The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-04-13

NEW YORK, April Commander
and Mrs Balllngton Booth gave out the
appended statement tonight, at volun-
teer headquarters:
"since our statement. written in re-
Spouse to the urgings we received to In
augurate new movement, was issued,
we avoided making any reply to the in
accurate statements which have from
time TO time appeared in print from the
present leaders OF the Salvation army.
| In this attitude OF silence we have been
endorsed by our friends and the pub
lie, and 1t was our intention to main
tain this silence; but during the last
few days, news has reached US that
portions Of our private letters are being
shown by London's representatives,
who are putting their own interpreta-
tions upon our reasons for our present
position. Hearing Of this, our friends
and our officers who wish their position
ut our side to be understood, urge US to
state some OF our reasons for deciding
not to take another command under
the international government.
Eve have appealed to the American
people for help and support and we
cannot forget a decent respect for the
opinion of mankind requires that we
declare the cause which impelled US to
this separation It must, however, be
conceded that our position has been
and Is a very delicate one, from the fact
that there Is much Of the personal ele-
ment which we cannot eliminate from
the controversy because of our family
relationship with the founder and lead
ers Of the Salvation army.
ut has been repeatedly asked why
we do not publish our letter of the 3lst
OF January, which has been so wrongly
quoted as our resignation. That letter,
being private communication from
son to father and brother, we have not
felt that we could honorably make
public. The receivers Of the letter are
at perfect liberty to do SO, providing
they print It intact. In Justice to our
present position, st must be stated, with
emphasis, that no one letter embraces
all the reasons for our inability to ac-
cept another command, but, that letters
covering a period OF nearly two years
past, and also those OF later date than
the 31st OF January, are necessary to
an under standing of the situation, es-
pecIally the letter Of April 8, 1885.
Upon receipt Of orders to leave
America we wrote a letter dated jan
uary 10, asking II International head
quarters had taken into consideration
ali the consequences OF the change OF
command at that particular time. The
feeling towards England then existing
In this country, the heavy financial re-
sponsibilIty OF our new building and
our own peculiar and unfortunate re-
latIons with the general (from whom
we had received no communication OF
any character for nearly six months)
made It appear to us a most untortu-
nF1NVtdnH This IeftnF
was followed by others stating that we
were preparing to fulGll their orders
and to relInquish our command.
Their Reason for ReSlgninR.
"on January 81 we wrote London
stating some Of our reasons for being
unable conscientlously to accept an
other command, but making plain that
we did not wish to in1ure the army as
the following sentence Will show: We
have wanted to save our dear people
who from shore TO shore OF this terri
tory believe In US and love US, and yet
on the other hand, we cannot be In
consistent. How could we take anoth-
er command feeling as we do2 The only
| light we have received from God is that
| upon the path we have now determined
to take. namely, to obey your orders
and to resign our command, and then
as expedltiOusly as possible to return
To preclude the possibility being made
that we were unwilling 10 obey orders.
or that the prospects OF leaving this
country was the cause OF dissatisfac-
tlOn, we wrote the following para
graph In this same letter (January 3D:
| 1T must not be said at any time that
we have left because we were unwlll-
ing to leave America. This will be un-
| true for we have made no remon-
STRANGE. nor have refused 1t should
be carefully remembered:
1.-That LOndon's representatives af-
| ter they had precipltated the whole
| transaction and forced us from our po-
| sItion. so preventing our quiet farewell
and retirement, made the definite state
| ment that we said we had lost conf
dencc In the general and In our interna-
| tlonal system OF administration, which
| reasons, alone, by their own showing
| would prove that we could not consist
| entity accept another field under the
| circumstances.
2-,It Will be distinctly understood
| that our feeling regarding the matters
| OF controversy were known by London
| prior to the sending Of our farewell
orders. Many letters passed between
us, and the aged general, after our In
teryiew with him In this country. pre-
| vious to the time when direct communi-
catlon from him 20 us ceased.
| First-The generals visit was the
| primary cause between us and him
self. From first to last no impressed us
| with his dIspleasure and dissatisfaction
| with us personally and with our meth
] cd Of administering affairs, We loved
and understood this country. He eX-
| hlblted prejudice and mlsconceptlOn OF
| II, and It's people He objected to the
| display OF the national liags upon our
badges and In our halls and homes. He
said the time had arrived to cease ear
| ryIng the stars and stripes at the head
OF our paradcs. lie objected to the
use OF the eagle upon our crcsts, and
| constantly spoke depreClntlngly OF the
/ country, It's people, and Its institutions
| our constant defense and explanation
in answer 10 his attacks only Increase
| tho dlfnculty. Without injection for
md knowledge Of America, this placed
M In n most unfortunate position. He,
In ronseduencc. showed but little inter-
egt nnd sympathy with us personally.
| he smoke no word IN public Of approval
OF our toll, service ar success. and in
other ways we need not mention, made
the visit one Of the blttcrcst experl-
cnccs Of our llye7
sucnnd--During our experience In
America we have gradually become
convinced that the system ot governing
the work IN this country from u foreign
centre, by laws made by those unaware
az The needs and conditions OF the conn
try, Is neither wise nor practical. Con-
gtnnt friction has. on this account, eS-
Istod between MS and tho International
| headquarters
Thlrd-Our Judgment has been forced
upon points that we do not approve and
we have been made 10 feel TINT the gov
! prnmpnt was such that, go fnr Ok we