The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1889-09-27
RALEIGH, N. c., FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER %, 1889.

that the agents and missionaries of the
Convention were working at serious dis
advantage without paper. He estab-
lished the Biblical Recorder and DIR. HUF-
HAM says:
He had found his work and thence for
ward to the cl( Sc of his life he devoted
himself to it with perfect singleness of
heart. OF he unsuccessful effort to make
it the Baptist organ of the two Caroiinas;
of his removal to Raleigh in 1910 in the
particularly here. At his death in 1850,
the Recorder was so firmly established
that its existence has not since been iGnpe-
riled. Its publication has been only once
suspended for few months in the wreck
which attended the close Of the war in the
spring and summer of 1865.
Light and Shade.
For the first few years Meredith found
editorial life very pleasant. The reading
men of the denomination, as the older
minutes show, had been taking and work
ing for the Watchman, of Bos on; the Re-
ligious Herald, of Virginia; or the Chris
tian Index, first published in Philadelphia
but removed in 1888 to Georgia. Now
that they had a paper of their own, they
were proud of it and of the editor. They
Work, under such circumstances, is :, joy.
But as the years went by, trials came
pecuniary trials, which We're hard to bear;
personal trials, which were harder still.
1t is scarcely possible for fearless, con
scientious man of large views and lofty
aims like Meredith to publish a denomna-
tional journal long without giving offense
to good many influential people. The
reasons are manifest. 1t came about that
at different times Meredith's relations
with a number of prominent ministers in
the State were strained or broken. While
he was in the long struggle with mortal
disease, when in 1850 he lay still and
dead in his chamber in his country home
near Raleigh, there were two Baptist pa
pers besides the Recorder published in
North Carolina. They were the Messen-
ger, Elizabeth City; and the lntelligencer,
Wilmington. The publication of these
rival papers ceased on the death of Mere
dith. ihey had never paid expenses, and
the Messenger entailed heavy loss, not
only on the editor, but also on some of the
leading members of MS church who stood
Us security for him. The history of fifty
five years shows that the i5aptiSts of North
Carolina are loyal to the journal which
their fathers helped to found; which they
and their children looked to for the de
concerning the spread Of the Lords king
dom on the earth.
come now to speak briefly of
Meredith as Il Man.
The pictures of him that | have seen
Justify the statements of those who knew
him. that he was an unusually handsome
man. 1t has been said that ''he was the
able st man that has Yet appeared' among
the Baptists of North Carolina. The
statement needs to be qualified He had
a vigorous, well-trained, well-furnished
INTEL, ct; courage, both moral and pbysi
cal, i'll an extraordinary degree; great de-
ci>iOn of character; resoluteneSS of pur
pose which took small account of obsta-
cles or of opposition; patience which held
him to his undertakings when Others
would have given up. His reasoning
powers We're of very high order. He
Armstrong and DR.. Hooper surpassed
him. AS a preacher, he was rated be-
low Wm. Hill Jordan, Mcdaniel and
Dowd by the people of that day. There
is 10 tradition of any great sermon
preached by him at any of the larger de
nomiuational gatherings or elsew here. AT
the requ, st of DR. 5. J. Wheeler, | once
examined a uun4ber OF his sermons which
had been selected with view TO publica-
tlun. They were carefully prepared,
sound and strong, but wanting In many
of the higher elements of effective preach
ing. He Was not Il master of assemblies,
III debate or in handling an audience,
like his old friend Ross or like Dowd. He
could not c'ncillate and win men singly
like DR.. Wait.
Meredith Nas raised up for a special
work. This work he pros. cuted with sin
gleness of heart. nay, he pat his ilie into
it. He had faith in the future of the
Convention. He had faith also in his
be does, it will heighten his joy, that the
paper wh}ch he founded stll lives; that its
editorial manage d 1t Is even superior 10
his own, and that the field ot its lnhu
ence Is far more extensive than it Was
when The per dropped from his nerveless
tingers.