The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-10-19
CINCINNATI NJ E. coHrEaEKCs on SLAVERY.

CINCINNATI II z. CONFERENCE ON SLAVERY.
CINCINNATI, Oct. s, 1854.
The following report upon the eubject of
afternoon, by the committee which was ap-
pointed last week. This committee consisted
of j. C. Bontecou. David Reed, Wesley Rowe,
f. G. Wess, C. H. Lawton, L. ID. Crow, nj.
Dastin, A. Lowrey, and Cyrus Brooks
REPORT.
In regard to Slavery, as prachced In the
United States we cannot hotter express our
views than in tho language of the fathers at
the Conference of 1875. That language is as
follows: We do hold in the deepest abhor-
renee the practice of Slavery, and shall not
cease to seek its destruction by all,wise and
prudent means" And your csmmittee cannot
but regard it as an enormous wrong; which OF
course Christianity is designed to destroy. The
Church of Christ We have no do6bt, should
take and maintain toward this practice po-
sition Of open and avowed hostility and should
boldly proclaim her determinations to labor
with untiring perseverance for Its ut.er extinc-
ton.
And this position hes been taksn by cur
Church. The end at which she aims is clearly
stated and now the inquiry is, "What shall
DO done D for the attainment of this enda 1t
may lust as we'll be understood by all whom it
may concern, whether North or South, whether
friend or foe, that whatever measures may be
taken or however these measures may be va
ried, this one object shall be kept steadily in
view, and that the M. E. Church will never
cease to seek tho extirpation of this evil, until
the last manacIe is broken off and the last
slave is free.
Up to this point there seems no room for diff
ference among us. But when we proceed g
step further and inquire ho,o the object may
be most certainly and speedily accomplished,
there is ground for diversity of sentiment. And
when we reccllecs that the wisest heads aud
the purest hearts have been sorely puzzled by
this inquiry, we feel that we should approach
it with becoming modesty. At tho Christmas
Conference held in 1884, it seemed quite clear
to our fathers of that period that ahSslavehold-
ers should be excluded from tho Church. and
a rule to that effect was accordingly enacted.
Six months observation, and reflection, how
ever, awakened doubts in their minds, and the
rule was at first suspended for a time and
finally abandoned. Whether they acted WISE
" or unwisely in this retrograde movement,
let the past and future history of the Church
determine.
For fifty years. the standing inqairy of the
Church has been, What shall be dsnc And
practically the answer has been, Noching; }. for
it cannot be denied that, instead It anything
toward the extirpation Of this OWL fs!rg effect
ed by the Church, Slavery has marc large en-
croachmcnts upon the Church ar! upon the
country. At first, it humbly asked fd liberation,
end this was granted. 1t then der landed the
sanction of the Church, and has btained it.
Finally, it coveted more territory and took
possession of it. Last year, we CO. aplained of
q most Ubiquitous law, enacted for he purpose
If 60 akat. t~Ik h.. Io
fled from the oppressor, and send ! i'm back to
his unrequited toil-to his worse & han Egyp-
tian bondage This year, another o I'D holder
step is taken, and vast regions # territory
heretofore considered sacred to l. berty have
been thrown open to Slavery.
And now the question again comes up,
What shall be done for the e1.trf1tion et' the
euil of Slavery2"
Your committee would respectfully recon-
mend the adoption Of the follof ing resolu-
tons:
RESOLVED, That we earnestly recommend
our people to memorializs Congress, asking the
repeal of the Fugitive Slave Law, and the re-
enactment of SO much of the late law, known
as the Missouri Compromise as excludes Sla-
very from Kansas and Nebraska, aud other
territory of the United States.
"ResolUed, That persons holding slaves for
gam, or Tor 5neir own cOnvenlcEceiln any way,
or with the intention of perpetuating the bond
age of the slave, should not be Received into
the Nj. E. Church, nor suffered TO continue
therein.n
There was much unanimity in gard TO the
subject. DR.. Elliot, however, obj ioted to the
assertion in the report that the Church had
done nothing. He thought she haC done much
in endeavoring to rid the country of Slavery.
He was opposed, too, TO the subjeof coming up
year after year, for it only resulted in agita-
ton. Several preachers took ''ery strong
grounds against the Fugitive Sia'e Law and
the Douglas Nebraska Bill and their views
seemed to meet with general favor. One old
gentleman, Rev. Mr.. Finley, said chat he for
rRerly held conservative ideas in regard to Sla-
very; but, since its late encroachments upon
Freedom, be had changed his mipd, and now
would do all in his power to throttle the mon
sser. He said, if all the bishops were to tell
him to obey the Fugitive Slave Law, he would
not DO it. He hoped Conference would take
high ground. His father was ounded at
Brsndywine, and all his mothe Is brothers
were killed In the Revolution vi oh gave us
the glorious liberty we enjoy; and ae had writ
ten to Mr.. Stephen Douglas the, demagogue,
that some of that same blood CT irsed in his
veins, which be was wiling to spj,', if need, in
the preservation of this great booS.
The resolutions passed almost unanimously.
Cor. ~ Tribuns.