ward this particular work. And the Freedmen's Aid Society supplemented both the others by very generous and judicious appropriations for the educational work, commenced under Secretary Walden, and prosecuted more extensively by his successor, Dr. Rust. The aggregate outlay by all the benevolent societies of the Methodist Episcopal Church during six years largely exceeded one million of dollars. This vast sum of money was in great part paid for the support of hundreds of preachers and teachers, employed over an area of territory embracing hundreds of thousands of square miles. Not among freedmen only did they labor, for all classes were reached and served by them, who else had been uncared for and unsaved. This general statement is introduced here as preliminary to two inquiries: Would it not have been criminally selfish to have withheld this aid from these needy souls? and, Would it not have been very unwise to have made careless strangers the almoners of this bounty? . Other considerations remain to be mentioned in justification of the presence of the Methodist Episcopal Church, by organization as well as by mere agencies, in the Southern States. Among the ministers and members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, there were some whose loyalty to the Federal Government separated them from their brethren, and exposed them to persecution, and in some cases even expulsion, from that Church. There were also many members, whose separation from the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1845 was always deemed by them an injustice, which they had waited long to have redressed. These both sought to resume their place in the communion of the Church of their choice. Another class was found at the South, whose claims could not be overlooked. A large and increasing number of Methodists from the North resided in the South, whose business pursuits and social status did not interfere with their devotion to the interests of their own Church. They had been, in many instances, offensively repulsed by Southern Churches, for the friendship of Southern Churchmen in many cases was conditioned upon a surrender of conviction, conscience, and personal independence of thought and action. Refusing these conditions, this class stood out in the world, uncared for by any pastor's oversight. From each of these classes enuiner ated an earnest and continued cry was heard, "Come, help us!" The Methodist Episcopal Church heard and answered that cry. Would she not have been recreant to duty had she hesitated to consider questions of ecclesiastical etiquette, and refused to cross an imaginary border line which slavery had prescribed? The indications of the will of God, by the providential openings afforded, were almost as plainly expressed as when the Spirit said to Peter, "Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them." And the results following are even more demonstrative in proof of this than the antecedent facts seemed to be peremptory in their demands for aid. These statements furnish an answer to the inquiry, Why did the Methodist Episcopal Church enter and re-occupy the South? The narrative following will show what she has done for the South in six years, and at what cost. It will aim to answer fully other inquiries, such as, Should that Church now withdraw from the Southern field? or, Should she not occupy it, and extend her operations commensurate with her opportunity, ability, and obligations? I. THE NEW WORK-EXTENT AND GROWTH. The territory added to the area of the Methodist Episcopal Church by the re-occupation of the South exceeds eight hundred thousand square miles. The increase of population to which she has access is almost eight millions of souls. From this territory and population that Church was shut out for twenty years. Since 1864 this extensive field has been traversed yearly by her Bishops, organized, and supplied with men and means. The Annual Conferences formed, and the time and place of their first sessions, are given below. 1. Holston. . . . . Athens, Tenn. . . . 4. Tennessee 5. Texas.. 6. Virginia 7. Georgia 8. Alabama 9. Louisiana. .... . Murfreesborough, Tenn. . Houston, Texas . Portsmouth, Va. Atlanta, Geo Talladega, Ala. June 1, 1865. Oct. 11-14, 1866. Jan. 3-7, 1867. Oct. 10-14, 1867. Oct. 17-20, 1867. New Orleans, La. . . . . Jan. 13–18, 1869. 10. N. Carolina . . Union Chapel, N. C... Jan. 14-18, 1869. The ministerial supply for these Conferences was furnished largely from within their own limits. A few chaplains remained after the Union army was withdrawn. Veteran preachers among the late slaves were prompt to offer their welcome services. In two or three States ministers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, were received. These all were sup plemented by worthy men who were transferred from the older Conferences to direct and control the missionary work and the reconstruction of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the Southern States. These last numbered in all about fifty, who came from all sections of the Union, so that a very small draft was made upon the Church to supply the new work. The Holston Conference began with about twenty ministerial members. The Mississippi Conference, then including the germs of the Louisiana and Texas Conferences, was organized with five members. The South Carolina Conference began with five. The Tennessee Conference commenced with less than twenty. Five more ministers were put down for the mission districts of Alabama and Georgia. With this force, and seventy-five preachers on