Arkansas intelligencer., 1849-06-23
w A L X E R & GREEN. i.
CoRslhttiSnality Of the Separation iSustainsd.e "
ByY .bD. L9eSAdkDgRs,' ass ,HuntstilIey Ark.

/
| Immediately after the close of the Louisville
convention, the impatient missiles of the North
were seen, as signal rockets, portending a more
general engagement, flying from many quarters.
Kissing disapprobaton Of the manner in which the
plan had been carried oui.
This ground was soon abandoned however, and
truce ensued, which gave hopes to the Church
South that flag of peace would be sent in. The
| urmistce, however. proved 10 be suspension of
hostiiiiies only, that the ardor of enga cement
insight be more general. and their pieces better
| aimed. Accordingly, the heavier pieces of theo.
logical ordinance soon heard multering in deep
and loud tones, that The General Conference had no
potcer 10 grant such separation. And very soon
the c:y became general throughout the ranks,
d" unconstitutional. unconstitutional, secession and
schsm - and thus did their borders roar in thun-
ders Of denunciatcn ill the meeting of their con-
ference in lS4S.
The Church South, thinking this a favourable
time for reconciliation, sent their minister DR..
Pierce, TO hoist the flag Of peace, and wave the
olive. branch at their very threshold. Some of
our brethren entertained strong hopes Of amica BILE
adjustment. and fraternal reciprocation for said
they, our warm friends of "A are there-those
who, by their votes and voices, dec Jared the plan
both constitutional and expedient, are again re-
elected, and are there. Many of our o,rn dear
brethren, who in warmest accents expressed the r
I
the peace Of jerusalem, there and surely they
acH not, they cdnnOi, sell their Joseph into Egypt.
Notwithstanding all these we'll grounded hopes
of peace and amcable adjustment, the same mcm-
bers (many of them who in pathetic peals ra sed
their voices, and finally their votes in favor
of the consitulionaiy OF the plan, now take their
seats in lStS and. mtrd6iEe dtciu, such Is their
blindness and hallucination from The smoke and
noise of the artillery, that they now declare it un.
constitutional, and consequently null and void
bat TO the argument.
As The civil constitution of the United States Isl
by all, made the sianda rd of constitutional perec-
ton, and very probably the standard by which the
constituloUaIity of this question is tried, we can
not be fully prapa red the merits Of the ques
ton, till we shall have settled our views of our
| ecclesiastical constitution. Before we proceed
however, 1t may not be nmiss TO remark, that while
we can trnce no strict analogy between our eccle-
sastical constitution and that of the United States
we al the time regard our ecclesiastical cha ri
as being sufficiently republican for church purpo-
ses being less complex, and Offering greater faci-
litles for speedy and direct administration-the
voice Of the people being fully breathed through
their representatives. ... 49,.
l. Then in the constitution Of the United States
recognize three separate and distinct depart
ments of power the conventional, the legislative,
and the judicial, 10 say nothing of the executive.
These departments Of power are all mutually in.
tion, we know, was formed by convention, and
consequently can be amended by the same body
only. 1t is the province OF the legislature 10 enact
laws within the prescribed limits of the constitJ,-
tional chart, having no power to touch alter the
chart, but rather are sworn 10 support it. 1t is
the business Of the judicial to adIudcaie such laws
when made, and to decide upon their constitution
ality.
In our ecclesaoiical chart, however, these three
departments, functionaries Of power, are all
centred in one body, called the General Confe.
| renee. This, probably, will be fully conceded
without delay 10 udduce proof. The whole histo.
ry of our Church. from its first organization BY q
body Of ministers in 1874, down to the present
time, will fully warrant the position above that
the whole Jura power of tho Church, whether
conventional, legislative, or judicial is vested in
our General Conference. We have no where in
the history of our Church such IN assembly as a
convention. II is true, that our brethren Of the
| North labor very much 10 magnify the General
Conference of 1908 into regular conve1tion.--
But this will all appear vain and futile 10 any who
will examine the history. tM L. G. vol. 3, pa &c
1857 That the General Conference is our only
legislative department, none disputes and that it
is our supreme judicial brethren of the North
camorousIy proclaim but rather sha inc fully de-
! monstrated, when thoy assume 10 their conference
o: lS4S the power to decide a measure un-consti.
| tutional, which had been passed by their body,
and had gone into execution, and consequently,
had become grant Of the majority to the mino-
rity.
| The grounds on which the separation is adjudg-
ed unconstitutional, are the infraction of the res
trciive rules. Now, it has been fully shown by
Doctor Bascom, and others, that the separation
works no nfraction of tho restrictive rules that
the term general epscopacy is intended to be used
| in a diocesan acceptation. This is very obvious
otherwise, why did not the bishops of England
maintain their episcopal jurisdiction in the United
States ? how was that of Ireland limited that OF
| Canada &c. -
! But it is our purpose now TO demonstrate clear
y. and conclusivey. that the plan of separation is
constitutional, though this diocesan construc
tion be, rejected; consequently We will enquire
/, /. Whether these restrictive rules worked ar
absolute privation of jural power in the Genera