the sequel of appomattox-第30章

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derate；　victor　and　vanquished。　The　church　was　at　that　time　an　important　institution　in　the　South；　more　so　than　in　the　North；　and　in　both　sections　more　important　than　it　is　today。　It　was　inevitable；　therefore；　that　ecclesiastical　reconstruction　should　give　rise　to　bitter　feelings。

Something　should　be　said　of　conditions　in　the　churches　when　the　Federal　armies　occupied　the　land。　The　Southern　organizations　had　lost　many　ministers　and　many　of　their　members；　and　frequently　their　buildings　were　used　as　hospitals　or　had　been　destroyed。　Their　administration　was　disorganized　and　their　treasuries　were　empty。　The　Unionists；　scattered　here　and　there　but　numerous　in　the　mountain　districts；　no　longer　wished　to　attend　the　Southern　churches。

The　military　censorship　in　church　matters；　which　continued　for　a　year　in　some　districts；　was　irritating；　especially　in　the　Border　States　and　in　the　Union　districts　where　Northern　preachers　installed　by　the　army　were　endeavoring　to　remain　against　the　will　of　the　people。　Mobs　sometimes　drove　them　out；　others　were　left　to　preach　to　empty　houses　or　to　a　few　Unionists　and　officers；　while　the　congregation　withdrew　to　build　a　new　church。　The　problems　of　Negro　membership　in　the　white　churches　and　of　the　future　relations　of　the　Northern　and　Southern　denominations　were　pressing　for　settlement。

All　Northern　organizations　acted　in　1865　upon　the　assumption　that　a　reunion　of　the　churches　must　take　place　and　that　the　divisions　existing　before　the　war　should　not　be　continued；　since　slavery；　the　cause　of　the　division；　had　been　destroyed。　But　they　insisted　that　the　reunion　must　take　place　upon　terms　named　by　the　〃loyal〃　churches；　that　the　Negroes　must　also　come　under　〃loyal〃　religious　direction；　and　that　tests　must　be　applied　to　the　Confederate　sinners　asking　for　admission；　in　order　that　the　enormity　of　their　crimes　should　be　made　plain　to　them。　But　this　policy　did　not　succeed。　The　Confederates　objected　to　being　treated　as　〃rebels　and　traitors〃　and　to　〃sitting　upon　stools　of　repentance〃　before　they　should　be　received　again　into　the　fold。

Only　two　denominations　were　reunitedthe　Methodist　Protestant；　the　northern　section　of　which　came　over　to　the　southern；　and　the　Protestant　Episcopal；　in　which　moderate　counsels　prevailed　and　into　which　Southerners　were　welcomed　back。　The　Southern　Baptists　maintained　their　separate　existence　and　reorganized　the　Southern　Baptist　Convention；　to　which　came　many　of　the　Baptist　associations　in　the　Border　States；　the　Catholics　did　not　divide　before　1861　and　therefore　had　no　reconstruction　problems　to　solve；　and　the　smaller　denominations　maintained　the　organizations　which　they　had　before　1861。　A　Unionist　preacher　testified　before　the　Joint　Committee　on　Reconstruction　that　even　the　Southern　Quakers　〃are　about　as　decided　in　regard　to　the　respectability　of　secession　as　any　other　class　of　people。〃

Two　other　great　Southern　churches；　the　Presbyterian　and　the　Methodist　Episcopal；　grew　stronger　after　the　Civil　War。　The　tendency　toward　reunion　of　the　Presbyterians　was　checked　when　one　Northern　branch　declared　as　〃a　condition　precedent　to　the　admission　of　southern　applicants　that　these　confess　as　sinful　all　opinions　before　held　in　regard　to　slavery；　nullification；　rebellion　and　slavery；　and　stigmatize　secession　as　a　crime　and　the　withdrawal　of　the　southern　churches　as　a　schism。〃　Another　Northern　group　declared　that　southern　ministers　must　be　placed　on　probation　and　must　either　prove　their　loyalty　or　profess　repentance　for　disloyalty　and　repudiate　their　former　opinions。　As　a　result　several　Presbyterian　bodies　in　the　South　joined　in　a　strong　union；　to　which　also　adhered　the　synods　of　several　Border　States。

The　Methodist　Episcopal　Church；　South；　was　confronted　with　conditions　similar　to　those　which　prevented　the　reunion　of　the　Presbyterians。　The　Northern　church；　according　to　the　declaration　of　its　authorities；　also　came　down　to　divide　the　spoils　and　to　〃disintegrate　and　absorb〃　the　〃schismatic〃　Southern　churches。　Already　many　Southern　pulpits　were　filled　with　Northern　Methodist　ministers　placed　there　under　military　protection；　and　when　they　finally　realized　that　reunion　was　not　possible；　these　Methodist　worthies　resolved　to　occupy　the　late　Confederacy　as　a　mission　field　and　to　organize　congregations　of　blacks　and　whites　who　were　〃not　tainted　with　treason。〃　Bishops　and　clergymen　charged　with　this　work　carried　it　on　vigorously　for　a　few　years　in　close　connection　with　political　reconstruction。

