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E ' VOL XXIX. NO 3. THE ORGAN OF THE NORTH CAROLINA CONFERENCE OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SOUTH. ESTABLISHED 1855 iS RALEIGH, N. C, WEDNESDAY, JAN. 23, 1884. Zi7teX;g:2S J . v- if I ?! Sri I si P P f I 3 ; For the Advocate. Our Virginia Correspondence. BY REV. JOHN E. EDWARDS, D. D. REV. HEZEKIAH G. LEIGH, D. D. In reviewing the North Carolina Conference from 1837 to 1S45, the period of my connection with it as a Conference, there was no one individ ual member of the Conference, in my present estimate of the men, that oc cupied a more conspicuous and promi nent position, during that period, than the Rev. Hezekiah G. Leigh, D. D. He was admitted on trial in the Va. Conference in 18 iS, in company with that great man, Peter Doub; and, that eloquent man, Geo. W. Charleton;and others less generally known and re membered. Hezekiah G. Leigh soon rose to eminence as a preacher. As early as 1S22 he was stationed in Pe tersburg, Va. ; an appointment which at that time was second to none in the Conference. As an evidence of his popularity and success he was re turned to the same charge in 1S23. But the other day I attended the fun eral of John Stroud, one of the best men that ever lived, and one of the eldest Methodists in Petersburg, who was converted during a great revival under the ministry of Mr. Leigh, in 1 Si 2. Old Brother Stroud "Uncle Johnny," as we called him, has fre quently told me of the wonderful power that attended the ministry of Hezekiah G. Leigh during these two years, 1822 23. He was a handsome young man, of pleasing manners, and of captiva ting address. The best people of the town flocked to hear him preach. HOW HE ADVANCED. In 1825 Mr. Leigh was made Pre siding Elder of the Meherrin District, then extending from Lynchburg to Petersburg; and, in the early days of my ministry I used to hear marvellous stories of the wonderful effects pro duced by his great sermons. He made a lasting impression, by his preaching, all around his large District, and was instrumental in the conversion of many souls, and in building up the Church. He continued for four vears on the Meherrin District. It was while Mr. Leigh was on this District, embracing the counties of Brunswick and Mecklenburg, that the question was first mooted of building a Methodist College, to be located on the border line between Va. and N. C. Before he left the District steps were taken, looking to the establish ment of the College. COLLGE AGENCY, AND PRESIDING ELDER- SHIP. In 1829 Rev. Hezekiah G Leigh was appointed College Agent, and it became his duty to traverse the whole of the Va. Conference territory in the prosecution of his work in raising funds to build the College. He con tinued in this agency till the Confer ence of 1834, when he was appointed Presiding Elder of the Petersburg Dis trict, on which he continued till the Conference session of 1837, held in Petersburg, Conference Conference: at which time the N. C. was set off from the Va and Hezekiah G. Leigh, henceforward, became identified with the N. C. Conference, till summoned from labor to reward. PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS. In 1836 I was on the Mecklenburg Circuit, as "helper" to Rev. Benj. Kidd. By the way,Mr. Kidd was not satisfied with my doing my own share of the work on the Circuit, but, hav ing a young and beautiful wife with whom he liked to stay, he made me preach for him on the few rest days that fell to me. This by the way Rev. H. G. Leigh was' my Presiding Elder that year; and, as his residence was in Mecklenburg county, and near the College, I saw more of him tha year, than I should otherwise have done. Presiding Elders,in those days commanded the services of the preach ers on their Districts; and, sometimes without a moment's warning, ordered them to repoit for duty at camp-meetings fifty or sixty miles away. In the Fall of 1 8-? 6, Mr. Leigh wrote to me to go to a camp-meeting in North ampton county, at least fifty miles from the nearest point on my Circuit and, further more ordered, that as soon as the meeting closed in North ampton, which he could not attend, I must go to a camp-meeting at Popla Spring, within four or five miles of Petersburg thus taking me twro weeks from my Circuit. It was at that camp-meeting in Northampton I first saw Thomas G. Lowe, and heard him preach. His sermon then gave no doubtful augury of his future popularity as an eloquent preacher. It was in Petersburg, the Sunday before the camp-meeting be gan at Poplar Spring, that Mr. Leigh, my Presiding Elder, put me up to preach to an immense crowd attracted to hear the great Dr. Olin. I had just reached Petersburg Sunday morn ing in time to get to old Union St. Church at 11 o'clock. It was Mr. Leigh's Quarterly Meeting. Dr. Olin, President of R. M. College, had been advertised to preach that morning. Just before 1 1 o'clock, after the congrega tion had assembled, Dr. Olin was j taken sick, and could not preach. I entered the Church, in blissful ignor ance of the fact that Dr. Olin was ex pected to preach; and Mr. Leigh, without informing me of the fact that Dr. Olin was expected to preach at that hour, laid hands on me as soon as I entered the Church, and told me to take the books and preach. In these days we of the rank and file