Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-04

vas,isnss" 80 make such careful in
nest'Ea'cn. and In doing so they NAV not
ohiy md material that will he vai,ahIs
a,e neipiul 10 us In our work. hut rnuch
.nNI may prove Of Interest and value 10
ose ,surylying members OF the old families
nosN snk,nla, Ire society has now In It's
nSSSsssslon wealth OF valuable material
OF THIS character, which they will have
t.sireiully edited and arranged in consecu-
I've oEder az rapidly as the means AZ
'nslr command will permit.
En-, o vi. VVminl,tee proposes 10 lay before
sne next regular business meeting OF the
sspc'ely some plans and suggestions for
we proper preservation OF such material
% we nave IN our possession. and 10
nlaNe such summaries and publications as
ration. WV '''"S eN''
We again cordially invite friends who
ltei interested in this work TO unite with
US by becoming annual or life-members.
~ showing their interest In this practical
way We can more effectually do The work
committed TO our care
IN conclusion, the committee desire es-
peciaily 10 tender thanks 10 DIR. Charles
~. Kyiand, our efficient secretary. who
mas devoted so much time and labor TO
sa,herlng and arranging the historical
material sent US by our friends.
Nhen the reading OF the report was
concluded. Dr. Taylor advanced TO the
front of the platform and presented DR.
Landrum. who, he said, OF course. needed
no Introduction to that gathering.
DIR. LANDRUM'S ADDRESS.
After an Introduction treating OF the
part religion has played In the history of
revolutions among the English-speaking
peoples. Or. Landrum said, in part:
THE American Revolution of l776 was
the succession of the uprising OF the
people which established the Common
wealth of Cromwell. In each there IS a
distinct religious element. The American
doctrine Of self-government in the State
was largely due 10 the New Testament
doctrine of self-eovernment in the
Church. Primitive ecclesiastical polity
gave TO the English race that idea Of
civil government which stands secure in
the American Commonwealth. States
man and secularists concede this Won
Ranke declares the American Revolu-
ton the logical result Of the Protestant
Reformation Burke, in his famous
speech on Cancellation with America
afiirms the religious character of the re-
volt of the Colonies against England:
AN Professionalism he maintains, even
the most cold and passive, is a sort of dis
sent; but the religion most prevalent in
our Colonies is a refinement of the prin-
ciple of resistance; it is the dissidence OF
Protestant religion In recent address
Of Mr.. Carvell Williams, NJ. p, on Re
ligiOus Equality in the Victorian Era
he quoted the striking remark of Lord
Palmerston: In the long run, English
politics will follow the conscience of dis
senters.'
INDIVIDUALISTIC IN BELIEF.
Among the dissenters in the Colonies,
fufls Ifstff in
belief. Individualism is Inherently revo-
lutionary. The right of private judgment,
personal faith, and personal obedience
lead inevitably to manhood suffrage,
civil freedom, and popular government
Mans supreme allegiance, according to
Baptist doctrine, so far as earthly powers
are concerned is not TO the
State, not to the Church, but to
himsef-to his own reason and
conscience, to his own dignity, duty, and
destiny. Individualism means the asser-
ton of personal choice; it is the decla-
ration that no man can be born into the
Church or be baptized into it, except on
a voluntary profession Of faith. lndividu-
alism is not forfeited, but fiourishes in
a democratic form of government.
Churches exist not for the suppression OF
the individual, but for his unfolding and
perfection; churches are but means to an
end; the end is the clothing of the indi-
vidual with personal salvation and
GROWING him with all the glories Of
regnant manhood under the sovereignty
of Jesus Christ alone From their doc
trine Of Christs lordshp, on earth as
well as in Heaven; from their indi-
viduaistic creed; from their democratic
church government; from their unhappy
experience with civil and ecclesiastical
tyranny in the mother country, and also
from their persecution in the Colonies,
especially in Massachusetts and Virginia,
Baptists were convinced that the time
had come TO strike one more blow for
free Church and a free State. America
was another name for opportunity such
as Baptists had never before enjoyed,
and the Revolution became its fullest and
freest expression.
BAPTISTS WERE FEW THEN.
"Who were Baptists what were they
at the outbreak Of the war? They num-
bered few. According to the most liberal
estimate only 10000 communicates. Ac-
cording TO Dr. Vedder only 10000. How
insignificant numerically in a population
of 100000 or only l per cent, or, one
third of l per cent. of the American peo-
Pile What Of that? Lecky assures us
1.-The American Revolution was the re.
suit Of an energetic minority" Baptists
were poor. but the rich usually recoil
from the shock of revolution with its vast
expenditure Of money and destruction
Of property. Liberty. in its last analysis,
is the sweat Of the poor and the blood OF
the brave. Baptists were, with rare eX-
captions not high in social position, but
Moses Colt Tyler declares 1.-THE Revolu-
ton was purely pebeian movement"
Baptists were not generally well educated
They had but one academy and but one
coilege-Rhode Island College, now Brown
University at Providence. But culture
is often conservative and too frequently
opposes freedom and progress. One third
of the leaders Of the Tories were grad
yates of Harvard College. What then
of these Baptists of America in l7l6, so
few in number, so poor, so humble. so
unlettered. with no ecclesiastic head to
unity them, organize them, direct them,
WELD them in solid column?
"Of all Americans they were the most
intensely American. 1t is to their ever
lasting honor that during all the vicissi
tudes Of the prolonged Revolutionary
struggle there does not appear the name
of one Baptist Tory. Washington wrote
after the war TO the Baptists of Virginia:
Il recollect with satisfaction that the re-
ligious society of which you are members
have been throughout America uniformly
and almost unanimously the firm friends
TO civil liberty and the persevering pro-
motors of our glorious Revolution
Across the ocean Baptists In England
became. like our forefathers on this side,
still dreaming Of "a Church without