Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-11-16

county, Indiana, resolved, "That II i
not expedicnt to discuss the subject o
American Slavery from the pulpit
The resolution was passed by vote O
seventeen TO three. This was imme
diailey after l had preached sermon
against Slavery before the presby terry
Paying no regard to this action. I pro
ceeded TO preach afterward as I hae
formerly done.
The presbytery met again, at Mt
Morish. Gibson county. last April. A
resolution was introduced by one o
the members. and seconded by mysel
rs follows:
Whsreas. II is the duty Of every
Christian and ecclesiastical body, a.
such, TO bear their testimony agains,
all evil [; and ,chsreas, American Slave.
ry Is great moral evil:
Resoived. Therefore. that II Is the
sense Of this presbytery. that Ameri-
can Slavery is a great moral evil, con
trary TO the spirit Of the gospel Of oul
Lord Jesus Christ.
This resolution with tho preamble,
was rejected by tho presbytery in ths
adoption Of substitute endorsing the
views Of the General assembly, and
dissuading from the agitation Of the
subject ss "fraught with fearful con
sequences. and which. IL persisted in,
may result in severing the body ofJesu'
Christ.
Pending this action charge wa,
preferred against me by the Rev. J. ID
Cowan. formerly Of Texas, for "un'
christian conduct"
First specification: For associatine
himself with mn association known n,
the underground railroad, whose avow'
ed business II IL TO assist slaves from
slave to free territory.
Second specification: For actually
engaging in the business Of assisting
slaves in making their escape from
slave to free territory. which is contra.
ry to the laws Of the United States,
and to the statute laws OF the State o.
Indiana.
Whether this action ola spiritual
body" took "no cognizance Of civil
Matters" the reader will have TO b.
the judge.
The testimony consisted merely o.
statements of what I had myself said
But several Of the statements were mol
true.
Upon this they proceeded to sus'
PEND me "from the functions Of the
Gospel ministry" but previous to their
decision. two other ministers, belong
ing to the same prcsbytery. together
with myself. had withdrawn. and or.
ganlzed ourselves into new ecclesias.
tical body.
A minister Of the Cumberland Pres
byterian church, from Kentucky, was
present during the discussion Of the
resolution relative to Slavery and
Immediately on his return home, the
court convened that sentenced Brown
to the penitentiary for two years, fol
abducting slaves. and on the same les.
timony, the grand jury Immediately
found a bill against me for "the crime
Of abducting and stealing slaves, "&c.,
the accusation referring TO the reno
val ofthe same slapes--oithough I had
notbesn in tie Stufc of kentucky for seq.
eraf years,
This action. it will be perceived, ac.
cords with the doctrine of the Nilsson.
ri courts-that persons ont Of the
State may be indicted and tried fol
crimes under the laws Of the State: q
doctrine acted upon by grand jury
aud the Governor Of Alabama several
years ago. In the case Of the late II. G.
Williams, for whose rendition requi.
sition was unsuccessfully. made on Gov
Marcy. Of New York.
Gov. Powell. Of Kentucky, accord
ingly. made a requisition on Gov
Wright. Of Indiana, requiring my de.
livery to his agent. Mr.. Gavit the
sheriff, who was TO have received -four
hundred dollars. for Mr.. Browns con.
viction. Gov. Wright apparently eva.
dcd the responsibility Of direct action
by timely visit to Washington City
His private secretary, Mr.. Francis
King, made out the papers but the
secretary ofState. E b. Collins. ESQ.
refused to aflix to it the seal Of the
State, and sign the warrants, because
he did not believe the private secreta
ry To b. Governor OF the State. o.
the return OF Gov. Wright. he issued
the warrant. / have in my possession
certified copy Of the documents from
Kentucky. upon which the warrant
was issued, attested by the Indians
secretary Of State | give here copy o
these warrants.
Here follow the warrants. DC.
which are in the usual form.-Ep.
BY the concurrent action Of ecclesias
tical and civil authorities, / am thu
prescribed. hunted and driven out as
vagabond from a Free State. so calle,
IA Safe vi which / am q lawful citi
zen.-for no crime, and only becaus,
/ am suspected of an act which. SO fa
from being criminal, had l commit
ted it. would only have been doing l.
others as l would have others do L
myself. From mere suspicion Of this
am separated from my wife and chill
dren, whom j cannot visit but mt tn
hazard Of being dragged as felon in
to land Of manacles and of bowie
knives.
This act Of Gov. Wright, in this case
is the more remarkable on account ,
its juxtaposilion to a case, wherein tn
same principle was involved. Not
| year had elapsed since Gov. Wrigh
had made a arequisiton on Gov. Powell
of Kentucky. for the delivery of a cit
, zen Of that State, who, on tie soil 3
Indiana, had committed acrime again,
her laws. Gov. Powell promptly r,
fused a compliance. on the groun
that in Kentucky, the offence charge
was no crime So much more =,
!. cred are the claims Of Slavery tha
. the claims of Freedom.
Il. B. MCCORMICK.