The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-05-20
THE GREAT METHODS CASE.
United states Circuit Court.



MAv 1p-Heny b Bascom and others IS George Lane
and cksihis case, which has created great deal OF
interest and excitement, for argument today,
before the Court without jury was suit brought
by the Methodist Episcopal Church South against the
Methodist Episcopal Church North. (Which were for
Epscopsi Church Of the United States America and
for share the funds OF the book concern sad to
Raxsrdv yahn.cp Of baltimore Mr. D. Lord Of New
York and Mr. johnson Jr. For the North, Hon Rufus
,f,hoate Of Masssc husetts; Mr. George Wood Of New
York and Mr. Il. L. Fancher, Of New York The Hon.
Ewing counsel for the defendants in corelative
pending in Ohio was also present TO watch hapro
eeedings Mr. Lord said that in opening of this
magnitude and Importance serving the Court as its
want he deemed 1t to SO more into detail than
icct this controversy the Methodist Frisco
pal Church South and the Methodist Episcopal Church
North is whas Is denoninatcd the Book Concern which
involves sum Of about sT5o000-the origin Of which
appeared to be that at the early establishment of the
church when Methodsn first introduced into this
country, under Mr. Wesley, books introduced to
supply the wants OF ITS members Upon the independence
OF this country the hethodsts became very numerous
and it very obvious that want Of religious itera-
tpre to be supplied preacher, he thought named
Cooper lent sum Of money for the purchase of books
by them small capital made and sub luently
employed in the purchase of more books. The Book
Concern afterwards removed into this city and in
1886 it becoming great establishment when il
destroyed by FIRE; but it again re-invgorated,
everything seemed to have been after that fire and from
that period has gone on until II has amassed capital
OF $T500O0. II early provided that the preachers
should see that their communities were supplied WITH
books; they took the books, supplied them, and were
ing this object stimulated not by the love of gain
but by the higher purpose Of religious devotion aud the
Court would ind that this fund the Result Of the
religious devotion and earnings Of those preachers
not arising from any donations. The profits of the
fund devoted at early period TO purpose.
and that was, making up deficiencies the travelling
preachers paying for supernuerary preachers AMI
sding for supeIsnnuated ard out preachers and
their wives, and the widows and orphans Of deceased
preachers That therefore the distribution OF the
profits Of the book fund and they brought the
relief Of those purposes OF the society The Of
the Methodist Episcopal Church managed By what
are called annual and general conferences The
Of the territory then not yery great and there
but annual which all the preachers
met and disposed ofthe Of the society Orig naly
there conference In 1874 the BODY bee ne
so numerous that the conferences dvided-one in
New York and one in Philsdephia-So they
they were divided until in ls4i there were or
thirty three annual conference They examined the
character of the preachers and the working of the sy
tenn Collections taken up in the various churches
the people poor in many of the districts
hciences arosethese Deficiencies reported the
annual conference and aNde up Every four years
these annual conferences met in general conference;
usually in themonth Of May, and that hr egsa-
tive body or the church Every time the general onz
ference met all the preachers together-they
taeiished the articles Of religion they made al the
changes and every when they separated
they made dis eipnc, and it became the law Of the
church ss to its discipline and organization From l1a
up TO 1905 the body became numerous and s powers
absolute that the conservative in il became
little alarmed at its extent and il considered dan
gerous in the extent Of its powers. In 1903 change
made in the general organization Instead Of being
universal meeting, it 70 be meeting by deega-
ton That change in is restrictions also provided
against the absolute power which the body Pos
sessed One Of those restrictions that they should
not change the articles q religion Another Of the re-
strciars that the, should make any change
not TO have the church Epscopal-they should not
change the degree II deeEation-that they should
change the rules of the united secieties-that they
should make a change with regard the TRIAL Of
members nd preachers; and the sixth and last that
they should apply the profits Of the Book Concern
10 any other purpose tan for the benefit OF travelling
supcrnu sTperannuateG and proachers
