About The Waynesboro news. (Waynesboro, Ga.) 186?-18?? | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 1858)
From tie Southern Presbyterian. Trial of J. R. Graves. Elder J. E. Graves, Editor of the Tennes- see Baptist Author of the Great Iron Wheel : the .reli accusser of his brethern; the great disturber of the peace of the Southern Baptist chuches has at length been brought to trial before the First Baptist Church, of Nashville, 01 charges of libel, slander, false- hood,and schismatic neatuet generally. These charges have been sustained by the majority of the church which sat in judgment upon the case, but pending the trial Mr. Graves renounces, and withdraws from their commu nion, and with a minority of the members declare themselves the true First Baptist Church. Our neighbor the Southern Baptist, who lias been sorely vexed by this unclean spirit, gives the following account of the records. When Mr. Graves’ trial was progressing, on the 11th and 18th of October, finding that the church moral force of the church in Nashville, was bearing too hard upon his poor disguises, and his paltry expedients; he took issue by contending that the course of this church was unscriptural, and that there by it forfeited its name and character as a Christian church, and a Baptist church !— As the event showed, Mr. Graves was borne out, by abou thirty members of the church, the most influential of whom were associated with him in is paper and publishing con cern. The great conservative body of the church,—a Majority of about three hundred. —were regularly proceeding witli the trial, when Mr. Graves and his party, took ground that they (this small minority) were the true church, because the majority had acted upon erroneus principles. This too, was upon Mr. Graves’ own interested and personal con struction as to what was right. Neverthe less he witli his thirty, set up against Dr. Howell, the pastor, and the majority of three hundred, and refused to be tried, because the ten to one, were wrong,—Mr. Graves being judge. Tlie consistency of this course will appear by citing some of the flaming placards which Mr. Graves has for a long time kept as stand ing matter, in his paper, as the indexes of true Baptist principles. For example, take any random specimen of the Tennessee Baptist, such as the issue of Sept. 19, 1857; and we have this doctrine laid down: “ The Baptist churches (says Mr. G.) are pure democracies, and the only pure democratic government in the world. The decision of tlie majority is ultimate verdict, and since the church itself is independent, there is no power above it. And, consequently, there is no appeal from its .decision.” This, and numerous other anxioms are well known as Mr. Graves’ cherished doc trines. But in the face of all this, at the first movement in his trial, he withdraws from his own church, and appeals to the mobocrat- ' ic sentiment which he has been so success ful increating among the unsuspecting people of the country. What made the New York .Herald so acceptable to a large portion of the American people at one time, even without their knowing the cause, was their innate love General Association. We draw our hands across our eyes, at reading this, to keep out the shadow, which like the shadow of death, seems to fall upon the prospects of Baptist churches. From another and later source, we learn that Mr. Graves was actually elected Mod- erator of the Association, and the Protest of Rev. B. C. Howell, and others was not even admitted on record. Well may our neighbor add:—“Nothing in the course of ecclesiastical affairs, in our own time, or in past history, lias presented more montrous violations of truth and order, than lias appeared in fe conduct of Mr. Graves and his friends in bis late trial.” Laws Passed by the Present Legis- lature and Assented to by the Governor. An act to legalize the time of the sitting of the Superior Court of the county of Glass cock. Also, to make legal the adjournment, and to change tlie time of holding the Authorizing the State Treasurer to certain advances. To lay off a new county out of the ties of Fayette and Henry. same, make coun- To change the time of holding tlie Supe rior and Inferior Courts of Wayne county. An act to require the Justices of tlie Peace of the several districts of the county of Daw son, to make additional returns of poor cliil- dren between the ages of six and eighteen, in their districts for the year 1858. An act to make uniform the decisions of the Supreme Court of this State, to regulate the reversals of tlie same, and for other pur poses. An act to provide for the codification of tlie Laws of Georgia. An act to repeal an act to prohibit non- residents from hunting, ducking and fishing within the limits of tlie State of