Morning journal and courier., 1884-12-29
FIRST m. K. CHURCH.

ThO Recent Methodist Centennial Conference-A Southern Trip-Inter- osting Address By Rev. pr. Good sell.
 At the First M E. church last evening Dr. GoodselI gave an account of the recent Cen tennial Methodist conference at Baltimore
 and of subsequent journey along the coast line from Richmond, Va, to Tallahassee, Fla. Of the conference he said among otker things: 'sThe full significance of this gather
 ing cannot be understood without recalling
 the unhappy divisions of the church. One after another the African M. B. church and
 the church South left us on account of va rious questions connected with the color line and with slavery, until the Methodist | church was in six organizations instead of one, all with the same ordar and the same 1 doctrine. One branch left us on a question of polity and was not represented in the con-
 ference except by a fraternal delegation. Now consider that these divided churches,
 divided by slavery and antagonistic
 during the war, came together in
 brotherly concord, for the first
 time since their division, in one fraterral
 conference on American soil, came together in the city which saw the church organ
 ized in 1784, after a century of labor and
 triumph to consider the interests which wore
 common to all, and to cheer each other on by that fraternal spirit which is the result of grace and hepassage of long years" Dr Good
 sell described the great communion service fin which North and South, black and white participated; the addresses of welcome; the responses by representatives of the several churches; the mighty sermon by Bishop Eos ter; the happy incidents of the various ses- sions; the notable men present and the closing love feast, and concluded this part of his remarks by saying: ''This great body of five hundred men did not meet to legislato
 but to grow together into spiritual unity by
 recounting the mercies of God. It did not
 come together, like the Roman council, with
 processions and banners, advertising
 itself by scenic displays; it came with quietness, but with power; with simplicity,
 but with devotion; with the jubilation of
 hearts happy in Gods love; with enthusi- asm Rstimulated by history and by present experience. It voiced itself in a pastoral full of wise counsels. It had no political mis-
 sion, but came together to say was the wont of our fathers, "What hath God wrought?''
 It was was not blindly .jubilant It did strengthening and what are the foes it has to meet. But with open eye it looked back
 ward to 17S4 that it might look forward to it's second century with wise and Christian hope"
 Of his journey through the South the speaker said: f'I went so rapidly that I am
 modest as to my conclusions. But some that the greatest probisma Of cur sI'
 statesmanship and of Christian labaK afe in
 the South. Consider these millions ok s6nA. | III | T-. Der of poor whites whom fhe neefoeG des- pise; the poverty eaueed by the war from which the South Hsa by no means recovered. And consider how faNEktsct are the schools:
 how little has yet been done by State agency, the Peabody fund and Christian Christianize these masses. There is no work which is so pleasing and important for the
 future of these United States as that of edu-
 eating these ignorant citizens in self-respeet
 and Christian character. Happy in their
 genial climate, contented with little, they
 are yet capable. by their votes, of determin-
 ing who shall rule in these United
 States. In their ignorance they are
 the prey of designing mon
 of all parties. They can be bought and have
 been bought even more than they have been
 intimidstsd. As rule their relations with
 their former masters are pleasant and kindly
 They are acquiring land, owning their cabins,
 making progress. But help must come fzpm the nation and from the veal
 thy North. It is not only our duty, but our interest to sustain
 the efforts to educate them, whether it be
 attempted by the nation or by associations for missionary work and church building
 among the freedmen. cannot speak as strongly as feel. Our obligation is the more strong from the relation of the white race to them in the past. The race which cursed
 them must save them or be cursed by them.n