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About The Christian index. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1872-1881 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 1876)
2 <®ur (Lnu'cspniicttfs. —— ~ Btv. H. Wood'mall’s Jllsreprtseutallons of tb* People of G*org;lt—A lew More Poets Dis proving his Charges. To the Editors Index and BAWier: I have just read brother Woodsmall’s statement of “facts,” atd I must say thjit I regard the whcie matter as in very bad taste, and much to be con demned in tyf spiiit. i As I understand, brother Woodsmell has been sent among us as a Sunday school agent to instruct the colored people as to their religious obligations and to enlighten them as to their duties bearing practically upon their morals. As such, he has been kindly received by our people, encouraged in his work, and, so far as lean learn, received all the help that our circumstances will justify. If this be the nature of brother Wood small’s mission, why not leave the political necessities of the negro to others ? Why sek to burrangue our colored people about civil rights and legal lights, if he came solely to teach tuern the ways of the Lord and their duties as Christians ? It is pass ing strange that our Northern breth ren must carry their politics so deep into their religion. Do let me beg of brother Woodsmall to leave all these old sores covered up, and teach the pure, simple story of the Cross, and help the negro to build up a moral character that will demand the respect of his superiors. Brother Woodsmall must know that until the colored man is made equal to the white man in his social status, by religious training and a full sense of his moral obligations he cannot be placed in positions of honor and trust; and if brother Wood small, et id omne genus, insist upon the contrary, he must expect anarc y in government, wretebedne. s Jin society, and wild desolation in the church. Accepting his statement of “ facts ” as true, why report us to the people of the North as cruelly oppressive and vindicative in spirit towards the negro '< He is fully aware that no good could cjme by inflaming passions that, for years, have burned under the misrepre sentations of people of a strange sort who have come among us. Why not come and tell it to the brethren here, and counsel with those of our good people in the midst of the wrong, to have these evils remedied ? He knew that no good could come from the let ters that has given rise to this corres pondence, and that evil, and evil only, would result. Hence, I repeat, his course is much to be condemned, I should have been giad to see him aukik w’.-edgt his erro”j and not write a long h tier in his defense. He says him self that the negroes seem “generally satisfied,” aud y\t he seeks to stir up strife by urging ihem tg the exereis of a right that they do not recognize, and ono that they do not care to enjoy. This is certainly a strange Sunday school lesson to me. Now, then, as to the “ facts.” He establishes, beyond all questior, the right of the negro, as recognized in this State, to sit on the jury, and quotes from the journals of the State con demning, in proper terms, any undue interference with the laws, as properly interpreted, on this point; and, yet, he says negroes are denied the right to sit on the jury in the State of Georgia. These statements are so plainly con tradictory in themselves that they will have no weight with people who can understand the bare statement of a proposition. I have been a member of the Board of Education for two counties in the State, aud I have yet to hear the first allusion, in all the deliberations of the members, looking to anv distinction favoring the education ot the whites. I do not believe such a spirit prevails in the State. Whatever of evil is found in public opinion, making the differences to which he alludes, is to be traced to the wicked influences of strangers amongst us. I hope I will be pardoned for a per sonal allusion, as I can find no better way to deny two *• facts,” as stated by brother Woodsmall. First, that '‘white men will not teach uegroes ; ” second, that “ negroes are anxious to be taught.” Before my negroes were freed, they were required to assemble in my din ing-hall every Sabbath morning, and they were taught in Sabbath-school. I compelled them to come. This plan I kepi up for years, and it ended with the end of the war, and only then be cause I had no control over them, and others were J attempting to a ienate their feelings. Some years after the war, I was greatlv troubled to see the reli gious condition of the freedmen in my community. Aided by members of the several churches in the village, I be gan a community Sabbath-school for the negroes, under the most favorable auspices, as I thought, having the ex ercises of the school immediately after the close of the church service. Using all the effort and skill that I could master, at the end of three months I had failed most completely, and much to my mortification, as defeat was pre dicted bv my less enthusiastic friends. The negroes would not hear me nor my associates, because we were