The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-07-28
For the New Era.

s"' i>"'toT- ne anomaly presented IN thlS
county OF the existence of church professedly
opposed To slavery, and eNertng powerful influ-
ence against il in the midst of slaveholding pop
uatlon is at last beginning to excite public atlen
ton. Since the division of the Methodist Epis
copal Church into the northern and southern
branches, the church in this county has adhered
to the northern section. and been furnished with
ministers from the Philadelphia Conference.
In accordance with the plan of division propos
ed by the General Conference, and adopted by
/ the Louisville Convention. Accomac of right be-
longs To and should he under the regulation of the
southern portion of the Church. But notwiih.
standing our location south of the boundary line
fixed upon by that convention, and the solemn
compact then entered into. that neither branch Of
the church should encroach upon the territory Of
the other, this county has not yet been transferred
to the pastoral Of the Conference to which il
rlghtiuliy belongs. Both the time and the occa
sion have now arrived, when this question Of le.
giimate position should he determined The
cause ct vital religion. the prosperity Of the
Methodist Church, the security of property, and
the ultimate safety of ourselves as a slavehodng
people. nperatively demand such a decision as
will effect the expulsion from our midst of minis
tiers whose conduct tends to generate a spirit of
incendiarsn and insurrection. and restitution of
the different churches in this county tn those who
oi right ought 10 furnish them with a CLERGY
suited to the pecnliarity of our institutions
Ii is not our design To frame an argument in
defiance Of slavery. for whether it be right in it.
sell and benefit tn society. or a great moral in
cuhus pressing us TO the earth, care not the
system has been for more than century eniailed
upon us, without the power requisite to relieve
ourselves Of il. Our only design is to show to
our fellow citizens the impocy of permitting an
order OF Ministers who are the representatives of
church whose sympathes are against the South
10 remain among us as our spiritual directors, and
the great danger to be apprehended from it.
That the Northern branch oc the Methodist
Church is hostile 10 the system ofslavery existing
at the South. is fact too well known to admit of
DENIAL. The records ofther Conferences, and the
admission of the committee composed of men
heartily advocating the Northern view of the
question which caused the division. especially
appointed to reply TO the celebrated protest of
those noble fifty against the suspension of
bishop Andrew from the exercise of his Epsco
pal functions. that from the first institution of the
EpIscopacy of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
no Shareholder has been elected to that dignity.
though In several instances. candidates otherw Use
emlnently fitted for the station. have failed of
success solely on account of this imped ment, %
suulciently attest the truth of our assertion, and
Indicate how deeply rooted the principles Of
the northern Methodist Church upon this SUBJ
ject. No farther proof need, therefore, be adduced
To satisfy any unbiased mind that their peculiar
tene's directly initiate against the South Assn
ming this to be fact. and no man who knows
any thlng OF the history of that church will dare
10 question it, it were well for the people of this
county to take into consideration the inevitable
consequences of permitting the residence among
mem OF men who the representatives of
Church which boldly advocates those principles of
fanatlca abolitonism highly snbversive of their
afoty md -.
it is preposterous TO say that the ministers fur
nshed US by the Northern Conferences entertain
views upon the subject of slavery Identical with
our own-unless they are basey Tecreant to the
trust confided TO them, they must preach, and en-
deavor to disseminate by every means, the pecu.
liar doctrines of the church whose servants they
are. They must without hesitation denounce
slavery as damning sin. They are in duty
bound to tell their congregations, that slave hold
ing and vital religion are incompatible with each
other. To the slaves, they must say that free
dom is their right, and their first duty is to obtain
release from bondage, at all hazards. Now, what
is to be the effect of this doctrine2 Our slaves
taught TO believe it their duty to procure emanci
patton from the control OF their masters. will hest
tate al means to effect the desired end Ioath-
ing their servitude. and knowing full well, that
the extirpation of the whites to be necessary to
secure their freedom, the consequences are as OBJ
vious they are revolving to humanity. The
country will be rife with midnight massacres and
bnrnings. The laborious and worthy farmer liv-
ing remote from assistance. without suspicion of
Impending danger. will some stormy night, be "a
rOnsed from gentle slnmber only to see beloved
wife welterng in her blood TO witness the pollu-
ton of a lovely daughter to hear the dying shrieks
ct his children whose faces beaming with joy were
wont TO welcome his return from daily toll and
cause his honest heart to swell with pride and to
know that immediate death from the hands of
his infatuated slaves must be his own portion
Villages and farm houses reduced to ashes,
Churches converted into the haunts of murderers
and robbers. friends and relatives barbarously de-
slroyed, and inhumanly thrown into the fields as
fit carrion for the dogs. The constant danger to
which all may be exposed, will one day show to
us, alas! too late. the folly of suffering the propa-
CATION of abolitonlsm in slaveholding community
This subject demands the serious consideration
not merely ut the members of the Methodist
Church, bnt of the whole country Every citi.
zen is deeply interested in it's decision, and more
especially those who are so unfortunate as to have
their property invested in slaves. IF this matter
were confined to the Methodist Church alone. it
would at once, so far as the community at large
are concerned be Invested Of its importance But
every man who has any interest in the protection
of property the preservation of peace and personal
security, and in the unmolested continuance Of
Southern institutions, is deeply concerned in the
issue. To all snch persons This communication is
addressed The time has now arrived when
some steps in the premises should be iaken-when
the withholding of private opinion upon this sub
jert is highly criminal.
This is no longer a question Of division The
decision Of the Louisville Convention has forever
settled that matter; and by the terms then agreed
upon the State Of Virginia, including of course.
this county, was placed under the control Of the
Southern section Of the Methodist Church. In
that convention, as am informed. we were repre-
sented, and through our representatives assented
to the compact Of separation. The only question