Georgia. To collect interest on open accounts in this State after they are due; and to fix the time when accounts shall fall due, when the same is not agreed upon by the parties. To amend the Act to change and simlify the practice and pleadings in this State, ap proved February 20th 1854. To authorize the Justices of the Peace in any Militia district in this State to adjourn their Courts from day to day, or to hold Court two or more days in each month when ever tlie business of any of their Courtsrequire it. To alter and amend the laws of this State, in relation to notices to be given by insolvent debtors to their creditors. To incorporate the “ Washington Rifles,” and to grant unto them certain privileges. To confer certain rights and powers on the Inferior Court of the county of Lincoln, in relation to granting licenses to retail liquors and to keep tippling houses. To incorporate the Presbyterian Church of Walthourville in Liberty county, and to incorporate the Savannah Flour Mill Compa- COMMUNICATED, Messrs. Editors :—Now is the proper time for transplanting trees. Will not the citi zens of Waynesboro (who are most immedi ately interested) see to it, that our Court House square is studded with some of those beautiful specimens of shade trees that so plentifully abound in, and adorn our native forest. If our Inferior Court cannot be in duced to take this matter in hand, let the cit izens of your village, each make a small ap propriation for the planting of a grove of the Elm, the Maple, and the ever-green Oak, that so beautifully decorates our hills and vales, which grow the prettier for being trans planted, and will make a rich and permanent legacy for the rising generation, who a few years hence, if asked what sum of money would compensate for the destruction of their beautiful grove, would indignantly reject any such a desecration, and would with one accord cry out “ Woodman spare that Tree.” But I hear some rigid economists say, It won’t pay, This speaks the miserable van dalism, that has desolated nearly the whole of the once prettiest and richest country that the sun ever shone upon. That lias conver ted our once magnificent groves, “ God’s first Temples,” into a desolation and waste, with a niggardly spirit has cut down all, and con verted it into Silver and Gold, have left not a tree or an object of endearment to their children who have scarcely deposited the bodies of their parents in their last resting places, before they are preparing to move to other beautiful forests to pursue the same miserable policy—“cut down, wear out and leave.” This same spirit has sold the old home-stead, with a father’s grave, to those who for more, gold have ploughed up the very hearth-stone, and “ not a rose left on its stalk to tell where the garden had been.” Trees are valuable, and not the least part of their value, is the attachment they create in the minds of the young for the homes of their an cestry, thereby fixing a permanent popula tion, such a population as alone can advance in taste, education and refinement. What gives the traveller a better idea of the peo ple, than to see these beautiful objects of na ture properly appreciated and protected. In approaching a village adorned with its beau tiful groves, and green grass-plats, have you not felt a consciousness of security among ny. To lay ont and organize a new county from the counties of Stewart and Randolph. its inhabitants? that a people tastes, were to be trusted? and peace, charity and liberally bore But a volume, Messrs. Editors, with such that here, to dwell? would not fulness of the location, and the competency of those employed as instructors. I speak from experience, having been a pupil of the Institution for a number of years. The Trustees of the School, deserve tlie thanks, uot only of the patrons of the Institution, but of every one interested in the great sub ject of Education, for their efforts to estab lish in our county a school on such a respect able basis, a school where they may give their sons and daughters a thorough classical edu cation, without being compelled to incur the expense of sending them to remote parts of the country for this purpose. The sad re verse by fire, which they lately sustained, lias been promptly met, and I understand a new and more commodious building, intend- ed as a boarding house, is now being erected on the site of the former. They deserve, and should be encouragement in this noble enterprize, and it is to be hoped that the ap peal made through the papers some time since by a former Principal for aid, will not be made, to our intelligent people in vain. PROGRAMME. MOTTO: The world may scorn me if they choose, I care but little for their scoffings, I may sink for moments, but I rise again, nor shrink from what the faithful heart inspires. Salutatory.