The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-05-16
WHOLE NO. 176.

| eign countries. The means to carry on the OPP
erations Of the Society have been contributed by
the members Of the Committee and other friends
Of the cause, and after all the expenditures, there
remains in the treasury upwards Of two thousand
dollars
A survey Of the history Of the Anti-Slayery
cause for the year is then taken in relation to the
action of Ecclesiastical bodies, Of Congress- and
State Legislatures reference is made to the dis
tribution of the Bible among slaves, TO the state
Of religion at the South TO the moral restitution
Of slave States TO the unequal political power Of
the N forth and South, to the Nashville Convention
to the spostacy Of Webster to his new views of the
Wilmot Proviso returning fugitives, and Coloni-
Zation Society; 10 the attempt by Foote aud Clay
TO compromise between Freedom and Slavery, to
the noble effort of Benton, to the moral heroism
Of the Leonidas band Of Free-Soilers in Congress,
to Stewards high moral position in the Senate,
to the question respecting fngitives, TO the
Ubiquitous laws and usages respecting people OF
color, 10 their improvement in various ways, TO
Caste, to the Colonization Society, TO Slavery and
the Slave Trade as they now exist in Washington
and the slave States to the arrogance OF the slave
power 90 the treatment Of othern citizens at the
South, to the violence on the post Office Ia South
Carolina, TO the moral restitution Of the South
creasing anti-slavery feeling aud sentiment at the
South, to the free and pro-slavery press at the
North, to the state of things in the West Indies
and other foreign countries, and to the work de-
manded Of all who hate Slavery and love their
country.
EcCLESIASTIcAL ACTION.
A review is taken of the doings Of the General
Assemblies of the Presbyterian Church, o. S. and
~ s., and Of the American Board Of Commission
ers for Foreign Missions, and mention is made Of
the advice to the latter by the Dutch Reformed
Church the position Of the American Home
Missionary Society with regard TO slavery is no
ticed and also n statement made Of the action Of
the General Association Of Connecticut, DR.. Ba-
cons Report, &c, of the New England Conference
Of the Methodist Episcopal Church Of the op.
position Of Southern association TO mans natural
rights, and the injurious advice and statements
given by Southern ministers at our theological
seminaries and public meetings.
iSI@,Ss-s ,,G-.s..ii@51 szsazY93@ OF resolHe-
against slavery by the following ecclesiastical
bodies: The General Association Of Mss. Con-
vention Of Congregational ministers Of Mass the
Presbyteres of Franklin, o, Ottawa, I'LL, Marion,
10, indianapolis, Ind, West Alexander, Pa, the
Synod of Illinois, Free Synod Of Cincinnati, Re-
formed Presbyterian Synod Of North America,
Wy Synod of Associate Reformed Church, Iowa
State Convention of Universalists, Independent
Congregational Church at Brownhelm o., Cen
trail Association of Illinois, the American Baptist
Free Mission Society, American Missionary As
ISOLATION, Wisconsin Conference of Wesleyan
Methodist Connection, the Christian A Slavery
Convention at Cincinnati The latter body re-
solved unanimously to withdraw from slaveholding
churches, and churches and ecclesiastical bodies
holding fellowship with shareholders, and from
missionary societies having any connection with
the sin Of slavery.
1t is stated that the General Assembly, o. s.,
was memorialized to declare slavery sin, to pre-
pare plan of abolition, and to alter certain terms
and passages In the Act OF ls45, relating to sla-
very, and that resolutions were adopted, in reply
with only one dissenting voice--thst the subject
belongs TO secular rather than ecclesiastical legisa
lures that the Assembly has said and done ali 1t
can with propriety that II aims to keep free from
fanaticsm and to encourage the religious instruc-
ton Of the slave by the stakeholder and the pas
tor Anti-slavery passages have been expunged
from the Hymn Book and "Keith's Evidenced
lately published by the Assembly; and its char
acter continues pro-slayery. The Report speaks
Of the great parade made by the N, 8, Assembly
In styling slavery SIN, Nc, and those who hold
slaves in the legal sense M sunrrs nsainst ODD
and man, while slaveholding ministers are fellow
shipped, and no discipline is recommended to the
churches; of the attempt made in the Assembly,
to prevent anti-slavery discussion and Of the
great dissatisfaction which its proceedings have
oocasoned, especially at the West.
The Report states that the A. b. C. F. M dis
appointed and grieved the friends Of the slave at
their last meeting; that Mr.. Treats highly sat
isfactory letter has been virtually withdrawn, and
It's position abandoned; that the Board seems de-
termined to allow the admission Of Shareholders
into the mission churches. In answer to the doc
tu;,, hat To-, h. NJ inf n
is affirmed that the abuses are part and parcel of
the system The Board Is conjured to use Its in
Huence legitimately against slavery, for the rect-
fcation of public sentiment at home, and the pro-
motion Of q higher Christian practice in the
churches, inasmuch as the mere elevated Is the
moral sense of the nation, the more abundant
will be the aid afforded In the work Of mis-
sions; and 1t IL said that no Mission Board
can expect TO retain the confidence Of Christians
who are opposed to slavery while they refuse to
exclude the practice Of slaveholdng from their
mission churches
The prosperous condition and increased re-
sources Of the american Missionary Association Is
mentioned, which Is ascribed, under God, to is
strict anti slavery character, at home and abroad
also the success of Its coporteurs In distributing
Bibles in slave States, and Of It's missionaries in
churches that have no fellowship with
shareholders.
The Anpric0n Home Missionary Soeify Is COM
planned of for requiring that the credentials Of Its
sent into slaveholding communities
be acceptable to the ministerial body of their de-
nominatan within whose bounds they are appoint
ed to labor that according TO common belief, Its
City Missionaries In the slave States oil receive
to the communion Of the church as
Christians in good standing that Its missionaries
in the slave States collect funds for the Society
which flow Into it's common treasury and II Is
shown that the assertion, that missionary would
be suffered to reside preach In any slave State,
who should incnlcate an anti-slavery Gospel, Is
Incorrect, rs missionaries sustained by other so
cieties do preach such Gospel, and from such
churches there.
The Report states that the common opinion,
that the Mehodia Episcopal Church, North, is
anti slavery, Is mistake; that the action Of the
General Conference which led TO the separation
was not against slavery or slaveholdng by the
membership or ministry, but simply by the Epis-
copacy and that not upon principle, but on the
ground OF expediency, brought about by the
Southern, and not by the Northern members, who
did what they could TO prevent IT, II Is stated
that official documents show that there are at the
present time in the Northern General Conference
eight annual Conferences, part OF the whole OF
whose territory Is in the usveholding States, and
that It s computed that there are In that part OF
the church not less than four thousand slavehold-
ers, and twenty thousand slaves
The Report speaks highly Of the thorough anti
slavery character of the Wssisyan Mahodia Con-
mction which has extended its operations through
ali the free States has twelve yearly Conferences,
more than twenty thousand communicates, and
not less than Ave hundred ministers, three OF
whom are laboring with great success In Virginia
and North Csroiina--one Of them having been
three times put upon his trial Ia Virginia on the
accusation Of violating the slave laws; but he Is
still at large preaching an anti-slavery Gospel.
This example Is held up for the imitation Of
the American Home Missionary Society and
kindred bodies.