USA > Tennessee > Bedford County > History of Tennessee, from the earliest time to the present; together with an historical and a biographical sketch of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford and Marshall counties, besides a valuable fund of notes, reminiscences, observations, etc., etc, Vol.2 > Part 7
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USA > Tennessee > Maury County > History of Tennessee, from the earliest time to the present; together with an historical and a biographical sketch of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford and Marshall counties, besides a valuable fund of notes, reminiscences, observations, etc., etc, Vol.2 > Part 7
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USA > Tennessee > Rutherford County > History of Tennessee, from the earliest time to the present; together with an historical and a biographical sketch of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford and Marshall counties, besides a valuable fund of notes, reminiscences, observations, etc., etc, Vol.2 > Part 7
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Resolved, That the address from the Moral Religious Manumission Society be returned to committee accompanied with a note stating that so far as the address involves the sub- ject of slavery we concur in the sentiments that slavery is an evil to be deplored, and that it should be counteracted by every judicious and religious exertion.
Thus it will be seen that the Methodist preachers admitted that slav- ery was a deplorable evil, and should be counteracted by every judicious and religious exertion. "What a misfortune," says Rev. J. B. McFerrin, * "that this sentiment had not always obtained! treating the matter in a religious manner, and not intermeddling with it as a civil question."
*"History of Methodism in Tennessee," to which this chapter is indebted.
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
In 1832 mission work among the slaves was for the first time ear- nestly undertaken. South Carolina had set the example in work of this nature, and it was not long before there were scores of missionaries in the Southern States proclaiming the doctrines of Methodism to the bond- man as well as to the free. Among the blacks there were many genuine Christians and some excellent preachers. The decided and memorable impulse given to missionary work among the slaves was the result of a speech by Rev. (subsequently Bishop) James O. Andrew, which " car- ried by storm the whole assembly." So successful was the work of mis- sions among the blacks that in 1846 the board reported 29,430 colored members, besides the communicants in the regular circuits and stations of the church, while the general minutes give the total number of col- ored members in the same years as 124,961. In 1861 the board reported 69,794 probationers, and 12,418 children under religious instruction, the general minutes, in 1860, showing 171,857 members and 35,909 proba- tioners.
Without pursuing further in detail the action of the church on the important subject of slavery, it is now deemed proper to present a syn- opsis of the reasons for the separation of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States into two portions-the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Methodist Episcopal Church South. While there may be differences of opinion with regard to minor points of controversy, it can be positively stated that had there been no slavery there would have been no epoch of separation. The existence of this institution, the nec- essary connection with it of church members and its perpetual agitation in the quarterly, annual and general conferences, because of the perpet- ual and increasing agitation of the question outside of the conferences, was finally the occasion of the disruption of the Methodist Episcopal Church, which has been and probably ever will be a potent cause of re- gret to thousands of Methodists in both sections of the country, and probably to all except those who can clearly discern the hand of Provi- dence in all events, and who are settled in their convictions that " He doeth all things well.".
The General Conference met in New York May 1, 1844. It was the most memorable conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church ever held in the United States. The first question of importance which occupied its attention was that of Francis A. Harding, who had been suspended by the Baltimore Conference from the ministerial office for refusing to man- umit five slaves belonging to his wife at the time of his marriage to her, and which, according to the laws of Maryland, still remained hers after the marriage. The action of the Baltimore Conference in suspending
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Mr. Harding is sufficiently set forth in the following preamble and reso- lution:
WHEREAS, The Baltimore Conference can not and will not tolerate slavery in any of
* * * * its members. * * * *
Resolved, That Brother Harding be suspended until the next Annual Conference or until he assures the Episcopacy that he has taken the necessary steps to secure the free- dom of his slaves.
With this demand Brother Harding failed to comply because, accord- ing to his plea, of his inability under the laws of the State to do so; but he nevertheless expressed a willingness to emancipate them and permit them to go to Africa or to any free State provided they were willing to accept freedom on those terms, but no evidence tends to show that any attempt was made to obtain their consent, or that their consent was obtained, and thus their emancipation was impracticable, for they could not live free in Maryland without violating the laws. But notwithstand- ing the impracticability of emancipation the action of the Baltimore Con- ference in the case of Mr. Harding was, on appeal to the General Confer- ence, after able arguments for the appellant by Dr. W. A. Smith, of Vir- ginia, and for the Baltimore Conference by John A. Collins, of Baltimore, sustained by the General Conference by a refusal to reverse it, the vote being 117 against reversal to 56 in favor of it, taken on the 11th of May.
