs to
other and nobler motives. BE this MS il.
may, however, none will deny that while
the war ragged the two churches were ut the
furttIest remove from organic union, and
that then. ii not before, the prospect seem
ed utterly hopelessiy for even healthiul
fraternity between Them. But, as one Of
the poets has said,