Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-09-17
is THE METHODIST CHURCH ANTIsLA-
VERY2

VERYl
On Monday evening last, Rev. Mr.. Graham, Of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, delivered an ad-
dress in this place, in which he answered this
question in the affirmative. His argument was,
that the general rules-thc dicplinc and policy Of
the church was anti-slavery. Therefore the church
was ant-slavery. Tho speaker was profuse in his
professions and concessions Of honesty and candor,
and made perhaps as sklful defence of so bad a
cause, as could well he hoped for. lie brought
forward some very silly objections to his position,
and demolished them with most triumphant success,
while he slid over the more knotty difficulties very
glibly,l with the utmost ease.
We should not admit his facts in regard to the
diciplne and policy of the church, but we think
that the majority of the audience, even If they
granted all of them, yet well convinced, that in
spite Of her general rules, and whatever her dci-
plinc may teach, or whatever Of an anti-slavery
tendency may be found in her conferences scattered
through the last century of their history still she
must be written down as nothing better, than a
guilty pro-slavery church, so long as her local
ministers and members are the owners Of forty
thousand human souls! If her diciplne and pro-
fessons are at war with this admitted fact it proves
her not anti7sldrcry, but hypocriticdl.
Benjamin S. Jones followed Mr.. Graham, expos
ing the falocy of the pretensions set up for the
church, and answering some of the arguments
advanced lie too was followed by Henry Amber,
in vinlication Of the church. and the discussion
which was On interesting and courteous one, con-
tinucl till late hour
Intimidation of Methodist slaveholding, Il was
claimed by both speakers that the church supposed
its members held them not for gain, but for the
benefit of the slave Slavery, Mr.. Graham said,
was o sin, u "damning SIM" The church hated
it worse than she hated help And yet slaves, he
admitted, were held in tho church. The church
abhors immodiatcism, as the speaker also did, and
gave us an argument against it,
What disnterestcd benovoloncel "Thcy hated
slavery worse than He'll" and yet they would hug
II to their church for the sake of the slave They
would bring upon their own souls the guilt Of a
"damning SIM rather than subject their slaves to
the horrors, "more hateful than He'll" of immediate
emancipation. We presume Mr.. Graham did moi
expect us to beliye all this. Mr.. Amber was toe
sensible to vouch for it. For the information o.
Mr.. G., and that others may know how slaveholdinl
Mcthodists themselves regard it, we insert tho
following from the Richmond Christian Adrocdte
We feel quite rs much inclined to credit the AdrO
cate, speaking from the midst Of Shareholders, as
! Mr. Graham, vindicating them here at the north
1t is wonderfully pat to our purpose, and to use
pious, cant phrase, quite providential."
7 The Adrocafe says: "To propitiate the abolition
lists of the Methodist Il. Church. and prevent an
other disruption, the effort has been repeatedly
made to satisfy Northern Methodists that thu
D Shareholders of their communion do not hold then
for gain but for mercy to the slave; that in thes
| respects Northern Mothodists differ from Southern
Methodsts even though living side by side, in tn
| same community; that Northern Mcthodists wOulI
emancipate if they could and benefit, that is, ad,
Ito the comfort and merces of the slave, &C., &C..
=, We doubt not many q stakeholder Of that tribe ha
!, cooked up his eye, shrugged his shoulders, an
c chuckled over the delusive argument wonderin
most of ALL not at the boldness that put it in Gil
l. culation, but at the credulity that pocketed it
C genuine coin. 1t would falsify this sentiment {
Q call it counterfeit because it represents nothin
II genuine real. 1t is spurious paper, the issue
Of no existing institution; n promise to pay base
l. on nothing, and issued for circulation at great di
tances from the place where it Processes to belong
g We are a little amused to sec lions Herald pullin
e at his eyes to get them open to this "sum of a
II villanies," it delights to call slavery, which
D. seems now, for the first time to suspect. Somebod
G has written tale of Methodist Glass Leade
ID somewhere in Kentucky, member Of the NJ.
h Church, who holds slaves, and occasionally sci
one the editor marvcs at this, wonders if it is SO
j. and goes right of into fit of holy horror, not
H. slavery, but Mt voluntary slavery in his church,
T. Faugh Bro. Wise, your church Shareholders III
lie for all the world just like all other pious slavehc
lc dersl It's obliged to be so. You must take the
ID just as they are, get rid of them altogether
t The proense of nominal Shareholders &C., put fort
n, to hoodwink Northern Methodists is only "a Gu
O. ningly devised fable to prevent inquiry, and sta,
is off the evil day that must come to the Method
III +. Church.
lt "'Coming events cast their shadows before
Those who have used the argument to concilia
~ them have sought a good ond-the unity of Il
le church-by badmcans, and on fraudulent pretence
le They that SOW the wind will reap the whirlwind