Another and still more important case came before the conference on May 22, in that of Bishop James O. Andrew, of Georgia, who had, against his own will, become connected with slavery. Several years previous to the meeting of this General Conference an old lady had bequeathed to him a mulatto girl in trust to be taken care of until she should arrive at the age of nineteen, when, if her consent could be obtained, she should be set free and sent to Liberia; but in case she should refuse to go to Liberia he should keep her and make her as free as the laws of Georgia would permit. When the time came she refused to go to Liberia, and as emancipation and continued residence in Georgia afterward was imprac- ticable, Bishop Andrew remained her owner. About five years previous to the meeting of this conference, Bishop Andrew's wife's mother left to her a negro boy, and Mrs. Andrews dying, without a will, the boy became the property of the Bishop. Besides all this, Bishop Andrew, in January, 1844, was married to his second wife, who had inherited from her former husband's estate some slaves. After this marriage Bishop Andrew, unwilling to retain even part ownership in these inherited slaves, secured them to his wife by a deed of trust. But with reference to the first two slaves mentioned the Bishop became a slave-holder by the action of other people. The General Conference, impelled to action by the growing and assertive anti-slavery sentiment throughout the North-
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
ern States and the Northern Conferences, took action upon Bishop Andrew's case by passing the famous Finley Resolution, which was as follows:
WHEREAS, The Discipline of our Church forbids the doing of anything calculated to destroy our itinerant General Superintendency; and whereas Bishop Andrew has become connected with slavery, by marriage and otherwise, and this act having drawn after it circumstances which, in the estimation of this General Conference, will greatly embarrass the exercise of his office as an itinerant General Superintendent, if not, in some places, entirely prevent it; therefore
Resolved, That it is the sense of this General Conference that he desist from the exer- cise of his office so long as this impediment remains.
To clearly perceive the grounds for the passing of this resolution it is necessary to have reference to the discipline then governing the Methodist Episcopal Church. Of this discipline there were but two rules having either direct or indirect bearing upon the case, the first being as follows: "The bishop is amenable to the General Conference, who have power to expel him for improper conduct if they see it necessary;" and the second being what has been called the Compromise Law of 1816 on the subject of slavery: "We declare that we are as much as ever convinced of the great evil of slavery, therefore no slave-holder shall be eligible to any official station in our church hereafter where the laws of the State in which he lives will admit of emancipation and permit the liberated slave to enjoy freedom. When any traveling preacher becomes an owner of a slave or slaves by any means, he shall forfeit his ministerial character in our church, unless he execute, if it be practicable, a legal emancipation of such slaves conformably to the laws of the State in which he lives."
The above is all that is contained in the discipline concerning bish- ops and slavery. It would seem clear enough that the Bishop had vio- lated no rule of discipline if it were true that under the laws of Georgia emancipated slaves could not enjoy their freedom. And as no attempt was made by any one on behalf of the conference to prove that emanci- pated slaves could enjoy their freedom in Georgia, it must be assumed even if it were not the fact that under the laws of his State it was im- practicable for Bishop Andrew to emancipate his slaves. The probabil- ity is that the true attitude for the present to sustain toward the confer- ence of 1844 is one of sympathy rather than of censure, even by those who still regret the division in the church. It felt impelled and even compelled to take action upon this question that should satisfy at least a portion of the conferences, and chose to satisfy the majority-the anti- slavery portion, those opposed to the election of or the continuance in office or in orders of a slave-holding bishop. The venerable Dr. Olin, of the New York Conference, probably expressed the sense of the confer- ence as accurately as it can be expressed at the present day when he
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
said: "I look at this proposition* not as a punishment of any grade or sort. I believe that what is proposed by this substitute to be a constitutional measure, dishonorable to none, unjust to none. As such I should wish it to go forth with the solemn declaration of this General Conference that we do not design it as a punishment or a censure; that it is in our apprehension only a prudential and expedient measure, calculated to avert the great evils that threaten us."
Looking at the question now from our present vantage ground it is evident that Dr. Olin could clearly discern the signs of the times. Division and separation, emanating from some source, it was impossible to avoid. The grand wave of anti-slavery sentiment had obtained im- pulse, and was irresistibly increasing in both volume and momentum. The General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, no less than the discipline, was, like every other obstacle this grand wave encountered, unable long to resist. The conference therefore, having to choose be- tween the discipline and the unity of the great body of the church, chose to sacrifice the discipline. Dr. Olin in another part of the same speech from which the above extract is taken, with reference to the prob- able consequences of the passage of the Finley Resolution, said : "Yet allowing our worst fears all to be realized, the South will have this ad- vantage over us. The Southern Conferences are likely in any event to harmonize among themselves-they will form a compact body. In our Northern Conferences this will be impossible in the present state of things. They cannot bring their whole people to act together on one common ground; stations and circuits will be so weakened and broken as in many instances to be unable to sustain their ministry. I speak on this point in accordance with the convictions of my own judgment, after hav- ing traveled 3,000 miles through the New England and New York Confer- ences, that if some action is not had on this subject calculated to hold out hope-to impart a measure of satisfaction to the people-there will be distractions and divisions ruinous to souls and fatal to the permanent interests of the church. * * But, sir, I will yet trust that we may put far off this evil day. If we can pass such a measure as will shield our principles from infringement, if we can send forth such a measure as will neither injure nor justly offend the South, and as shall neither censure nor dishonor Bishop Andrew, and yet shall meet the press- ing wants of the church, and, above all, if Almighty God shall be pleased to help by pouring out His Spirit upon us, we may yet avoid the rock upon which we now seem too likely to split."
A brief extract from an unfulfilled prophecy by the Rev. George F.
*The Finley Resolution.
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
Pierce, of Georgia, a young and exceedingly enthusiastic divine, is as fol- lows: "Set off the South and what is the consequence? Do you get rid of embarrassment, discord, division, strife? No, sir, you multiply divis- ions. There will be secessions in the Northern Conferences, even if Bishop Andrew is deposed or resigns. Prominent men will abandon your church. I venture to predict that when the day of division comes- and come I believe it will from the present aspect of the case-that in ten years from this day and perhaps less, there will not be one shred of the distinctive peculiarities of Methodism left within the conferences that depart from us. The venerable man who now presides over the Northern Conferences may live out his time as a bishop, but he will never have a successor. Episcopacy will be given up; presiding-eldership will be given up; the itinerancy will come to an end, and congregationalism will be the order of the day."
The vote on the Finley resolution was taken on the 1st of June, and resulted in its adoption by the vote of 111 to 69. Of the yeas four were from the Baltimore Conference, and one from Texas-the only ones from a conference within slave-holding territory. All the members from Ten- nessee Conferences voted against the resolution as follows: Holston Con- ference-E. F. Sevier, S. Patton, T. Springfield; Tennessee Conference --- R. Paine, J. B. McFerrin, W. L. P. Green, T. Maddin; Memphis Con- ference-G. W. D. Harris, S. S. Moody, William McMahon, T. Joyner. An attempt to declare the action advisory only was laid on the table by a vote of 75 to 68. On the same day, June 3, a series of resolutions pro- posing the formation of two General Conferences was referred to a com- mittee, which failed to agree, and on the 5th, the following "declaration of the Southern members" was presented by Dr. Longstreet:
" The delegates of the conference in the slave-holding States take leave to declare to the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, that the continued agitation on the subject of slavery and abolition in a portion of the church, the frequent action on that subject in the General Conference, and especially the extra-judicial proceedings against Bishop Andrew, which resulted on Saturday last in the virtual suspension of him from his office as superintendent, must produce a state of things in the South which renders a continuance of the jurisdiction of the General Conference over these conferences inconsistent with the success of the ministry in the slave-holding States."
This declaration was signed by all the members of the Southern Conferences, and by J. Stamper from the Illinois Conference, and was then referred to a select committee of nine, with instructions that if they could not devise a plan for an amicable adjustment of the difficulties then
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
existing in the church, on the subject of slavery, to devise, if possible. a constitutional plan for a mutual and friendly division of the church. On the 7th of June this committee reported a plan of separation, which after much discussion was adopted-four of the resolutions by an average vote of 141 to 11, and the remaining seven and the preamble without a divis- ion. In the resolutions provision was made for an equitable division of the book concerns in New York and Cincinnati and the chartered fund, and all the property of the Methodist Episcopal Church in meeting- houses, parsonages, colleges, schools, conference funds, cemeteries, etc., within the limits of the Southern organization was secured to the South- ern Church, so far as the resolution could be of force.
The Southern delegation to the General Conference issued a call for a convention to be composed of delegates from the several annual confer- ences within the slave-holding States, in the ratio of one to every eleven members, to meet in Louisville, Ky., May 1, 1845. When this conven- tion met Bishops Soule and Andrew presided, and after full deliberation it declared the Southern Conferences a distinct church, under the name of "The Methodist Episcopal Church South." The first General Confer- ence of this church met at Petersburg, Va., May 1, 1846. It was com- posed of eighty-five delegates from sixteen Southern Conferences, those from Tennessee being as follows: Holston Conference-Samuel Patton, David Fleming, Timothy Sullins, Thomas K. Catlett, Elbert F. Sevier. Tennessee Conference-John B. McFerrin, Robert Paine, Fountain E. Fitts, Alexander L. P. Green, John W. Hanner, Edmund W. Sehon, Samuel S. Moody, Frederick G. Ferguson, Ambrose F. Driskill. Mem- . phis Conference-Moses Brock, George W. D. Harris, William Mc- Mahon, William M. McFerrin, Arthur Davis, John T. Baskerville. By this conference Rev. William Capers, D. D., and Rev. Robert Paine, D. D., were elected bishops. At the time of the separation in 1845 there were in the Southern Church about 450,000 communicants, and in 1860 757,205. During the civil war this number was considerably reduced. In 1875 there were 37 annual conferences and 737,779 communicants, of whom 4,335 were Indians and 2,085 colored, and 346,750 Sunday- school scholars.
As was naturally to be expected, the three conferences in Tennessee adhered to the Methodist Episcopal Church South. In 1840 the num- bers of members in each of these conferences was as follows: Holston Conference-White members, 25,902; colored members, 2,420; local preachers, 304. Tennessee Conference-White members, 21,675; col- ored members, 4,405; local preachers, 208. Memphis Conference -- White members, 12,497; colored members, 1,995; local preachers, 183.
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
The traveling preachers in each conference were as follows: Holston, 70; Tennessee, 109; Memphis, 69. In 1845 the Holston Conference reported 95 traveling and 327 local preachers, and 34,414 white, 4,083 colored, and 108 Indian members. Tennessee Conference reported (in 1846) 153 traveling ministers, 33,219 white and 8,036 colored members, and Mem- phis Conference reported (in 1846) 101 traveling and 310 local preach- ers, and 23,111 white and 6,003 colored members.
The boundaries of the Holston Conference were fixed by the General Conference of 1874 so as to include "East Tennessee and that part of Middle Tennessee now embraced in the Pikeville District; that part of Virginia and West Virginia which is now embraced in the Rogersville, Abingdon, Jeffersonville and Wytheville District south of the line of the Baltimore Conference, and including Jacksonville; the line between the Baltimore and the Holston Conferences running straight from Jackson- ville, in Floyd County, to Central Depot in Montgomery County, so as to embrace in the Holston Conference the territory known as the New Hope Circuit; that part of the State of North Carolina which lies west of the Blue Ridge; a small part lying east of said ridge, embracing the Catawba Circuit, and that part now in the Wytheville District; and so much of the State of Georgia as is included in the following boundary: Beginning on the State line of Tennessee at the eastern part of Lookout Mountain; thence to the Alabama State line; thence north with said line to Island Creek, and with said creek and the Tennessee River to the State line of Tennessee, and thence to the beginning, including the town of Graysville, Ga."
In 1875 this conference reported 171 traveling and 294 local preach- ers, 38,087 white, 140 colored, and 176 Indian members, and 23,226 Sun- day-school scholars. In 1880 the report was 161 traveling and 290 local preachers; 44,279 white, 48 colored, and 148 indian members, and 28,541 Sunday-school scholars. In 1885 the following was the report: 158 traveling preachers, 308 local preachers, and 46,529 white members, neither colored nor Indian members reported; the number of Sunday-school schol- ars was 35,116. When the Federal Armies took possession of East Ten- nessee many of the Methodists in that section desired the services of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and under authority given by the General Conference of 1864, Holston Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church was organized, its first session being held at Athens, Tenn., June 1, 1865. The numbers reported to this conference were as follows: 48 traveling and 55 local preachers, 6,107 members and 2,425 Sunday-school scholars. In 1876 the numbers were 105 traveling and 237 local preach- ers, 23,465 members, 10,413 Sunday-school scholars, 190 churches val-
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
ued at $173,485, and 11 parsonages valued at $7,077. The boundaries of this conference, according to the discipline of 1876 were, on the east by North Carolina, north by Virginia and Kentucky, on the west by the western summit of the Cumberland Mountains, south by Georgia and the Blue Ridge, including that portion of North Carolina not in the North Carolina Conference. The statistics of the Tennessee Conference Meth- odist Episcopal Church South for 1846, have been given above. In 1874 its limits were so determined as to include Middle Tennessee, except the Pikesville District. In 1876 it reported 198 traveling and 331 local preach- ers, and 41,297 members. In 1880 the numbers were as follows: 19S trav- eling and 343 local preachers, 46,428 white, and 15 colored members; 22 .- 562 Sunday-school scholars, and the collections for missions amounted to $7,303.80. In 1885 the report from this conference showed 169 travel- ing and 314 local preachers, 52,865 white, and 11 colored members; 24,- 675 Sunday-school scholars, and $12,610.65 collected for foreign mis- sions, and $3.368.20 for domestic missions.
The Tennessee Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church was organized at Murfreesboro, October 11, 1866, by Bishop Clark, under authority of the General Conference. At this time it reported 40 trav- eling and 49 local preachers, 3,173 members, 2,548 Sunday-school schol- ars, and 13 churches, valued at $59,100. In 1868 its boundaries were so determined as to include that portion of Tennessee not included in the Holston Conference. In 1876 the statistics were 96 traveling and 206 local preachers, 12,26S members, 8,359 Sunday-school scholars, 142 churches, valued at $206,940, and 7 parsonages, valued at $2,500. Un- - der authority of the General Conference of 1876 this conference was divided by separating the white and colored work. The statistics for 1877 are as follows: 41 traveling and 193 local preachers, 11,638 mem- bers, 8,329 Sunday-school scholars, 197 churches valued at $137,025, and 15 parsonages valued at $4,000.
The Memphis Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, a part of the statistics of which have already been given, was set off from the Tennessee Conference by the General Conference, which met in Bal- timore June 1, 1840. At the division of the church in 1845 it adhered to the other Southern conferences. Its original boundaries were as fol- lows: "Bounded on the east by the Tombigbee River, Alabama State Line and Tennessee River; on the north by the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers; west by the Mississippi River, and south by the line running due east from the Mississippi River to the southwest corner of Talla- hatchie County; thence due east to the southeastern corner of Yallabusha County; thence in straight line to the northwestern corner of Oktibaha
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
County; thence due east to the Tombigbee River." In 1874 the south- ern boundary was changed so as to conform to the State line between Tennessee and Mississippi. In 1871 there were in this conference 278 local preachers and 27,833 members. In 1876 the following was the re- port: 125 traveling and 276 local preachers, 31,627 members and 15,726 Sunday-school scholars. In 1880 there were 140 traveling preachers, 238 local preachers, 33,329 white members, 18,610 Sunday-school schol- ars, and amount of collections for missions, $6,021.60, and in 1885 there were 127 traveling preachers, 233 local preachers, 28,584 white mem- bers, 21,884 Sunday-school scholars, and collections for foreign missions, $6,757.62, and for domestic missions, $1,032.41.
The convention which organized this church, in 1845, at Louisville, favored the establishment of a book concern, and appointed two book agents -- Rev. John Early and Rev. J. B. McFerrin-to receive proposals for the location of the book concern, and also moneys and contributions for building up the same, requiring them to report at the time of the General Conference to be held at Petersburg May, 1846. This conference provided for a book concern, with Rev. John Early as agent, and assist- ants and depositories at Louisville, Charleston and Richmond. The "plan of separation" contemplated an equitable division of the common property, but the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church subsequently pronounced the plan of separation null and void and re- fused to abide by the settlement of 1844, upon which the Methodist Episcopal Church South took the case to the civil courts and secured a decision in its favor. The decree relating to the book concern was given April 25, 1854. The proceeds of these suits were as follows: Cash, $293,334.50; notes and accounts transferred, $50,575.02; book stock, $20,000; accounts against Richmond and Nashville Christian Advocate, $9,500; presses at Richmond, Charleston and Nashville, $20,000, and from the chartered fund, $17,712; aggregate $414,141.62. The total amount realized from these various sums was $386,153.63. The General Conference favored a book concern proper for the South, and accordingly the committee brought in a plan for a book establishment at the city of Nashville for the purpose of manufacturing books, to be called the Pub- lishing House of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, to be under the control of two agents and a committee of three to be called the book committee. In August, 1854, the agents purchased in Nashville a lot fronting on the public square sixty-eight feet and extending back to the Cumberland River nearly 300 feet, upon which buildings were erected from three to four stories high, costing in the aggregate $37,282.52. In 1858 the General Conference determined to have but one agent, but
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