The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-02-23
Ecclesiastics of Maine.
UNION CONFERENCE

UNION CONFERENCE.
Mr. Codding gives, in the Advocate of Freedom,
the following account of the late proceedings in
the Union Conference of Congregational Church
es:-
"E proceeded in company with Mr.. Fessenden
to,Waterford4 to attend the semi-annual meeting OF
the Union Conference, hoping to have an .oppor-
unty to stand before so respectable and Intelligent
a.body, to plead the cause of the slave. MIR tes-
senden,put into.the. hands of Mr. Douglass, Chair
man of,the committee of engagements some anti
slavery resolutions, with the request that might
be heard by the Conference in behalf OF our most
righteous cause. Mr. Douglass felt dreadtuly
about it, was afraid it would drive away the Holy
Spirit from the meeting, and begged him to desls
Br. Fessenden told him, no. Br. Douglass said
that he would think Of it. In the afternoon he came
TO brother Fessenden and said that on the WHOLE
they had concluded to give Mr. Coddlng hearing
in the evening. This was perfectly satisfactory to
brother Fessenden. When the time came for the
afternoon adjournment, brother Douglass arose to
announce the orders ofthe evening. He took great
care to let us know that the Conference stood adj
iourned over to the next morning at 8 o'clock
that this evening brother Page would preach in
one part of the town, brother Hill in another, and
there had been request made, that Mr.. Codding
might speak in this house, on the subject of slave
nv, and those who wished to hear him might come
Mark, the Conference adjourned over that so holy
a thing might not be touched by discourse in
behalf of the dumb slave-the church surrounded
with three other meetings, at which there were to
be three ministers from abroad. And now they
were about to be very good and kind, and give
" Br. Coddimg hearing" MIR Fessenden inn
medately told Mr. Douglass, that he should not
submit to have the cause of the slave thus slight
ed, but should in his own person bring those reso-
lutions before the Conference and test its An-Sla-
very strength. In the mean time, it was ascer-
tained that about twothirds of the delegates, and
more than half of the ministers, were abolitoniss
1t was very apparent that if Mr. Fessenden pre-
sented his resolutions, and sustained them with a
speech, that the resolutions would not only be pas
sed, but converts made to our holy cause, as is al
ways the case, when it is properly presented
The Committee therefore concluded to presensthe
resolutions, with one or two unimportant verbal
alterations. The resolutions were presented, and
passed mem con. You will perceive that they are
orthodox.
ought perhaps to say, that notwithstanding the
manner in which. MIR Douglass gave out the APP
pointment, and Notwithstanding the three other
meetings, we had a good house. | should think
more than half the delegates, more than half the
ministers, and goodly number of the citizens of
the town were there and sat for the space of two
hours, and listened to such expositions as was
able to make of our great principles and measures
The following are the resolutions passed by the
Conference
Inasmuch as slavery exists, to an alarming ex-
tent in certain churches of most of the evangelic-
IA &c our cuuHtly, anu attempts are
constantly made on the part of some ministers and
laymen to justify the enormity; this Conference
feel it their solemn duty to bear against it their
united stimony.-Therefore,
Resolved, LIST, That, in the view of this Con-
ference, American Slavery is wanton violation
Of the Law of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
fearfully destructive of the temporal and eternal
interests of the slave, the continuance of which no
conceivable circumstances can justify for mo-
ment.
Resolved, I'd, That its immediate abandon
ment is the imperative duty of the master, and the
cearest right of the slave
Resolved, Sd, That to Immediately break off
from sin by righteousness is always safe; the truth
of which proposition in the good providence of
God, has recently been made manifest to an admi-
ring world by the experiment in the British West
Indies"