white people, and they had beeu taught that ire were inimical to their interests and l posed to their rights. My successor in this enterprise is a •egro girl, about eighteen years of age, almost as ignorant of the plan of sal vation as a horse is of geometry, and yet she can get crowds of them. I am, willing to teach them, and I held my self ready to do it; so did my Presby terian brethren and sisters, who were associated with me in this effort, but they are not willing to hear us, and the plain, simple reason is that their minds are inflamed against us by just such efforts as brother Woodsmall is mak ing. Just as soon as the minds of the negroes shall be disabused of all this poison, hundreds of our people will take hold of the work and push it with a vigor worthy the great end to be at tained. The' more we are interferred with by such incendiary harangues as the one we have under discussion, the longer we will be apart, and the more difficulty we will have in bringing about that harmony and peace that would prevail if the white man and the negro were left to the simple asso ciation of common interests. I have never approved this outside interference in our domestic matters. I am a strong advocate for local s slf govermnent. If our brethren of the North will simply let us alone, I will guarantee the negro will be cared for in this State, and that respect and confidence will be mutually restored. Brother Woodsmall can find isolated cases of the evasion of law and negli gent officers in every State and even county in the Union, and, yet, Georgia is held up as cruelly oppressive, be cause of one or two instances of vio lence that he thinks were not properly investigated. The records of the State are full of the vindication of the honor, virtue and rights of its colored citizens. Only a very short time since, a white man was sent from my county to the penitentiary for improper ad vances upon a negro girl—condemned to a felon’s shame to vindicate the vir tuo of a negro. To subject the people of this State to all the evils consequent upon mis representations, based upon isolated eases, is unfair and unkind ; and the conduct of brother Woodsmall reminds me most forcibly of the snake that bit the man that warmed him. W. J. Noethen. Sparta, Ga. Written (or the Index and Baptist.] ANOTHER LETTER FROM OLD FOOT. Messes. Editors —l intended that my communication in your edition of the 9th iust.' should have been my last, but in the same paper I find an article, over the signature of J. M. Robinson, which, if not answered, might place me in a false position. I did not com mence the discussion of the question of the Female University with any intention or expectation of provoking a controversy, and, if possible, to avoid criticism. lam too old, and the hand of -affliction is pressing on me too heav tly to be ambitious of notoriety, or to seek place or position. Brother R. has gone off at a tangent, and places me, (or seems desirous of doing so), in an tagonism to the cause of Missions. Against this I enter uiv solemn pro test. The reader will please bear in mind that I took the position in the outset, that out people are not pecun iarly able to buiid and endow a college or university now; that the move ment was premature and unwise. To illustrate and establish this position, I called attention to several of the de pa; tments of Christian labor in wLich we, as a denomination, are engiged. and specified, among others, Foreigu and Domestic Missions, and showed they were not being sustained. From this standpoint, I argued that if we were not able to meet our present en gagements, it would be folly in the ex treme to contract new and large obli gations. This was the point and sum of my argument. In speaking of Missions, after show ing the great pressure under which they are laboring, I gave, what I considered, the cause of the trouble; that is, ex pressed the opinion (aud simply aa opinion), that it was due chiefly to the poverty of the people. Proceeding on the assumption that it is not poverty among the people that has caused the failure to sustain our missions, brother R. charges them with indifference aud coveteousness. Alas, if this be true ; if the masses refuse to sympathize with and pray earnestly for the spread of the Gospel, then, indeed, it develops a state of things far worse than poverty. If we fail of the hearty approval and sympathetic and prayerful co-operation of the churches, defeat and disaster is inevitable. God will be sought for His blessings, aud in an swer to earnest, heartfelt, sincere praver for the heathen, He will fill our souls with His spirit and our purses with money to spread the Gospel over the face of the earth. What we want is spiritual consecra tion, more faith, aud rest in God’s promises, and this comes only through devout prayer aud importunate suppli cation. If we had this, the mountains of difficulty would soon be removed. But to our’shame, such is not our con dition, and we must deal with men as we find them, not as we would have them. Iu conclusion, I beg to say to brother Robinson, if you would" win your brother from the error of his way , do not assail him with railing accusations; they are not scriptural or Chris tlike; neither did that spirit animate “Joshua when ,he led the armies of Israel to possess the Promised Land; ” neither THE CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST. was it the powkr that “ destroyed its giants,” or silenced the croaking spies.” May God bestow upon him more abun dantly the graces of His spirit, as re corded in Gal. 5:22, 23. Old Fogy. December 20, 1875 J! fc. For the Index and Baptist. } The Palm Tree In Kg Natural Beanty Is the Symbol of the TprWht Man in his Spiritual BeaHty—What the World Most Needs. The l : ght of (Heaven's blessing clothes tie countenance of the upright like the sunbeam reflected from the fo liage of the palm, aljd the moral waste around him blossomis with his benefi cence ; he can mingle with men in all the walks of life, arid go through all the haunts of wickedness upon erands of love and mercy, \ind yet keep his garments unsoiled. Under his culti vation, the barren desert blossoms as the rose, yielding an immortal fruit, and the dreary homes of the vile and wretched are cheered with light by his deeds of charity. He stands as a col losal tower of strength upon his post of duty, to show to the faithless there is something to trust, evthAvhen heart and flesh fail, and all earthly hope is cut off. The worldly and the wicked may rail at him in the day of then prosperity, but the worst -of men will welcome his coming in the dark hour of trial and affliction; and eyes dim med with the shadow of death, will look upon his face as if it was the face of an angel. To the righteous man, the path of duty and self-denial are transendautly precious and full of joy. Ho does not climb to the commanding heights of faith, as men climb the dazzling steep of earthly fame, to find it more cheer less and cold the higher they go. He is moved and drawn to every duty by love, and realizes in his self-denial it self a foretaste of Heaven. Even this present world, with all its storms and sorrows, has within it a beauty to him who walks with God, because he sees in nature his Father’s work in every created object, and he sees reflections of his Father’s love in all the pleasant things brought forth by the sun, and delights in the beauties and glories of creation as if they were all his own. Such undoubtedly is the character of the righteous mau to whom the Bible gives the promise, “ He shall flourish like the palm tree.” Such is the character,which every one,if he will,may make his own. This is what the world needs more than anything else, to pre serve the peace aud moral purity of society, to lighten the burdens of the weary, to enhance the delights of h'jne, and ensure and perpetuate the happi ness of the human race. We might indeed do much to improve the world with money, if we had more of it. Sound health would make life a uew experience to many if they knew how to qbtain it. Ejjyery o£ knowledge may be used as an lucyease of power to make ourselves and others happy. But far more than money, health and knowledge, the world needs right eousness, purity and faith. To secure every needed reformation, to enjoy the greatest benefits of light, liberty and progress, the world wants faithful, honest men—men that are sound to the very core —men who disdain all forms of falsehood, insincerity and vain formality before God and man, aud with a hatred induced by a con scious rectitude within themselves. Let the aspiring youth make it the highest object of his aim and ambition to be a righteous man, and he need not be over anxious about anything else. The immutable Lord has promised that to them who seek first the King dom of Heaven aud his righteousness, all things else shall be given. The world of mankind suffer many sad dis appointments and miseries, because they are afraid to trust God, and be lieve He will not be as good as His word, when He says no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly. Let it be the first great concern of parents, then, to train up their child ren in the love of virtue and filial piety to God, and they need have but little fear of their success in life. Let it always be held and admitted in the daily conversations of the fam ily that the path of duty is the only way to happiness and purity of heart is the only true seal and crown of honor and unsullied glory; then pa rents would be seldom disappointed in their children, and the humblest earthly home would become the vestibule of Heaveu. A. A. McKee. Atlanta., Ga. For the Index and Baptist.] STUNK JUKNTIIN INI) PROHIBITION. Our election came off for Mayor and Councelmen on December 15th, 1875, with the most gratifying results. It will be remembered that last year, wheu we gaiued a similar victory, (though not so large a majority,) we ventured the assertion that Stone Mountain had “ crossed the Rubicon,” in its temperance career ; and, thanks be to our kind Heavenly Father, for the grand success of the present test election ! Two to one, with Hurculean effort upon the part of the opposers, tells the moral statue of our beauti ful town. There was no excitement, or au attempt