—(Original.) James II. Duke. The Irish Tutor.—(Drama.) MUSIC. Speech on Duelling.— Elisha E. Allen. MUSIC. Box and Cox.— MUSIC. The Birthday of Washington.— Elisha Duke. MUSIC. Who speaks first.—(Drama.) MUSIC. Infinence of Knowledge.— Robert H. Allen. MUSIC. Cuffies Courtship.—(A comic interlude.) MUSIC. The man witli the carpet bag. MUSIC. Valedictory.—(Original.) Robert F. Carson. MUSIC. SUPPER. Home, sweet Home. Yours Respectfully, ROCKY CREEK. suffice to show the happy influence these tastes for rural objects have over the morals, edu cation and refinement of any people. I wished merely to draw attention to what has been neglected too long. And in conclusion would reiterate the advice of an old man to his son. “Plant a Tree, Jack. It will be growing when you are a sleeping.” BEMAN. riod of time, more labor than the number we at present send there have done. I said that the Bill had passed, its fate is yet to be heard from. There have been men sent to your Legislature who scarcely knew the Pen itentiary from the State House, (and I doubt not some who have had situationsin the form er) to make Laws for the government of a free and enlightened people. In the next place, we do not send the right sort of men. We the termination of your suit,’ said I, ‘by ci ting the decisions and reports of such olden times, since the same good sense and integri ty which controlled the Lawyers of those old days, may serve to guide ours of this. They at that time, had only the light of reason, by which to form their judgments, and one leva the same light to direct them, and I may add, without the prejudices of their times, and their errors have been corrected for our ben- are too careless in respect to their intellectu al capacity, men with no intellect, and less education, who employ their time not in en deavoring to promote your interest, but in walking to and fro from the Capitol smoking cigars, dringing whiskey, and other more con genial pursuits than she legitimate object of their business there. Of course, I do not mean to say that this is the character of eve ry man who goes to tlie Legislature. We send a few men, and some of them were in our last Legislature of whom we should feel proud, men of whom it may be - said, “ They go there to work for their country’s good.” But as a general thing, what I have said ap plies to them. These matters are, and ought to be serious affairs witli the people of Geor gia. It behooves us as Americans, as Geor gians, and as freemen, to remedy the evil, and the only way for it to be done, is for the people to take the matter in their own hands, send men to legislate for us who are able and willing to make wholesome laws for us, send one Representative only from a county, and then the good time for which we all have been hoping so long, will be here. If this article shall succeed in arousing the people of even old Burke to this matter, its object will have been accomplished. Let no one say that I am an aspirant either for the office of Senator or Representative. My maiden vote is yet to be cast, and though I have been a silent. I have not been a careless ob server of the kind of material of which our Congress and Legislature delegations have been composed. 1 have no ambition to be a member of a body so little renowned for in tellect as the Georgia Legislature, my aspi rations lead me to reach at nobler things. I boast the high prerogative of an humble citi zen, an American, and above all a Georgian, jealous of my State’s prosperity, proud of seeing a set of men renowned for wisdom, sitting in her legislative halls, and one who believes that such must be the case before’ Georgia is to arrive at tlie grand destiny for which it seems the God of nations has de signed her. efit also. The arguing from authorities has been long exploded, in every other branch of learning, why should it be particularly ad hered to in law? You must plainly foresee, how such a method of investigation must em barrass every suit, and even perplex the stu dent ; ceremonies will be multiplied, formali ties must increase, and more time will be thus consumed, in learning the intrigues of litigation, than in the discovery of justice.’ I perceive, said my friend, that you are for a speedy administration of justice, whilst the world has decided, that the more time that is given to the consideration of a subject, the better it will be understood, and besides, you will admit that tlie protection of proper- ty, is not only a guaranty of our law, but it is a mandate by which good order and sobri- ety is entailed. Hence, we have so many Lawyers, but to secure our property, and so many formalities and ceremonies are for the same. Why, not less than seventy-five thousand individuals, in our country, live in opulence, elegance and ease, merely by guarding our property. 