Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-06-19
EVENING STAR.
the IN. 81 General Assembly, held in
Few York, 1856.


6yterian Church residing in ths Slavehold-
ing States:
DEAR BRETHREN: The undersigned, mem
bers of the General Assembly of the Presbyte-
rian Church, which has just closed its sessions
in the city of New York, feel it incumbent on
them to address you with reference to the re-
cent action Of the General Assembly on the
subject of slavery, and to make such sugges-
tions as to our future course as the circum-
stances In which we are placed seem to de-
mand. We are apprehensive that the action
of the Assembly may be misunderstood The
resolution passed by the Assembly at Detroit
is very ambiguous. As its endorsement by
the recent Assembly is the only part of its &C.
tion on this subject to which exception can
be taken, We would call your attention to the
true import Of this resolution.
i. The resolution clearly implies that slave
holding is not ssn per Sc, and cannot, there
fore, on this ground, be made a subject of dis
cipline. The exceptional cases referred to
necessarily involve the idea that slavehold-
ing-the mere relation of master and servant
is not wrong in itself For if it was a s,n per
Sc, there could be no case Of slaveholding that
could be justified. We are assured that the
committee who brought in the majority report
that was adopted by the Assembly have DO
sympathy with the sentiment that slavehold
ing Is sinful tm itself. And this, doubtless
was the opinion of the vast majority Of the As
sembly. The General Assembly of our church
never has sanctioned the sentiment that the
relation OF master and servant is sin per Sc.
The nearest approximation to this opinion is
found in the resolutions of the Assembly pass
ed in 1918. But that it was not the intention
of the Assembly of 1918 to express such an
opinion, is evident from the fact that those
resolutions were adopted by a unanimous
vote-such men as DR.. George Baxter and DR..
Conrad spence, of Virginia, voting for them.
z. The resolutions passed at Detroit imply
that slayeholding is a sin, and can be made
cause for discipline only when it violates the
obligations of guardianship and the demands
OF humanity We presume that every slave
holder in the land will admit that if the slave
holding, in any case, is inconsistent with the
interests of hUmGntty-including under the
term humanity the cOlOred and white popula-
tion-it is sin in the sight of God In our
judgment there is no relation in life that would
not be sinful, if it is incompatible with these
interests of humanity. We believe that, in
the circumstances in which the cOlored popu-
latlon exist in the siaveholding States the
law of love demands that the relation of mas
ter and servant should exist. We do not
think, therefore, that there is any objection
to the Detroit resolution, sanctioned by the re-
cent Assembly; because it asserts that slave
holding Is sin II the interests of humanity
are affected by it. 1t is truism to which we
are persuaded the STAKEHOLDER will withhold
his assent. This Interpretation of the Detroit
resolution is not only authorized by the lam
guage of the resolution, but also by the state
ments of some of its most prominent advocates
3. The resolution adopted at Detroit, and
Endorsed by the recent Assembly, is not a law
OF the Church. 1t expresses the sentiment of
the Assembly; but it has no more authorita.
tive effect than the opinion of any other body
OF pious and intelligent men. The report
passed by the Assembly says that the doctrine
set forth at Detroit was ''set forth, simply as
doctrine, and not as a law or judicial de-
clsion." Whatever, then, may be the senti-
ment expressed, it is important to notice that
this opinion of the Assembly has no binding
effect. The General Assembly of the Presby-
terian Church, unlike the Methodist General
Conference or Episcopal Convention, has no
power to make laws. The Presbyteries are
the only law-making power in the PreSbyte.
rian Church.
According to the action of the late As
sembly, if case of slaveholding that is incon-
sistent with the demands of humanity ever
occurs, there can be no disciplinary action on
the part of the Assembly, unless a case is
brought before it from lower court by refer
ence, complaint or appeal, or unless a Synod
is cited to answer to the charge of DELINQUENCY
in duty. 1t is like any other case of disci-
pline brought before the Assembly for de-
clslon. 1t must come primarily from session
~ VIZ NeSO VI piNdtO uCmDcT, Anu from
Presbytery In the case of a minister. There
is no intimatiOn in the report adopted by the
Assembly that a case will occur to call for
action on the part of a lower judiciary; and
we who are acquainted with the operations of
the system of slavery need have no more fear
OF case of slaveholding, inconsistent with the
demands of humanity occurring among US,
than of one in any other relation of life. 1t
would be uni just to infer from the action Of the
Assembly that IL looks to actual discipline.
We are assured that no such idea was enter
tanned either by the committee who intro
duced the report, or by the Assembly. The
design was simply to state the course which
the Assembly must pursue, if a case of slave
holding, inconsistent with the interests of hu-
manity, should ever occur. 1t is neither ex-
pressed nor implied that there will ever be
occasion for the Assembly to act in a judicial
case brought to it from a lower court, or in
the citation of Synods. The undersigned OBJ
jected to the adoption of the report of the
committee, not because they did not believe
that slaveholding, like every other relation
in life, would be sin to the sight of God, if
it contravened the interests of humanity, nor
because they differed from the commit ee as
to the mode in which offences generally are
to be treated by the Assembly, but because
they believed the constitution does not rec
ognize the right in any court to regard that
as an offence to which no allusion is made in
tue SOuleSslOu VI Z dllu VI tQe freSDyterlan
Church.
5. In our judgment the action of the As
sembly, viewed as a whole, is favorable to the
South-insomuch as it expresses the Constitu-
tional principles by which anything that may
be regarded as an offence is to be brought be-
fore the Assembly. Doubtless many who have
been disposed to agitste the Slavery question
in the Assembly have had most erroneous
views as to the powers of that body over the |
subject 1t is now apparent that the Assem-
bly, has gone as far as the Constitution will |
allow, unless it acts judicially. Its opinion |
in regard to the system of Slavery has been |
expressed repeatedly within the last sixty |
years. and we may, therefore, reasonably ex-
pect the cessation of all declaratory resolu- |
tions. We have not the slightest spprehen- |
sion of disciplinary action being taken in any |
of the lower Courts, or in the Assembly. We |
know there is no ground for such action, and |
for this reason We have no apprehension Of |
the Assembly being called upon to act judi. |
cially on the subject of slaveholding.
6. The undersigned, representing in the re.
cent Assembly the Presbyteries in the Slave |
holding States, are unanimous in the opinion /
that there is no occ casion for alienation or sen