Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1844-06-20

one only course is iell le TIE southein hI1u
isters,-f how can two walk together
except they be agreedl'
"We love the Church--its institutions
its discipline. We cherish and veneer.
ale its sc,ipiural Episcopacy. We would
know no geographical bounds when VIII.
ting M lis people. This we believe is the
unanimous sentiment Of the South. Tc
increase its union and prosperity, we are
willing to make any sacrifice which will
not compromit our rights as Southern
Meihodisis. From this we cannot be driy-
en- by the expressed sympathy Of the
North. The subject Of slavery must be
let alone by the legislative council Of our
Church; ii is q Subject beyond its jurisdic.
ton, and entirely under the control Of the
civil tribunals Of the country, and an ecle-
siastical body has the same legitimate
right to discuss and decide upon the pro-
pretty Of Tariff, or upon the question oil
the Annexation of Texas, that they have
to legislate upon the question Of Slavery"
They conclude with the following distinct and
emphatic resolutions:-
believing that the time has arrived
when silence on the part Of the laity Of
/ the church, will be construed into a tame
surrender Of those rights secured by the
constitution OF the church, and cherished
! by us as part ofthe civil and religious her.
itage OF every American citizen, we there
fore recommend the adoption of the &C.
companying resolutions, as embodyng the
sense of this meeting:
"Resoiped, That We consider the decis.
ION of the General Conference, in the case
of Bishop Andrew, extra judicial, unwar.
ranted and unjust-a decision TO which
the Southern laity ought not aud will not
submit.
"ResolUed, That the course Of the Vir-
ginia Delegation, and that OF the entire
Southern Church, upon the question oil
slavery, merits orr wafmest support, and
for ii they have our hearty thanks.
"Resolred, That the Rev. James o.
A3irew, Bishop of the Methodist E.
Church, is not "an officer" Of the Gener-
al Conference, and can only be deposed
after proper trial, as provided for in the
discipline of the Church.
"Resolred, That Bishop Andrew has,
in our view, violated no law of the Church;
and that, in his relation to slavery, he
stands upon the conservative platform OIL
the discipline; and that his manly and
christian conduct in the trying and deli.
cate position in which he is placed, has
won for him the warm and hearty appro.
baton and the affection Of the Southern
Church.
"Reso7ued, That any submission OIL
concession on the part of Bishop Andrew
/ or the Southern delegations to the behests
of,he majority of the General Conference
, will be considered betrayal Of Southern
interests, and destructive of the Methods
Epicopal Church.
"ReSolrsd, That the laity Of the South
ern Church in the several charges be re-
quested to hold their primary meetings ant
give expression to their opinions on thi
subject.
. "Afier the adoption Of the above repor
and resolutions, the Rev. c. G. Griswoit
offered the following resolution.
"Resolved, That while we are conten
to bear much and bear long for the sake
Of the harmony Of the church, ant viii
cling to its union under one General Con
f ference, so long as that union can exis
without compromise of our principles OF
an acknowledgment Of our shame, anC
will net hastily nor rashly advocate Of
consent to division OF the General Con
lerence--yet in Our deliberate judgement
the time has come when the peace anC
prosperity of the whole church demand
such division, and when the stauehofding
portion oftte church can no longer remain
united with their non Staueholding 6reth
rem, without tame surrender OF theil
principles and an acknowledgment tina
slaveholding is inconsistent with chrstiani
ty.
"Rev. Ja'sD M'Cabe seconed the res
luton.
"The vote being taken thereon, it wa
adopted.
"On motion, il was.
"Resolved That the proceedings Of tx
meeting be published in the papers of th'
city and the Richmond Christian Advo
cate, and copy thereof be sent TO thu
Virginia Delegation in the General Con
ference, and to Bishop Andrew.
"On motion, the meeting adjourned.
4 z. WHITFIELD, Chm.
B. SLADE, Sec'y."
The subjoined " Declaration" was signed by al
the Delegates from the Southern States, and pre-
sented by Mr., Longstreet to the Conference. Mr.
Bascom, of KY, has presented, on behalf of th'
South an able, eloquent, and elaborate Protest,
which occupied him one hour in the reading
DECLARATION.
"The delegates of the Conferences il
the savehoding States take leave to de-
clare to the General Conference of The
Methodist Episcopal Church, That thu
continued agitation Of the subject of sla
very and abolition in a potion Of the
Church, the frequent action on that sub
lect in the General Conference, and es
pecialIy the extra.judcial proceeding
against Bishop Andrew, which resulted
on Saturday last, in the virtual suspen
sion of him from his Office as Superntend
ent, must produce state Of things in the
South which render continuation OF the
} Jurisdiction Of this General Conference
T over those Conferences inconsistent with