The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-05-08

l can DO no OtnerWlSc InstH W ItaAurhI
my convictions and maintain my posi-
ton. But if in the future it should ever
be made to appear that have errored in
my conclusions 1 would promptly and
cheerfully say so. / am a searcher after
truth and will gladly hail every helper
in my work.
:. That / cannot more strongly assure
the brethren that l am a Baptist than
by what have recently declared with re-
gard to the abstract of principles set forth
in the fundamental laws of the Sem
mary. l am heartily in accord with my
Baptist brethren in every distinctive
principle that they hold. My heart and
life are bound up by the Baptists and
have no higher thought on earth than to
spend my days in their fellowship and
service. in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Respectfully submitted,
WAl. III. WHITSITT.
The conclusion of the letter was the
signal for such an Outburst Of feeling as
will be remembered by every one in the
vast assemblage. The congregation sang
song after song while DIR. Whitsitt was
besieged with hand-shaking and EN-.
braces from every quarter.
The Nice-Presidents elected were-W.
J. Northen, of Georgia; j. p. Eagle, of
Arkansas; r. A. Marsh. of North Caro-
lina and J. Levering, of Maryland.
The convention sermon at night was
preached by Rev. DIR. r. A. Venable, of
Meridian, Miss. 8
Adjourned to meet tomorrow morning
at 10 o'clock.
The Southern Baptist College confer
ence held its last session this afternoon
and listened to paper by DIR. G. F.
James. of Roanoke Female College, vir-
ginia.
MIR. BAILEY'S ADDRESS.
The address Of welcome, delivered to
the Young Peoples Union by Mr.. j. w.
Bailey, editor of the Biblical Recorder,
was as follows:
II am grateful for the honor and proud
of the privilege of rendering welcome on
behalf Of the great Baptist brotherhood
of North Carolina to the great Baptist
Young Peoples Union auxiliary. 1t is
not in me to express half the warmth Of
the welcome in their hearts.
Carolina. Wse have looked for you from
afar-from the north and the west and
the south. You have come to the great
est Baptist State of them all. in which
the Baptists number more than all other
denominations beside May this be a
source of strength to you. You have
come to the State and not far from the
region in which the Bapttsts of the
South notwithstanding to Uncle Bill
lie" CDR Whitsitt) who knows. May this
visit to the old grandmother be an in
spiratiGn to you. You have come to a
State in which your fathers endured per-
secution, pubic whippings. fines and i'm
prisonment for the sake of the priceless
principles which are our trophies to-day
May this bind you more firmly to your
mission as Baptists and serve to sustain
you against another evil day. You have
come to a State in which our denomina.
ton has increased as it has nowhere in
the world, growing in little more than
century from 10000 to 100000 baptized
believers. May this be for you a token Of
our power in the years to come, Of our
future in the generation which we must
serve. You have come to State in which
the Young Peoples work his developed
grandly in the last two years-in which
we had an excellent convention Of our
own last winter, as Brother Jordan will
tell you. May this inspire those of you
who are working against opposition in
other States to work on and faint not.
Here by the placid waters of the Old
Cape Fear. along whose banks in cell
turies gone the Tuscaroras had their
haunts; in the sound Of Old Oceans
mighty, ceaseless anthem; in North
Cardinals eemi-tropical city of flowers,
of enterprising men and fair women; on
ground made sacred by the labors Of
pioneer Baptists, by the sufferings of
Paul Palmer and the sacrifices of SAubal
Stearns; in the State that fought the first
battle of liberty, that promulgated the
first declaration Of independence, that
sent the most soldiers to the battle fields
in Virginia, and that brought back the
least; in the Baptistic State Of North
Carolina, free, conservative, prosperous,
promising, God-fearing and glorious, let
us be strong, as we review a years
work and set up upon another attempt
ing great things in the name Of our God.
II have watched with qualification our
progress since the meeting at Atlanta.
was there and in the cradle OF the or
ganization; and well do l remember how
it was rocked by rough winds without
and tender hands within. / was by the
side of the lusty infant at Chattanooga,
and measured the strength Of his loins
and the power of his lungs. After year,
we have a full growth organization; our
secretary has compassed the south in his
work; and to-day at Wilmington there
is none to dispute our title to the field OF
greatest promise in our convention, the
young men and women in the churches,
upon whom shortly will fall the mantles
now so worthily worn by elders.
"If by means of our work there shall
be raised up in each Of the States we
represent 100 young men and women
who know what it is to be Baptists, who
recognize their mission as Baptists, who
as laymen or workers will find their
places and fill them, whether as men,
bers Of boards, pillars Of conventions, as