490 History of Methodism 



Cease. When we tell you that we preach to a hundred thousand 

 slaves in our missionary field, we only announce the beginning of 

 our work — the beginning openings of the door of access to the most 

 numerous masses of slaves in the South. When we add that there 

 are two hundred thousand now within our reach who have no gospel 

 unless we give it to them, it is still but the same announcement of 

 the beginnings of the opening of that wide and effectual door which 

 was so long closed and so lately has begun to be opened for the 

 preaching of the gospel by our ministry to a numerous and destitute 

 portion of the people. O close not this door ! Shut us not out from 

 this great work, to which we have been so signally called of God. 

 Consider our position. I pray you, I beseech you, by every sacred 

 consideration, pause in this matter. Do not talk about concessions 

 to the South. We ask for no concessions — no compromises. Do 

 with us as you please, but spare the souls for whom Jesus died. If 

 you deem our toils too light, and that after all there is more of 

 rhetoric than cross-bearing in our labors, come down and take a 

 part with us. Let this be the compromise if we have any. I could 

 almost promise my vote to make the elder a bishop who should give 

 such a proof as this of his devotion to — I will not say the emanci- 

 pation of the negro race, but what is better — what is more constitu- 

 tional and more Christian — the salvation of the souls of the negroes 

 on our great Southern plantations. Concessions! We ask for none. 

 So far from it, we are ready to make any in our power to you. We 

 come to you not for ourselves, but for perishing souls, and we entreat 

 you, for Christ's sake, not to take away from them the bread of life 

 which we are just now beginning to carry them. We beg for this — 

 I must repeat it — with bleeding hearts. Yes, I feel intensely on 

 this subject. The stone of stumbling and rock of offense of former 

 times, when George Dougherty, a Southern man and a Southern 

 minister, and one of the wisest and best that ever graced our min- 

 istry, was dragged to the pump in Charleston, and his life rescued 

 by a sword in a Avoman's hand — the offense of the anti-slavery 

 measures of that day has but lately begun to subside. I cannot, I 

 say, forget past times, and the evil of them, when in those parts of 

 my own State of South Carolina, where slaves are most numerous, 

 there was little more charity for Methodist preachers than if they 

 had been Mormons, and their access to the negroes was looked upon 

 as dangerous to the public peace. Bring not back upon us the evil 

 of those bitter days. I cannot forget how I felt when, thirty-three 

 years ago, Riddlespurger, who kept a shop and sold rum and calico 



