New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-05-31

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poraries over the division of the Church.
II IS true that these regrets are justified by
high authority: Mr.. Calhoun proclaimed
the separation to be the swapping Of one OF
the great cords which had before held the
Union together, and Mr.. Webster the other
dav EXPRESSED his fear lest the Church
might no longer prove so efficient prop OF
religion and morality as before. But we
cannot see the matter in that light We do
not believe that either the Union or religion
and morality are more in danger of falling
to the ground than when the Methodist
Church was combined under single Gen
eral Conference.
The schism came to a head some seven
wears ago and this suit has been for some
time before the courts The discipline OF
the Church contained certain restrictions
intended to prevent the clergy from being
shareholders. At the South these were
found incOnvenient, and the desire and ten
dency was to neglect them and let them
drop into disuse At the North the old
view of the sinfulness of man-OwniAg was
still entertained and even growing stronger
Thus the opinions of the two sections on a
most important point of practical morality
were in direct opposition, and the Question
was one in relation to which no compromise
could be expected to prove satisfactory and
end agitation for any great length of time
To endeavor to keep together would be to
perpemate a state of disquiet fatal TO the re-
hgious advancement of either party, and to
the cause of the Church in general. The
subject was carefully and thoroughly deliber-
ated and the decision to separate seems to
us wise one. Now, each division can le-
gislate for itself according to its own light
and interests, and we see not why amlcable
relations NAV not exist between them. No
doubt it would be better for the two parties
to remain together, were there no such dis
cord of opinion but as il is, we perceive
no cause for tears over their separation.
The sundering of religious denominations is
too common in this country to excite alarm
or Justify anxiety. In fact it Is a good thing
that we have so many differing denOmlna-
tons and the formation of a new one is not
in itself an evil. 1t is certainly far less an
evil than the preservation of an unreal and
merely formal union.
No, it is not the separation of these two
parties which Is so much to be lamented as
the rock on which they split. That rock
was Slavery, and its existence is what ap-
pears to us the deplorable fact in the con-
trOversy.
Had Slavery never been discussed the
separation might not have taken place, but
it is not to be supposed that a topic which
the whole civilized world is considering, can
be kept out of the United States. Nor is
it desirable. We live in times of universal
mental activity, and that is the great and
hopeful feature of the epoch. Discussion
is free and unlimited, the reason of every
thing is brought to light and so the world
gets forward. There may be local and tenn
porary Inconvenience attending the pro-
cess. but these cannot well be avoided, and
are outweighed by the advantages gained
generally and for the long run. And while
such an institution as Slavery exists in
civilized and republican country, it must, in
the nature of the case, be the subject of
more or less earnest and constant public
controversy. In religious bodies, whose
tendency always is to view matters in their
moral and religious aspects, and to act from
them rather than from temporal or political
considerations, this subject will inevitably
occupy prominent place, and antagonistic
opinions will be formed upon it.
But in nation like ours mere religious
differences are perfectly subordinate to
worldly interests in the minds Of the people
at large The two spheres Of Church and
State are So widely and wisely separated
that neither controls the other. Hence the
variety and antagonism of sectarian divisions
cannot affect the unity of our political sys-
ten, nor destroy the predominant geographic
cal, historical, commercial and political at
tachmentS which indissolubly unite this Re-
public, and will unite it notwithstanding all
local difficulties and disagreements on tenn
porary questions.