Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-09-03
The Yearly Meeting.

place on Sunudy last Ahe ueehhB vi Nndh
day was large-many more being in attend
ance than could get into the house, or with.
in hearing Of the speakers. The meeting
was a highly interesting one. The preach
ing was of a kind not always heard from the
lips of the authorized expounders of faith
and doctrine amongst Friends. Our readers
will not doubt this when they are told that
Lucretia Mott and Joseph A. Dugdale were
the principal speakers on the OCCASION
Praciical truths were uttered. The crushed
and the dumb were not forgotten. The anti
slavery and other reforms were spoken of
approvingly, and Friends were exhorted to
be more faithful and diligent in works Of
practical righteousness. Many Friends, we
are told, make strong objections to Lucretia's
discourse, on the ground that it was a lecture
instead Of a sermon. Call it what they will,
they must have felt its truth, and it is to be
hoped will profit by it.
The business sessions con menced on
Monday. The session Of that day was a
long one, and a question came up which gave
rise to an earnest discussion, in which much
feeling was manifested. After reading the
travelling certificates, laid upon the table by
several ministers from other Yearly Meetings
who were present. the Clerk stated that a
certificate was upon the table from a body
calling itself Green Plain Monthly Meet
ing," which, as that meeting was not con-
uected with the Society of Friends, he sup
posed could not be properly read. The per-
son who brought this certificate was, Of
course, Joseph A. Dugdale; and the discus
sion was upon the propriety of reading it,
1t was commended by some that ]. A. Dugdale
had been disowned by Green Plain Month
ly Meeting for breaches Of Discipline,
and consequently was an intruder here, and
ought to withdraw from the Meeting. On
the other hand it was argued that he was a
member Of Green Plain Monthly Meeting, in
good and regular standing.
Most Of the readers of the Bugle are per-
haps aware that there are two bodies calling
themselves Green Plain Monthly Meeting.
That to which Joseph A.. Dugdale belongs
is held at the time and place in which Green
Plain Monthly Meeting has always been held
has had in its possession the records and
books of the Monthly Meeting ever since its
commencement, which is perhaps twenty
years, and is much the larger body. The other
Meeting is composed of a minority of the
Green Plain Quarterly Meeting. This body,
a few in number, met in a private house, and
issued testimony of disownment against
Dugdale and others.
Friend Dugdale spoke at some length in
the meeting, giving a statement of proceed
ings of Indiana Yearly Meeting against the
Green Plain Friends and others. We have
not room to give the facts in this case, nor
is it necessary, as most of those interested in
the matter are aware that Indiana Yearly
Meeting has been attempting for years to
crush those who are pleading the cause of
the slave, and advocating other reforms
The Anti-Slavery portion Of the meeting were
in favor of reading the certificate, and those
opposed to reform seemed almost determined
~ bnOulU HUI U6 IOdus COMPROMISE "oo
at length agreed upon. The agreement was
that nothing should be read from, nor any
correspondence held for the present with
Green Plain Monthly Meeting, nor with In
diana Yearly Meeting or any of its branches.
The Friends, however, who were in attend
ance both from Green Plain and Indiana
were allowed to sit in the Yearly Meet
ing.
In the women's meeting a discussion Of
the same kind arose upon the propriety of
reading an Epistle sent from Green Plain
Friends. The result, however, was some
what different, the women Friends agreeing
that all documents should be received and
read, both from Green Plain and from lndi-
ana Yearly Meeting.
Upon the whole, the action of the Yearly
Meeting so far, gives evidence Of progress,
slow and partial indeed. but still in the right
direction. We think in this, as in other ca
ses, much more might be done if those in the
Yearly Meeting who are interested in reform
would but stand firmly by their principles
There is too much compromise on the part
of Anti Slavery Friends. If these would
but speak in Friends meetings as they
do in Anti-Slavery meetings, and in all places
outside of their own meetings, a different
state of things would be brought about. The
decision of the mems meeting referred to
above, was not what it ought to be, or what
it would have been if a full expression Of
sentiment had been given by the Anti-Slave-
ny members. 1t was not a decision upon
principle. The Yearly Meeting refused to
say the present position of Indiana Yearly
Meeting and the Green Plain Friends was