The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-03-18
REpUDIATED.
Baltimore Methodist Ministers Pass
Resolutions.

The Baltimore Sun of Tuesday SAYS:
At the weekly session of the Methodist
Episcopal ministers held yesterday MORN
ing the following resolution, offered by
Rev. w. NJ Ferguson, WAS adopted unan-
imously:
That the reference Of Bishop MALTA
lieu at the recent session of our confer
ence to the flag OF the Cunfederacy was an
entirely pcrs onal utterance aud reflected
in no degree the sense of the Baltimore
conference
Mr. Frrguson's resolution was made
as II substitute for one offered by Rev. w.
IL. Mcdowell, which more strongly crit.
icised the bishop and expressed the dsap-
prevail of any remark that would tend to
call up unpleasant memories OF the war
Many of the ministers wee loud in
their denuncintion of Bishop Mallaleu's
remark, saying that it was unwise and
very detrimental to preachers having
charges i'll the border State.
In the same issue the Sun commented
cditorially ms follows:
y BISHOPS BLUNDER.
According to dispatch from Roanoke,
Va, Bishop Willard T. Mallalieu, while
presiding in that city Thursday night at
the missionary anniversary Of the Vir-
ginia conference of the Northern Metho.
dist Church, received Il package contain
ing Confederate flag, upon which was
printed, The abominahle rag which
lloatcd over the Confedcracy.' and be-
MEATH, neatly typewriter, THE emblem
under which fought for States rights
the bravest and noblest band of heroes
the world ever produced. the followers of
Lee ami .lhckson and others equally gal.
liant who contcnded fpr four wears with
fHnr fbpir
tory from them on more than one hun.
drcd fields, yelling only when starvation
and disease II I'd thinned their ranks to
such an extent that less than 5000 sur
rendered to l20, 200. ana these in line of
battle, ready to lie ut their leaders, word
Whose was the glory"
Bishop Mallulieu is reported as saying
aftcrward that "hc had consigned the
package to the fire and hoped the matter
would rest there: he intimated that if it
did not, he would have something to say
about the agitators."
The explanation of this incident is
found in an uttcrancc attributed to
Bishop Malalieu in IL sermon delivered
by him in Baltimore week or ten DAYS
ago. In describing the power of Christi.
anloy he was quoted as saving that it was
not Nenoall Phillips nor Garrison nor
Abraham Lincoln who freed the slaves,
but the tears and appeals CT the black
bondsmen and bondswomen. He was re.
ported as adding Noe was it the mill.
ions of heroic men, the bravest who ever
fought, who gave up their lives fighting
against the disgraceful, abominable and
infamous rag that iloated over the Con-
federacy." AZ far rs we are informed
the bishop has not denied using this ex.
preston, and, If the dispatch from Rou-
noke quoted above is correct, he intimates
that he may have something further to
say on the same subject. 1t is most ear.
nestly to he hoped that he will do nothing
of the sort. This is free country, where
people have the right and are in the habit
of crtcising anybody and everybody who
may be in mead of criticism. American
''agitators' cannot be suppressed, even
by II bishop, and as the latter has had his
say, the "agitators' will have theirs. no
matter who may object. 1t is character
istic of human nature to "sass'' back,
and the bishop having begun the sisass
ing he must must make up his mind to
bear ms gracefully as possible the tongue
lashinS he is getting in return. No man
has right to provoke Il fight and then
grow indignant because the person he has
attacked strikes back. To threaten those
who disagree with us with the thuntlcrs
of our wrath and to denounce them as
''agitators" because they choose to cxcr.
else the right of free speech is simply rid
iculous.in this country. In Russin the
Gar might Ito that sort of thing and
make people tremble; in the United
States any one who talks in this way ONLY
makes them laugh.
The fact is, the whole affair is greatly
to he regretted, and we dare say in time
the Bishop himself will realize the mis-
take that he has made. Neither national
harmony nor the cause of religion is
strengthened by violent utterances from
the pulpit. Lincoln, who issued the
emancipation, also issued the proclama-
ton charity to all, malice to none"
Grant echoed II sublime sentiment of
Christianity when he said, .."Let us have
peace, and preached an eloquent sermon
on magnniamity and forgiveness in his
conduct toward his Southern anniversaries.
We can conceive of naither OF these men
describing the Confederate flag as n dis
graceful, abominable and Infamous rag
They were too great in intellect and
heart to entertain or to express any idea
so offensive and so far from the truth
We are glad to see that 'the Methodist
Episcopal ministers of Baltimore at their
weekly session yesterday took occasion to
show that they were not in sympathy
with tht bishops Language. They owed
this to their great church, which is an
earnest. intelligent, progressive and mag.
niiicent religious body, one which en-
braces all sorts and conditions of men.
ana whose motto is onward and upward
to better ana higher things-to harmony.
peace and lovc-not backward TO strife
and hare.
better sentiment for.a sermon than
the phrase ''disgraceful. ..ahominublc aud
infamous rag' is this from the sermon
on the Mount: blessed are the peace
makers. for they shall he called the chill
dren of Cod There is another text that
Slnull be remnin hnrnl L.. ..;..u..-. 49,.