Year: 1874

Nashville Christian Advocate.


A minister who has recently made a
Northern tour suggests that we should nail
TO the counter the Misrepresentation Of
the South which are currently circulated
and generally believed at the North. Scar
pet-baggers,' and other mean, unprinci-
pled persons, say that our Church opposes
the education of the negrO-sanctiOns ku-
Klux and other unlawful cOnspi-
racies against the cOlOred raoe-and
is largely responsible for the muir
ders recently peTpetFated by lawleSs
men in the South, and the like. Cur in
formant saws that the NdStUHle CbriSiidR
AdrOcafe is read and thought we'll Of by
many in the North, and therefore our tes-
timony in the premises might allay preju-
dice. etc. Now, we see very little use in
our cOntradicting aud denOuncing these in
famous falsehOOds. The people in the
South know that they are baSeleSs fabrica-
tions, and the papers in the North will not
CODY our denials-hence cal bORGY We
have no taste-Our readers have no taste
for such things. As a Church we are very
desirous that everybody in the whole cOun-
try, white, red, and black, should be educa-
ted. If any desire ''miXed schools" let
them have their choice, only do not force
them upon those who choose otherwise.


If Southern people decline intercourse
with Northern teachers of negro schools, it
is not because they are teaching negroes,
but for OtLer reasons, which are not far to
seek. At the close of the war one OF our
ministers asked OIIF opinion of his accept
ing an invitation to teach negro school,
and we readily gave tit was in favor Of
his doing So. and he did so. One of the
foremost ministers of our Connection told
us the other day that he had recently re
ceived letter from Northern pastor Of
different faith and order, thanking our
friend for Church privileges and other
kindneSses extended to some Of
his members who are teaching
negroes in the South, and who
conduct themselves like Christian ladies,
and are entitled to such attentions. But,
in the nature of the case, persons coming
from the North on such a mission are
kept on a heightened probation. Tie
Southern people feel kindly toward their
former servants, and are disposed to do all
they can to help them; but unprincipled
scGTpet bdqqers and ScIlRrdgs Terms
which DO not belong to our vocabulary
use the poor, ignorant, impossible negro
for their own selfish and sinister ends, and
thus the two races that would otherwise
dwell together in peace, if not in unity,
are alienated from each other, and
evil is the result. We have
repeatedly denounced all unlawful pro
ceedings by any party or class of men; and
we do not suppose a single member OF the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South, has
had ANYTHING whatever TO DO with the acts
of violence which have been recently per
petrated among us. We have uniformly
| denounced all unlawful opposition to the
| powers that be-nO matter what may be
| the political complexion Of those powers,
and what may be the prOvOcation-and God
knows. in many instances, il has been al
most iniOlsIable-


As a people We are struggling against
| adverse circumstances that are absolutely
| appalling; but We trust in God and in the
right, and are determined to lead quiet and
J peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty