rrioc j'o. 204.
Tarborough, Edgecombe County, JV. C. Friday, July 18, 1828.
Foi. IF". JVo. 48.
THE "FREE PRESS,"
Z?y Geo. Io-ward,
I? published weekly, (every Friday,) at
riM H0 1.1. A R R nrr VIUV f nr. CO
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ytvj Subscribers residing at a distance must
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se reference in this vicinity. No subscrip
tion discontinued unless a notification to that
effect is given.
Letters addressed to the Editor must be
pit paid.
TO THE
MEMBERS OF THE
Methodist Episcopal ChurcL
It is known to many of you, that a
contest in the Methodist Episcopal
Church, has been carried on for several
years, the one side called Reformers,
or Radicals, insisting that the Church
Government should be so far modified
as to admit of a representation, in the
councils of the church, from that part of
its members hitherto not represented,
consisting of the loc;l preachers and lay
members of said church; and the other
side insisting with much vehemence,"
against the right as well as the expedi
ency of such a measure. It is also
inowa to you, that in furtherance of the
views of the Reformers, and as a means
to effect them, Union Societies have
teen established in different sections of'
this vast Republic, and two in this!
State, one in Granville county, Tar Ri-j
ver Circuit, and one in Halifax county,;
Roanoke Circuit. It must he also'
known to many of you, that for estab-j
lishing these Union Societies the mem-:
bers of the church have been expelled,'
first in the state of Tennessee, then in
Tar River Circuit, and then in 13alti-!
more. A degree of alarm has subsisted,;
and docs still subsist anions Reformers :
generally, that while their opponents are
lopping off their brethren almost daily
all around them, they would be making!
calculations altogether futile, for one;
moment to expect, that the arm oi pow
er will be stayed in their favor. In
submitting, therefore, to your consider
ation the following documents, the Roa
noke Union Society presumes upon
your indulgence, in expressing a hope
that you will give them a candid exami
nation, and judge, whether under pre
sent circumstances they have commit
ted wrong.
On the 4th day of April, 1S2S, at a
Union meeting assembled at Bradford's
Meeting-house, Roanoke Circuit, the
Society being informed, that the Rev.
Wji. Compton was appointed to take
charge of Roanoke Circuit, and being
acquainted with his views of the contest
now existing from the part taken by
him, in an adjoining Circuit, in expelling
several members there, for the solitary
fact, that they had become members of a
Union Society the Roanoke Union So
ciety entered into the following resolu
tions, and ordered a copy of them to be
furnished their minister, requesting im
reply:
"Resolved, That the expulsion of Lewel
len Jones and others, in the Tar River Cir
cuit, in the year 1826, jor joining the Union
Society thereand more particularly, the
part borne in that unfortunate transaction,
by the Rev. YVm. Compton, now appointed
a minister in this Circuit-meets with the
decided disapprobation of this Society.
"Resolved, That individually, we appre
hend a similar course is intended to be pur
sued towards ourselves; it being a sound
maxim, that what has been done, m all pro
babilitv will be repeated.
Resolved, therefore, That before we can
receive as a messenger of peace the said
Uv. Wm. Compton, we must be assured,
.u" i :n Mvnrto renair the wrong
he has committed, by using his best efforts
to restore to the Metnoaisi " "
the said Lewellcn Jones, and othcis that
were expelled for the same cause.
To which resolutions th fnllnivj
reply was received: c
"To the Members of the Roanoke Union
Sonety.
"Dear Brethren From the friendly and re
spectful treatment I received from the Re
orders, on my first round on the Circuit, I
had flattered myself, that however we might
differ in our sentiments on church govern
ment, that nothing unpleasant would occur
between you and me through the year. But,
from a communication received from you, I
am apprehensive that I shall be disappoint
ed. For be ye well assured, that I am not
conscious of having done wrong in the part
that I acted in Quarterly Conference, in re
ference to Lewellcn Jones arid others. As
to the Reformers in this Circuit, I had in
dulged a hope that they would not interfere
'vith me or my concerns, but were willing
that I should think for myself, and that thev
would cast their influence with mine into the
same common scale of truth, and do what
they could to help forward the interest of
the Redeemer's kingdom. While 1 had con
cluded within myself, that if they continued
to conduct themselves as they had clone,
since I came into the circuit, so far as I had
knowledge of iheit proceedings, that I should
leave them as my predecessors had done be
fore me. You seem to have resolved not to
receive me as a "messenger of peace," un
less I give the "assurance" you have de
manded this I shall not do, and of coarse I
am rejected. But I should like to know by
whom, not in the aggregate, but by name.