The　activities　of　the　Northern　Methodists　stimulated　the　Southern　Methodists　to　a　quick　reorganization。　The　surviving　bishops　met　in　August　1865；　and　bound　together　their　shaken　church。　In　reply　to　suggestions　of　reunion　they　asserted　that　the　Northern　Methodists　had　become　〃incurably　radical；〃　were　too　much　involved　in　politics；　and；　further；　that　they　had；　without　right；　seized　and　were　still　holding　Southern　church　buildings。　They　objected　also　to　the　way　the　Northern　church　referred　to　the　Southerners　as　〃schismatics〃　and　to　the　Southern　church　as　one　built　on　slavery　and　therefore；　now　that　slavery　was　gone；　to　be　reconstructed。　The　bishops　warned　their　people　against　the　missionary　efforts　of　the　Northern　brethren　and　against　the　attempts　to　〃disintegrate　and　absorb〃　Methodism　in　the　South。　Within　five　years　after　the　war；　the　Methodist　Episcopal　Church；　South；　was　greatly　increased　in　numbers　by　the　accession　of　conferences　in　Maryland；　Kentucky；　Virginia；　Missouri；　and　even　from　above　the　Ohio；　while　the　Northern　Methodist　Church　was　able　to　organize　only　a　few　white　congregations　outside　of　the　stronger　Unionist　districts；　but　continued　to　labor　in　the　South　as　a　missionary　field。*

*The　church　situation　after　the　war　was　well　described　in　1866　by　an　editorial　writer　in　the　〃Nation〃　who　pointed　out　that　the　Northern　churches　thought　the　South　determined　to　make　the　religious　division　permanent；　though　〃slavery　no　longer　furnishes　a　pretext　for　separation。〃　〃Too　much　pains　were　taken　to　bring　about　an　ecclesiastical　reunion；　and　irritating　offers　of　reconciliation　are　made　by　the　Northern　churches；　all　based　on　the　assumption　that　the　South　has　not　only　sinned；　but　sinned　knowingly；　in　slavery　and　in　war。　We　expect　them　to　be　penitent　and　to　gladly　accept　our　offers　of　forgiveness。　But　the　Southern　people　look　upon　a　'loyal'　missionary　as　a　political　emissary；　and　'loyal'　men　do　not　at　present　possess　the　necessary　qualifications　for　evangelizing　the　Southerners　or　softening　their　hearts；　and　are　sure　not　to　succeed　in　doing　so。　We　look　upon　their　defeat　as　retribution　and　expect　them　to　do　the　same。　It　will　do　no　good　if　we　tell　the　Southerner　that　'we　will　forgive　them　if　they　will　confess　that　they　are　criminals；　offer　to　pray　with　them；　preach　with　them；　and　labor　with　them　over　their　hideous　sins。'〃


But　if　the　large　Southern　churches　held　their　white　membership　and　even　gained　in　numbers　and　territory；　they　fought　a　losing　fight　to　retain　their　black　members。　It　was　assumed　by　Northern　ecclesiastics　that　whether　a　reunion　of　whites　took　place　or　not；　the　Negroes　would　receive　spiritual　guidance　from　the　North。　This　was　necessary；　they　said；　because　the　Southern　whites　were　ignorant　and　impoverished　and　because　〃the　state　of　mind　among　even　the　best　classes　of　Southern　whites　rendered　them　incapable　。　。　。　of　doing　justice　to　the　people　whom　they　had　so　long　persistently　wronged。〃　Further；　it　was　also　necessary　for　political　reasons　to　remove　the　Negroes　from　Southern　religious　control。

For　obvious　reasons；　however；　the　Southern　churches　wanted　to　hold　their　Negro　members。　They　declared　themselves　in　favor　of　Negro　education　and　of　better　organized　religious　work　among　the　blacks；　and　made　every　sort　of　accommodation　to　hold　them。　The　Baptists　organized　separate　congregations；　with　white　or　black　pastors　as　desired；　and　associations　of　black　churches。　In　1866　the　Methodist　General　Conference　authorized　separate　congregations；　quarterly　conferences；　annual　conferences；　even　a　separate　jurisdiction；　with　Negro　preachers；　presiding　elders；　and　bishopsbut　all　to　no　avail。　Every；　Northern　political；　religious；　or　military　agency　in　the　South　worked　for　separation；　and　Negro　preachers　were　not　long