1 To embarrass justice,’ returned I, ‘ by a multiplicity of laws, or hazard it by a confi dence in our Judges, is, I grant, the opposite rocks on which Legislative wisdom has ever split. In the one case, tlie client resembles that Emperor, who is said to have been suf focated by the bed-clothes, which were only designed to keep him warm; in the other, to that Town, which let the enemy take posses sion of its walls, merely to show the world how little they depended on aught but cour age for safety. But bless me, what a host of these professional gentlemen we find at ev- ery Court. How is it possible that half this multitude find employment? Nothing so easily conceived, returned he; they live by watching each other. For in stance, the officers watch the man in debt— the Attorneys watch the Officers, and the ■ Judges watch the Attorneys. ‘I understand von ’ said T. thev watch of scandal and controversy, the Tennessee Baptist has fattened upon this aliment; and the verdant people of Middle Tennessee have little suspected that this Vermont Yankee, of bad antecedents, was thus, too successful ly “coming Yankee” over their own convic- tions. The final story is now to be told. At midnight, on a certain evening, Mr. Graves, and his “thirty” set up as the “First Baptist Church” of Nashville, in the face of the three hundred and their pastor,—the well known Dr. Howell, for many years past, the Presi dent of the Southern Baptist Convention, the most honorable position which could be occupied by an American Baptist. Mr. Graves and his malcontents now ap pealed to the General Association of Middle Tennessee, for an endorsement. It is to be remarked, that owing to the two ridges of mountains, the Blue Ridge and Alleghany ranges,—Tennessee is virtually divided into East, Midle, and Western Tennessee. Witli the Niddle section, there is a general organizatioi of Baptists, like a Baptist Gen eral State Convention. Before this body, at its session immediate ly following his bolting from the regular and salutary discipline of tlie old Nashville church, Mr Graves and his party made their appearance and claimed to be the true and regular "First Baptist Church of Nashville;” —according to tlie gospel, and the original constitution of the church. Are our readers now prepared for the re- sult? We tell it, in sorrow. The regular church with delegates appointed by customa ry usage, appeared before the Association— equivalent to a sectional State Convention— and in like manner appeared Mr. Graves, in the name of his "thirty" with his associate representatives, Tlie result was according to the Tennesses Baptist, that the editor and his faction were sustained by a vote of 166 in his favor against 21, in favor of the regu lar Nashville church! It is to be borne in mind, that no organi zation of Mr. Graves and his party had taken place, beyaid their own simple contumacious resolution hat they were the church. There was no coincil for recognition; no church covenenan; nothing but a simple protest drawn up by Mr. Graves himself, on which basis his party claimed that they were the church, wih their signatures (mostly) to the paper; aid this made them the accepted “First Baptist Church of Nashville,” at the To alter and amend the 14th section of the 5th division of the Penal Code. Relative to the issuing of Executions. To appropriate money for the repairs of the Penitentiary, and to erect additional building to the same for the security and ac commodation of the convicts. To pardon Burton A. Brooks of the coun ty of Harris, now under sentence of death for the crime of murder. To consolidate the offices of Clerk of the Superior and Inferior Courts of the county of Mitchell. For the pardon of Benj. Knight, now con fined in the Penitentiary. To alter and amend the fiftieth section of tlie fourteentli division of the Penal Code. An act to appropriate money for the politi cal year 1859, and for other purposes therein named. To authorize witnesses residing out of this State, to prove the execution of deeds and other instruments in writing by making oatli in writing under certain provisions. To lay out and organize a new county from.tlie counties of Habersham and Frank lin. To provide for the education of the chil dren of this State between certain ages, and provide an annual sinking fund for the ex tinguishment of the public debt. To regulate the fees of Tax Collector and Receiver of Richmond county. To regulate the compensation of Jurors in the county of Jefferson and for other purpos es. To abolish imprisonment for debt on cer tain conditons herein set forth and for other purposes. To allow compensation for the consolida ted index and plats to colonial and head right grants in the Surveyor General’s office. Tire INAUGURAION.