The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1856-05-29
METHODIsM AND SLAVERY.

odist Church which has been in session
at indianapolis for some time. has
ct length reached the subject of Slavery,
and the result of its deliberations will be
looked for with a good deal of anxiety,
not only by the members of that partic-
ular church. but by the people of the u
nited States generally.
The subject has been in the hands of a
committee since the organization Of the
Conference, and, after good deal of dis.
cussion the majority of said committee
have submitted their report.
Their preamble, which, is lengthy, a.
mong other things, after affirming that
the Methodist Church has done more
than all others for the determination Of
slavery, says, "We now inquire whether
the time has come when it becomes the
duty of the Church. through its represen-
tatives assembled in its highest ecclesias-
tical court, TO so revise the statutes of the
Church as to make them express our real
sentiments, and indicate our practice as
it is. We answer, first, because it is just
and equal, it is right before God and all
men, that on subject involving directly
the persona, liberties of thousands, and
indirectly of millions of our fellow men,
the position of our Church should be
neither equivocal or doubtful. Second,
because we cannot answer it to our own
conscience nor to God, the Judge Of all,
if we fail to do what is in our power to
bear testimony against so great an evil
Third, because it is solemnly demanded
at our hands by very large majority OF
those we represent; and, fourthly because
the signs of the times plainly indicate
that it is the duty of all good men to raj
ly for the relief of the oppressed. and for
the defense Of the liberties transmitted to
us by our fathers" 1t then proceeds to
state what is the true position of the
Church, in respect to slavery, in the fol-
lowing words: "We hold that the buy
ing. selling, and, by the inference, hold
ing of human being, as property, is a
sin against God and man; that because of
the social relations in which men may be
placed by the civil codes of slave holding
communities. the legal relation of mas
ter to slave may exist innocently; that
connection with slavery is rrinaa .focit
evidence of guilt; that in all cases Of al.
legged criminality of this land the burden
of proof should rest upon the accused, he
always having secured to him the advan.
tage of trial and appeal before impartia
tribunals"
The following are the resolutions which
they propose for adoption. viz:
Resolued, 1st, by delegates of the sew
eral Annual Conferences, in General Con
ference assembled, That we recommend
the several Annual Conferences so as tt
amend our General Rule on Slavery az
to read: "The buying, selling or holding
human being as property"
Resolved, Cd, by the delegates, DC.
That the following be and hereby is sub
stituted in the place of the present sew
enth chapter of our book of discipline, viz
"What shall be done for the extirpatior
of the evil of slavery?'
Answer /. We declare we are as mucl
as ever convinced of the great evil of sla
very. We believe that all men by ma
ture have an equal right to freedom, ane
that no man has a moral right to hold I
fellow being as property, therefore nj
STAKEHOLDER shall be eligible to member
ship in our church hereafter. where e
Emancipation can be affected without in
Jury to the slave. But inasmuch as per
sons may be brough into the legal rela
ton of slave holders, involuntarily o
voluntarily, by purchasing slaves in or
der to free them, therefore the merel
legal relation shall not be considered c
itself sufficient to exclude person VIII
Z may thus sustain it from the fellowship c
the church.
Answer 2. Whenever member of GU
church by any means becomes the owne
Of slave or slaves, it shall be the dut
) of the preacher in charge to call togethe
committee Of at least three member:
who shall investigate the case and deter
mine the time in which each slave sha
be free, and on his refusal or neglect
abide bv the decision of said committe,
he shall be dealt with as in case of in
: morality.
, Answer 8. 1t shall be the duty of a
our members and probationers, who ma
' sustain the legal relation of slave-holde
to teach their servants to read the Wor
S of God, allow them to attend public wo
S ship on our regular days of Divine Sc
vice, to protect them in the observance
the duties of the conjugal and parent
: relations; to give them such compens
!. ton for their services as may under Il
!, circumstances be just and equal; to NAL
such provisions as may be legally prac
9 cable to prevent them and their posteri
It from passing in perpetual slavery. and
o treat them in all respects as required
the law of love.
Answer a. 1t shall be the duty of o.
: preachers rrudently to enforce the abo
l. rules.
'e A minority report was to be subm
l. ted, but we have not received copy
is it. It is supposed that the minority "
e take strong grounds against changing