Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-09-18
Ohio Yearly Meeting.

The epistle of our friend Davis in relation
TO this meeting, and which will be found
among our other communications, was not re-
ceived in time for the last paper. Judging of
the action Of the Society by the brief report
this letter contains, we should say it was de-
cidedly progressing backwards-so far as an
,i-slavery is concerned. True, its members
have issued an anti-slavery address-ot what
character we know not-and have continued
their committee on slavery. But they have
done a Iced that throws these actions into the
shade-,hcy have taken sides with the lndi-
ana Yearly Meeting against the meeting at
Green Plain, SO far as to resume their cor
respondence with the former, and refuse to
receive the epistle of the latter.
TO those of our readers who DO not under
stand the position of affairs in the Society in
relation to this matter, we will briefly ex-
plain. A few years since the Indiana Year
ly meeting by its tyrannical and pro-slavery
conduct greatly oppressed a few truth-loving,
anti-slavery members, who found they could
not enjoy liberty of conscience unless they
seceeded from the body. Green Plain Quar-
terly meeting accordingly dissolved its union
with the yearly meeting, as it had a perfect
right to do, and has remained a separate and
Independent meeting. Yearly meetings are
accustomed to exchange annual epistles with
each other, and this exchange is regarded by
them as an evidence of christian unity. If
any meeting should depart in practice or
usage from the standard Of modern Quaker
ism, all meetings true in the faith would re-
fuse to receive an epistle from it, or address
one to it, thus bearing their testimony against
il.
Seceeders are always Odious to body men,
bers and although year after year Green
Plain has come to the Ohio Yearly Meeting
with the usual epistolary offering in her hand,
the latter has uniformly refused to receive it,
lest by so doing it should recognize the right
full existence of that body. Last year, while
refusing to receive the epistle Of Green Plain,
it also refused to respond to that Of Indiana,
because-as we were informed at the time
Ol Tue ulluSllldDl6 COHuuCl VI TIE ldlltI To-
ward the members Of the former. This year,
as appears from our correspondent, Ohio re-
ceeded from her former position, and though
no more Just to Green Plain, was more
friendly with Indiana and exchanged epistles
with her as formerly. No anti-slavery adj
dress from the Yearly Meeting, no anti-sla-
very committee appointed by it, should cause
us to forget that the hand of christian fellow
ship extended to pro-slavery and oppressive
Indiana has been refused to Green Plain!
Some anii-slavery members, we under
stand, think the meeting transacted its bust
ness admirably, and got along with much less
difficulty than was apprehended. This may
be accounted for by the fact that abolitionists
r asked for less this year than they did last.--
The pro-slavery part after whcedling them
into a retrocession from their position of last
year-the most important anti-slavery point
which came before them-consented to an
Address and n Committee, two of the least
important, if tho address be such as usually
comes from Yearly Meetings, and if the Com
mittee does no more than the recent Commit
tee did. 1t is passing strange that a differ
: ence in latitude makes so great a difference in
feeling. Those who last year commended with
their fellow members until they induced them
to refuse to correspond with Indiana, this
year inglCriously retreat and barter all they
gained for an Address and a Committee! Eli.
Their the Meeting did wrong this year, or il
did wrong last year. The circumstance
were the same, but its action widely different.
If it was right last year to decline correspon.
dence with Indiana, was it not wrong to cor.
respond with it this year! Ifit was light to
correspond with it this year was it not wrong
to decline it last year?
We wish Green Plain would ask no more
favors or rights at the hands of any such bo.
dy as the Ohio Yearly Meeting. Let hel
stand alone true and undaunted, though des.
pissed by all; and if professed abolitionist,
will remain in full fellowship, aye, in oficia
u connection with bodies that place the gag il
Z her mouth, and refuse 10 receive and read he
II ~ePisIles, let them be judged by the compan,
II they keep.
: JONATHAN BLANcHARD.-We sec it an
nounced by bills posted in the town, tina
d Jonathan Blanchard will lecture here SOM
y time next week, in what house the motto
U does not state. Blanchard is the Presiden
of a College in Ill.,, and if he is the sam
5 man that he was a few years since, when W,
were acquainted with him, he is very ~eloquen
and very secIarian. Some of the friends her
S are very anxious that the contemplated gath
d ering should not be called a Liberty part
meeting. We are ignorant what course tn
o speaker will pursue in his lecture, but it will
e be seen by a notice in another column tina
S he is to address the Liberty party convention
!, at New Lisbon.