Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-06-13
CORRESPONDENCE.
TOT Int TteHldn.
FOREIGN MISSIONS.

For the Freeman.
FOREIGN MISSIONS,
MEssRs DEMONSTRATING attended Conven-
ton holden on Wednesday and Thursday Of last
week, at the Brick Church in this place, for the
promotion of the Foreign Missionary enterprise,
wish, through the medium of your paper, to state
few facts, and make few remarks in relation to
the pr oceedngs of this Convention so far as they
related to the subject ofslayery. Rev. DR.. Ander-
son, Secretary of the A. B. G. F. NJ, and Rev.
Mr.. SpaIding, who has been twenty-five years in
the service of the Board at ,Ceylon, being present
on the occasion, it was stated, at the opening of
the exercises, by Rev. Mr.. Gridley, pastor of the
Brick Church, that during the meeting the said
returned missionary (Mr. Spaldng) would take
the stand to be caechzed in relation to the dongs
Of the missionaries; aud all who felt an interest in
the Foreign Missionary operations were earnestly
requested to put such questions TO Mr. S. as might
be suggested to their minds. This certainly ap-
peared to lie very fair, and undoubtedly made Il
very favorable impression; and it is painful to be
under the necessity to state, that the expectations
thus raised were not in the fullest extent realized
The exercises proceeded, and much important
and thrilling interest was communicated by the
Boards Secretary and missionary, in relation to
the operations of the missionaries htherto-the
Frightening prospects Of foreign missions for the
present and immediate future-and the general
character and condition of many portions of the
dark part Of our fallen world, particularly that
portion comprising British India. At length the
time arrived for the proposed catechetical exer-
cises, and various questions were propounded by
Rev. Mr.. Gridley, Rev. Mr.. Clarke, agent Of the
Foreign Board, and others, until finally the great
question of slavery was preached The first ques-
tions that touched this subject, I believe, were
proposed by Mr.. Gridley, one of which was to the
following effect: What would the missionary think
or do with n convert who had been an oppressor
an extortioner-had overreached and defrauded
and after conversion should continue those prac-
tees? The answer was prompt, that such con-
the evening session the sub ect of slavery was Of
ten introduced, and severaI abotonists, technical
y called, asked various questions, all Of which
being disposed of, also took the liberty to ask
one, which | prefaced by repeating the above
question put by Mr.. Gridley, which he admitted
to have been stated correctly by me, and prompt
ly gave the same answer again. then asked, u
the convert had been Shareholder, and after hi
supposed conversion should continue to hold hi
fellow men in bondage, the same conclusion wouI,
be arrived at, as in the case Just stated? Th
question, ain sorry to say, it was either Difficult
forM nj
very willing to answer it. 1t was several time!
repeated, in a candid and respectful manner, bu
a direct answer was not obtained, although the
fact finally came out distinctly, that the missionary
, had nothing to do with the subject of slavery: h
business, it was many times stated, was to labo
for the conversion of the soul
During the last session, on Thursday, Mr.. Spal
ding took occasion to say, that al the time thu
, questions were put to him the last evening, he wa
ignorant of the latitude and longitude from which
they came, and he had now only to say, blessed b.
Ignorance, and hoped he should return to his felC
of labor in the enjoyment of the same blessed ig
norance, SC. Dr. Anderson also took occasion Il
slude to the same subject, just before the close o
the Convention,-saiI Il certain Col. was said l.
be "fcalher-hed soldier,'' and he considere
these slavery questions to be eGtherbed questions
could not but think, what pity that questions s.
very soft should, by such intelligent, good and ex
perienced men, have been found questions 81
: hard to answer:-.what pity that such conven
ton should be so disturbed by such soft questions
But, after all, the Doctor was not quite willing t.
l leave the soft question of slavery here; he rea
xtracts from letters he had received from severe
of the missionaries upon this subject principal
from the Cherokee mission; all Of which went t
: show that the missionaries did not at all lnterfer
with the matter. One of them stated thar III
question of slavery did not enter into their teach
. ings, neither in public or IN private Another Co
the same) said, that should they interfere with th
institution, the people would drive them froI
{, their country and that it was even doubtL
whether the American government would allo'
them to remain there, if they should thus make a
= attack upon slavery: and finally, as if to set tn
6 question at rest, the Doctor said that some of tn
n most pIous active, devoted members Of the churc
at the Cherokee station were Shareholders. II
certainly made very pathetic plea in favor of re
:, ceiving the contributions of shareholders: said,
certain case, the missionaries were sick, and
great want of help, and stakeholder sent them
slave to assist them, and the missionaries had tn
privilege of calling the poor slave in to attend tn
$ family devotions, &c. This he said was slave
> holders donation, and it was gratefully received
and it was right-he would have done Just so hin
self, aud trinmphantly asked, who would not' Fl
then proceeded to remark upon the views an
course adopted by the Board in relation to contr
" buttons from Shareholders. Said they preache
s. upon this subject precisely the apostles did W
on the question of eating meats offered in sacri6C
J. to idols that although the idol was nothing, yet
II it was said it had been offered in sacrifice to idol
u they would not eat it, for consciences sake; nj
their own conscience, but his that showed it;