Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1851-04-12
Reunion with the North,

suggestion has recently been made by the n
Y. Express, an influential secular paper that an
effort should be made in this time of political COM
promises to re-unite the Northern and Southern
divisions of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In
this it is likely the Express speaks the wishes of
not few of the enlightened and liberal among
the membership of the northern Methodist Church.
So far all this is exhibition of amiable feel
ings are glad to see it. But more hopelessly
chimerical idea never set atloat. Reunion, in
the present circumstances of the Northern and
Southern sections of the United States, is down
right, utter. and sheer impossibility. Putting out
of sight the fact that the General Conference of
the Northern Church declined the simple over
ture on the part of the Southern Methodsts to
open and maintain friendly relations on the basis
of amicable confraternity of feeling, and COM
PEELED the latter to resort to legal measures to OBJ
tain fair division of the property contracted for
in the deed of separation, the state of opinion
general opinion, prevailing in the eastern north
en and northwestern portions of the Methodist
Episcopal Church is such, and ever will be such,
as to forbid, absolutely and peremptorily, any fu
ture coaescence on our part while the domestic
institutions of the slave-holding States remain in
their present integrity.
There is too much "hgher law conscience "
amongst northern Methodists too much infamed
prejudice, quasi religious too widespread fan
atica virus in the press, the pulpit and the prayer
room, to allow the ghost OF hope to come from
the grave of our buried ecclesiastical union to
tell of any future resurrection. A united Metho-
dist Chuch has bequeathed its last legacy to the
political union in the shape of a solemn warning
to statesmen and politicians, that submissive as
the South may be regarded, there is
Terminating pillar high
beyond which it will not be forced
And in addition to the foregoing considerations,
there is another which is not without weight
The expansion and growth of the original connec-
ton had made the ecclesiastical machinery cum
bersome in its working. The division of the
Church into two Jurisdictions a measure Judi
cious in ITSELF and desirable for other reasons be
sides the slavery agitation. Had it been carried
out by the North in friendly spirit, it would have
given relief to both sections, and presented to the
world one of the noblest spectacles shown in
the history of Churches. AS it is, the resources
of each section have been increased. The annual
Conferences have moved on in their appropriate
calling, just as they did before the division
Each section has tested its capabilities for ndepen
dent action and self-sustaining growth. When
the hand of time has softened down the asperities
occasioned by the disruption it is likely that the
two connections may stand friendly footing,
shake hands across the border, and maintain the
spirit of noble rivalry in public usefulness But
any union closer than this, any return to the origi
nal regime, is not possible, even if it were desra-
ble-is not desirable were it it possible.-South-
ern Christian 1dUocate.
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