The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-12
EVANGELISM AND THE WAR.
THE Church's Mission of Peace to the
South-Jeff Davis Response.

South-Jeff Davis Response.
From the Neto York Press.
When the war clouds were gathering
there was one subject that filed the minds
~ members of church organizations in the
south with deep anxiety. 1t was tacitly
admitted that in the event of war the
southern States would be, for a time at
,aost .cut off from every communication
with the outside world.
Each of the great denominations had a
,o,ns of missionaries at work in the great
Saatban countries Those men had always
heen faithful to the churches, and the
churches felt that they should be faithful to
their missionaries. But it was also felt that
60 sunnlv them with money and materials
IyonId necessarily be beset with so many
diAicnlties as to make the service precarious
and unreliable. Indeed, many feared it
Iyou1d have to be abandoned and the mission
fields deserted
number of Northern Christians had
foreseen the same state of affairs and set
themselves to work to prevent any inter
r1ption of Southern Christian missionary
work in foreign lands. They held that re-
ligion has republic of its own like unto
that of art or science, not subject to the
Tude rule of war.
At that time Rev. G. w. Samson, now
the erudite President of Rutgers Female
College in this city, was pastor of the First
Baptist Church of Washington. Among
his steady hearers were Lewis Cass, William
/. Marcy, Robert E. Lee, William H. Sew
ard and Howell Cobb. Jefferson Davis was
A frequent attendant and an intimate ac-
quaintance. That most unique character,
Sam Houston, so intense Union man that
1t was thought necessary to drop him from
the Governorship Of Texas by intrigue,
was converted under the good doctors min
istry.
Such being Dr. Samson's social and re-
liglous relations with noted Southern men,
while at the same time his stern, implacable
opposition to the heresy of secession was
uncOmpromisingly expressed with irresisti-
BILE logic, it was felt that DR.. Samson was
rangements for keeping open the line of
communication between the missionaries
and their base of supplies.
DR.. Samson Immediately waited upon
President Lincoln, who expressed his hearty
concurrence in the plan proposed, and at
onct issued orders for the furtherance of
the doctors mission in every necessary de-
tail. DR.. Samson then proceeded to Rich
mond. Jefferson Davis had Just left Mont.
gomery to make Richmond the capital of
the Confederacy. On his way DR.. Samson
stopped at Petersburg, where were gathered
the Assembly of the Southern Baptist cler-
gyman. They received DR.. Samson with
open arms, and warmly approved his mis-
sion. He at once went to Richmond
When his name was announced President
Davis arose to meet him, manifesting
much emotion He thought at first that
Dr. Samson had concluded to cast his for
tunes with the Confederacy, but the loyal
clergyman speedily undeceived him on that
point. He then unfolded his plan and
warmly advocated concurrent action by
the governments of Washington and Rich
mond for the maintenance of Southern
foreign missions. He assured the Confed-
crate President that President Lincoln
would do all in his power to further the pro-
ject.
God bless you, doctor" exclaimed Davis;
go on and do whatever is necessary. Your
wishes will be respected in every particu-
lar by my officers"
Accordingly Major General Patrick was
commanded by President Lincoln to transfer
all Missionaries between the lines, going or
coming. Orders were given to allow all re-
mittanceS of money to pass unquestioned;
and so perfectly were these arrangements
carried out that there never was q hitch in
the communication between the Southern
churches and their missionaries in China,
India, Japan and South America. Such of
them as returned home went to Washing
ton, where Dr. Samson gave them letters
to Major General Patrick, who at once
passed them through the lines.
A few individual churches trusted their
money to the perils of the blockade, but
the great bulk of the funds went by the
channel thus kept open, and, although all
interests suffered during the war, not sin
gle instance is known of a Southern mis-
sionary in foreign lands suffering from in
terruption in his remittances when they
were sent by this regular channel