The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-24

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7, ss y !: I. = W , q s IT,
oi,sion t. whik gen rg % th&nt-
jectk Of very. els Is tdkhos States 4n'y
wbne L admit 4 sma( patl and init
n ibsF ID lave eujoy Esed p, shos be
firmly add constantly enforced, the exception 70
the gsneral tnie applying 70 these States where
emancipation, ss defined above, il not practical
BILE, should BE- recognized and protected with
equal frmkess md mpartiafity. The Commit
toe respectfully suggest tosthe conference the
pr0priety of adopting the following resolution
"Resolsed, by the delegates Of the several an
nual conferences in general conference assem-
bled, That under the provisional exception OF the
general rule of the church on the snbgsct OF sia-
very, the simple holding OF slaves, OF mere aw-
nership Of slave property, in States or AorrA0Fies
where the laws do not admit OF emancipation,
and permit the liberated slave to enjoy freedoms,
constitutes no legal bnrier to the election or
ordination OF ministers to the various grades Of
office known in the ministry OF The Methodist
Episcopal church, and cannot, therefore, 90 CON
sidered as operating any forfeiture Of right. ~
view of such election and ordinatiop'a. .-t.s...
Mr. Lord begged that the court wonld remark
the phrase, "ths various grades OF oinceknown
In the ministry" lie then read from the printed
minutes, at which Bishop Andrew and Sonle,
and the other bishops were present tic again
referred to the Book of Proofs, No. !, p 10, which
was the case Of f. A. Harding, who had been
suspended for refusing to manumit slaves, and
by which it appeared, from the Journal OF the
general conference, that this suspension was
affirmed by a vote Of III to 66. In connection
with this, Mr. sl4ord referred to the opinions OF
Mr. Merrick and Mr.. Keys. stating that Mr..
T.. (L,.au o1l Than
read from the law of Maryland, by which it is
enacted that a woman becoming possessed Of
slaves during eovertiire, shall hold them in her
own right and independent Of her husband that
in case of her death, the slaves become the pro-
perty OF her chdren--the husband bayng the
use of them during his lifetime. II the. wife die
without children, then the slaves go to the hus-
bnnd a .~ s.i N go
phe next was the case of Bishop Andrew, On
which the committee on Episcopacy made the
following REPORT: = ~''s f3'- - .ft"
.sThe committee had ascertaihed, previous to
the reference. Of the resolution, that Bishop AM
drew is connected with slavery, and had obtained
an interview with him on the subject; and hay
ing requested him to state the.whole facts IN the
premises, hereby present aiwritten communlca'
ton from him in relation to this matter, and beg
leave to offer it US his statement and explanation
ofthe ease. ~ ''y +" n 'ass.~
80 The Commiueeon Episcopacy:-- -,a ~.
"DEAR RETHREN-InrepIy to your inquiry,
| submit.the following statement OF all the facts
bearing on my connection with slavery. Sew
erat years since an old lady Of Augusta, Georgia,
bequeathed to me mulatto girl, in trust that
should take care of heruDtil she SHOULD be nine
teen years of age :, that with herconsentl should
then send her to LIBERIA and that in.case OF her.
refusal, should keep her, and make heras free
as the laws of the State Of Georgia would per-
nit. When the time arrived she refuselt to go
to Liberia, and, of her own choice, remains leg'lv
ly my slave, although derive no pecunary pro-
fit from her. She continues to live in her own
house, on my lot, and has been and is at present
at perfect liberty to go to free State at her
pleasure but the laws Of the State viii DOT per-.
nit her emancipation, ror admit such deed of
emancipation to record, and she refuses to leave
the State Ia her case, therefore. j have been
made stakeholder legally, but not with my own
consent. r-'f- ...'..3t.
"2dly. About five years since, the mother of
my former wife left to her daughter not to me,
a negro boy; and as my wife died without a
will moro than two years since, by the laws Of
the State he becomes legally my property. in
this case, MS in the former. emancipation ~ I'M
practicable in'the State but he shall be at l!b
erty to leave the State whenever shall be salts
fled that he is prepared to provide for himself,
or can have sufficient security that he Will be
protected and provided for in the place TO which
he may go.
"3dly. In the month OF January last, mar
ried my present wife, she being at the time pos
sessed of slaves, inherited from her former hus
bands estate, and belonging to her. Shortly
after my marriage, being unwilling to become
their owner, regarding them as strictly hers, and
the law not permitting their emancipation, sec
cured them to her bya deei of trust ,.l..
s" 1t will be obvious to you, from the above.
statement of facts, that have neither bought
nor sold slave that in the only two instances
in which L am legally STAKEHOLDER, emancipa-
ton is impractcable. As to the servants owned
by nv wife, have no legal responsibility in the
premises, nor could my wife emancipate them if
she desired &c do so. / have thus plainly stated
all the facts in the case. and submit the state
ment for the consideration of the general con-
ference Yours respectfully. ae.a
44..A GAMES o. ANDREW. 4
"Resolutions were then offered requesting
the bishop to resign, but the meeting adjourned !;
and at subsequent conference the following
was adopted h..f ,4 s@t ~. ia
IA" Whereas, the discipline of our church for
bids the doing anything calculated to DESTROY
our itinerant general superintehdency, and
whereas Bishop Andrew has become connected
with slavery by marriage and Otherwise. and
this act h,vipg drawn after it circumstances
which, in the estimation of the general confer
ence, will greatly embarass the exercise Of hi,
office rs, an i,inerant general superintendent, If
not in some places entirely .prevensit; therefore,
Resolced, That it Is the sense Of this gen.
eral conference that he desist from the eyerDise
of his office so long az this impeachment remain.
During the all for yeas and nays,J. c. Clark
asked to be excused from voting, rs he was COM
PEELED, by the want of health In some members
Of his family to remove from Texas. Confer
ence by vote declined excuslng him"
There was series of resolutions then read
from the general conference, among which were
the following
And be IL further resolced, as aforesaid,
That the book concerns at New York and Gin
cinnati shall be held and conducted as the pro-
perty and for the benefit of all the annual con,
terences az heretofore; the editors and agents
to be elected once in four years at the time of