The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-10-21
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One of the best of men in the min
istry in North Carolina is Rev. Jesse
H.. Page, a true, conscientious, brave,
upright, religious man, a North Caro-
linian by birth and a most faithful
Christian minister. He no long z
wrote two letters to a friend as to the
public condition at his time in North
Carolina. He was replying to a letter
of inquiry from his personal friend.
These letters Dire W forth a scandalous
letter (anonymous) from a Charlotte
citizen, in which Mr.. Page is very
roughly handled. We give a passage
from it to show its edifying quality and
the spirit that animates it's compost
ton. The writer who indicates his
place of living but does not give his
name dips his quill in gall and thus
reveals his real personality and char.
acter:
Il am a minister of the Gospel my
self and find that you claim to be; but I
W " IAIlAh SIoC lhC cNouS III =
had much to do with sending you out;
for when He commissioned His disci-
pies to Go into all the wOrlo and
preach the Gospel to every creature
etc, they were to preach against every
wrong and try if possible tc establish
peace among all men. In fact the gol-
den rule was to be engraven in our
heart, mind and life. l hope you Will
remember this. Again 1 learn you are
an old man that will not stay here as
long as you have stayed; and after all
as long as yau have been pretending
to preach the Gospel, if you don't mind
hell will be your portion. But these
lying statements that you and your
democratic allies are publishing, will
serve to sOlidify the %populists and re-
publicans and especially the negro
against you as never before. We. the
colored people Of this city, expect to
start a daily paper here and %.lenounce
you and your party as a set OF lying
hypocrites"
This is fine. 1t shows what speci-
mems of negro preachers the towns Of
Moth Carolina have in their midst
FIRE brands and enemies. The Charlotte
Observer publishes the letter and
identifies the writer as Rev. D. c..
C%Cvington, a negro pastor Of a MetEo-
dist congregation in that town. The
p,COf is conclusive as to the author
ship 1t that this real
wolf in sleeps clothing" if We may
SO describe the black varlet and libel
Ter has been ''for two or more years,
conducting a column in the Sunday
Observer column set apart for the
colored people; a column set apart for
their religious, moral, educational and
Industrial elevation" He will hardly
be retained in that capacity, we take
it. It properly characterizes the vi
cjcus negro letter as coarse and bru-
tai. Of Mr.. Page, who really needs no
Endorsement, for his long life is before
his fellow men, and he is well known
and honored of all worthy ministers
and godly men of the state, the OBJ
server says:
LAS to who Mr.. Page is, vesy few Of
the intelligent people of North Caro-
lima need be told. He is il Of the
yer.- ablest ministers of the Methodist
church in this state, a man Of lovely
Christian character, an universal ia
vorite wherever he is knowl.'
The public will take knowledge Of
thai fellow C%ovington, and he will be
duly classified with all the black gang
who seek to enslave the whites. to put
corrupt, bad men in office. and to en-
danger the public safety.