Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1844-06-06

Mr'sRs. EnrroRs; The Journal Of the 9th Nay contain
81 an article headed. "Slavery and the Methodist Episcopal
Chuieh," which. to say the least Il IT, was strangely mis-
le ding and erroneous. We 90 not fecolleet in all our peii-
odicsl reading TO haze seen crowded together IN 80 small a
compass, he same number OF glazing cIror., and p9lpatlc
Contradict ns. We know rot whether the article i
editorial OF communicated :. but. however this may be, We
are willing TO asctilc, what would seem to be ~maligniiy. 10
ignorance Of the history II the church about which he whites.
or to inability 10 comprehend the debates Of the Geuofal
Confe ence. rather than 10 malevolcnt feelings, or a DISPOSE
ton TO u.srepTesent, for the purpose OF eject, TIC doin-s OF
that body Of ministers. But We are not willing 10 let errors
60 r%rejudiciai to the character 4 those men. and staiemeit'.
which arc calculated 10 make 50 false an impression ia Tela-
ton TO the integrity and sound christian p%,inci.le Of the
church Of which they are ministers, z, uucorrccied.
The article opens with the declaration, that the Methodist
l.. Church. with one exception. is tic largest Of any Of the
christian denominations in the United States. Now Nc much
desire o. know from what source the author of this article
obtains his iofoTma tion upon This subject, and wha, church
has a larger membership than The VI. l.. Church. Bot It con-
tinues: 'Ths 70 pec,able denomination have been much d.
viied in their Asna1i conference upon the subject Of slave
~" 70: not IN their Annual Conference. but in their Cen
cal Conference. tho difference between hem being as great,
a. between n state government and the Federal government
e The United States. IF the former, in connection with the
" +. Chusch. there arc t%hrty-G,c, scattered al over tao
Sia'os and territories Of the Uuiel States government, and
orc in Tcxas, ard one in africa; Of The latter. there i, only
orc. The first is annual IN lis meeting the second, quad
icrnial. The former is an executive body; t latter, tie
legislative department OF the government Of the ohuich.
And it is circumstance very ml'erial TO he truth, whether
one. OF ~thirty-Grc annual conferences. is divided upon The
subject e slavery or, the General Conference, composed Of
delegates fiom all these minor bodies.
The author of this article s,vs "Nothom feeling. aided By
a con.ilerl5ie proportion Of the south" feeling Of cour>e)
"has changed the OLD order Of things" We would not IN
s,i ~ on The extreme unf4iIucss of representing a dclitera-
tive body a : driven to is conclusions by the impulses Of
feeling, when the debate upon hi. exciting topic was charac'er-
lied thro. .hout by moderation. courtesy ard christian tear-
Ing upon the Part Of those who anticipated in it. But w4iv-
in this point, the statement Itself i Mt tfoe, a. the case
Immediately specified fully proves. The Rev. +. \. Hard
Ing wac tiled not ~ an or post fIcto law. manufactured for
the occasion, but hy an OIL titr-onc that had long existed
in he c uich discipline. ard one thet had been previously
applied in the baltimore Annual Conference, within the per-
soual know ledge If Mr. Iiar'ins in su-reniIng ministers for
the same offence. No new :ulc has been hrmed by the Cen
cal Conference upon this subject al is present se>>ia n
They decided in this case just as they must have done four
o. eight years ago il an appeal Of this kind had come up he
fore them. Where then i the crew order of things. y IN
tIoduccd ty %"ror;acrn feeling, ail,d by a very considerable
proportion Of the South" Is not this writer. a ~ve,itab!e
chr -nicher OF passing events :
But. "The question in ugafl 10 the appeal # Nr. Hand
ing. was, =" whether the Baltimore conference had a light TO
susgcni a preacher, who had violated the rules Of the con-
ference upon the question Of slavery. but not the discipline
Of the church" There WAS no such question decided, nor,
indeed, any such issue male in the COZ fe ence. The ques-
tion was simply, "has Harding been guilty of a breach Ct
the Iuic, bearing upon the question Of Slavery = All the
argding pro or con was 70 this point. The Baltimore confer
, euce Suspended lin. not IS here minated, fr a breach oil
4, their own PARTICULAR rules but for a violation Of the genera
rule # the dicipline: ard 1t was this decision that the Gen
eral Conf renee affirmed, ~ a vote f IL to 90. We envy
not the wrifer Of this article the d scrimiaa'ion which lo
him to d,aw a conclusion 50 obviously false AMI uufounlci
or. admitting the oxis,cl &C of this requisite OF a sound jlds
: nent, we envy not the oandr which led him t. max" 50 IN
fair an inference, up n a subject vital to the interests Of Ia
T NJ. +. Church.
; .rhe President. Bishop lIeuis Of Maryland" is not o
= Mafyla,d d. Lui # Chic; and The case was not caIicd on b.
the "Alaiy lard Confcience.' simply because there is no s"el
G. Inference. 1t originated ia tae Baltimore conference, whic
is not, as icpte>cnici, exclusively in a STARE state, but en-
y braces a potion Of Ma yiaud and Virginia, AMI extends int
II the free states.
But tho m,st sinsuiar anil i'jnIious Of all the sta'emen;
made il this wise AMI knowing article i, that TIE ooufeieac
q was induced so ierer.c IT, hitherto conservative oou'Se, Az
take a sfonEag.ia>t slavery II by "con>esv"iVe course
:. j., meant, that The General Conference previous 10 Is prcsct
>. session never maze any stand against slavery. t.en. I than
=, God, they have never been guilty of Such conservatism, ant
- consequently, could not reverse it. This is evidently III
autf o.'s meaning. Acco. ling to him, TO "levclsc THEN cor
scryatiye cour,e"is io"iake a stand against slavery : Whit
then, they wee prosecuting this course, they could hlv
made no such stand against this evil. They have, howevo
at tier present ses>i ~, as Nci made No stand against IT,
evil. which they hal Mt Previously mace IA hch lnics an
Therefore 10 present them in this lsh, IS to be guilty OF
gross and %pplIablc, though it may te az unint-nto3al act
Injustice. Dl we know The writer, we might BE better al
10 Judge Of the motives which influenced the pubiciiion
" So strange a tissue Of misrepresentation: Dat We advise /
!" author, before he again attempts to info.m the public NH
T. Of the doing. Of the General Conference, u study more tho
lr oushly the debates f That body, a1d he VIII ihe.c5y avo
The mcirtd ccn~nre, Of repre-. nting them, as making 's>n'
which lhcy never made, an a. taking stand for the IA
'e time against slavery. when Tor years he m'~t i5ii tni
II against ii have EXISTED IN their book Of diScip line. We ic
z It 10 Lc our du'y TO Indignantly icpcl the f,~e AMI inJi 1,
OF declaration. that tic VI. 4. Chuich for the first time has IA
he 81 up a STANDARD against slavery ard thnnsa We will Il
ic ,infusn the motives ~hi-h iahucncei 1t, author TO pen {
r. slaater; yct We must say, It be- ms any ic1ll To The gre
re ,rsuoi, les II justice, if he has the least vc'i-e of ca"aor
rs CO. poiaici VITA hi>msgal constitution, he viii, most certi
i. ", ~li.asu>e the .uSir miHl though tie same meiiuin,
which these mI,iaemeut. wrrs propesliei.
- A FRIEND TO TRUTH.
N. 1T was printed IS edforiai-Eos ss>r.
TX - . - ---F $3.50 tN-.z.-