Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-06-26

AHuouuCeu. "A COuISc precisely Similar
to this, the example OF which should
have been more attractive, was pursu-
ed by the great founder of Methodism,
in all slaveholding countries in which
he established societies. Mr.. Wesley
never deemed it proper to have any
rule, law or regulation on the subject
of slavery, either in the United States,
the West Indies, or elsewhere. The
effects of the early and unfortunate at
tempts Of the Methodist Church to med
die and interfere, in the Legislation and
practice of government and discipline,
with the institution of slavery in the q.
States, are two well known to require
comment. Among the more immediate
results of this short-sighted, disastrous
imprudence, especially from 1850 to
1904, may be mentioned the watchful
jealousy of civil government, and the
loss of public confidence, Throughout a
very large and influential portion ofthe
whole Southern community. These,
and similar developments, lea the
Church, by the most careful and consi-
derate steps, to the adoption, gradually,
OF a Medium comprom S. act Of legisla-
ton on the subject, until the law OF
slavery, as it now exists in the letter of
the discipline, became, by the last ma
terial act Of legislation in 1916, the
great compromise bond of union be-
tween the North and the South on the
subject of slavery. The whole law of
the Church, all there is in the statute
book to govern the North and the
South on this subject, is the following:
First: The general rule which simply
prohibits ''the buving or selling Of men,
women and children, with an intention
to enslave them." Second: ssNo slave
holder shall be eligible to any station in
the church hereafter, where the laws of
the State in which he lives will admit
of emancipation, and permit the liberia
ted slave to enjoy freedom. When any
travelling preacher becomes an owner
of slave, or slaves, by any means, he
shall forfeit his ministerial character in
our church, unless he execute, if it be
practicable, legal emancipation of
such slaves. comfortably to the laws of
the State in which he lives" y
Here is the law, the whole law the only
law of the church, containing first, a
prohibition, and second grant. The
prohibition is, that no member or min
lister of the church, is allowed to pur-
chase a human being, who is to be en-
shaved, or reduced to state of slavery,
by such purchase Or sale. And further
that no minister, in any of the grades of
the ministerial Office, or other person,
having official standing in the church,
can, if he be the owner of a slave, be
allowed to sustain such official relation
to the church, unless he shall legally
provide for the emancipation of such
slave or slaves, if the laws Of the State
in which he lives will admit of eman-
cipation, and permit the liberated slave
to enjoy freedom. Such is the plain
prohibition Of law, binding upon ALL
The grant of the law, however, is e.
qualIy plain and unquestionable. Ii
is, that persons may purchase or sell
men, women or children, provided such
purchase or sale does not involve the
fact or intention Of enslaving them, or
reducing the subjects Of such purchase
or sale to state Of slavery The in
tention of the law no doubt is, that this
may be done from motives ofhumanity,
and not by any means for the purposes
of gain. But further, the law distinct.
ly provides, that every minister, in
whatever grade of office, and every
person having official standing of any
kind, in the Methodist episcopal
Church, being the owner Or owners of
slave property, shall be protected a.
gainst any forfeiture of right, on this
account where the laws ofthe State do
not admit of legal emancipation, and
allow TIE liberated slave to enjoy free
dom in the State in which he is eman
cipated. Here is the plain grant OF
law to which we allude. From the
first agitation ofthe subject of slavery
in the Church, the Northern portion of
it has been disposed to insist upon fur
Their prohibitory enactments. The
South, meanwhile has always shown
itself ready to 60 as far,by way of pro-
hibition,a as the law in question implies,
but has uniformly resisted any attempt
to impair Southern rights under pro-
lection of the grant of law TO which we
have asked attention. Ulcer such cir
cumstances of disagreement and diff
Guilty, the conventional and legislative
adjustment Of the question, as found in
the General Rule, but especially tenth
section ofthe discipline, was brought
about, and has always been regarded
in the South as great compromise ar