The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1856-07-04


You will be surprised TO learn, that in Balfl
more Cay Station, according TO Metesffmoav o
brethren acelt-inform on the subject. there
bat one Shareholder, and it is doubtful, from. N
sane authority, if there be one.
We have in our conference coIored mem
hershiP of between $4,000 and 10000 Ii
me cily OF Baltimore alone, there are beiweel
3,O00 and 1000 members in our church. The,
have good churches, they sing swerty, pra,
powerfully, and have among them many excel
lent local preachers They have their Sabball
and day schools. Iou NAV tread the street
/ OF Baltimore and you will not meet single col
orrd beggar. There are bsggars in that city
but they are not found among the descendants
OF Africa. 1t may be safely said, that SLAYER,
IS not on the increase in Baltimore Brothei
Griffith says it is on the decrease. Several
voices, true,l Orr people there, are well-in-
formed and intelligent. They know they can
hire labor cheaper than they can buy it, and be
responsible for the clothing FEEDING aud sus-
tanning family ct slaves, when able to do SER
vlcP or not. | viii make a suggestion to Dr.
thompson, worthy Of consideration, tha; with
all the increase Cl slavery, as he SupposrS, and
the great value OF slave property, Southern
people, instead Of selling them and pockrting
the money, 10 many cases, mannmit them by
scores, and provide from their own meanS, for
their comfortable subsistence in Liberia, or some
other colony, until they are able 10 take care Of
themselves
3D. believe it is admiiied-given up hv
the chairman of the committee on slavery. and
The friends Of the report submitted by him
that II makes new term of membership 10 the
Methodist Episcopal Church. namely, non
sIave-boIdlng Several voices, among them
DR.. Raymond'S, no, mol Then sir, shall pro-
cted to prove il from the report itself, now on
your table and under discussion.
list. The first answer to the question, s.what
shall be done for the extrpation of the great e
VII Of slavery ?" contains the following provis-
ion, 'ahercfore, no siare-hoider shaH be eligibie
10 membership in oUr church thereafter, D5ere
enlancipnion can be ofected wHtopf iaiarg 10
tbe SHIRE" Does not this seek to make tnan-
ClpaiIOn a condition Of admission into our
Church is not tint new test Was II ever
made before! II it was, have net been able
10 discover it. | haze studied tie Methodist
discipline have tried to understand ii, having
been an administrator Of il in different rela-
tIonS; and il emancipation was ever condi-
ton OF admission, it has escaped my notice. Ii
cannot be found in The book. II is perfect
novelty. Dr. Raymond cannot escape this CON
cluson
ID In the second answer 10 the question a
bove stated noa-siare- hoiding is sought 10 BE-
made a term of membership in two fold ap-
TlicatIon, follows: '',ghs8ersr n member Of
our cturch by ony means tccomes the ocaer Of
a siaUe, IL sbaH be tie duty Of the grgocher IN
charge TO call together n committee Of nj ieaa
three members, rho s6aH Investigate the case md
determine the time in rhici such siare shqH be
freqd, md on his refusat or aegiecf 10 n5ide 5g
the decision Of sind committee, he ShoiI be deaH
ph as IN coye Of immoraiiy" Now, sir, IN
the slave holding pat Of our Conference, aud
| presume it is 50 in all our Conferences in
slave territory, a large portion Of our members
do not hold slaves. They might become slave
holders by Inheritance ~ gift, and would they
not by this requirement Zee brought before a
and if they refused to appear, or
would not ABIDE by he decision OF the commit
Zee, would they not be tried for iunoraiitv and
i convicted be expelled from the church, No
one can dispute this, anG hence ! say, this f-a-
are, II adopted makes new term OF member
hip to those now in the church, and IN addi-
ion has the odiouS character Of an 'ser post fee
o iaw." Ii DOES this to all inteuts and purpo-
;eS. 1t never was done before. Furthermore
here are members of our church at present
lavrholdrls. who are iiabie under the proposed
.hapier, Tread ii agan) "wheaeUer memb@ al
mr. church by any mems becomes m owny Of
Slarp, &c" ii then the nualber OF slavrs
leid by member be added 10, either bY m
gift, or natural iRcreaSr, he is 10 be
lrragned or dealt with ia case Of refusal or
legItct, as if guilty Of immortality. Could
anguage be more explicit, and does ii not indis-
,ulably establish the point we have made
81. The third answer to the QUESTION quoted
provides for giving slaves by their masters ''Sach
compensation for their services rs mGy, upder
circumstances, be just md equal" That
makes new test, and why It changes en-
rely the relation OF master and slave, and puts 1
be S}are in the position of a treed-nsan A. Z
rrn said srvrraI.l am rrjolced that you say
Amen ii gives your endorsement 10 what | {
ave stated. repeat it, this passage does, in
fleet, make non-saeeholding term of mem
ership in our church. The proposition is trn-
+ each of the points separately aud Of all /
omblned. They are like four hooks tied to-
ether, with which | have seen persons fish (
Ton are 10 be caught on one or The other Of +
hem--there is no escape.
There is aother feature Of this report, sir, TO
which wish 10 call attention il is this, 'ao I
votect them tthe siaDes) IN the observance Of the
'uf1es Of the conjagal md parenta! relations"
This is to be- made the duty OF owners. ! /
hink this, sir, a graiuitous reflection upon MY
,eople. | never knew an instance in the
ounds of the Baltimore Conference, in which I
member of otir church wantnply or for mere
ain, separated husband aud wiie-parent and
hid. have tried my own recollection and
an find none; and have called on Brother