trial, these Conferences commenced their first year's history. The General Minutes for 1866 contained the following statistics: Mississippi, 2,216; Holston, 13,918; South Carolina, 2,791; Tennessee, 2,689; the Mission Districts of Alabama and Georgia, 4,000. Total, 25,614, exclusive of probationers. Six years of labor produced an abundant increase. The one hundred and thirty traveling preachers had increased over four hundred per cent., numbering in 1871 six hundred and thirty; and the twenty-five thousand members had increased four hundred and thirty per cent., showing a total of one hundred and thirty-five thousand four hundred and twenty-four. Of the traveling preachers two hundred and sixty are white, and three hundred and seventy are of African descent. The membership includes forty-seven thousand white people, and eighty-eight thousand four hundred and twenty-five of all other persons. The number of white members is quoted from the statistical report of the Athens Convention of 1871. The number of white preachers is obtained from information furnished by secretaries of the respective Conferences, or others who know. The general statistics hereafter given will be from the latest reports available. The General Minutes for 1871 was not published when this paper was written. II. THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SOUTH. The most serious objections made to the presence of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the Southern States are heard from persons at the North. Southern people who know the facts never mention them now. It is said that the large numbers reported as above are gathered by tearing down the societies of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. But what are the facts? An answer is found in the statistics of that Church. Their General Minutes for 1860 reported for twenty-four Conferences 626,060 members, including 171,857 "colored." Five years later, and before the organization of the first southern mission conference by the Methodist Episcopal Church, the General Minutes of the Church South report only fourteen Conferences. These in 1860 had reported 513,790, including 150,860 "colored." In 1865 they stand thus: Whole membership, 393,799, of which 81,169 are "colored." Thus giving a decrease of 50,300 white and 69,690 colored members for the previous five years, or from 1860 to 1865. Of the ten other Conferences it may be fairly assumed that their decrease was not proportionately less, as their disturbed condition prevented some of them from meeting, and none of them reported their statistics for the year 1865. A diminution of one fifth of their entire membership is a moderate calculation, and easily demonstrable from their statistics, as officially recognized at the close of the war, and before the Methodist Episcopal Church had organized within the disputed territory. Five years afterward the General Minutes of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, for 1870, report for these same fourteen Conferences a white membership of 361,593, an increase in five years of 48,963. Whether these were gathered in from the world, or were saved from fragments of societies scattered abroad during the war, the fact is demonstrated that the presence of the Methodist Episcopal Church in their midst did not prevent an accumulation of strength and numbers nearly equal in measure and quantity to that claimed at the period of their highest prosperity. The entire statistics of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, for 1860 and 1870 show more fully the same fact. These periods are indicated below by the double groups of figures following each class named. Conferences, 24, 34; Bishops, 6, 10; ministers, 2,778, 2,912; white members, 454,203, 561,571. The colored membership cannot now form any part of comparative statistics for two reasons. In 1866 an unofficial yet very general consent was given by this Church for their colored membership to join the "African Methodist Episcopal Church." Houses of worship were allowed to pass into their hands, yet without legal transfer of title. And over one hundred thousand are claimed by the "African" Church to have been added to them thereby. After this a new line of policy was adopted, and in 1870 the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, provided for the organization of the "Colored Methodist Episcopal Church of America," which has now two Bishops and numerous Annual Conferences, claiming a communion of over one hundred thousand souls. The entire number of that class in the Methodist Episcopal Church is less than ninety thousand. If, therefore, any purpose was contemplated to damage and tear down the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, that purpose has been signally defeated. If that Church feared any such result, that expectation has been agreeably disappointed. For here in plain figures are the unmistakable evidences of strength and prosperity to encourage its friends and to silence the disheartening prophecies of its foes. A few thousands of the white members of that Church have chosen a more congenial home in the Methodist Episcopal Church. But their number has been made up fully by the thousands who went in an opposite direction, and now largely constitute the membership of the Baltimore and Illinois Conferences of the "Church South." Besides, in all the large Southern cities numerous members of the Methodist Episcopal Church are going yearly to reside, whose dominant purpose being to buy, and sell, and get gain, dare not join their own |