For I cannot consistently darken the door or
eat the breadof any .man, into whose house I
am not received a ''messenger of peace:" and
if it be by a majority of the representative
department of any Class, that I am thus re
jected, I should take it as an instance of can
dor and honesty to be advertised of the fact,
that 1 may shape my course accordingly. I
have no hesitation in saying that I am on the
old side, where I mean to continue, unless
my mind should very materially change, or
the majority should say that there shall be a
change in the government of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. Nor have I any idea
that any of the Reforming brethren in this
Circuit will change their ground, for the
same reason that I shall not change mine.
"Wherefore then, permit me to ask, is the
necessity of our agitating this subject, when
we know that both the one and the other are
fixed in their purpose? Have we time hang
ing so heavily on our hands, that we must
necessarily pass it off in a way which is oft
en the means of harrowing up the feelings
of brethren? Would we not act more wisely
to "agree to disagree," and let this subject
be more still in our frequent conversations
with each other? Surely, my brethren, we
must admit that there has been too much
asperity on both sides already, and that it is
high time for us to deplore the languishing
state of Zion in this Circuit. Time is flying
with the rapidity of light, and souls more
precious a thousand fold, than the gold of
Ophir, are peopling the eternal world by
myriads. And should we not then, instead
of catching at shadows, nerve the strong arm
of faith, and take of the things of God and
eternity, and show them toadying world?
Let this be the burden of our concern, and
the object of our contention, and then may
we hope to see the waste places of our belo
ved Zion restored. And finally, let it be for
the man of sin, but not for the man of God,
(and more especially the minister of Jesus
Christ,) to say, that the man who docs not
sec exactly as he sees, is not a "messenger
of peace. Reject me if you think proper,
brethren, and with me the Gospel of Christ;
but take care that in so doing you do not "re-
From this passage it is very plain that
the author of the letter wishes it to be infer
red, that he is the aggrieved party in this
affair, and is endeavoring to turn the scales
and make himsclt a persecuted being, to
whom the right of private judgment is de
nied and he writes with as much assurance
as if the fact were so. In the name of good
ness, who would suppose, from perusing the
passage referred to, that W. Compton had
ever in nis lite censured, mucn more pun
ished, and that severely too,) a brother for
the same thing he affects to plead for? Who
could suppose that with so much charity on
his lips, he had ever raised his hand against
an inoffensive man? Yet it is so this iden
tical W. Compton, (unless be believe the
eastern tale of the dervise killing the king,
and leaving his own body add taking up his
abode in that of his majesty and that this is
only W. Compton in appearance, and the
soul in the body is quite another existence,)
within less than two years, in one day's jour
ney of Bradford's Chapel, had exerted all his
influence, (and boasted in the accomplish
ment of his object,) not only to censure, but
to Dunish Jones and several others, for at
tempting practically to exercise the very
principle he so affectedly rants about. Such
is the fact Surely this is "something new."
iJc? tllc counsel of God against yourselves."
VV ith these remarks I conclude, by taking
the liberty of subscribing myself, dear bre
thren, yours in the kingdom and patience of
Jesu; VVM. COMPTON.
"May the 5th, 1828."
On the 6th of June, 1828, the follow
ing Report was handed in by the Com
mittee of Correspondence, and concur
red in by the Society:.
"Your committee'think they will not
he deemed, by this Society, to take any
thing on themselves, but what as a com
mitted of correspondence they ought to
do, if they endeavor to exhibit to the
Society, its situation as a Society in re
gard to the perils of its members, and to
justify the course of the Society in the
adoption ol the resolutions aforesaid
in doing which it becomes nroner to ex
amine the circumstances under which
they were adopted.
"Recent information from B-iTiimnro:
giving details of occurrences there, in
which the Rev. Mr. Hanson acted so
notable a part, had placed the matter be
yond the reach of a reasonable doubt,
thai it had become the decided determi
nation of the rulers in our church, to ex
pel from its membership all such, as had
the hardihood, in their estimation, to
question their justice or their infallibili
ty. It was, in other words, declared an
offence, and for its commission the par
ty was expelled, it in the exercise of a
risht, guaranteed to us all by. our fun
damental laws, any member should de
clare, in his opinion, a minister of the
Gospel had committed wronsr: an of-
tence oi so trivial a nature, as not to be
ftneable, if committed towards. the high
est officer recognized by these United
Slates. It was also a fact, beyond the
reach of denial, that one Lewellcn Jones,
in 1 ar Kivcr Circuit, had been but late
ly expelled for becoming a member of a
Union society it was also a fact equal
ly notorious, that in the transaction the
Rev. Wm. Comjiton had taken a deci
sive and active part in behalf of irre
sponsible power.