obeyed orders. Happily for me the congregation had never seen Dr. Olin, and did not know there was such a being in existence as myself. I was therefore mistaken for Dr. Olin. When I was done, some of the old sisters put their bonnets into each other, and said: "The Doctor is a much younger man than we expected; but, he is certainly a great preacher." A name goes a long ways sometimes. It certainly did on that occasion., APOLOGY. I did not intend to write so much personal to myself when I began this letter, but the deflection shows off my Presiding Elder, at least in one aspect of his character. He was not ready to preach that morning, and he was not willing to fill the great Dr. Olin's shoes. He knew that I had no repu tation to lose, and he thought he might put the task on me. I cannot say that I exactly approved of the step, but it was useless to debate the point with the great official. He even made me preach the next Sunday morning at n o'clock, at the Camp Meeting this he did however for an other reason than that which con trolled him on the previous Sunday. I will not explain. FURTHER RECOLLECTIONS. Rev. H. G. Leigh, at the time of the division of the Conference territory, was appointed Presiding Elder of the Raleigh District, and 1 was assigned the Raleigh Circuit; so he was my Presiding Elder again, for two vears 37 3. So far as my observation and recollection go, it is 10 me el ect that Dr. Leigh for he received the Doctorate from Randolph Macon allege did not uniformly sustain . . 1 ins reputation as a great preacner, during the time I was associated with aim in the N. C. Conference. There were times however when he did rise to the top of his great power. But, lie needed a stimulus to a great effort. A large congregation; the presence of men of note and distinction; the im pression on his mind that there were great expectations that the people were on tiptoe to hear. These things had the effect to excite him, and to bring out his great ability. Wrhen fully aroused he never failed to meet expectation. I heard him at a camp- meeting, at Soapstone, in the Raleigh Circuit, in 1837, when he came fully up to the top of his ability, and carri ed everything before him. He was dramatic that day, in a high degree. His word painting was to the life; and the action was suited to the word. There is on fiction in saying that his au dience was positively entranced. A QUOTATION. I quote from the Centennial ad dress delivered by myself at the Portsmouth Va. Conference, held in 1882. Speaking of Hezekiah G Leigh, I said: "He was a very Apollo Belvidere in physical stature and pro portion. Bright complexion, blue eyes, and aquiline nose. His voice was round, mil, and musically mod ulated. His style was modled after the best Masters of rhetoric in the pulpit. As a preacher, he had but few equals, and no superiors in his day. He was otten tender and pathet ic; but, at times he dealt in "the ter rors of the law," and, on such oc casions he was transformed into Moses, on Mount Sinai, with fiery clouds around him the glare of the lightning on his brow, and the voice of the embattled thunder shaking the smoking rocks around him. From 7 these sublime altitudes he descended, by easy gradations, to the sunny vale below, where he stood, amid flowers and sunshine, pointing to Calvary and, with tones as sweet and plaintive as the cooing of a dove, he pleaded with sinners to be reconciled to God On such occasions he grew eloquent and carried everything before him like a Si.mmer gale." Dr. Leigh finished his ministry, and died comparatively young. He is held in remembrance as a great preach er; as one of the founders of Randolph Macon College; as a good man an honor to his Church,and a benefactor. NOTES BY THE WAY. Rev. Dr. Bennett, President of R. M. College, spent yesterday (Jan. 13th,) in Petersburg, preaching his great Centenary discourse at Washing ton St. Church in the morning, and at Wesley Church at night. He com menced taking Centennial offerings for the College. In the morning he realized about $300. At night he did well at Wesley. Dr. Bennett intends to make the most of the Centenary year for the benefit of Randolph Ma con College. The bad weather has, to some ex tent, interfered with our preachers on the Circuits, in getting settled, and fully at their work. The Young Men's Christian Associ ation continue, again this week, their daily prayer meetings. Last week they were held every evening at the Washington St. Methodist Church. o This week they will be held at the Washington St. Baptist Church. The attendance is large, from day to day, and the meetings are full of interest. Rev. Mr. Kerr, pastor of Tabb St. Presbyterian Church, has resigned the pastorate of this Church, and will probably accept a call to the First Presbyterian Church in Richmond. It is understood here that there has been a want of agreement between Mr. Kerr and his session, as to whether the pastor or the organist should have control of the Church music. He claimed control. The organist, sus tained by a majority of the Elders, claimed that he had control, at least to some extent. The misunderstand ing drives an earnest good preacher from Petersburg. I state the case as it has come to my ears. I certainly would not make an erroneous state ment. Petersburg, Va., Jan. 14th, 1884. For the Advocate. Our Western letter. IN AND AROUND LOS ANGELOS. From our special correspondent. In coming from San Francisco over the S. P. R. R., the gateway to this section of Cal., is through the San Fernando Tunnel, said to be the long- est, Dut one, in me united states. Emerging from the tunnel we then soon enter the San Fernando valley, and as we pass along down grade, wre pass the old mission of San Fernando, 1 it the former home and headquarters of Andres Pico, the generalissimo of Los Mejicanos in 1846, who, in the Mexi- . 