Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1895-02-13

mas peen uecllneu or rejected. verify
believe that we have men who ar,
anxious and who would readily receive
all the honors belonging to this posi-
tion, who are actually not strong
enough mentally for the duties devolv
ing on the office. Men who are calling
us un-American in principles would
receive the above named appointment
and go ahead, declaring the whole
truth and inforcing the discipline OF
the old NJ. E. Church; hit or miss, kill
or cure, American or un American.
Why do l say SO? Because, had the
founder of the American Methodist
been returned to Chatata charge by
Bishop Foster he fully intended to
travel that work again this year. This
fact can be fully established. Now is
1t principle or is place that has turned
the brother against his mother to fight
with the fist Of wickedness? Had he
Travelled the same work this year under
Bishops appointment, would it have
been less environed by Episcopal princi-
pies and un'American sentiment, than
the work to which he was assignedp
We think not. Freedom seems to be the
cry from the hilltops of American
Methodistism. To be free is to be
American, and vica versa. The Ameri.
can Methodist say, "If Christ makes us
free, we shall be free indeed" This line
appears rather in motto style. Christ
said to woman who was arraigned for
adultery, "Go and sin no more. In the
chapter he says, "If the son, the same
therefore shall make you free ,ye shall be
free indeed" He was speaking to those
who claimed to be Abraham 8 seed, and
spoke of freedom from the law of sin
and death, and not of the bondage of
the NJ. E. Church. The man OF Amer.
lea is free to vote and offer for office at
the age of twenty one years-a free
citizen. The Government of the Amer.
ican Methodist Church rules that a
man must be at least twenty five years
of age before he can receive the appoint.
ment of delegate to their General Con.
ference, and there cast his vote. This
is their kind of freedom and it don't
look much American like. So we are
inclined to believe that the freedom so
often quoted by our brethren, is i'm.
posed on, and is misapplied. The NJ.
Z. Church is really more American in
her keeping than the late so called
American Methodist Church. have
never known any penalty annexed to
any point of Methodist law for the
crime (if crime, understand) of the
free discussion of her government. As
to the transfer sys tenn of our Confer
ence, am now, and ever have been
opposed to an extensive indulgence,
but who are to blame for this? Who
had voice in our Conferences twenty
years agop Brethren, our native min.
listers are the men that arc responsible
for this error, if it be an error. l re-
member of being in the Morristown
District Conference, held at Wits
boundary, few years go, and put in
nomination Woodson's Chapel as the
next point for that Conference to meet,
and it carried. So the time rolled on
and my Presiding Elder told me that
he was going to have DR.. Riker Ia
transferred man to come all the way
from Chattanooga to that Conference
in order to give it good send off. DR..
Riker could not come, however, but
DR.. Cook having been solicited in the
same way, started for that point on the
first passenger Car that ever left Knox
vile for Cumberland Gap on the K. c.
q. q l.. Railroad, and was in the noted
wreck at Flat Creek bridge and got out
with two or three broken ribs, conse-
quently he failed to reach that District
Conference. But in the resolutions
drawn up, there was one of coincidence
in the case of DR.. Cook, signed by A.
q. Cadle, j. II. Amis, and l believe G.
W. Jarvis, who is now the editor of the
American Methodist. I speak of these
facts only to show the intimacy that
existed in our brotherhood contrasted
with the true status at present. Some
of our own preachers have in the past
overdone themselves in extending
courtesy to transferred men. While
some good men can appreciate it, as l
believe some of our transferred me n
have done, others have took it as n
indirect acknowledgment of incompe.
tency on the part of the natives. OF thi
sharpers are always ready to take ad-
vantage. So taking all in all say our
native men are more to blame on the
transfer question tnan any other men.
There are transferred men that L love
in sense, and there are transferred
men that I love less, I can say the
same of our native preachers. My ad-
miration for man forever hangs on his
conduct, actuated by principle. When
l joined the Conference the best of feel
ings seemed to exist. The warm hand
shake was general. No north, no south.
l am now impressed with a thought,
while writing that must be purely orig
inal.
Oh, for the fire of other days,
When famed by love will ever blaze;
1t burns up hatred, strife and sin,
And lets the King of Glory in,
And brin ps man closer topether