Lynchburg Daily Virginian

Gogginsville, Franklin co., Va.,
May 6th, 1855.
Messrs. Editors: In the Republican of the 31st inst., there is a communication signed "Franklin," professing to give the particulars of an occurrence at this place on the 21st and 22d ult. It is the duty of some one, more willing to confine himself to truth and more willing to do justice to all parties, than "Franklin" to give a correct statement of the circumstances connected with the affair.
It is true that there is a house at Gogginsville, built by the contributions of the neighborhood, and deeded to the undersigned, in trust, as a schoolhouse. It is also true that the undersigned, of their own free will and accord, as trustees, did, on the 21st and 22d April, close said house against one John Martin, professing to be a minister of the "Ironside" or Old School Baptist Church. The trustees will here state that it was against no denomination of Christians nor against any man but John Martin individually, and that they did so of their own right, without consulting with or being influenced by any man or set of men, of any political organization, and that any attempt to fix it upon the American party is unbecoming the candor of any gentleman who values his integrity above party feeling. The undersigned closed it to protect the peace and preserve the morals of their own neighborhood, just as they would close it against an Abolitionist or a Mahomedan. The undersigned are ready to establish that it has been the peculiar assumed province of Mr. Martin to denounce, from the pulpit, in terms more becoming the bar-room than the sacred desk, every political, religious and moral enterprise not in accordance with the benighted doctrine of fatalism and his bigoted and ignorant interpretation of the Bible; that Masons, Odd Fellows, Sunday Schools, Bible classes, Missionary Societies, Tract Societies, Know Nothings and Sons of Temperance, (the last, we are sorry to say, Messrs. Editors, by public precept and public example) have, each in turn, been vilified and denounced by Mr. Martin, in language more becoming a political demagogue than a priest of Christ. "And all this, too, from the pulpit. It was on account of this desecration of the sacred functions of a minister of the gospel, by making politics his preaching, and the pulpit his shield to vilify every measure not consistent with the dictates of his perverted reason, that the trustees were induced to exclude him. It had been the intention of the trustees, for some time, to close the doors against Mr. Martin, but the respect for his church restrained them, until forbearance ceased to be a virtue. They little expected, however, that Mr. Martin or his friends would claim the right to object, when they knew the fact that a church, not far from Gogginsville, built by the contributions of the neighborhood, and deeded to trustees belonging to Mr. Martin's church, had been closed, against all denominations, after having been preached in by all for years; and that a highly respectable gentleman, belonging to another church, who had given the land and fifty dollars towards building it, has been compelled, with his minister, to worship at another place.
This church, we have been informed, was closed upon the demand of John Martin, with the alternative to do so, or lose him as their minister. The trustees did so. We suppose his first sermon thereafter was upon "religious intolerance" and the persecutions of his church.
The trustees are satisfied that in closing the doors of the school house at Gogginsville they have the approval of every intelligent man in the neighborhood.
The American party have been holding and will continue to hold their meetings in said school house, not "without any authority to do so," as is falsely stated in the article in the Republican, but by express authority from us. The author of the above article evidently intends to mislead the minds of those who are not acquainted with the neighborhood, in noticing the consequences of this affair. We are too near home to be gulled by such nonsense. So far as we know, the Baptists of Franklin are favorable to the American party, but to show that the consequences are not so direful as is represented, we will state that there are only four male members of Mr. Martin's church at Gogginsville: that only one of them belonged to the American party; that after learning from Mr. Martin that it was "the last invention of the Devil," he withdrew from the order, to the great gratification of all who felt an interest in its welfare. This is the only withdrawal.
The American party of Franklin do not intend to be defeated. Claiborne and Flournoy will carry this county easily. The people of Franklin do not regard Mr. C. as the author of the article in the Republican does. They profess to be a little better informed and not so much stultified by blind adherence to party as not to admire the manliness of Mr. C. in shaking off the shackles of party, at this important crisis, and holding himself ready to be sacrificed to the interests of his country. This is the light in which they view him, and unless the author of the article in the Republican cultivate his ideas of "respectability" and "treason," we would advise him to use some other signature for the credit of his own county.
(Signed,)
WALTER C. CALLOWAY,
MESHACK GRIFFITH,
Trustees.
SKELTON T. HELM.