Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-09-24
The American Board.

In another column will be found sketch of the pro-
ceedngs of the late annual meeting of the American
Board of Missions, holden at New Haven, Conn., Tie
eyes of multitude of the friends and patrons OF the
Board and also of free and pure gospel havGbeen
turned with intense interest upon this meeting the
hope that such advanced ground would be taken a.
gainst the sin of oppressl1n (Which constltgtf7 'he
greatest hindrance to the free progress Of the gpo
both in this and other lands as the enghtenedspTt
of the age, and the Word and Providence q God
seemed mperatively to require Also, that the BOARD
would fully excupate itself from the charge OF qerat-
ing the sin of polygamy in any of the mission fiurch-
es But, in both these things, they have been Pomed
to utter disappointment
On the subject of slavery, the Board reitetate the
decision of the last annual neutrality-suspicious., In
substance, that it, (the Board does not eXercFers-
dicton over the mission churches in this respe$ but
leaves the missionaries free to receive or rect APP
plicants according to the evidence of pley furnished
It is admitted that shareholders are now ctArected
with several of these churches.
With regard to the subject of polygamy, it admit
ted by the secretaries of the Board that at easr orc
individual with plurality of wives has been admitted
into one of the mission churcheshat in several other
instances in which the missionaries had appe to the
Board for direction the question had been Deferred
back to them without decision, and the Board is not
informed whether they were or were not received
and that in the exercise of the discretionar power
conferred upon them, at meeting of the Board RLs
sonaries at Ceylon, (some twenty being prcealJaf
ter full discussion Of the subject it had bcaf eaet
that they "dd not see as the New Testamcat ecureC
Of to take such a STEP giving up his plurality
of wves,) as condition of admission to the church
In other instances it was known that the mission
aries had decided not to receive polygamsb. The
acknowledged position of the Board upon this subec
seemed to excite general surprise, even amlg man,
who had been its warmest supporters An animated
and searching debate sprung up, in which the curse
hitherto pursued was strongly condemned BY DR.
Dwight, Of Portland, DR.. Bacon, of Conn. Rev Mr.
Task, of Mass. and Rev. Messrs. Perkins and Pdton
f LOT Conn. The latter gentleman, while adminshrn!
a respectful but faithful rebuke, was treated. wit
, rudeness and insolence by vehement calls to ordo
from half dozen at once, and attempts to silence h
| when Virginia stakeholder moved that he be G,
cused for his temerity account OF his youth and
be permitted to take his seat. Wonderful magnano,
ty! We shall endeavor to make room for sketch
this debate in our next paper. With all the appliance
that could be brought to BEAR the report of the comm
tee was finally pressed through declaring that the dc
cison OF all cases of this kind belonged properlv #
, and should be made by, the missionaries themseye
and not by the Board. Strange nfatuation, that me
should think of converting the world by the propagt
ton OF gospel which connives at this trinal seourg
i OF man-Slavery, Caste, and Polygamy!