The examiner., 1849-06-30

ever change may have occurred among in
J dl,idual ministers or members oil I'M
church South on this subject, The church
as body stands pledged before Heauen ant
Earth to the old conservative anlislavery
ground of the Methodist Episcopal churct
prior to 1874, and if the Northern portion
OF the church have not changed their grount
since that dispute, our ground upon slavery
throughout the whole church, North ano
South, is identically the same as that o.
he united Methodist Episcopal church pre-
vious 70 the separation.
A moments sttenton 10 the rules and
regulations adopted from time to time by
the general conference, will justify the con-
clusion that from the beginning the Me.ho.
dist Church has occupied high anti slapery
ground. In 1880, they affirmed ''slauery
10 be contrary to the dictates Of conscience
and pure religion" aud passed sentence
OF diapprobation on all their friends who
held slaves, and advised their freedom. In
1854, they repeat the solemn protest. and
tie Conference held Decernber u, 1874,
adopted the regulations briefly reciled
above--in 1895 they adopted, substan-
TALLY, what is now found in the TX Sec
ton Of the Discipline of the Methodist E.
Church South, with some rules touching
the admission of Shareholders TO the Church,
and me treatment Of such as became
purchasers Of slaves. In 1916, they say,
ave declare that we are as much as ever
convinced Of the great evil of slavery;
therefore, no Shareholder shall be eligible
to any Official station in our Church here
after, where the laws of the State in which
be lives will admit Of emancipation, and
permit the liberated slave to enjoy free
dom" In 1924, the TX Section assumed,
in the hands Of the General Conference, its
preselat form. We have now shown that
from the beginning the Methodist Church
has BONE q firm and consistent testimony
against slavery, and urged upon her friends
every where 10 emanciPate their slaves
when il could be done without conflict with
tie vii powers.
Many are willing to adrait this, and it
has been denounced by some OF IFS former
friends as an association ci abOtitioRlstS,
and that the South was compelled to wash
ont this stain BY disSOlving her connection
with lhe North. We are acquainted with
The grounds Of that unhappy controversy
about slavery which resulted in disuniOn-
and, therefore, cannot admit the conclu-
sion shat the Church South is not anti-slav-
very. She has ayowed herself such in the
sigh, Of Heaven and earth. If any doubt,
We " III demonstrate it. Bear in mind tie
positson Of the Church on the 1st Monday
in May, l644, when the General Confer
ence met 10 the City Of New York. The
North and the South stood on the same
platform, holding The same antislareTy
disciplined Then, and there, commenced
the struggle iehOse end is not yet. But,
was il an effort on the part of the South TO
change the law On the subject of Slavery!
No; the whole Southern delegation declar-
ed themselves ptic tiy satisfied with the
discipline on ,be ssbect Of slayery-but
they objected TO !he nanner in which 1t
was administered. TIE case of MIR. Har-
ding which came up by appeal from the
OcIlh-Ou vi TIC SObtOiNHtN
brought on the conflict. The appeal was
prosecuted by Rev. w. A. SMITH, ID. D.,
of the Virginia Conference, one Of the
mOst prominent and influential men in the
Church. In that masterly argument, he
said: ISee Debates Of the General Confer.
ence, page ISL al appear before the Gen
eral Conference al the instance of the ap-
pellant, to state his case according to the
best of my ability. In entering upon this
duty, especially as it involves the question
of Slavery, it is proper that should make
few preliminary Observable srsonal to
myself Ny opinions on his subject have
been made up for years. But these opin-
ions have never been permitted, with me,
so Gar as am competent to understand my.
self, to originate unchris!icn feelings to-
wards any honest man who differs with me.
Ihove aiacay held m.selt and nO,o do, an
| ASrIsLAvERY MAN, not, however, an abo-
li.ionist in any sense Of the word, and in
this. differ not from my Methodist breth-
rem in the ministry or out of it," Again,
page 20, Debates Of General Conference,
| I844, he says: 81 stand by the Methodist
discipline, and if any mar claims to be a
conservative, and will not stand on the same
broad platform, | deny that he is one, and
will contest il every inch. / repeat, our
discipline is conservative. Hear it, What
shall be done for the extirpation Of the evil
of slavery? Ans. 1. We are as much as
ever convinced Of the great evil Of slave
Iryr believe it-with all my heart sub
scribe TO il. And repeat that language
with feeling that none but those from the
South, like circumsianced, can possibly
do. say it is an evil because | feel it to
be an evil And who cannot say the same
that has trod the soil of The South? 1t il
an eviI--the discipline declares the truth
the whole truth, and, so far as relates t
, this case, nothing but the truth; and truti
/ which, from our connection with the sub
, iect, we are not ashamed to proclaim upor
the house-top,, here or elsewhere. Blu
. while the discipline deprecates the evil o
slavery, it requires the members OF tn
I Church, within those States, to conform
/, their action to the rules or laws Of thos
E States in which they live. This is assum
t ing the doctrine that though slavery is al
! evil, and great evil, it is not necessaril
/ sin. This is conservatism. Page q
g he says: 1--WE say that slavery is an evil
and that Southern people know and feel
70 be an evil. Who kno VS. how much th
< shoe pinches but he who wears it! An
. who more than we who have been con