1 1 it can war, at the head. 01 a small army, confronted Gen. Fremont on the slope of El Gabilan, only to be put to an inglorious flight before the veterans under the Path-finder, who came like a whirlwind to this place and planted his cannon upon a hill overlooking the town, not over 100 yards from where I now write. It is worthy of note to mention that two of the can- this valley by Gen. Fremont are now to be seen at the court house doing silent sentinel work; they show plainly the effects of time and rust, having been buried for years, and are interesting relics of those days when our government had that little brush with Mexico and, having whip ped her into subiection,took a slice of her domain of which this section is a part. The old Mexican general above mentioned walks the streets of Los Angelos almost daily, his whitened locks and tottering steps tell the tale of hastening time that soon will cut his form low. Leaving the old mission rancho we soon reach the Los Angelos River and see all around vineyards, groves and L,den looking homes, v isitors usu- ally are taken by surprise on their first arrival in the city, with all that has been heard and read place it is difficult for the mind to grasp the realities of the surroundings of Los Angelos, the Queen of the Angels, as the name implies. Com ing in the winter season the surprise and admiration are the more noted ine beauty and iresnness ot spring and summer meet the eye everywhere and one is not long in finding out that he is in a thriving, bustling city, be yond wnat he expected. 1 he inquiry soon arises in the mind of the writer, what is it that supports and gives such prosperity to the place ? Just here we will take a glance at the early set tlement of the country. As early as 1534 Fernando Cortez, of Spain, un dertook to Christianize the Indians who held dominion over the Penin sula of California, but the undertaking was abandoned and no other effort was made to settle the country until 1769, when an expedition by water and one by Und was sent out from the City of Mexico under the auspices of the Franciscan Order of the Raman Catholic Church. The government of New Spain aided in the work, so that in 177 1 their missions were es tablished within the territory of what is now Los Angelos county. Cattle, horses, sheep, goats and hogs were brought in from old Mexico and soon tht missions were in a flourishing condition, thousands of the native In dians were converted to Christianity, and in time there was a mixed race of people here. Vineyards were set out, orchards planted and farm crops cul tivated; however the principal industry was that of stock raising, and thus matters continued until, in 1846, Cali fornia was annexed to the United States, when the American people of Anglo-Saxon origin began to mix in with the former residents. In 1812, December the 8th, the day of the yearly feast of the Roman Catholic church in commemoration of the conception of the Virgin Mary, an earthquake occurred at the hour of Holy Mass, the building fell and crushed to death many of the worshipers. What is now the Los Angelos River was unknown as a river until a great flood in 1812 cut a channel to the ocean. Before this the waters spread over the plains in various directions, settling in low places and disappear ing. At that date, where now are dry lands, lakes and swamps were com mon and a considerable forest of timber was growing in the valley which mostly disappeared after the channel of the river was opened and the land thus drained. The town of Los Angelos was laid out August 26th, 1 78 1, and was first settled by twelve families, former sol diers of the Spanish government. The town finally became the seat of Government of the Peninsula, and oc casionally civil wars caused much commotion among the people As stated before,during the Mexican war, Col. J. C. Fremont held possession of the town. Later, however, he left it, and again the .Mexicans took posses sion, and resisted the approach of Commodore Stockton and General Kearney. Quite a battle was fought on tne plain near the city, which end ed in the repulse of the Mexicans, and Stockton and Kearney took posses sion, Los Angelos has always, since its first settlement, been the principal town in Southern California, and at the time of the Mexican war, contain ed about 100 inhabitants. In 1850 the country began to settle up with people from the states, and an impetus was given to agricultural pur suits. The outlet for traffic and trav el was via water from the bay on tire coast, some twenty miles south, to San Francisco. The old Spanish part of the town was composed of low buildings constructed of sun-dried brick. Quite a number of these build ings yet remain, but are gradually dis appearing before a much better class of buildings. In 1852 the first kiln