Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-08-06
MANIFESTO

Tit Undersigned having been appointed
by tue Convention Of Cincinnati. Commit
tee to prepare n Manifesto. setting forth our
reasons for Withdrawing our connexion from
all Slaveholding ard pro-Slavery Ecclssiss-
iical bodies, beg leave. in behalf Of their
brethren, TO submit the following TO the cam
did examination Of the Christian community,
and of the world (:
"When ia the course Of human events Il
has become necessary" for a portion of any
ecclesiastical organization, TO dissolve the &c.
clesiasiical connection they have hitherto held
with their brethren, ~ decent respect for the
opinions Of others" as well as a sense Of du-
~ TO themselves, TO their brethren, to the
world. and above all. TO Almighty God, re-
quirps that they should " dPrlsye the causes
that have i~npelled them to the separation"
Our reasons, therefore, W. submit, as fol-
lows:
/. TIE RY2clessness Of Information.
/. 1t is a we'll known fact, that the pre-
byterian Church in the United States Of A.
me.ica" has ever, to the great grief Of many
Of her members, ADMITTED Shareholders 10 her
communion, and in this way has ever declar-
ed, by her practice, that sIaveholding lie con-
sistent with Christian character and profess
sion. This has done moro to sustain slave.
holding. and make ii reputable, than mere ci-
vii Legislation could do, and therefore i~nvolv-
ed the church in the blood and sin Of the
slaveholding system existing in this coun-
try.
9. Against that practice Of the church, we.
and many who have gone before us, and have
long since ceased from their labors, and have
entered into rest, presented petitions and re-
monstrances TO the General Assembly, since
it came into existence. mp 10 the present time.
Many of these were laid on the table without
action on them, lest the Church should be d.
vided by any attempt 10 purge her from the
sin of sllvrholJing. Ami when an Assem-
bly, aid act, it condemned the crime, pitied
and protected the criminal, and gave him q
good standing in the church.
3. In the providence Of God, the sin Of
? saveholding, which was tolerated and sus-
tanned in her communion, for the sake Of
peace and numbers, became the means Of
sundering the church into Two bodies. The
four Synods excinded by the General Assem-
bly,, were both New School and Anii-Slave-
!. ~, consequently the Old School and Slave
holding interests were united. Previous to
, the extending act. Professor Hodge. of
Princeton. of The Old School party. publish.
ed in the Repository his famous article against
+ AboliIionists. During the Assembly precrd-
ing the one that eycinded The four Synods.
this article was re-puhlished and gratuitously
distributed among the members Of the As
senbly. By this the SlAveholding interest
was enlisted on the old-school side. Hence
the New-School party was almost abolished
in the Slave States, while il is believed il
had a majority in the free States. Mr.. Plum
mer who had been considered a N~ew-School
man, was found at the head of the Old-School
party, in the extending Assembly /; and DR..
Baxter, on his return home from the Assem-
bly,, Offered in excuse for his vote, thai, by
cutting of the four Svnads. they had exclu-
ded nearly all the Abolirionists. Thus the
Slaveholding interest was the means by
which the Old-School party were enabled TO
excind the four Synods and divide the church;
and that which was tolerated for The sake Of
peace and numbers. the Lord in his Just iudg-
ment permitted 10 rend the body of the
church, and force out OF her half her men,
bers.
4. Immediately after the division the con.
stiin,ionaI body had almost no interest in the
Slave States, and the first Assembly. in the
narrative on the state Of religion, gave al
length. the narratives of a number of Presby-
teries, stating what they had done in the An
ts.Slavery cause, and We had from the As
srmbly The implied appreciation ofthe Anti
Slavery action of the Presbyteries. 1t was
confidently believed that the few Slaveho!d-
ers in the body could soon be purged out of
it, and that the church would be liberated
, from the blood and sin of Slaveholding. In
spired by this hope, many Anti-Slavery Pres
byterians not only gave their firm adherence
to the constitutional body, but gave their best
efforts TO sustain and defend it against the
attacks OF its enemies. But before The NEE
' ting Of the second Assembly, a plan was
f,rnod in Nam N.Tk and DhIladpIDhIa. IN
exclude from it entirely the subject Of Slave
nv. This plan. although vigorously prosecu-
ted, did not succeed. The subject was large-
n ly discussed. but the Assembly could not be
: induced To say that Slaveholding is a SIM
/ The subject was referred TO the lower courts
IS will, the Injunction to use such means, as
o thew deemed best calculated to remove the
evil. But into the narrative on the state of
: religion, which might be expected TO reach
: most of the churches, not one sentence res
= peciing Slavery was permitted 10 enter
! Strong efforts were made 10 get the Assembly
to say in the narration, " The cquse of the
Stare had MT been forgotten" but in vain: it
was rejected by a strong vote. The old de-
termination of tolcra,iug Slaveholding in the
communion ofthe church, had gained strength
since the former Assembly, and now dis
played itself in strong and determined ac-
ton.
The Presbytery Of Ripley took action I'M
: der the resolution Of the Assembly, referring
: the subject of Slavery to the lower courts,
and resolved not to fellowship church courts
that tolerated Slaveholding in the churches
under their care, and not to admit Slavehold-
y ing ministers to their pulpits, nor Slayehoid'
i srs 10 communion in their churches. THIS
= action the next Assembly considered similar
= to the extending act of the 0ld-srhool' nd
n asked the Presbytery, to reverse its resolu-
Is tons. This was nothing short Of asking
d Presbytsry to admit Stockholders TO the pull
pit and the communion. The Assembly now