Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-03-24
ANTi.SLAVERY AND the BRITISH
CHURCHES.

Win tnelt HuNOChtco, ullu " tulo Jay Nv uidJOTilN
Of them continue this course. And not content
with opposing the progress of those principles IN
this country, corrupting the morals OF the people
and turning all the religious impulses Of humanity
in favor of human bondage aud American heath.
enism. they have also c~tnspired to corrupt and
hcathenizo the nnti.slayery churches OF Great
Britain ana through them the whole British people
and thus serve, rcrpetuate and extend cur peculiar
institutiun." To the American Church, the slave
holders owe n heavy debt Of gratitude. OF these
obligations they are evidently not altogether UNI
mindful. Some new developments Of their obiigo.
tons in this direction, are made in the last Chris.
tian Press, OF which it is well our readers should
be informed. They exhibit not only the willy and
corrupting purposes Of the American Church, but
also the lanentalle fact that many of the British
churches and ministers have listened to the tempter
and been seduced into a completely with the eccie-
s%iastical friends of American Slavery on this side
the atlantic. Hitherto this fact was known,only'on
the testimony Of the 'intdel abolitionists." Now
we have the direct testimony Of tie Orthodox
Christian Press. Perhaps those who have rccciv-
ed its testimony against abolitionists, may he dis
posed now to accept its truthful testimony humili.
ating though tits, regarding the Churches in this
country and Great Brit in.
In 1853 the American Reform Tract and Book
Society, an institution under the fostering care Of
the Free Presbyterians, sent the Rev, James Vim
cent to England as thoir agent to collect funds.
The object Of the association is the publication and
distribution of religious and refoImatory Books
and Tracts, including among the latter the qucs-
tons of slavery, temperance, and war. The
facts to which we allude are contained in NJ. Vim.
cents report OF the result of his mission to, the
committee who employed him.
Mr.. Vincent arrived in England in December
1883, and presented himself first to the Committee
of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society
They informed him they could afford him no facili-
ties for his mission and objected to American So
cieties sending to England for money, as they
were unable to collect enough for their own pur-
poses.
The result Of Mr.. Vincents subsequent appli.
cations to the religious bodies of England, we
give in his own language. lie says:
My letter to the Religious Tract Society I de.
livered, and met the Committee in the Suciety's
rooms. Alter II was read, | made a brief state
nent, aud presented your request for a donation OF
hooks, which would be to you rs good rs money.
she request contained in your letter to aid me in
my work they could not comply with. They were
II friendly correspondence with the American
Tract Society. They wished success to your new
organization, but could not commend it to the
patronage Of the public. No donation of books
was granted.
My next letter was to DR.. Campbell. lie rcceiv-
ed me with much co-diality but studiously avoided
any act which would serve the purpose which you
requested. | asked him to allow his nano to ap-
pear in a circular commanding your Society, but
he would not. The notice which lie gave in the
British Banner was So worded as to lie of not the
least use.
My next and last letter was to the Sunday School
Union. l was on the point Of delivering it when |
became acquainted with n fact which prevented
me-. AT the Jubilee meetings of the Sunday
School Union, the Committee resolved TO exclude
the subject of Slavery from their platform out o
! Difference to some American ministers, who might
9 be offended if it were introduced. The resolution
, / however, was likely to breed confusion. and it wa.
, set aside. This fact however, prevented me seek
the cooperation of a Society abroad Ehich had t,
he coerced lay public sentiment in allowing th,
S down-troddeu negro to be commended to the pray
{ e:s and sympatlies Of II popular religious Assem-
bly,. The letter to that body | return to you.
| was next introduced by the Rev. G.. Smith t.
e the Committee of the Congregational Union Of
:. England and Wales. | was invited to state III,
n object of my visit, which | did, and arterward,
asked the committee to iaycr me with an express
, ion which should introduce me to their churches
u Several members respond to my statement hearth
r cuncurring in the objects of the Society. Rev. I
! James only took exceptions To it on two grounds
viz, that the Society was not exclusively Anti
Slavery, but proposed to apply the principles a
the gGspcs 10 ete'y kEo@n san. and also that it ha,
: published tracts ON the Maine Law Temperance
principles. These objections did not influence III
Committee at all, | am happy to state, while III
" reason for refusing my request was, in my opinion
= just, and to me, satisfactory, viz. that they "ha,
). uu precedent for it, and were they to establish on
nov, it might occasion difficulties if not acted ny
y ON in future.
J Bcfore this ! had sent sets Of tracts and n cop
= Of tie Constitution to several leading men in til
= Congregational and Baptist denominations. I,
: these hut one minister replied, Rev. j. A. James
of Birmingham. In that letter is a passage whic
cnntrmsa report which | saw in circulation abuu
d three years since. in respect to his opinions On tn
American Tract policy. After expressing hi
disnpprovnl of some acts Of the American TIac
Society he says But whetheriin order to accom-
plish the spread Of that pure Christianity, which
if its infutnce were fully ielt'h'y nay not lie siler
# ON thu subject islavery). is q matter winch eve
among the most determined enemies of slavery
- still discussed in thiScountry." And he conclude
by expressing his opinion that ] shall meet wit
re ut a small measure of pecuniary support in En-
n land"
l feel it to he my duty to state with respect
Mr.. James. that he is entirely mistaken in his sci
:. IliHheit cNplSroeiu puNt. MI. uuIneb Is u menlUc
Is Of the Evangelical Alliance, which requires tn
is powerful influence of public sentiment to prever
it taking into its embrace every slaveholdin
church in the United States. A more dangeror
alliance can scarcely be imagined. HUI il n,
&c been for the timely aid Of George Thompson nm
II of w. L. Garrison, there can he no doubt hut tina
- Shareholders would have been husled into fellow
ship Mt its organization. As it is, it needs to /
I'd carefully watched, or it will yet he n hirdrance
p the cause Of freedom. Mr.. Jarvis's infuenc
70 there, and as n public com member Of tie Amer
;. can Board Of Commissioner for Foreign Mission
y would very naturally prevent him from common,
" ing the American Reform Tract and Book Societ,
IN From the Rev. j IL. Hinton. the Secretary
he the Baptist Missionary Society ! sought a convcrs:
II ton. But he declined commenting your Soriet
on the ground that he was neither a teo.total,
nc nor II member Of a Peace Society"
~ | prepared a circular, which set forth the obicc,
s. If the Society. As recommendations failed.
he issued il without any. / had no sooner got N
OF first Impression Of 1000 struck of, and a few
hem in circulation. than I received a letter frm
The Secretary IF the British and Foreign AM
slavery Society, f0rbiddiaq me, in HE u16ae of n