New-York daily tribune., 1844-05-11
Reported 70, The Tribune
Methodist General Conference.

m Mission House in England. authorizing MAT
ruEw RtcHEY and WM CASE, Delegates from The
Wesleyan Missionaries in C--1ada 10 represent t!e
British Missionary Society III thIs conference
They were received accordingly and on coming ior
ward 10 the altar were introduced toIhe Conference
by the Chair tie whole body rising IN token OF re-
soeci Mr. RloHEY addressed the Conference IN
verv appropriate speech, in the course oi when ne
apoogized for .he .-atiendance OF delegate from
the Conference in England on the ground oi the Pc
cul!ar state OF religious affairs IN that country WHICH
would not allow the absence OF any oi their strong
men. such alone as they would trust with so hieh an
embassy He stated that the Factory Education
Bill bv which the children OF the poorer classes
we're TO he thrown under the influence OF the es'ao
ilshed church. owed is defeat. "a was Acknowledged
on all hands, 10 the irn and fearless opposition OIL
The Wesleyans. Nlr. C,>E also addressed The Con
ference in few words, expressive OF the feelings
with which he took seat IN the body
E.R. AYrs, of the Indiana Conference, from tae
Committee on Missions Submitted report recon-
in.nGing the formation o; new Conference 10 'c
called the Indiana Mission Conference, on the tern
,orv extending rom The M>Soln ryer on the Norm
10 Red River on the South. distance oi more i',a'
400 miles and from the state Jl Missouri anu Ar
kansas on the East 10 the Roeky Mountains on ine
West Thi, territory embraces len Ires OF ladtih-'
composed of Gu.2i3 souls. Tier- are ii hl-s!oIa-
res Indian and 20 White ird7ellng preachers. ana
81 native assistants. Members OF The church, 90
whites. l31 colored, and 3, 3,iol ndans-ioIa ''ooi;
There are also 900 Sunday School scholars ana
three Manual Labor Schools.
DIR. CAPLTs said the Committee had agreed tnan
imolsy 10 submit This Report. but as II was 'iiat
ter OF grave Importance. perhaps would be best u
deter acting spon it Tor The present.
Mr. FlSLEy of Ohio. was in favor OF adopting the
Report, viewing the measure as one which cosiu
not fail 10 prove highly beneficial 10 the Church.
Mr. EARLY. OF VA was opposed 10 tue adopuOn
OF the Report in liz presensshape. lie thought The
new Conference would have too much power over
the appropriations for the support oi Indian hls,
slons. Iithat objection obllleraied he should
be heartily in favor ot the measure.
After some farther debate, the subject was aid
on the table for the present. and the Conference re-
sumed the consideration OF the
APPEAL OF FRANCIS \. HARDING.
Mr.. COLLINS said he had few remarks which he
would ike to submit in behalf of the Baltimore Con
ference before the appellant should make his closing
argument, and he appealed to the courtesy OF MI
SMITH TO allow him another opportunity TO address
the Conference. Mr.. Smith asserting, MIR. Collins
proceeded TO disabusc the Conference IN relation 10
certain rumors which he understood were current
among the members OF the Conference. 1t was re-
ported that the Baltimore Conference had on the list
ofits members several Shareholders. He declared
this TO be untrue. All preachers holding any con-
nexion with Slavery had been brought 10 the Dar
and required To execute deeds OF emancipation. Sc
vera cases of this sort were mentioned. III i!!e laws
against emancipation had been ten-iold strongerthan
they were, the Conference would have taken Inc
same course in relation TO brother Harding. They
could not alter their course in this respect nj the de-
mand of the Legislature. lie reiterated III the
strongest terms what he had said on the previous
dav that tile obstacles in the way OF emancipation
were not insurmountable. Slaves were often set
tree. and were not moleslcG. lie did not Know
single member OF the Methodist Church in Bald
more who was Shareholder and public sentiment
was strong in favor OF freedom. He ConIended that
the pretcncc now set up that Mr.. Harding was not II
stakeholder because the slaves in his possession be-
longed 10 his wife, an after thought, no such de-
fence having been made before the Baltimore Con-
ference. The laws Of the State were produced TO
show that he was a joint owner with his wlic, and
Mr. Collins concnded that the argument which had
been urged 10 show that he tMr. H.. was slave
holder were equally valid To prove that his Tye was
not. and that the Slaves were consequently lree.-
The absurditv OF this course ofreasonng he thought
must be manifest to all. In conclusion, Mr. 7 re-
minded the Conference that tins was not local
question: but ore of life and death 10 the whole
Church. If the decision OF the Baltimore Confer
cncc were reversed, it would be impossible TO keep
the Church together. Would the General Confer
ence for the sake OF enabling Mr.. Hardlng 10 keep
in his possession five Negroes, shake the very oun-
calions OF the Church He begged his Southern
brethren 10 pause before taking such s,cp.
