Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-07-07
COMMUNICATIONS.
Methodist General Conference.

labors for the year Of grace one thousaII eight
hundred and forty eight, and it is natural and
proper that we inquire after the nature Of its
doings. In this age of distractions and re-
proving of sins in general that no one ever
commits" how gratifying to the friends Of
humanity, had this body made a push in ad.
vance Of the old beaten track but it's idle
10 hope for anything of this nature from such
a source. Since 1911 you could not breach
the subject of the connection of the church
with slavery 10 a Methodist, but you wert
met with the rejoinder, 80, we have nothinr
10 do with slavery, there has been a division
of the church b; ;" claiming for themselves tn,
merit of non-fellowship of slavery and slave
holders. 1t was said in reply that the "divi
slon'' was nothing from which the Noltt
could claim merit, as they labored hard to pre-
vent it, and were now in reality as much il
fellowship with the South as ever. This wa.
denied.
Let US see who is right. Rev. l.. Pierce,
ID. D., presents himself to the Conference as
a " delegate Of the NJ. +. Church South, pro-
posing %fraternal relations between them, the
NJ. L. Church and the Church South and
because of existing serious difficulties and
questions between the two bodies" "the
Conference therefore
Resolrel, That while we tender to the Rev.
DR.. Pierce all personal courtesies, and invite
him 10 attend our sessions, this General Con-
ference does not consider it proper at present,
to enter into f%raternal relations with the NJ.
r. Church South"
If he is the representative of a Wicked set
of men, from which you have separated your
selves, why be so fawning? But you do
not SO regard him, nor do you refer to, or
mean slavery by your "seTious difficulties
and questions" for ii you did, as the Church
South is based upon slavery, you could not
have done less than to have reported at once
and forever against fraternizing with the
Church South, and not have qualified that
report with your at present." But what did
the Rev. DR.. S. Peck, chairman of the com
mittee, say of the deliberations in committed
" On all hands, by all the speakers, the kind
est expressions were used, As a christian
and a christian minister the committee were
prepared to accord to him (Dr. Pierce,) all
due respect" But how does Bro. Hunter
describe the exercises at the : Church South
where he attended, The Rev. DR.. Dixon
preached-at the close Of his sermon the
" venerable Bishop Hedding commenced the
solemn services of the Lords supper, and af-
fectionately invited Bishop Soule to kneel
with him at the table," which he did, and
by consequence "emotiOns too big for utter
ance filled the hearts Of many in that assem-
bly,. All differences were for the moment
forgotten" + i = = = Among the
preachers who surrounded the table, zoe re-
joiced 10 see the Rer. Dr. Pierce, Of Georgia."
Verify the Church is divided and we have
nothing to do with slavery!!
But a little more. At the request Of A.
Stevens the secretary read an article purport-
ing to have been published in Zion's Herald,
claiming that the rejection of DR.. Pierce was
mainly on the ground of slavery-"t that its
whole import is a verdict against slavery and
ecclesiastical alliance with slavery" A. Ste.
vens fe-affirmed the sentiment. He so I'M
derstood the action of the committee. If he
was mistaken he would make reparation.-
He said many good things.
John Davis said, sit was stated in the
committee on the state of the church distinct
ly, that it could not reject DR.. Pierce on thu
abstract ground of slavery-that the Discl
pline of the Nj. l.. Church South is identica
on that subject with ours" II \ \ \
1.-The committee was informed that it wa
the opinion of DR.. Bond, who had been S
long regarded as an oracle of the church i
these matters, that recognition could not b
refused on the ground Of slavery" y \
"IHis Conference nerer intended TO gire ute'
Gnce TO tie sentiments contained in that art
Gle, never! nerer! ii ,COuH be our ruin!
And SO, bloody monster that you are, rathe
than suffer dissolution, you choose, like tn
civil compact, to hang together with the war;
blood of three millions of Gods equal crea
lures extorted by your civil and ecclesiasti
cal cat-o-nine-,ails.
]. B. Finley did not think Bro. Steven
fairly represented the action of the Confei
ence. He was an anti slavery man. lint h
would not run into ullraism on either hanC
81 declare here (said hey that | did not il
tend to make that rOte a declaration againi
slavery" Right, brother, for to have vote
to reject the South on the ground of SLAYER,
would not have been in accordance wi
methodist anti-slavery." IT is a "%seriou
matter that you Southernors infract the "plar
of division by coming too far North, but