"When this Society was informed,
that the said Rev. Wm. Compton was
appointed to take charge of this Circuit,
it could but occur to the Societv. so an-
parcntly that it was impossible but it
should notice it, that its own member
ship stood on a foundation somewhat
precarious with a minister who had
avowed his determination not tribe neu
tral; who had compared Reformers to
"thieves and tories;" who charged them
with designs to overturn whatever he
considered lovely or venerable in our
church; who had boldly and with com
placency declared, that Reformers might
be expelled, though tney were guilty of
no immoral net; who had avowed it to
be both "just and generous to ransack
the conversations of men at great distan
ces and fix whatever was exceptionable
in them on the accused person, however
innocent he might be of their thoughts
or ignorant of their expressions it is
conceived by your committee, that the
Society was urged, both by a sense of
sympathy to the injured and safety to it
self, to adopt the resolutions.
"The Society feeling, as it-ought to
have done, the weight of its responsibi
lity, was bound by every consideration
that ought to influence if, to ascertain in
direct terms, whether its fears were rea
sonable or groundless; thinking if they
wgre the latter, no candid, no religious
man could or would, for one moment,
refuse to make reparation for an injury
committed by him. If the former, how
is it possible that it could receive, as a
brother, as a minister, as a "messenger
of peace,'' the man who, of all others,
had made himself so conspicuous in com
mitting havoc among its brethren? It
is not in nature to do so.
"Your committee are of opinion, that
the apprehensions of the Society were
reasonable, and that the answer of the
said Rev. Wm. Compton to the resolu
tions of this Societv, has reduced to cer
tainty that they were so. The letter de
clares the writer had come to the con
clusion to leave the Reformers here as
he found them; but at the same time
gives Us to understand that he had done
so, from the very friendly treatment he
had received from them; and even this
small boon is taxed with the condition
of their demeaning themselves in the
same way, as far as his knowledge of
their conduct extended. Your commit
tee, while they express the satisfaction
of knowing, that the very friendly con
duct of the Reformers, had disarmed a
belligerent, are at the same time of opi
nion', that the difficulty of obtaining a
Court, to answer his purpose, in the
manner prescribed by the Book of Dis
cipline, might, very possibly, have been
an inducement in the formation of the
said determination. The answer to your
resolution further declares, and that too
in a manner that we cannot hesitate to
believe the truth of the declaration," that
as respects the conduct of the Rev. Wm."
Compton in the affair of Lewellen Jones,
he feels no degree of compunction.
Your committee, therefore, cannot hesi
tate to think, that in regard to each one
of your Society, his abilities would be
exerted and his power lent to place us
where the said Lewellen Jones is out
of the pale of the church.
But our brother Compton affects to
believe, that your resolutions are predi
cated on the circumstance of his being
anti reformation that his belief is but
affectation becomes apparent from the
fact, that it must be known to himy that
no such resolution was adopted in regard
to the Rev. Mr. Carson, the Rev. Mr.
Bain, the Rev. Mr. Doub, or the Rev.
Mr. Hooks, all known to be in princi
ple against reform; and from the
fact, that the resolutions themselves
do not even so much as imply such a
construction.
"The resolutions say, in the first
place, that the Society disapproves the
expulsion of Lewellen Jones, and that
disapprobation is founded on the cir
cumstance of Lewellen Jones being a
Reformer and being expelled therefor.
In the second place, the Society disap
prove the part taken, in regard to Jones,
by the Rev. Wm. Compton. In the
third place, the Rev. Wm. Compton be
ing appointed to take charge of this Cir
cuit, the Society says it is apprehensive
a similar course is intended to be pur
sued in regard to each member and in
consequence of all these circumstances
united, it resolves, that before it can re
ceive as a "messenger of peace, the
said Rev. Wm. Compton, it must be as
sured that he will repair the wrong he
has committed, by using his best efforts
to restore to the church the said Lewel
len Jones." Your committee beg leave
to call the attention of the Society to the
fact, that the Rev. Wm. Compton takes
no notice whatever, in his very mild and
friendly letter, of the second resolution,
the one most interesting to this Society.
Our brother seems to reproach us with
a waste of time, and that too in a man
ner calculated to harrow the feelings of
brethren in one respect your resolu
tions were a waste of time, since on him
they seem to be of no effect. From the
tenor of his letter your just fears seem
to be regarded in the same light as a
crowned head would the remonstrances
of his subjects, when he was determined
to disregard them.
"The world is not centred, however,
in one man your committee are of opi
nion, that the cause for which this So
ciety is contending, 3nd in furtherance
of which the resolutions were passed,
seems to them, at least, to be of that im
portance, that a few days, or weeks, or
years, may be very profitably devoted
to it, without deserving the reproach of
a waste of time. Since, however, it is
almost criminal in the view of the Rev.