Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-12-09

une IuOSI TlSlQly CalVdnlSIlC discourse
that l ever listened to, given to an
audience of perhaps thirty persons in
that little school house.
During Civil War.
During our civil war our Ottumwa
churches shared in the troubles of the
times. The stronger churches were
the greatest sufferers. The Presbyte-
rian church at Fairfield and the Meth
odist church in Ottumwa were shaken
by dissensions. The Methodist pastor
was collector of internal revenue, a
patriotic and able man, strong in the
pulpit and strong on the stump in the
political canvass. The good book tells
us to be patient toward all men, Pas
tor Cowles seemed to make one excep-
ton. He had no patience with copper
heads and when Henry Clay Dean,
prince of orators, ex-Methodist
preacher and leader among those who
criticised the government, would come
to our town and circulate among the
people and hold forth at the court
house there would be naturally a hot
time in the town.
Our Presbyterian church in Ottum-
wa Jared somewhat better, not that
We were wiser or better than our
neighbors, but We were too few to in
dulge in dissension. number of our
members were soldiers in the Union
army. Four superintendent of our
Sabbath school resigned one after an
other to become soldiers. Yet we had
several respected elderly members,
mostly natives of the south, whose
sympathies were not perhaps with the
rebellion, but with the southern peo-
pie. We bore with these friends and
they with us clear through the war.
Not one of us was permanently alien
ated from the church. Two small in
cidents | will mention. One of our
elderly brethren was an absentee for
some months, though his excellent
wife was still in attendance. Calling
at their house I inquired how he was
getting on relgiously. Very poorly
was his reply. Ever since you joined
that abominable Union League with
their midnight meetings, whose object
was to murder us democrats, l have
not felt like hearing you preach ex-
planned to him the facts. The meeting
1 had attended was at the court house
at Z p. M, with large attend
ance, a good democratic lawyer sit
ting by my side. A pledge was pro.
posed and voted upon and l with a
!, hundred others put my name to it. |
i went home about 9 o'clock. Reading
/ the printed proceedings later | found
that the league adjourned to meet in
the third story of the Sands building
now occupied by Sargent's drug store
and it then dawned upon me that it
was a secret meeting and have not
felt free to attend it since. My old
friend was satisfied and his wife great
! ly relieved by my statement.
"The other incident relates to the
: impeachment trial of President John
son. Col. S. w. Summers called or
me, to ask me a question. Did you in
public service last Sunday morning
pray for our senators that they might
do their duty and impeach Andy
r Johnson He had seen an article in
, type In the Office of the Ottumwa Cop
:, perhead blowing me up for Offering
such a prayer. | told him that hat
prayed for our senators that they
, might understand and discharge arigh
their duties, but had given no intima
ton to the hearers of the prayer as tt
7 my own view. No human being hat
!, heard me express any opinion on the
! subject, and for the good reason tina
!, l was in doubt about it. Colonel Sum
mers had the editor suppress the arti
!, Gle and was not 'blowed up
81 close with two incidents vi
brighter kind. One of the most pro
fame men / ever met was conducting
a tin shop and stove store on Mail
: street in 1856. When l went. in tt
:. price some articles that l would neet
for housekeeping he did not suspec
I that | was minister, and the goot
, humored profane oaths that ROLLED
= from his lips astonished ms. After h,
> came to know who was he never us
ed such language in my presence
During the next three years neve
knew him to attend church, though
he did work for me often. He ha,
. been a soldier in the Mexican wa
: and was personally very genial an,
: interesting man. His Sundays wer
devoted to hunting and fishing. l be
came deeply interested in him. H
!. was at length converted, united witt
the church, took part in prayer meet
mig and became superintendent of on
Sabbath school. He enlisted in tn
Union army and fell in the battle O
;. Belmont.
:, ''In the winter of '56-7 Brother Nc
}, Donald held interesting revival meet
1 ings in the court house. | attende
I once or twice and took part, but
u was not easy for me TO do so. TIL
7 meetings We're very lively and loud
greatly in contrast with the quiet an,
: orderly services to which | had bee
accustomed in Ohio and Pennsylvania
t | suppose there were some VIII
/ thought that such meetings were onl
u noise. But such was not the fac
l. Among the converts was a youn
It man, a journeyman tailor. His fatt
S er lived near Fourth street. a littl
e north of where is now the Adam
S school house. This young man be
|, lieved and kept on believing, and illus
d trated in his life and experience tn
perseverance of the saints. He BIZ
u came minister, man of more tina
0 ordinary talent and efficiency, disti1
t guished member of the Iowa confel
It ence, and pastor, a few years since
: of our First Methodist church in OF
: tumwa, DR.. Dennis Murphy"