Year: 1875

WASHINGTON Dec, IA, 1875


The following paragraphs comprise the result OF gem
Ira INQUIRY as the opinion the Methodist ministers OF
Washington entertain OF the action OF Bishop Haven
md the Boston meeting nominating President Grant
for third term II has been said that the Washington
association OF ministers formally condemned such in
reference OF the clergy in political matters, but no
such action had the recent Monday meeting and
the assertion that it was taken at subsequent secret
meeting is only supposon advanced 10 support the
original erroneous statement The arst speaker the
following expression OF the matter which was
he subject Of inquiry is


THE REV. DIR. J. P. NEWMAN


Of wide celebrity the pastor or the Metropolitan
Methodist church. of which President rant is regular
attendant every Sunday when he is in Washington.
Being asked how he regarded the third term demon
stration at Boston, DR.. Newman went to say that
the weekly meeting OF ministers OF the Methodist
Church free and easy gathering, not bound by the
Jules Of the Church and not responsible to it II had
grown up In years in the cities and larger towns
Of the country, and wherever there half dozen
DR. more Methodist cergymen near enough to each
Dther meet conveniently for the discussion Of such
matters might come before them This Monday
meeting was responsible only to Itself and was organ


40 LAW or THE CHURCH.


II was purely an Independent body. 1t adopted its
own bylaws and debated what 1t pleased Questions of
morals church poty temperance and the like entered
Into the subjects discussed and sometimes politics got
In. As he understood the aair in Boston the meeting
there in progress usual when Bishop Haven
In and made the remarks about the third term with
which he was credited The Church was no more re-
Eponsble for those remarks than would be college for
the speeches in one OF its debating societies. The
society couldn't pledge the college BY such speeches
de DIR. Newman) preferred seeing


EXACT LANGUAGE


which Bishop Haven had used before passing opin-
ION upon his conduct. He had written TO Boston to
get transcript Of Bishop Haven's remarks and e1-
pected II now by every mall Until IL came he
couldn't say what he thought of the matter But he
could say that whatever Bishop Haven had said he said
As citizen and not as churchman and he might just
As appropriately have nominated Senator Conkling or
Senator Morton Governor Tiden President Grant


"A CHARGE OF THE HERALD


Ia this connection DR.. Newman wanted to answer
charge OF the HERALD, made in its editorial columns,
that the President surrounded by q Methodist
court The fact was, that President Grant had resisted
and denied the applications OF Methodist clergymen
who had mportuned him 10 their religious character.
II well known that he had greatly offended Bishop
lanes and Bishop Simpson because he refused their
personal petitions and requests put ex-senator Cobb
In the Cabinet Ex-Postmaster General Creswen was
The only Methodist he had appointed in his Cabi-
oct, and Creswell not member or communicate
Df the Methodist Church. but only an attendant Not
solitary Methodist had ever been appointed to foreign
mission, except the Presidents brother in law, Cramer
Minister at Copenhagen. The Cabinet had had
representatives OF the Episcopaan Presbyterian Con-
lions Borie, the ex-Secret1ry vi the Navy being q
Roman Catholic. As 10 the


TAXATION or CHURCH PROPERTY


Or. Newman asserted that the President was misun-
aerstood II be believed to be nmical to any sect
Or denomination Since tho Message written
Methodist callers at the White House had upbraided
him for so severe bow at his Church. the census
pf 1875 showing that the property OF the Methodist
Church in that year was about $50 00oo 600 The Prcsi
dent replied that he acting from broad principle,
wishing do equal justice to all religious persuasons
and that the exemption OF church property putting
an unfair burden on other property. He cited
Instance the enormous wealth Of the Trinity corporation
Df New York