—Yesterday, Gov. Gist was inaugurated as the supeme executive officer of the State of South Carolina for the term of two years, The inaugural address was delivered in the hall of .Representative. It was firm in its assertion of principles and conciliatory in its spirit deprecating dissen sions on Union issues, and urging a Union upon tlie basis of equality in the Union or independence out of it. It will be seen that he contemplates the practice of the utmost caution in the exercise of the pardoning pow er. In that he will be fully sustained, by the sentiment of our State.—Exchange. The steamer Gen. Stokes, four hundred and fifty bales of cotton and other freight, sunk, a few days since on the Chattahoochee river somewhere between Columbus and Eu- faula. The Columbus Sun, of the 13th inst learns that “the deck freight had been landed without damage,” Communicated. Messrs. Editors :—By invitation of the gentlemanly Principal, Mr. Lewis D. Pal mer, I attended, on Friday evening last, tlie 17th inst, the Exhibition, which terminated the exercises of the fall session of the well known, and deservedly popular school. Grove Mount Institute. The weather was remark ably propitious on the occasion, the fair queen of night in her diamond-like magnifi cence, rolled on, and on, through the space of a trackless universe, unobscured by a sin- gle cloud; the air was cool and bracin 87 while the merry stars twinkled brightly in the blue vault of heaven above. On my ar rival, I found hundreds assembled, compri sing the youth and beauty of botli sexes; Burke, Richmond and Jefferson, I am told had each representatives present. I noticed many beautiful smiling faces present, especi ally among the fairer portion of the audience, and I must confess that if those present on this occasion, may be considered as a fair ex ponent of the general beauty of the female part of that community, I feel bound to con gratulate them upon such a beautiful state of affairs. At eight o’clock the exercises com menced witli music, that department being conducted by Mrs. Dr. Palmer; when I heard that this lady was to be the leader in the musical department, I expected much, having heard her before, and I must confess my most sanguine expectations were more than realized. Her selections for the occa sion were admirably appropriate, and artisti cally executed. She contributed in a very great degree by her excellent performances, to the entertainment of the audience. The Exhibition, a programme of which I give be low, went off to the great satisfaction of all present, particularly the Salutatory by Mr. James II. Duke, and the Valedictory by Mr. Robert F. Carson, both gentlemen natives of our county. I trust these young gentlemen will excuse me for particularizing their ef forts, but I know I speak the sentiments of the entire audience, when I say their speech es were excellently conceived, and elegantly delivered. A bountiful as well as magnifi cent supper was prepared for the occasion, of which all partook witli a hearty good will. Thus closed the exercises of the fall session of Grove Mount Institute, the remembrance of which, witli many other pleasing associa tions connected witli the place, can never, while memory holds her seat, be effaced.— This School commends itself to the patronage of the people of Burke, from several impor- ant considerations; among them, is its re moteness from scenes of vice and dissipation. The moral principles attempted to be incul cated in the minds of the young, the health- COMMUNICATED, The State Legislature. Messrs. Editors:— That august Assemblage, tlie State Legis lature we presume has by this time adjourned, if they have not, we for one hope that for the honor and dignity of the State, if for no other, consideration they will bring about such a desirable event as soon as they possibly can. The questions which naturally suggest them selves to the mind of the people of Georgia at this time are. What good thing has our last Legislature accomplished? What Bills passed calculated to advance our prosperity? What change or changes in the Constitution, have been effected, by which Georgia may in the future, as she has for years in the past, be worthy of the proud position which the world accords her, “ The Empire State of the South.” These are questions of momentous importance, questions which must concern every Georgian in whose bosom lurks a sin gle spark of patriotic State pride, or whose very soul thrills only, with those liberty-lov ing emotions characteristic of freemen, when he hears that Georgia, in the glorious Amer ican constellation, like Hesperus of the stel lar world rides highest and brightest of the glittering host. I have been a regular