The Controversy with Elder Carver
We held pleasant conversation with Eld. W. H. Brinkerhoff on the camp ground, and at his house. He is not at war with S. D. Adventists. We were glad to see our brethren fully reciprocate the kind feelings manifested by him and family. Not so with Eld. Carver. He seems determined to fight it out in his peculiarly smooth and pious way to the bitter end. He pressed us last year at our camp-meeting at Marion, until we could not very well help telling him that we were determined to have no controversy with him, that we could read him like a book, and all we asked of him was to just let us alone. He was on the ground at La Porte this year, much dissatisfied with our recent reference to his statement in his book. We stated to him that if it was thought best to reply to his book we should maintain all we had said of it, and of the writer of it. And again we earnestly requested him to let us alone. We have always, until hard pressed, been on good terms with Mr. Carver, and very much regret that he should push matters to their present unpleasant position. But without cause of provocation, he has come out with a pamphlet in which he attacks our Christian character, and that of Mrs. W. We pity this man. He has a pen worthy of a better cause. We would help him if we could. But as he will not be helped, all we ask of him is to let us alone. But if he will not do this, and shows himself determined to pursue this style of warfare, it may be our duty fully to expose his deceptive course.