The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-01-19

t The above is the first reference to tn
| temperance question found in the recor
for Cecil Circuit. / presume the fair re
ferred to was held at Cnarlestown. II
the Quarterly Conference held in evil
liamson's Woods, September 18th 1909
, Alexander Kirk, who had been expelled
by Asa Smith for ''Witchcraft, brough
an appeal; his case being examined, ant
Smiths judgment unanimously con
firmed, Richard Sheath Presiding Elder
offered the following:
Resol0ed, "That in the opinion of this
conference it is criminal to apply to any
man as conJurer, on the subject Of
Witchcraft or the like, and every Meth
odist is esteemed culpable for so doing >
The resolution was adopted. William
Miller. Thos. Warburton, and John Mil
Ter, of this charge, with the twenty-five
others present, voting for it.
In the proceedings of the Quarterly
Conference for Cecil Circuit held June
Both 1910, L find this report of the com.
| ihiOlCO ou GuO SLAVE UuSlueSS.
Resol0ed, 1. ''Ihat every preacher and
ever Quarterly Meeting Conference be
advised and they are hereby advised to
use all their lawful and prudential inf1u-
ence to promote the freedom of slaves.
2. THAT they further be advised and
requested not to give license to any per.
son or persons who come forward in the
future to preach, or exhort, who holds
slaves, excepting they give assurance
that their slaves shall be emancpated il
the laws will admit of it.
3. THAT the preachers be requested in
all future appointments of class leaders,
not to appoint any who are unfriendly to
the freedom of slaves
4. THAT any member of our Church
who sells slave into perpetual slavery,
shall be called to trial as in case of i'm
morality"
have called attention to the above en-
tries in the Quarterly Conference Record
to show the very decided stand which
the fathers took against wickedness and
sin of every description. The Quarterly
Conference held September Sth 1921, ap-
portioned to the several classes on the
Circuit 14S, dollars for repairs on "the
preachers house at Elkton;" 400 dollars
was the amount asked for from the class
at "Williamson's" now Union, aud the
same from Spence's, now Cherry Hill.
The first house of worship, which was
a log building, 20x24 feet, was built in
1928, on half acre lot donated to the
trustees by Samuel Miller, the son of
William Miller, in whose house the class
was organized. John Williamson, John
Grant, and John w. Holt donated and
hauled the logs, and John Smith, who
was in charge of the Circuit that year,
took up subscription to defray the e1-
penses incurred in it's erection. The first
trustees were, John Williamson, John
Grant, John w. Holt. John E. Shippers,
Jesse II. Shippers and Thos. Warburton
Why this church should have been called
Union, instead of Miller's or William
sons, | do not know, unless it was that
the pastor and all the trustees but two
we're named John, and the name was to
indicate their united EFFORT to honor God
and serve humanity.
In 1926, John Goforth and Edward
Page were on Cecil Circuit, and on the
4th of July, of that year held national
Celebration in the woods at Uuion, it be
ing the fiftieth anniversary of American
Independence. 1t must ever be matter
of regret that we have given 80 little at
tention to National Celebrations Within
a few years, however, there has been
observable more general celebration on
the part of our people all over the Union
of those National holidays dedicated to
day and Decoration Day, the past year
were the occasions of general comment
because of the evident increase of regard
with which our usually unsentimental
citizens had concluded to regard them.
Whatever may have caused the rise in
the patriotic sentiments of our people, it
is something to hail with genuine well
come and to encourage in the rising gen.
erations. There can be no i'll spent hours
devoted to an inculcation of the spirit of
honor and veueration for noble Republic
in which we live, or of those patriots and
statesmen who made it possible that a
Republic should have been established
amid all the troubles and disasters of the
War of Independence, and who saved It's
dissolution amid the heat and terrors of
the War of Secession. The contemplation
in a serious view of the marvellous career
of George Washington-a thoughtful re
view of the acts and trials of our leaders
and armies in the field from the firing on
Fort Sumter to the surrender at Apo
mattox, are among the lessons to which
every patriot should lead the youth of
his community. There has been much
| ill-placed levity and frivolity connected
with these subjects, which, unless systi-
matically discounJenanced would have
babe fair to educate American youth into
contempt for their forefathers and a mis-
appreciation of the value of the Govern
| hOub GuOy liNV. 40 "O hofc
said. there has been apparent revulsion
from this feeling, revival of the fit spirit
in which such historic memories should
be cherished. Aud with the recurrence
of Decoration Day and the Fourth OF
July, it is to be hoped that even further
development of this patriotic revival may
be plainly evinced.
There are undoubtedly many evils at
tached to hearty and wholesome cele
bration of the anniversary of the nations
adoption of independence. The noise
and smoke and smell of powder are un.
pleasant for the time, but they are neces
sary evils so long as the spirit of the oc
The small boys risk their fingers and
their eyebrows, and, perhaps. even more,
and they may soil their clothes and
otherwise distress the thrifty, motherly
heart. But the day comes but once g
year and for the lessons which It's cele
bration inculcates, its drawbacks and
troubles should not be considered Il
would be we'll should every community
especially in country places where thu
fireworks and public celebrations are moi
on an attractive scale, institute a system
of reading those immortal document
connected with the day. Not only would
they be means OF instruction to the grow
ing youth to whom everything connected
with the early struggles of the Republ
should be rendered familiar, but even tn