The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-05-06

The discussion in the New York
EAST Annual Conference of Methodist
Ministers, on DR.. Whedon's resolutions
has been warmer and more exciting
than has been usual with this denomi-
nation. This is one of the Conferences
that has borne the name of "fogy,' %
and on questions of right and justice
has been dull of hearing on account of
the cotton in its ears. The first reso-
luton passed by very strong vote T;
and the opponents of the report planted
themselves on the second, and resisted
very earnestly. This resolution incrl-
Gated the duty of educating" the
church, through ITS press and its pull
PIT, into the early anti-slavery opinions
of John Wesley. &.
Rev. r. M. Hatfield, a young but
eloquent and rising member of the con-
ference, bore prominent part in the
defence Of the resolutions, and was
sustained manly by the younger mem
bers of the Conference. DR.. Heman
Bangs represented the "fogies," and
his speech will go far to show why it is
that there is SO much infidelity in the
world. Surelyi if our Holy Religion
is in favor of oppression, injustice and
tyranny, men are hardly to blame for
turning away from it. "The Church, !"
he said, had nothing to do with
slavery, which was purely a civil and
political relation. St. Paul recognized
the relation of master and slave under
certain circumstances, and gave in
structions for the observance of that
relation. The Church had no right to
dictate to him that he should bring the
subject of slavery into his pulpit, or
allow his congregation to be harangued
on the subject of slavery. In the
present day the boys knew more than
their elders, and endeavored to educate
them instead of the elders educating
the youngsters.
Pulpits nowadays were made the
scenes of political harangues, which
never should be permitted by any
Christian minister"
The reply to this outbreak of fogy-
ism, by a visitor at the Conference from
Philadelphia, the Rev. Mr.. Long, who
is the author of a work on "Slavery in
the Methodist Church was such as to
electrify the House. He said that there
were 1000 shareholders in the Phila-
delphia Conference, holding 5000
slaves. He read to the audience the
advertisement of one Levi E. Travers,
a wealthy local preacher of Cambridge,
Maryland, offering reward of $500
for the capture and return of two run
away slaves. He read, also, similar
advertisements of other members of
the church in Maryland. He alluded,
also, to the fact that there were min
listers who held slaves, the Rev. VIM.
Quinn, one of the oldest members OF
the Conference, had recently sold a
negro, to be free at 80 years of age.
This he considered the meanest act OF
Slave-holding oppression. Taking from
a man the best portion of his life, and
thus, when he was perhaps broken
down from hard work, turning him up
on the world to take care Of i. himself inns.
sfAnd this act made no provision for hi
| wife and children.
5 The question was not taken on tn
: resolution; but the tone of the discus
t sion indicates its passage. If passe,
: it will be the most decided triumph
5 which the anti-slavery cause has We
achieved in that branch Of the churcf
q = TnZoIo T210,7e