of burrt brick was made, and some fine buildings put up the following year. The prosperity of the city has been continued up to the present date However, during the war of the rebel lion a kind of reign of terror prevail ed, which caused, more or less, stagnation of business. There being people here from various sections o the Union, as one might suppose, bit ter animosities were engendered and many a murder was committed; go ing out to hunt" meant hunt for men often the talk at saloons at night would be about . the game "bagged" where it could be found. and Tliree'years ago, when the Southern Pacific K. R. opened up easy com munication with the East, a new era of amazing prosperity for Sauthern California or tropic California, as it is called opened up, and the whole country, has had a continual boom and it seems there is no let up. The stream of emigrants, sight seers health and pleasure seekers, is increas ing all the while. Los Angelos is, to day, a city of strangers; the crowds on the streets and about the hotels, post office, and on the lines of travel, re mind one of a great mining excite ment. As an instance, we have seen two lines of strangers, reaching from the postoffice delivery windows, ou unto 'the pavements, and half a block down the sidewalk, stand waiting for more than an hour, to get their mail There is a free mail delivery through out the city, yet the postoffice officials don't seem to be able to cope with the rapio increase 01 business in a way satisfactory to the public; an earnes effort is being made to get an apppro priation bv Congress to build a com mocious postoffice building here. The city authorities too are unable to make the necessary improvements on the streets to keep the way clear. One grand mistake was made in laying out the business streets; they are too nar row, the sidewalks especially. The city is laid cut in an irregular manner; some of the streets in a zigzag man ner, others pointing in, like the rays of the sun, to a focus. The streets on the hills and bluffs require an immense amount of labor to grade them down to a passable condition. The city is ust beginning to get out of its "short petticoats," that is, to build high ston ed buidings, but now that real estate men are figuring on two, three and r .1 our thousand dollars per toot iront, downward and upward space will be utilized. In our next we will speak of the beauties and wealth of this re markable country, and its peculiar climate, and give a truthful account of its real merits and demerits. - J. S. F. Los Anglos, Cal., Jan. 1884. For the Advocate. Gen. JR. H. Messrs Editors : Your editorial upon tne course pursued by Gen. Vance in the U. S. Congress, will re- ceive the endorsement of every good man in N. C. I feel like reaching my hand all the way to Raleigh to grasp your editorial hand and give it a hearty shake, urging you,as one of 1 1 e great exponential elements of moral senti ment in the South, to write on that line of thought. along The Press of the country has more o do in ereating public sentiment, than any other instrumentality wield ed; and yet, with sorrow I write it, our periodicals, both secular and religious, are governed too much by a morally alse and degrading sentiment. It seems that a great many editors are afraid to speak out "in Church," lest they may lose subscribers, or at least, call upon themselves the anathemas of a besotted class. ! Now, it seems to me, that every public servant of the people is, in the very nature of things, under a most absolute moral necessity, to be a ser vant of God. An irreligious legisla tor, either of State or Nation, is a moral absurdity. He stands in viola tion of the great eternal principle of fitness of til ings. He can no more be a true philanthropist, than the devil can utter a pious prayer. "The imagination of his heart is only evil, and that continually;"hence, self must and will be the god at whose shrine he constantly worships. If the mo tion will contribute in making him more popular with his constituents or party, why, he is in for it with tongue and vote.. But, if, on the other hand, the motion is calculated to render him unpopular with the drunken rabble, though it would prove the sal vation of halt the nation, he talks and votes against it. Not so, however, with "General Bob Vance," as the mountain people call him. He watches for the social and moral interests of all the people. Such has been his course from the be ginning of his public career. He has proved his faith by his works. And . . - t . a ) though he is what politicians call a tliorouqh democrat, yet such has been his fidelity to the peoples' interest that good men of all parties vote for him in preference to any other man. I kno w Gen. Yance.and had I a thousand votes to cast, I would cast them all for him. R. L. Abernethy. For the Advocate. A Sermon by an Indian Chief. The announcement in "The Even ing Star" of this city on last Saturday, that "Rev. Samuel Checote, for many years principal Chief of the Creek na tion, would preach in Mount Vernon Place M. E. Church, South, at n o'clock Sunday morning," drew a very targe and appreciative audience at the morning service. The Rev. Samuel Checote is a tall venerable looking man, fluent in speech and graceful in deportment. He has been a regular minister of the gospel in the M. E. Church, South,for thirty years. He took for his text St. John, iii. 16. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlast ing life." He spoke in the Creek di alect, which was interpreted by Mr. D. M. Hodges, of the Creek nation. His theme was : God's love to man in the gift of His Son, and the adap tation of the gospel to all nations and tribes of men, the one great need of humanity and the balm for all its woes. He preached with great earn estness and the effect was visible up on the large and deeply interested congregation. His illustration of the advent of the Son of God into the world was beautiful and sublime. He alluded to the fact that John Wesley came to this country to preach this same gospel to the Indians of Georgia, more than 100 years ago. Since then large numbers of Methodist Mission aries have been among them, teaching and preaching until they have become Christianized, have a Conference, and ministers and membership numbering ! between 5 and 6,000, which is under ' the supervision of the M. E. Church, South. He spoke of the progress religion and education among the tribe and said they were living in peace and advancing in the arts of Christian civilization. He said this was the first time he ever preached to a congregation of whites. He commended to them that gospel which had done so much for the Indian, and said it was adapted to all classes and conditions of men. The sermon and the occasion will, no doubt, be long remembered, and who can tell, but what this Aboriginal brother preaching the gospel of the Son of God, through an interpreter, at the Capitol of this great . nation, may be the means of saving some souls from eternal death. At the close of the sermon the large congregation joined in singing to the tune of Cornation, that grand old hymn : , ''All hail the power of Jesus name," This stanza: "Let every nation,every tribe." "On this terrestial ball ; "To liira all magesty ascribe, "And crown him Lord of all." Seemed to have a peculiar appro priateness, and beauties never seen before. Truly yours, Robert W. Best. Washington, D. C; Jan. 14th, 1884. JTetltodism Comparatively. We get the following in a letter from a correspondent of the Alahama Advocate: One hundred years ago organic Methodism was planted in Amercia. It had been preceded from 100 to 1 . -m . 200 years by other communions. Roger Williams' organized the first Baptist Church in 1638 245 years ago, 145 years before the Methodists. After nearly 250 years' work the re gular Baptists number 2,500,000 mem bers in America. All forms of im- mersionisU jn.qw number about 3,000, 000. The Presbyterians entered America in 1684, "about fifty years la ter than the Baptists, and 100 years in advance of the Methodists. After 200 years work, that communion, in all forms, Northern and Southern, and Cumberland, numbers 1,150,000 mem bers. The regular Presbyterinns, North and South, have about 900,000 communicants. The Protestant Epis copal Church came with the earliest English colonies, about the year 1600. This was r early 300 years ago, or a little less than 200 years in advance of the Methodists. After nearly 300 years' work, she numbers on her rolls 339,000 communicants. From this it appears that the Episcopal Church was nearly 200 years before the Meth odist in America. The Baptist 150, and the Presbyterian 100 years. In 1784 organic Methodism started in America with a few small classes and a mere handful of members. In 1884 she numbers in her communion 4,100,000. This is 1,600,000 more than the regular Baptists; 1, 100,000 more than all forms of immersionists; 3,000,000 more than the Presbyterian, and 3,761,000 more than the Epis copal. ; In 1784 Methodism had no College in America. In 1884 she has over 300 Colleges, Seminaries, High Schools and Universities. In 1784 Methodism had no church es in America worth the name. In 1884 she has 25,378 churches, with a seating capacity of nearly 7,000,000. She is adding to this list, with an ever increasing ratio, 1,000 churches a year. One branch of Methodism is building over seven hundred churches every year. In 1784 Methodism had no publish ing interest in America. Starting ;n 1789, in New York City, with a bor rowed capital of $600, in 1884 she has in publishing interests nearly $10,000, 000, sending from her presses in books, tracts, periodicals and papers, millions of pages annually. In 1784 Methodism had in America but a few hundred adherents. In 1884 her adherents, besides her mem bership, number ever 20,000,000 souls. In 1784 Methodism in general had but a few missionaries in the foreign f eld. In 1884 she has in Asia in cluding Japan, India, China and Cey lon, 471 regular and local preachers and nearly 1,500 members. InAfrica, Australia and the Polynesian Islands, she has in regular and local preachers 4,400, and a membership of 150,000. In 1784 Methodism had in Amercia but a very few preachers. In 1884 she has in regular and local preachers 58,444. Life is made up not of great sacri fices and duties, but of little things, in which smiles and kindness, and small obligations, given habitually, are what win and preserve the heart and secure comfort. J
North Carolina Christian Advocate (Greensboro, N.C.)
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Jan. 23, 1884, edition 1
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