their wives wdoV aud children; and there pro-
vision overriding the whole that wthou. the general
a. h. - fs
strictons should not BE- changed. The particular
trcvery. in this ea.o grew out Of the existence OF
Bethodss took ground ofan exclusive character the
questions Of slavery and temperance. one Of those
grounds was, that member should belong 70 this So
cicly Who bought M women Win q We" q reducing
th N to slavery bu 10y soon il evident that the
society viewed IL ia .ar aspect coEferer &c began
IN Boston in 1854 which adopted article
peinu the abolition 50 svery and the manumssion Of
slaves which tecae ,bviously destructive q THIS 80
cicty that. at til lrt meeting Of the annual con
ference they all ared hat this article should be su'-
pended ss About 1886 the agitation
which has been called abolition began 10 disturb tbs
peace OF the Methodist church In 1910 conference at
Goston gave very general alarm; but the Bishop. gave
n rather the 20 by in 1874 this agitation rasei fear
fully in the North became exceedingly rife AMI led
the separation of this church II seems that the Bal
tjmore Conference took forts grounds hata gentleman
named Hardy had ~ marriage. owned or two Saves
and by the laws ~ Maryland, h. could not emancipase
then and this question came up on an appeaton from
the Baltimore Conference, which had suspended him
from the ministry by reason Of this connec.1a win
slavery. IL was y vain urged that they wers
s,,pcsled TO the General Conference. anl thai con
fierce affirmed the sentence 81 degradation imre-
dst,iy after that the thing TOOK rraver aspect one
81 IT, bishops became y similar position IL haa oen
left slave tie condition that h. would bcrate her
and send her 10 Liberia but she would not ami he
never claimed control over her. IL hal also become
possessed ny + rInsr marriage. q slave which a.
could not manumit Nothing would dsbui TINS oi,h.p
should b. dealt with H. but matter u some deli
cscy Iftried he would BE- degraded from the church
1y adopted most cvasve and very queer sort = pro-
cecdng they requested that hop Andrews should De
suspended all operations long - he hell slaves;
ard this wa followed up by circumstances whlch
sctmed 10 give .aect 60 this degradation. Al every
conference they published his degradation their
hymn book wa printed ana y contaiued the name
CT Bithop Andrew. and the congregation tdrnet
ovr it, Pages the name met their eyes and the guss-
tcn was, what had bfclire a Btbcp Andrew Who was
never seen though his nane vas always kept before
them re was excluded from office. The gentlemen
frtm the south VII delegates IN 1914 made pro-
tet which viii y IA giving their Vows on the subject,
ami Il viii be seen that tn church became divided
plan ~ division adopted by very large vote the
border vas declared anil provision sas mae thA' =
IT. restrictive article should w. aieredf the various
conferences fhoui ettpt change In that restrictive
ailicle this fsEd shcpd r. divided and connissipn
va appointed % carry ti,s plan = aels.oh ~ |
The fifteen sixteen southern conference. AZ sn.sl
~ voting that u p0bie - g. on III The a7Tth.
gentlemen. and they elected delegates y met 4
Ilu4sxl,e Al the couye1tion " 1sij, they adopted
every crine only tat the gems raj e9aerence IN
stead Il being should ~ two. The COMMISSIONS
Il the North church lad been met With CONVERSATIONS
srtunlrs ard occurred them that the North cAnrcn
Tie only church ana that the south church grsau
vng 90 their invitation null and void AMI that ~
that very organization they had become sccciers AM
that net being member. The rupernumersfy ana Ptf
sr+-f. i rrTaehsr. - vsp 4. The wdaW. and orphans
sbeull rot rsr,ake ~ Their funds Whcr there
dnertuce a ecclesiastical connection. he tNlr hntA
could net low thee Oh men and the vii - ant
otrhans ~ thsss wlo had itbprci. should be cut pf
ffm the fund which o. md sheir fathers had aceu-
musted iie Cisimtd behalf Il the southern conir
ouce thai hi fuEd thHu ~ divdr1ths the wnntt X
those parties thah pe fur plid II may b. thai ne
Court viii ay that che funds hall remain IN the hanti
or The trustees 20 thst th' bad 10 objection But
A. a a grave qur. tiau-crave in ~ amount arl
grave in it, Interest. reaching MT only this fund
but reaching to every Methodist parsonage and
prcsebing house In the country Mr. lord then pro-
ecedca 10 Rad the bill Uf complaint which shows
tia before and tie STU Jay ID June 1874 th1re *
fsteA In tho United States cf America voluntary
cssifn known a. the Methodist Episcopal Church Ia ne
uuissd stats Of America; not incarpt ny any legal
enactment Int rnnrrsed n bishops f1ur THOUSAND
erht lnnhfrd nrd twrniY ist rTenchtr hel1ngng %