Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1886-02-02
An Explanation.

Editor Spirit Of Jefferson:
About six years ago, the Colored
Free. Baptists at Kcarneysville, w.
Va, decided to buy n lot and build
house of worship. The money being
raised by the pastor, a lot was paid
for and the erection of building
commenced. The congregation
being united in the enterprise, the
work was successfully carried on,
until interfered with by outside par
ties This interference has caused so
much contention, the public has be-
come interested in the matter
Therefore. we think it proper to give
4 plain and truthful statement of the
whole matter.
The Free Baptists are body com
posed chiefly of whites of the North,
who, at the close of the late war, or
ganized number of churches among
the colored people in the Shenandoah
Valley and other places in Virginia.
These churches are under the entire
control of white agent, Mr.. Bracket,
at Harpcr's Ferry. Their method
of securing property is that of hold
ing meetings among the colored pco-
pie, raising money and buying lots,
which are decided to the Home
Mission Society of New Hampshire. -
Mr.. Bracket being the writer of the
deeds, all the church property ac-
cumulated by Colored Free Baptists,
in w. Va. and Va, belong to this
Society North, except that at Luray
and at kearneysville. The congre-
cations at Richmond and at West
Point were turned out, the churches
sold and the money carried North,
because of the fight which the pastors
made against certain unprincipled
carpet-baggers, during the Tilden
campaign.
The Free Baptists at Kearneysyille,
being acquainted with the above
stated facts, voted, unanimously. to
ignore the deed written by Mr..
Bracket, (Which gave said Mission
Society control of their property,)
and to have the property decided to
local trustees for the /" Colored Bap-
lists of Kearneysville." Such deed
was made and recorded in the Clerks
Office of the County Court. The
body having stood free of mission
claims and of the 50 Bracket rule"
for over two years, they voted. unan-
imously, to unite with the Regular
Baptists, and, being the only colored
Baptist organization at Kearneysville,
they claim a right to the property,
under the given and recorded deed.
There being no one to dispute the
claims. Mr.. Bracket sent out ennis
saries in search of parties who could
be induced to claim the property,
as Free Baptists. Having found two
or three who were communicated
long before the body thought of
uniting with the Regular Baptists, he
has (through them) destroyed the
peace and quietude of the community,
by urging false claim to the prop
erty. They have tried to lnjure us
by misrcpresenting facts to the pub
lie, by interrupting our worship at
different times and in different ways,
and by forcing an entrance into our
edifice, mailing down the windows,
putting another lock on the door and
locking the congregation out.
If they had right to the property,
they have not taken lawful steps to
secure that right, but, being urged by
one who is determined to rule or ruin,
they seem ready to do almost anything
lawful or unlawful. How any law
abiding citizen, white or colored, can
tolerate such conduct and sympathize
with the. party, is a mystery to us.
Through Misrepresentation, some
may think the affair to be question
as to which of two factions of the
church has a right to the property,
but such is not the case. 1t is a
question as to whether a body OF
colored people, calling themselves
Free Baptist, have right to control