to any, proceeding nor dur ing the day of the election. I will tell you what we did, however, a few even ings previous to the day wheu “ dry and icet” were rivals. We called a meeting of all the good people of our place, together, to return thanks to our kind Protector during the past tw.) years, in giving us a town in which the accursed thing had not been vended, and to implore the Divine guidance in our future elections. We are glad to be able to chronicle the uirect answer to our humble but earnest prayers for success. We knew our plea before Jehovah’s throne was in accordance with His will, therefore our faith was quickened. When John the Baptist came to pre pare the way of the Lord, he com manded the people to repent, and to “ bring forth fruits meet for repen tance.” Now, we say to the great Bap tist family of Georgia, our successful lead in the great temperance reform, hy prohibition, is preparing the way for the coming of the Baptist (not John) University ; and if any of the fraternal brotherhood have desired that it should be located elsewhere (where vice is offi rnllv licensed,) let them repent, and in April next bring forth fruits meet for such penitence, and-vote for the forth coming University to be located at Ston - Mountain. While we do not promise to baptize for such fruits of repentance for sectional preferences, we do promise to give the University the most central, healthful, beautiful and temperate locality iu Georgia. J. M. Stillwell. Stone Mountain, December IS, 1875. For the Index und Baptist.] AMONG THE CHIUCIIKS. I visi’ed Elim church, in the Geor gia Association, the third Sunday in November, and preached a sermon ded icatory of their new house of worship, erected in lieu of one that was blown down last March. It is too often the case that public buildings are botched in some way, It has not been so at Elim. Better work was hardly ever done than that on their new building. It is neat, too, tasteful, but not gaudy, and all its appointments admirable. The erection of such a house, in eight months after the destruction of the former one, is worthy of mention. I was conveyed from Warren ton to Elim by brother James Wellborn, in a superb style, and with him returned to Warrenton, and at night preached to a very good audience. What a change! The old, rusty house of worship at Warrenton, by the mag : c power of eight or nine hundred dollars spent on it,(mainly by brother James Wellborn), has been so changed in its appearance, internally and externally, that the loca tion alone identifies it. The effect, in part, has been to bring men and their families to sit together in service. It is civilizing to build good churches, or repair old ones. By the kindness of brother Wellborn, I was safely conveyed on Monday to -Dong CrKek church j* where I preached to a very good Monday congregation for an agent to have in a sparsely set tled community. This was the first church in the Washington Association I ever visited, and it is one of the old est churches in the State. Eider T. J. Veasey is the Bishop here, and his father a deacon of the church. The house is large and beautifully located. An anti-missionary minister sat with me in the pulpit, and prayed earnestly for me. Agent as I am, I was invited back here, as at every place I visited. Dark, cold, gloomy as it was in the outer world, it was cheering to find light and comfort in the home of young brother Fowler, where he now lives with his sister, but, I think, has about concluded he lias the right to a wife as well as sister. Jewell s church is at brother Jewell’s mills, belongs to the Washington As sociation, and the present pastor is bishop Veasey. Here again a week day service, gloomy weather, and an agent to preach, die not prevent a fair audience of intelligent people. Here, too, is a beautiful, well-arranged and comfortable house, with the best organ I have ever seen in as small a church, on which Miss Jewell, by making sweet music, helped me to preach. The house was built, and the instru ment put in |it, by brother Jewell, I think. Bethel church, in the Washington Association also, was reached by the aid of brother Jewell, as his church was by the help of brother Fowler. Here I found two dozen, perhaps, of appreciative hearers, to whom I preach ed as well as I could, and long enough. Their house is a large one, built or moved and rebuilt, in 1828, and is as nearly “ founded ou a rock ” as any one 1 ever saw. The two front corners rest on solid rock boulders, that come up above the earth some two or thre feet. Services over, deacon Dunn con veyed me to his residence, where I felt very much at home, and deacon G. W. Bass came for me, and at his house I found a good home, and was conveyed next day to Horeb church, near May field. This church belongs to the Georgia Association, and has Elder Veasey as overseer, and worships in a large aud comfortable house. Here I had the largest audience in the week, though the weather was still raw and gloomy. Near by, the colored people are erecting a large and good framed house, in which they have the sympa thy aud aid of the white brethren. While here, I was