and attentive reader of the proceedings of the Legislature from the hour they first met, un til the present time, and I can call to mind but one bill, which has been introduced the whole session that tends in the least, to sub serve the interests of tlie people of Georgia at large. I allude to a bill introduced on the first day of December, by Mr. Findley, which reads in these words, “A Bill to amend tlie seventh section of the first Arti cle of tlie Constitution, so that each county shall be entitled to but one representative.” I have but one objection to urge against this Bill, and had I been a member of the Legis lature, should have made it known by offer ing tlie words Congressional District as a substitute for county. Messrs. Editors, the Legislature of tlie State of Georgia has for a long time been (and the future promises no improvement,) a disgrace, and a reproach to us as a free, and enlightened people; and why? In the first place, we send too many men to tlie Legislature, and in the next place we do not send the right kind of men. To prove my first proposition. According to my calculation, but one bill of the least im portance to the people of Georgia lias been introduced in a single session. Now how ma ny men has it taken to perform this immense amount of labor, and how much money has it cost tlie State to get a single Bill passed. I do not preteud to say, let the people judge for themselves. Think of it intelligent Geor gians. What a humbug, outhumbugging even humbug Barnum himself, is the Legis lature of your State. Paying-men to go to Milledgeville to do nothing. How infinitely better, as Mr. Findley proposes, send but one Representative, or still better as I pro pose, but one from each Congressional Dis trict. No one will pretend to deny, I think, that Eight could have done, in the same pe- Dec. 9, 1858. MODOS. / A Paraphrase. Sometime since I met a friend who was journeying to Court, and was informed by him that he was a party at Law; I was sur prised at sucli a position for him, for I had thought he would have been the last man living, who would have permitted his name docketed on a Court Register, and was still more surprised, to learn he had been thus interested for ten years. " How is it possi ble,” said I, for a man so well informed of the world, and its professions, to go to law; You long since have been familiar with Court’s of Justice; you know they are Lab- yrinths built in honor of Mercury; their portals are always open and inviting an en trance ;—hence it is easy to get in, and the pleasing anticipations, shown you when in, carries you far into its inner mazes, from which you may never escape. The Guide who conducts you into its thousand wind ings, does not propose to bring you out, and those who fall victims to the minotaur have no Ariadne to conduct them out. Faith, re plied my friend, I should never have gone to Lawhad I not been assured of success before I began; to me it was made to appear so plain, that I thought there would be nothing to do but to proclaim myself a party in the matter, and victory would be achieved.— Thus I have been flattered for years; hav ing won my case term after term, bid for some trivial exception taken by my opponent’s counsel, and thus I have left one court, witli the mortification of failure, but to return to tlie next, with tlie full assurance of success. But 1 I am note certain of victory at the ensuing term; I fancy we have now hampered our antagonist, and unless some unforeseen demur comes up, we shall finally prostrate him this time. ‘ Then,’ said I, ‘let me congratulate you on your coming good luck, and hope the pleasure and gain you shall obtain,will amply compensate for all your disappointments and losses.’ ’But,’ continued I, ‘ what reasons have you to conclude, that this affair of so much disquietude, will be settled to your advantage this Court?’ My Lawyer tells me, returned he, that I have Salkeld and Ventris, strong in my fa vor, and there are no less than fifteen Decis- ions of the higher Court, accrediting a verdict in my behalf. ‘I understand,’ said I, ‘those are two of your judges, then, who have already declared their opinion, in so many cases which are parallel to yours, and as a point of Justice cannot be revoked, will be constrained so to decide yours.’ Pardon me, replied my friend, Salkeld and Ventris, are Lawyers, who gave their opin ions some hundred years ago, on cases simi lar to mine; these opinions which accord with my case, my Lawyer is to cite, and those which agree with my antagonist, his Lawyer is to cite; As I observed, I had Salkeld and I Ventris for me, he has Coke and Hales for' him, and he that has the most decisions in his favor will most likely carry his cause. ‘ But where is tlie necessity of delaying
