Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-07-16

Joseph Anthony were shut up WithIh the
walls of Chesterfield JAN q priSoh ~ H..
was destined ia be longer used LOT VIZ
I Incarceration OF Baptist preachers IMAM
any other in the State. Here were con
fined. Tor preaching christ and Him crucl-
fed without the permit OF a human c0uIs
jeremiah Walker John Weatherlord'
David Tusley. John Tanner. ard Angus
tine Eastin. The FIRST ministerial Tehel
work ever done in Virginia was Dy the
Separate Baptists at Hairs meeting
house in Halifax. in May, ia when lhey
made contribution for the comfort OF
their imprisoned brethien, ana set apart
two days Of fasting IN behaif OF their re-
/ basement. These noble prisoners anu
their sympathZers formed lne "ditudiI ne.
brigade among the old soldiers OF our
faith. The money sent 20 Patrick Henry
for his employment iu behaH o. thelr re-
+ lease from prison vas wrapped az III
handkerchief OF the above description
and bv that noble patriot returned III the
same way When The malice Of their enc
mics had erected a close. hish plank renee
IN front OF the jail windows 10 prevent
the imprisoned preachers from eXhoIunS
the crowd without. "a handkerchief dis
played on a pole above ne screen ne
came the signal from the waiting people
that they were ready 10 hear, Wnen the
stalWart voice OF one OF me pils"he'
would send the truth home through the
boards 10 the hearts OF the listening con-
pany. Historic handkerchief! Never ala
a standard give signal Ia a wOTthier cause
or float before a nObler beledguered bdnd.
II was for gathering cOnVentcle ana
preaching without the license Of a human
court. composed largely OF lrlenBlour
men. that old Father Ireland" WAS call
ed To record this piece OF personal his
tory: AT one time, preaching being over;
and whilel concluding win prayer,
heard rust.ing noise i'm the woods. ana
before ! opened my eyes TO see what IL
was. / was seized by the collar by TWO
men. They told me that l must
give security not 10 teach. preach, or eX-
mort for twelve months ana "a day, or 20
10 iail | chose the latter alternative
The iail IN which he was confined. WIN
manv attendant incidents Of outrage ana
cruelty. was al Culpepcr Courthouse, on
the spot where the Baptist church now
stands. He made this old prison memo
rable by the letters written during his
confinement. which he dated from 'AlN
Palace in Culpeper' Others among the
early Baptists who were confined in TINS
iail for preaching the Gospel without u
cense or abetting the same. were Ethan
. Craig. Nathaniel Saunders. William VI.
Clannahan. John COrblcy, Thomas Am
mon. Anthony Monett, John PICKET
Adam Banks. Thomas MaXfie d. and Jonu
Dulany Well might James Madison nave
written in INA. from his home In Orange.
with reference 10 most OF these men:
THAT diabolical hel-COnceiyed principle
Of persecution RACES among some ana
10 their eternal iufany the clergy can
poses There are at this time IN tue al
iacent county not less than I'VE or six
weIl-meaning men in close jail for pub
fishing their religious sentiments, when
are IN the main very orthodox.
famous portrait OF Charlotte Corday
has arrested many an earnest gaze. md
her pensiye and soulful face mas gatnere j
interest from the iron grating which
forms its setting The faces and forms
of many Of the early Bapcs; breaches
Of this State should wear In our eyes a
pathetic and heightened interest as we
look back through the years at them ie-
hind their prison bars. Who are those
men of faith and prayer locked IN the
Caroline Jail as We look back 10 the Au-
gust DAYS Of l71? They are John Bu-rus,
John Young. ia. Hernd IN. James Good
rich. Bartholomew Choning. ana Lewis
Craig. under sentence for prea ming
Christ and Him crucified without the sane
tom of secular court. Who are those
that preach 10 the crowd outside from the
windows of the MiddleseX Jail al that same
period? They are John Waller William
Weber James Greenwood. and Robert
ware.
In the brick colonial edidce In Tappa-
hammock where the Centennial Baptist
church now woI shin. four Baptist preach
ers were arraigned at the bar of Essex
Court in 1714 as law-breakers, some ~
whom We're cons igned 10 prison. Ihey
were John Waller John ShacNefor1. wi
son Lewis and Robert Ware TO This list
paid thus heavily for conscience sake,
NAV he added John Anderson Jeremiah
Moore William LoOcan. ana Elijah Ba-
l.er who in different counties We're placed
in prison aud heard the iron uoitS turned
against them.
/ INSPIRATION FOR THE FUTURE.
/ In glancing backward AT Baptist begin
nngs in Virginia, We may well gather in
, spiration and hope for the future; 1t
! ought to nourish WITHIN NJ spirit OF the
tf1pfC
the days OF our fathers We beheld law as
B. trammeled by custom and tettered by
ignorance. Justice is seen 10 have been
, hgoted and blind. Before her statue. in
. the garL in which our fathers knew her,
We would feel much as Madame Roland
d. felt when. Oh her way 10 the guiliOtine,
she cried out before the statue Of Liber-
". and our ciy would be. 20 Justice.
what crimes are pcrpctrdted IN Thy
AHANdd QNV HLIVA no MIN
name"
But now we exult in freedom enlighten-
ing the world and 10 law uurettered and
Just. We rejoice ia tho reign Of Justice
whose equal scales and clear vision give
promise - coming day when men Will
bow at her seat ana say. 20 justice! thou
art pure a. the spotless ernine that
wraps thy sacred form"
A review such a. We now make T. due
the cause Of historic justice. The writers
of our history have not always been
candid and just towards our BAPTIST
3 fathers. work widely nSe1 III our pun
lie schools to-day has this comment on
the era OF their oppression; There was
never any active religious persecution IN
3 Virginia a." Another eminent virginia
writer saws: There was no terror IN
the law 10 any who chose 70 worship
! God in their own way and place except 4
trivial fine for being absent from church"
! Again ne says: I'm the history of the
Nestries of the Episcopal Establishment
may be fairly traced that religious liberty
which afterwards developed Itself I'm Viz
einia."
Our veuerated fathers misunderstood
malgncd and severely dealt with In then
| day. have been often since passed by m
silence and have often had their mo
tives and actions misrepresenIed or per
Verted. They sleep I'm their neglected
CRATES. with never look 70 give a hand
10 raise ~ word 10 speak IN their OWL
defence II becomes us, who nave en-
tered into their heritage. ana sit beneath
the shade OF the goodly tree planted by
their Tolls and watered by their tears
tn vindcate their precious memory and
pafpetnate In faithfuness and truth the
story OF their deeds and sufferngs.
i It would De out just 70 them and be-
coming in us 10 rear on the spot which
we have ccnsecrated 10 educa tion. science
) and religion Ia the capital or this State
! 50 blessed by their deeds and hall0wed
by their sufferings, fitting memorial hall