The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-05-04
DEFERRED M ATTER
Southern Methodist Conference

The following historical reference to th,
Southern Methodist Conference, in connection
with the meeting of the General Conference il
Nashville, on the Bird of May, is taken from
the Petersburg Ladsr Appeal and will be reac
with pleasure by the people of Virginia gener
ally.
The ninth quadrennial session of the General Con
ference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South
will convene in Nashville, renn., May 3rd-beins
the first Wednesday In May, 1882. At the Genera
Conference held in the city of New York, May 1874
then representing the whole Methodist Epscopa
Church In the United States, the church was d1vi
ded into separate ecclesiastical bod1eson "a plar
of separation" agreed upon by the General Confer
the deposition of Bishop James o. Andrew, d. d.
from the Episcopal office on account of his connec
tion with slavery. line of division was agreed OIL
and the great Methodist family parted North and
south. The Southern division held convention in
the city Of Louisville KY. in l845 and proceeded rC
organize an Independent ecclesiastical body, under
the name and tile of ''the Methodist Episcopal
Church, South.
The first General Conference of the Southern
Church held In the city of Petersburg Va, May
1916. The session held In the old Union Street
| Methodist Church, Jarratt's HOTEL occu
pied by congregation of coiored Methodist, Al
that first General Conference Bishops Souie and An
| dreto-the two Bishops who adhered to Southern
Method1sm-presided. The Conference was com
posed OF 81 clerical delegates from Is annual con
ferences In the Southern States.
But few of the men are now living who were mem
bers OF the General Conference OF 1896 The great
pulpit orator, Rev. Henry Bascom, of Kentucky,
and that wonderful man, the Rev. Lov1ck Pierce,
| d. D., of Georgia, together with such the
Rev VIM. Capers, D. D., Of South Carolina, Rev. A.
L. P. Green, D. D., of Tennessee, Rev, Hezektah G..
| Leigh D d., of North Carolina, and mary otherof
kindred ability now more, members of that
D., then President of La Grange College, in West
Tennessee, and the Rev. VIM Capers, D. D.. Of sthe
South Carolina Conference were elected additional
| Bishops in the Southern Church. Bishop Paine is
still living. Bishop Capers is dead. There has been
a wonderful growth Of Southern Methodism since
that day, now 36 years ago. Then there were but
Is annual Conferences in Southern Methodism; now
there are 80 Conferences. Then than 1000
ell1ng apreachers or regular pastors; now $780,
Then but $50, 00U church members 100 900 of whom
were negroes now about 100000 white members.
| The General Conference since that session. has
been successfully held, as follows In 1850 the Con-
ference held In st. Louis, Mo-. at which Rev.
Henry Bascom, D. D., was elected bishop. He lived
but few months after his election. May 1854, the
General Conference was held in Columbus, Ca, at
which the Rev. George F Pierce, D. D., of Georgia.
Rev. John Early D. D., of Virginia. and the Rev. H.
| H. Kavanaugh, of Kentucky were elected bishops
| Bishops Pierce ana Kavenaugh still living The
Conference of 1858 was held in Nashville, Tenn. No
| bishop elected. In 1862 the Conference failed to
hold regular session on account OF the war. he
Conference Of 1866 was held in the city of New Or
| leans, at which Rev. VIM. M Wightman, D. D., LII
D.. of South Carolina, Rev. David S. Doggett, B. D.,
| Of Virginia, Rev. Enoch Marvin, of Missouri, and
the Rev. Holland N. Mcryeire, D. D., Of Louisiana,
were elected bishops. Bishops Marvin, Doggett and
Wightman are dead Bishop McTyeire is still lv-
Ing. May, 1870, the conference was held In Mem
/ j.
Louisiana, was elected bishop. The Rev. James A.
Duncan, D. D., Of Virginia, being elected
and would have been elected but for the that
| part of the delegates from Virginia were unwil-
ling to part with him President of Randolph Ma
con college, and on that account only, did not vote
for him.
The Conference of 1870 was the first at which
there was an equal number Of clerical and lay del
egates. The venerable Darcy Paul. Of Petersburg,
was member of that conference, and, one Of
DR.. Duncan's warmest friends, would not vote for
him as Bishop, because, as a trustee Of Randolph
spared from the presidency Of the college without
irreparable damage 10 the fortunes-just then-of
the institution Others of DR.. DuncanS best friends
clerical and lay-took the same ground, and bare
y defeated his election TO tie Epscopacy. In 1874
the General Conference was held in Louisville KY.
No Bishop elected Now the Conference OF 1882 will
meet in a few days In Nashville, Tenn at which,b
common CONSENT not less than four, probably five
or six, Bishops will be elected.
curious feature in the election of Bishops Is that
no nominations are made. me conference SPENDS
short season In prayer, and then proceeds to bal
lot. The drift Of the points to the Prob
ably two three will be elected the first ballot.
