The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-17

1893 by synods, conferences, and general assem-
blies OF Congregalionali,t Presbyterians, and
Methodists, speak Of shareholders as man
stcalers,' as sinners OF the first rank, as per
petrators of The highest kind Of theft but in
process Of time public opinion altered; as the
free States became commercially and politically
interviewer with slavery and the slave power,
the churches were found echoing the general
feeling against interfering with the peculiar IN
sttuton Of the South Indeed, but for the anti
slavery agitation, commenced by Mr.. w. L..
Garrison, in 1880, and led on by him amidst UNI
parallel distractions from avowed enemies, and
professed but treacherous friends, the opposI-
ton to the iniquitous system OF slavery seemed
likely to pass away from the sleeping conscience
of the nation. In lS43, the general assembly
of the Presbyterian church, who, for forty years
before, declared slaveholding as 'sn-slave-
holders as Sinners resolved, that the assembly
do not think it fit, for the edification OF the
church, for the body to take any action on the
subject of slavery; and the Rev. DIR. Cox, who
was present on the occasion, thanked God that
their Vesuvius was capped for the next three
years In 1886. the general and annual confer
ence of the Methodist Episcopal church resolved,
that they wholly disclamed any right wish or
intention to interfere with the civil and political
in the slavcholding States of the Union
The Protestant Episcopal Church has not
shown the inconsistency which marked the
course of the other religious organizations Of
the United States 1t never evinced any sym
pathy with the slave, and boasts of not having
been disturbed by the anti-savery agitation
Several of their churches are under colored min
isters of great talent and unquestioned integ-
- I,f Yha Enio no1 tinn bna All lv
refused to admit them into its body.
Though the efforts of the American govern
ment to extend and perpetuate slavery by the
addition of $4,000 square miles of new slave soil
from the free territory lately conquered from
Mexico, and by passing the Fugitive slave law,
have increased the antslavery agitation, and
have compelled many conscientious members OF
the different religious organizations to join the
ranks of the Aboltionists, the church themselves,
with triHiDg exceptions, have evinced little sym
pathy for the oppressed on the contrary, they
seem more Jealous than ever to follow public
opinion in supporting slavery, upon the plea
that, if it be nterfered with, the continuance of
the Union will be endangered.
At the recent meetings in Scotland, Gone only
of which is noticed by the London Anti-slavery
Reporter-that for the comparatively trifiing OBJ
ject of petitoning for the repeal of the treaties
with Spain and Brazil 1.-THE evil influences Of
the so called christianity of America upon the
endeavors to abolish slavery were shown by
many unquestionable examples.
The Rev. DR.. Pennington, in the presence Of
DR.. Candlish and many other ministers, quoted
the declaration Of the Rev. DR.. Parker, of Phi.
ladelphia, in recent thanksgiving sermon -
That there were no evils in slavery but such as
were inseparable from any other relation in civil
and social life.'
The Rev Gardiner Spring, popular and fash
ionable Presbyterian minister of New York, and
well known in this country by his religious writ
ngs, lately proclaimed from the pulpit that God
for the last 1000 years had fixed his brand upon
the negro; that he would not fight against God !;
and that if by one prayer he could liberate every
slave in the world, he would not dare to offer
it, The Rev. Moses Stuart d. d., late Profess
sor at the Theological Seminary at Andover, and
the most emineet Biblical scholar in the United
States, printed pamphlet during the discussion
of the Fugitive slave bill. justifyng slavery from
the Bible, and passing the highest panegyrcs
upon Mr.. Webster The Rev. Orvile Dewey,
d. d., very eminent Unitarian minister, late of
New York, has just declared at public lecture,
while indicating the obnoxious law that 'he
would rather send his own mother into slavery,
and go himself, than see the union between the
free and slaveholding States dissolved With
such clerical endorsements of the unchristiaD
enactments of this bill, the anti-slavery papers,
at the present moment, abound. Human beings
are sold without any attempt at disguise, by the
ecclesiastical bodies of the United States, to
support theological semnaries and places of
worship. Synods and assemblies Of divines have
formally declared, that the marriage tie between
slaves is not binding. This atrocious decision
has evidently no other object than to facilitate
their separation by sale.
The Rev. Dr. Smythe, of Charleston, South
Carolina himself STAKEHOLDER, and native of
Belfast, Ireland, when performing the marriage
ceremony between slaves, uniformly omits the
passage, whom God has joined together, let
no man put asunder,' and he, consistently
enough, was great opponent of the proposal
to exclude Shareholders from the great Evan
geicnl Alliance in 1916. In view of such en-
couragements to the continuance of slavery,
and such opposition to the labors of the anti
slavery party by the churches, it is not wonder
full that the Abolitionists should denounce as
unworthy, the Christian name those religious
bodies which bring their influence to bear against
the freedom of the slaves And though, in con-
sequence of Ulus protesting against the conduct
as wishing to destroy the church and propagate
infdeity, these enemies Of the Abolitionists in
the United States and in this country, well
know that it is the pro-slavery region of America
that is held up to contempt, and not the doc.
trines of Christianity.
In further evidence of the power If the church
in maintaining American slavery, the following
table, published by the Rev. w. G. Keppart, OF
the American Missionary Association, is quoted
Slaves
The Methodists hold 2l9563
Presbyterians, (old and new schoo) 1900
Baptists, $4,000
Complexities, l0l 900
Episcopalians, $4,000
Other denominations, 10000
Total owned by ministers of Gospel -.
and memb's of Protestant churches, 600, 563
Valuing each slave at an average of $4OO, or
ESQ., here is capital of f52Si5,040 invested
by Christian people in the bodies and souls of
men. On the ground of this fearful statement,
the Edinburgh Emancipation Society, in its last
ANNUAL report
Would warn the Christians of Great Britain,
in view of meeting of the Evangelical ALI
ance in 1851, to watch closely their stoopings,
lest in their efforts to promote Christian union,
thsv n lpiurv In tha ooueo IF trua Chrietinnity