American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-05-17
METHODIST e. CONVENTION.

hEItODIsE Es CONVENTION.
SATURDAY, May TO- The convention was
opened with religious services, and after the
presentation ofseveral unimportant memorials,
br. bongstrect resumed his remarks on the re-
solution Of Drs. Smith and Pierce, in favor of
separation. The Louisville Journal contains
pretty full report of Dr. LIS address, from
which we extract the conclusion:
Bat will not a separation of the church 20
vcrnment endanger the union; | ausw or no.
1t will strengthen it. We have practical proof
Of this. The Wesleyan Methodists of England
and Canada never disturb our peace or inter
fcre with our local institutions. But why
should we not propose terms of compromise
answer, because it would place us in ridicu-
lous attitude before the world to do SO at this
time. Because it would be useless-because it
would expose Bishop Soule and Bishop Andrew
to renewed observation-disclosures the effort has
been made under the most favorable crcum-
stances and failed-because it is not desirable
Part we must, and never can we part under
circumstances so favorable to the South as the
present. A compromise would not undo " hat
has been done, or secure US from encroachment
in thousand new ways for the future. All
the offices of the church would soon be filled
with bolitionists-prvleges would be grant
ed to our slaves inconsistent with the rights of
the master. Already have they repealed the
law which disqualified the slave frem testifying
against white man, blndly supposlng that
that rule was meant as penalty to the slave
and not (like the law that will not let the wife
testify for or against her husband) as means
OF preserving peace, preventing perjury, and
securing truth. They will submit to the rule
"a applied to heir wives, but not to slaves,
the principle of the rule | mean;) we must
ever be mere cyphers in the conference; we
must ever be excluded from their pulpits; for
the omnipotent deposers of bishops cannot even
secure to thelI compeers place in New Eng
land Methodist Church, where the negro is
freely admitted. No: we must part, and the
sooner the better. Let US, with our new orga-
nization, try to get back to primitive Method.
ism. l speak not of its eXternals, some of
which never legitmately belonged to it, but of
its inward graces. speak of its former ZEAL
which glowed with equal fervor amidst the
miasm of the lowland swamps and the health
tul breezes of the mountain, which led the Me-
thodist preacher TO seek the lost sheep of the
fold of Christ whlthersoever they wandered.
speak of that Methodism that preached not
only on stated days, and at stated times, but
which preached at all times and in all places
in the chapel, the hut, the kitchen, the grove,
the wilderness-to fathers, mothers, husband
wives, parents, children, masters servants
which never entered house without a WOO
for the Lord, and never left it without praying
blessing upon (which planted the standard
of the cross on the spot which we occupy ere
the elk and the buffalo had LETT (which
pushed on its labors, at times, unit exha listed
nature sunk under them.
When thus speak of Methodism, let me not
be understood as claiming for our sect all the
religion in the world. Far from it-there is as
pure religion in other churches as in ours.
am no sectarian. If possess one christian vlr-
tue, it is love for all that love and serve the
Lord Jesus Christ; but confess feel kind
ling emotion, allied to the moral sublime when
| contemplate Methodism personifed in such
men as our Molly, whose funeral obseques
were performed by himself, whose drge was
sounded by the winter winds, whose wind
ing sheet was the snow drift, and whose monu-
ment was the sturdy oak of the forest-found
by the woodman, frozen on his knees and buried
i'll the attitude ofprayer. OF myself will not
glory, of my church will not glory, but of
such as these | might become fool in glory
ing, and all christians would pardon me- if not
join me. Yes, were | to inscribe on the tree,
the root of which was his last pillow, The
Christians best monument, every Christian of
every church would cheerfully inscribe under
it .4nlen and amen. To this kind of Method
ism let us get back; let it be the characteristic
of the Southern church, and then, if they will,
let the Northern church take all the rest.
DR.. Longstreet having concluded his speech
Mr.. Dunwoody, of South Carolina, addressed
the convention for the space of an hour, pre-
sentng the subject of slavery in its moral and
religious aspects. DR.. Paine next took the
floor, expressing desire to offer some remarks
which, however, he postponed till Monday
morning, whereupon the convention adjourned
APPOINTMENTS BY THE PRESIDENT. Loren
Spencer, Missouri Recorder of Land Titles