the guest of brethren Allen, Rhodes and Patillo, the last mentioned of whom carried me to Powelton, the oldest church West of the Ogeechee river, memorable as the church and place where the first temperance society, the first Missionary Society, and the Georgia Baptist Convemion were organized. Elder T. J. Pilcher is bishop at present, and has been some time. On Sa’urday, almost the entire membership was present. The roll was called, and those absent and cause not known were noted. Order and dig nity characterized the meeting, The house is old, and hardly large enough. I have other things to say, but as they will require more extended notice, must omit them now. I received at this church the average of ten cents for each membtr. I was carried to Crawfordsville by brother Chapman, where I was agree ably surpriised to meet so many, al though the night was fearfully dark dark and cloudy. But several of the dear brethren and sisters whose faces had always greeted me before, will greet me no more here. Mitchell and wife, and brother Henry, and others are gone Home, and are “ safe in the arms ef Jesus.” Thus ended nine days’ work, in which I preached elevennimes. Every church responded voluntarily to my call for help for our Home Mission Board. W. N. Chaudoin. For the Index and Baptist.] Southwestern Georgia—the Wire-grass Conntry. It is usually a pleasant thing, in De cember, to exchange the bleak red hills of upper Georgia for the level lands, pincy woods an 1 the wiiegrass of the low country. The climate generally unites with the people of the far south, in giving to the visitor a warm and cheer ful reception. This December, howev er, proved to be an exception to the rule. On the 15th of the month, a New Englander, near the borders of Florida, might have thought that his own winter had stepped down to wel come him ; and I doubt whether Bos ton, in Massachusetts, could on that day have displayed, in proportion to its population, a larger number of jol ly red noses than Boston in Thomas county. Still, it is an ill wind that blows no one any good ; and I found, to my entire satisfaction, that the keen Northwester had brought to every storehouse and table a rich supply of pork—enough, I trust, to answer every demand for a year to come. During my sojourn iu this section, my headquarters were at the new home of Rev. J. M. Rushin, in Boston. From the windows in his residence you look out upon his church, a well built and symmetrical house, but not yet finish ed. The Baptists here have been steadily growing in numbers and effi ciency. Trained by their pastor to usefulness and largeness of heart, they enter with a generous spirit into the public enterprises of the denomination, and, as a necessary consequence, are active in all the‘*departm*uts of thoir own church work, and iiberal in the support of their preacher. This liber al support Bro. Rushin richly deserves. Asa man and *as a preacher he is very popular ; and if he does not yield to the indolence to which one is so strongly tempted by the charge of four country churches, lie will take a prom inent position among the Georgia min isters. About six miles from Boston he has another church, at Grooverville. As you approach this village the ap pearance of the country undergoes a complete change. The lands now be come rolling, the oak intermingles largely with the pine, and the deep red clay gains mastery of the soil. The village proper contains four or five residences, two churches —a Baptist and a Methodist—a store, a large square building, the lower floor of which is used for school purposes, and the upper devoted to the Masonic mysteries. The Baptist church here is the seeond strongest country church in this por tion of Georgia, and every man, woman and child in it, has been, is, oi will be a Groover. Leaving Boston I paid a hurried vis it to Quitman. This is the prettiest town of its size in Georgia, and its Baptist bishop the busiest man (I sup pose) of his size in the world. One who attempts to walk with him through the streets of Quitman must needs cultivate the habit of solitary communion. Not because the bishop is silent—far from it! but every oth er mau whom he meets seems to have some special business with him, and he has some special business with every other man. lam not surprised that he is the most influential minister in this section of the State. In Valdosta, where I next stopped, I had the pleasure of meeting Bro. R. A. Peeples, who kindly lent me his horse to visit some friends in the neighbor hood. This horse was a shrewd lawyer like animal. It seemed to regard every wayfaring man whom I met as a pos sible client, aud would invariably stop to cultivate his aequaintenance. The negro cabins along the road it would pass with indifference. When we went through old fields or pine woods it would become sluggish and sometimes stumble. I strongly suspected it of seiz ing these occasions for snatches of sleep. But wherever a respectable looking settlement would rise on the roadside, it would wake to anew spirit, and in spite the rapid application of the heel, would sidle up to the house, as though it was saying to me “dvn’t be foolish ; there’s our place for prayer ; we’ll have a general good time of it here.” I found the Baptists in Valdosta ea gerly expecting Bro. Mcß-ide. I re gref that Mercer ua* iost the valuable services of this brother, but he enters into one of the best and pleasantest pastoral charges in Georgia, and enters it not as a stranger but as a formrif much loved pastur. R. \\ r . F. For the Index and T ptist.] 