New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-05-28
PUBLIC MEETINGS.
GENERAL CONFERENCE OF PIE METHo-
DIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH


ISDiASAroLI. Ind Friday, May %, 1850.
The DISCUSSION resumed this afternoon by Mr..
SMITH Of New Hampshire. He remarked that his Oh.
jet 10 speaking was to reply TO the Argument Of Nj
Coombe Of Philadelphia. lie called attention 70 the
points in the report, and the fret be considered was
tie Anti Slavery character Of the Methodist Episcopal
Church and showed that the Conference Of 1880 took
the ground that Slavery was q sin against nature
well a. against God and mar Mr. Coombe stopped
short Of the utterances OF the Committee viz. thst
the letter Of the Discipline does not express the prac
tice Of the Church lie showed that the practice Of
the Church in regard to the travelling minister's Wac
right and proper; and what applied 70 the min listers
thOuld, in this case be applied to the membership
The Discipline prohibits travelling preachers from hold
ng slaves and preachers had been excluded from the
Church, and Bishop ADdrews was deposed for holding
slGves and the action Of the General Conference
suited in the CoruptOn Of the Church aud the esab-
isbuent Of the Methodist Episcopal Church South.
He maintained that the onimgs Of the general rule
fOrbids the buying or selling Of men, women and chit
dren and prohibits the buying selling holding Of
human beings az property.
Mr. Smith was followed by DR.. DRrNsosD of Viz.
GINA. He took strong ground in opposition to the
point aud his speech seemed 10 take well with the
other side. He made appeal to tse Conference in
behalf Of the Shareholders in the Church within the
bounds Of bis field Of labor.
Mr.. Donor, Of the General Conference commenced
his speech by quoting the Scripture declaration that
" on the side Of the opplessor there was power" He
ssid he was before the Conference in behalf OF three
miiBsAlH down-trodden and oppressed people. He
placed u subject moral grounds. He affirmed that
the tendencies of the Church toward oppression.
He said the whole country was interested in the
doBgs Of this General Coz ferente. He asked If
the South would adopt the Majority Report No,
said he, they would spurn it, they would spit upon
it and cast it away But, said be, the poor and OPP
pressed Of this AID every land would hal it gladly as
The beacon of hope TO the oppressed Of every cline.
We must, said Mr. d., stand up against the crushing
power of Slavery we must crowd against 1t, and
stand mp man to man, and if it should crush Us to
powder, a thousand should fall, NUT resist
10 the last this dreadful, desolating power.
He said be would go 10 the Sou'h a preacher
Slavery principles from the Discipline and its practice
from the Church, bat he would 60 aud with his open
Bible he would cry out aloud, LET the oppressed 90
"fIee, unoOse every burden, break every yoke, aud
preach the acceptable year of the Lord lie alu-
ded to the division Of the Church aud affirmed that
the senior Bishop led off the Southern MEMBER and
the Bishops not TO be considered as fabIe. Ills
speech eloquent and powerful, anC lie declared it
a. bis deliberate opinion that the Methodist Episcopal
Church had done more to propagate Slavery doctrines
than any other Church in the world. The Church is
giving thousands Of dollars every year for the purpose
Of publishing ProSayery books and papers and tracts.
This was required by the power behind the throne
the dark hidoOus monster Slavery. lie declared thst
Slavery the yilcst wrong perpetrated aud is
influence the most powerful of any agency in the world
Look. said be, at its influence over my brethren in
New 1Olk. ILty are even worse IN tDtir ulrai-m on
the side of Slavery than our brethren al Baltimore,
where Slavery exits. There secret in this that
TO which he haG Just alluded, power behind the
thrOne-king cotton rcighs here in all his power aud
glory, arrayed in purple ard fine linen, aud farDg
sump'uously every day. His speech had tremcnd-
effect upon the laigett audience seen during the
session. The Anti-Savery feel strong in the de-
Tense of their rrinoirIeo and to united ana
ifIs.
Mr.. RgDpY, of Oneida Conference, followed ON the
same side; strong, vigorous, clear debater. lie ad
vocated the absolute necessity of having q new chap
ter in the Discipline IN skiing a clear discrimination,
and affirming the most unequvocal terms that Sa-
very il a sin, aud excluding oil Shareholders from the
Church. He believed that the General Conference
was competen, to insert such chapter, aud that it
perfectly constitutional.
Nj. CRoOKs Of Delaware, and M. BATTLE, of
Nr,nia followed in behalf Of the minority report, the
latter taking up the Bible question the subject oil
Slavery. Ii the same routine OF position aod ar
gumen and illustration that has been presented again
aud again, and frequently answered. The last two
speakers were from slave territory, and they came
armed with all the arguments usually relied upon in
suppor of the sy stem.