The ordination of the biShops-elect takes place
Sunday following the election. 1t is not improba
BILE that Virginia, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri and
Louisiana or Kentucky, probably both, will be rep
resented in the new bishops. This Is conjecture
from current opinion.
In the General Conference all the great connex-
ional interests of the church In review; such
as the missionary work the Sunday School cause,
publishing interests education the administration
of the bishops conference boundaries, and the for
nation Of new conferences, ETC., etc. The General
Conference is the only legislative body in the Meth
appellate court of the church. The session usually
lasts for about three weeks, sometimes longer.
AS pertinent to the above sketch. append the
following letter from Bishop Geo. f. Pierce, of
the most prominent and influential bishops of the
Church South, addressed the editor of the Chris
tian AdUocate, published at Nashville Tenn.
ssThe approaching General Conference seems to be
q very suggestive event. The papers, secular and
religious, abound with statements, conjectures and
prophes1es about what will be done, what is likely
n IA md mh AT nno tn ha A
deltverances are without authority or knowledge,
and In my Judgment, are wide Of the mark, and We
ry misleading. The introduction by anybody of
any vexatious. agtating topic will be very unwise
and will involve great waste Of time without any
where In our borders. No very important iegisla
ton is asked for, nor Is any expected by the great
body of our people.
1.-THE question of the reunion Of Methodist, North
and South, is now up. 1t will not be before OFF,
ciay, nor is there any competent authority in the
premises before the Northern General Conference
irresponsible Invitations the published opinions
and wishes OF few gushing brethren here and
there, amount to nothing. We must respect our
selves and .bide time. In the meanwhile, I
| think speak advisedly when say the common
neither practicable nor desirable. Let us have
| peace by letting disturbing questions alone
"Tne chief business OF the occasion will be the
election Of bishops to fill the vacancies made by
death and to provide for the enlargement and more
effective working of our missionary and Sunday
School plans. 1t seems to me that all needed work
can be promptly disposed Of The session may be,
and ought to be short one. Priyatepressing bus
| presence
| at home presiding elders will be needed on their
districts, college presidents professors ought
to be with their classes stationed preachers, and
circuit preachers ought to be at their posts duty
and labor. protracted session at Nashville would
be calamity TO the Church. am looking for re-
v1val year. The indications are full Of PROMISE
More religion is the need Of the times. Changing
ors' and 'ands' in the discipline is very small af-
| fa1r compared with the conversion of sinners.
have hope of short, useful session. May Great
Head OF the Church preside over us and enrich our
Zion with full salvation
| Sunshine, April 8, 1882
The following are the clerical delegates from
the Baltimore Conference South, elected at it's
last annual session, to the General Conference
which meets at Nashville on the 3rd of May
Revs. A. W. Wilson, Rumney Smithson,
saml Rodgers, John s. Martin, j. s. Gardner
and W. P. Harrison. The lay delegates are
Jesse B. Wilson, E. B. Prettyman, T. J. Ma
gruder, j. G. Cox, J P Houck, j. r. H. Fig
gett.
| The clerical delegates from the Virginia Con-
ference are: Rev. Drs. W. W. Bennett, R. N.
Sledd, j. E. Edwards, j. G. Cranberry, J. D.
Blackwell and P. A. Peterson. The lay dele
gates, W. W. Walker, Geo. M. Balm, R. Pol
| lard, Prot, F. Fl. Smith, Richard Irby, and L.
| L. Marks.
Charles Lambs whimsical reason for envy
ing Roman and Greek boys, that they came to
the knowledge of those difficult tongues with
out the study necessary to the modern, will
not be shared by the next generation, if the
wonders projected in Europe are brought to
pass. When the tunnel is completed between
England and France, there will be one island
the less to tax the geographical students
memory; when the Zuyder Zee has been
turned into wheat fields, there will be sea
the less; when the invincible De Lesseps has
carried out his latest contract for restoring the
sea to the wastes of Sahara, the mystery that
has puzzled the brains OF generations of i'm
aglnative boys will have come to an end.
The French are fond of mechanical wonders.
1t was French restlessness that brought about
the Mount Gems tunnel the canal of Suez,
the navigation of the Seine to Paris, and now
the transformation of the desert into an inland
sea which shall cool the burning air of her
two colonies-Algiers and Tunis-and pre-
pare the way for the absorption of the whole
OF northern and if need be, middle Africa.
glance at the map will show the feasibility OF
the plan. The Gulf of Gabes washes the CO.
terminous frontiers of Tunis and Tripoli.
channel cut between them will let the waters
OF the Mediterranean down continuous but
gradual decline until the desert is reached
where it will spread into its vast basin, leaving
here and there, perhaps, a sandy island De-