1 LECTION. There seems to be no doctrine in the whole range ot theology, about which there has been more contention, than this doctrine oi election; at the very mention of it every reflecting mind is excited, and the wal. of prejudice from the human heart bee-cues still stronger aiid higher; verily it is opposed to hu man nature, and human nature is opposed to it; yet it is not contrary to human reason, but simply above it. Asa doctrine, it is the foundation of all the doctrines of the Bible and Christianity; it is the grand base upon which all Christians stand and watch and pray; upon this Adam fell and had it uot been laid, he and all his posterity would have been lost. As to the evidence of this doctrine, we have but to turn to the seventeenth chapter of John, and we read of a people that had been chosen in Christ, which Christ callsAis own; He prayed not for the whole world, but for those whom the Father had given Him. Then we read the eighth aud ninth chapters of Paul’s letters to the Romans, and we decide that this is a doctrine revealed in the Holy Scriptures ; yet some hold that it is not. Bnt lam convinced that ac cording to the principles of Christianity and the simplicity of the Scriptures, and the convincing Spirit of God, that every true, Bible-reading Baptist, fully endorses it and glories in it as his meat aud driuk. Then, if these things are true, why do we not preach it and teach it, and love it as a doctrine, and honor God for it. If lam ever saved it will be by God’s electing love, which He had iu Christ before the world was ; theu will I ascribe to God praises and honor for my salvation. W. Lively. For the Index and Baptist.J TO THE MIDDLE ASSOCIATION. Dear Brethren —You will please bear in mind that the general meeting of the fourth district of our Associa tion convenes with ourchurch (Corinth) Friday before the fifth Sabbath in Jan uary next, at which time we hope to see a full delegation from all the churches and Sabbath-schools, and we most earnestly beg the ministers throughout the Association to come, and let us revive the interest of our general meetingc. Come, and let us at the beginning of the new year make one united effort for the advancement of our Master’s cause. We expect brother T. C. Boykin with us at that time. Ihwnomhcr, brethren, UuW OuiViaeavtS burnt within us at the Association, as brother B. delivered his message of love. There will be conyeyances at the sta tion (No. 4) Thusrday before, to meet the up and down trains to convey all to the church that will come. At our last meeting on Sabbath, December 18th, Rev. J. C. Edwards assisted the writer in the ordination of brother J. A. Edwards to the office of deacon. The ordination sermon was preached by the writer, brother J. C. E. led in the examination of the candidate ; the imposition of hands by the presbytery; the writer led in the ordination prayer, and brother J. C. E. gave the charge, which was characteristic of the old brother, full of love of his Master, whose cause he has so long and ably defended ; after which, the church fol lowed the presbytery in extending the right hand of welcome to their new made deacon. Brethren, pray for us at Corinth, that the word of the Lord may tun and be glorified until the knowledge of the Lord shall cover this country as the waters cover the great deep. R. L. J. Grant, Pastor Corinth Baptist Church. December 21, 1875. For the Index and Baptist.] Mitchell County vs. Rev. Q. Woodsmall. Editors Index — l see in your paper of the 23d instant, a letter published from the Rev. H. Woodsmall, in which he charges that the colored people of Georgia ai e denied their legal rights. Allow me to say that he is badly mis taken, so far as Mitcheil county is con cerned. He charges that negroes do not receive the benefits allowed them by the school law; in that he is cer tainly wrong, so far as Mitchell county is concerned. Punishment is meted out to the whites just as speedily and severely in Mitchell as it is to the colored people. My information about the Rev. W. is, that he is a preacher sent to the colored people of Georgia to instruct them in matters pertaining to their eternal interest; if ihat be true, he ou . ht not to do anything among them save proclaiming Je:us Christ and Him crucified. I might say more in reference to the Rev. W.'s long letter, but I think that the comments of The Index are suf ficient to show to the minds of all can did people of Georgia, that the Rev. W. is very much mistaken. All I want the Rev. Woodsmall to know is, so far as Mitchell county is concerned, the white people are willing for the colored to have all the rights the law allows them. A White Man. . Mitchell county, Ga., Dec. 27, 1875.