Mr.. DAVIS OF the Baltimore Conference, endorsed
the statements OF Mr.. Collins in relation to the ca
ses OF the preachers who had been connected WIN
slavery. Durius ihc thirty years which he had been
member OF that body, il had never allowed n ira
yelling preacher to hold slaves.
Mr.. GRIFFITH SAID he had been a member OF the
Baltimore Conference thirty eight years, and during
that time, the body had never tolerated Slavery; and
he hoped never TO see the time when il would.
Mr.. SLIcER said that MIR. Dyerly, whose case
bad been alluded TO, became possessed ei Slaves by
his fathers will, and that he offered SIO0 TO buy the
freedom OF the husband wife OF one OF them in order
that all might be free together; but finding that he
could not accomplish his wishes rather than embar-
rass the Conference, he asked and received North
ern location. ,
WM ~ SMITH took the floor and made his final
plea Tor the appelan. He would like 10 come al
once 10 the merits OF the case, but there were some
preliminary matters which required notice. He had
been congratulated his conversion 10 the doctrine
that Slavery is an evil. When and at what altar
did this conversion take place! AlethOdl>ts gener-
ally knew and !rl when they were converted hut he
confessed that he knew nothing of IN tins case
He had said, be sure, in 1882 that Abolition was
then IN ii, egg state. and iat, the General Confer
cnce would put It's foot upon II, II conld easily crash
IL; by fit was warmed By the Smiie- OF our appro-
ba,ion II would hatch scorpion TO biie ana de' our
US The desOl7tion which had followed this Apo-
yon had more than justified all that he had said
In 1885, he confessed he had not The nerve TO STAND
up and declare his sentiments III lt lacc u tc i'ei
ruptions which speakers on his side were exposed
In lSl0 he had spoken on the question; and II II
could be shown that any Thing III his speech on that
occasion was inconsistent with what he had uttered
the other day. he would confess himself 10 have been
converted. He had not altered his opinions in the
least, but stood now precisely where he had stood
from the first.
Occasion had been taken in view of the response
Of his Southern brethren the doctrine that Slavery
an evil. congratulate them also on their conyer-
sion. The resolution OF the Georgia Conference IN
1889, that Slavery is not moral evil, had been
relied upon to show that the South did not assent 10
the sentiment OF the Discipline, We are much IS
ever convinced OF the e'i OF Slavery The Geo.-
sa Conference meant only 10 assert that Slavery
was not u sin-not 10 deny that it is an evil. The
latter doctrine was as heartily believed by the whole
South then as il Is al this moment.
This had been spoken OF rs a dark question. He
would ask why such an ephet was used The
Baltimore delegates had deprecated beng ranked
with Slayeholdng Conferences. What did they mean
by such language Did they mean that such an
association was disgra .eiul Would they never
wake irem their dreams Did they not know that
magazine was sleeping beneath their feet Let
them beware Dissolution would follow as the In
evitable result, ii such course were persisted in.
Mr.. :. maintained that the Journal OF the Balt