The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-12-05

ueH'0Ieu Oh TUESDAY night before the
Historical Society of the North Caro-
lima Conference by Rev. L. A. Yates,
ID. d.:
Brethren of the Historical Society,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The subject given us for our study
this evening, and upon which l have
been requested to prepare this paper, is
the Life and Labors of the Rev. VIM.
Gloss, ID. d., who was long a useful
and nOn0red member of this conference.
And l trust you viii bear in mind that
this is an effort to address you under
very peculiar circumstances. The diff
hculty III the way of purely historical
address is the singular fact, in cOnnec-
ton with the life of this remarka bic
man, that he left no writing of his own,
nor have l been able to find anything
written by others, that would be helpful
to me in the presentation Of this sub
ject. | am reduced therefore to the
necessity of depending almost wholly
upon my own personal recollections of
the man; and the philosophy Of
his life and faith will have to furnish
the material for this address.
l congratulate you upon the current
suspicious manifestation of human pro-
gress. The wave of general education
that is lifting the masses Of the people
to a higher plane Of intelligence, will,
ere long suDmerge and wash away
every barrier that now stands in the
way of a complete realization of the
golden rule propounded by Christ. The
providence of God has disclosed at he
right time, also, the helplessness of
woman in the church, as we'll as in the
home, and her success in this field is
phenomenal. And Notwithstanding all
the burdens and sorrows which the race
has borne, and is bearing, there is IA
steady development on the Divine side,
and the dominant thought and name in
the world to-day is, Jesus Christ. The
Renaissance of learning that followed the
Reformation, cleared away the darkness
of the middle ages, and thus made way
for purified religion of the Christ.
Since that time there has been a better
tone to the facts that make human
history; and the brutal conflicts THAI
marked the decline and fall of the
Roman Empire have passed, never to
return.
No political movement in the history
of the world has been Of such far-reach-
ing Importance as that inaugurated by
the Premier of Great Britain, Lord
Salisbury, for the Anglo-SaXon races,
having for its object the universal suS-
pension of war, and the substitution of
international arbitration for the settle
ment of al differences. If the movement
utimates in its desired results, it will
be the greatest political movement in
the history of the race; since it will
be the largest and among the best replies
ever made by the nations to the peace
IL song of the Angels over the plains
of Bethlehem. 1t means the disband-
ment Of standing armies, which have
ever impoverished the nation, and Grip
pied all efforts to belt the world with
the gospel. 1t means fewer widows and
orphans and more happy homes and
hearts. The gospel of the Son of God
has injected It's saving salt into law
and government and science and all
life, until Christian civilization, through
the church OF Christ, overtOps all the
ages in the manifestation up to this
time of the best philosophy of life-and
our God is marching on.
When l connected myself with the
North Carolina Conference in 1860, l
found DIR. Gloss one of it's most promi-
nent and active members. The confer
ence at that time numbered upon it's
roll only seventy-seven members. The
wonderfully recuperative and progress
sive force of the Methodist Episcopal
church, South, and her itinerant minis
try, is exhibited in the fact that during
the intervening thirty-seven years the
conferences have grown from the COM
paratiy g. small number of seventy
seven up to nearly four hundred active
members. A few of sthese, however,
have been acquired by transfer of terri
tory. OF that original seventy-seven in
1860, only twelve are living, and only
six are effective.
DR.. Gloss was my first proridifg elder,
and / early learnt to have great respect
for his opinions, aod high regard fol
his character He was ESrn in the
State of Virginia q 1909, of Irish par
entage on his fathG~"s side. His mother
was a Pennsylvania Quakeress, but
Joined the Methodist church with her
husband. VIM. Gloss at the of "a Joined
the Virginia conference at Petersburg
in 1888, with a class composed in part
of r. o. Burton, w. w. Albea, w. NJ.
Jordan and J. w. Lewis, all Of blessed
memory. The North Carolina confer
ence had not at that time been formed:
the South Carolina conference on the
south and the Virginia conference on the
north, covering nearly the entire terri
TORY; and the State itself being re-
garded by it's neighbors a strip of land
between two State! Good old North
Carolina, heavens blessings attend her!
Like all great things, she grows slowly,
but she grows fine; and her neighbors
are now busy in counting the eagle on
his journey to the sum-" The North
Carolina conference was set off by the
General conference at its session in
Cincinnati, May 10Th, 1886, and held
its first session at Salisbury in 1887.
Dr. Gloss was active both in its forma-
ton and successful progress. Indeed,
he was born leader in whatever COM
mended his faith and service.
Coming from another State, DR.. Gloss
early history has lapsed beyond our
ability to gather. Like so many others
Of the good and great who have scaled |
the mount of God and gone home to