Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-05-21

,rpruon1sr CONFERENCE AND SLAVERY
y. oonv from the Daily Christian Advocate Of
..to,5av the action Of the General Conferences On
Wednesday. OF the General Rule Of the BOOK OF
Discipline en- Slavery and also append ina remarks
of Bishop Pierce.
The order Of the day now came up; the report q
,be COMMITTEES appointed yesterday 70 digest ana
ranve the chief merits Of the several proPosluons
that had been submitted to the Conference touou"e
the General Rule on Slavery.
T. o. Summers, chairman Of that committee, READ
the report as follows: p,7. |
RrpoRT Of the Coritsss on epHgHiag the General hate
forBidainq the buying and selling Of men, Vomsg aga
children NTH an intention 10 snstaOe mem.
Tho committee appointed TO report preamble ano
-,soI,t;ns in regard to the expunoon Of the rule
In he General Rules forbding 'tbe buying and sell
inc al men. women and children, with an intention
to enslavs them beg leave to report the tollo"ins
as The result eftheir deliberations:
WHEREAs. The rule in the General Rules of the
Methodist Episcopal Chprei, South, forbidding 'the
buviue and selling OF men, women and children, win
an intention to euslave them, is ambiguous IN It's
phraseology, and liable 10 be construed - antagoh
stic TO the institution OF slavery in regard 10 FPen
the Church has no right to meddle except n shsoIS
inc the duties Of masters and servants as set IertA
in The HOLY Scriptures; and whereas, strong desire
for the expunction Of said rule has been expressed
in nearly all parts of our ecclesiastical connection;
therefore,
ResolUed, By the delegates Of the Annual Confer
ences Of the Methodist Episcopal Church. soulh' III
General Conference assembled, that the rule forbid
ing othe buying and selling Of men, women and
children with an intention 10 enslave them be ex-
plunged from the General RQles OF the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South.
Resolued. That in adopting the foregoing res9lu,
ton this Conference expresses 10 opinion IN REGARD
to the African sIaverade TO Bhch toe rule IN ques
lion has been understood to refer
Pesoyoed That the Bishops, CT others presiding IN
the Annual Conferences be and are hereby instruct
ed TO lay the foregoing resolutions before each OF
the Annual Conferences at their next ensuing ses-
/ sions FOE tAerconcurrent action.
Pssolped Thai the President Of each Annual Con
ference shall be required IS soon possible after
the adjournment Of the Conference, to report to the
Book Editor the vote on the resolution TO expunge
! the rule in question; and when the BOOK Edltor
shall have received returns from the Annual Con
ferences voting on the said resolution he shal Jay
The inflammation before one of the Bishops and fit
shall be found that there is a concurrence of three
| fourths of all the members Of the Annual Confer
eEces pYegent and voting on the resolution in favor
If the expupgine Of the rule, the Bishop shall direct
/ the Book E iitor to expnnge it accordingly
Resolpsd, That if any Annual Conference or Con-
ferepoes refuse or neglect to vote the aforesaid
resolution, tlG EucLADCLb VI SUN AyN+-N~ y
ferences shall not bs counted for or against the ex
! punging of the rule.
Pssoi1ed, That the publication Of the foregoing
preamble and resolutions in the Church papers shall
be considered sufficient notification Of the action
! Of this Conference in the premises
Pesolped. That the Bishops respectfully re-
ouegted to set forth in the Pastoral Address the plat
| form oecuyied by the Methodist Episcopal Church
! South on the relation of masters aud servants,
agreeably to the principles coptained IN the fore
! going preamble and resolutions.
All Of whichis respectfully submitted:
THos. o. SUMMERS, Chm.
Nashville, May is, 1858.
The list Of delegates being read, the vote was as
follows;
son, h; Atkins, j. Baldwin, S D. Barringer, W;
Bennett, W W; B,tts, C; Blackwell, NJ J; Blue, .
E; Boring j; Boswell, L; Boyd, }; Boyle );
Bradford VIM; Branham, R; Brooks, H; Brush,
G W: Burks, W; Campbell, L. Caples, W G; Car
lie, S; Carter CIV; Cless, VIM; Dandy, &c; Davis,
J: Davis Jo H; Deems, c f; Dimes, I; Doggett IS;
Dorman, W; Doub Peter; Drake, B NJ Edwards,
J E: Erwin, A r; Evans, J E; Fields, J W; Fergu
son, F G.; Field, S; Fisk, r. GameWell W A; Gard
uer T n; Gillespie, c c; Glenn, W; Green, L ?;
Hamilton, J; Hammer, W. Harp, R j. Harrell, J;
Harris, G W D.; Helm, Z 7; Henkle, N NJ; Hicks,
": Hughes, F; Hunter, A; Austen, D; Hutch
inson, J; Ivey, A. Jones, G.; Jones, G; john
son, C, Kelly, W; Kelley, 5; kennou, h W;
Knox. W; Roger, 7 j. Langhorne, 6 VS. Lee, NJ;
Leeper, A. Lewis, Dy Lively i Z; LusE, };
Maddin, 7: Mann, A 7; Marshall H Marvin, I
N; McAlister, " NJ; MeAnally. D. RI McFerTia,
B: McMahon, VIM; MeSwSin, a. McTyeire, HIN;
Michaels R; Mills, J; Mitchell, H. Monroe, A.
Montgomery, H H; BIoores, W; Morris, F A; Nun
sey, 7 F; Myers, H; Nicely, ?; Nicholson, d b;
Oliver, @ D. Owen, F A; Parks, J; Payne, Is;
Pearce, J, Pearce, Levi; Peery, ] I; Phillips,
W: Pierce, LoFick; Pitts, T E; Randle W; Rat
cfe, P; Reid, N z; RiohardscA, S P; Riggs, A
5: Robson, W; Robinson, Z; hosseF L; HoWzle'
W 3; Seat II; Sewer, Z z; Shelter, 81 Ship,
NJ; Slater, E C; Smith, P P, Smith, A; Stacy
J; Stanford, T. Steven. r NJ; Stevenson, E; sulli-
van, n; Summers, o; Talley, n; Taylor, NJ;
Thweatt, H C; Tullis, B; Vaught, K; Wads-
worth E: Walker, H A G; Whipple, W; Virgins,
NJ: Wightmau, " NJ; Wiley & e; Williams, A;
Wilson, n II D.; Winfield, A r. Yell, NJ.
NoEs.-Ashby, 7; Bruce, Gj Harrison, I;
Lee, n H; Linn, H; RedfOrd, A H; Soarritt, N;
Watts II n
ABsExr-AntbOuy, Sam; Sasnett, " J; Wat
son, S.
Aggregate: Ayes, 14O; noes, s; aOsentees, 3.
Bisbop Pierce-Mr President 1 desire to make
a remark calculated, perhaps, to aay the feeling OF
the bodyin relation the action jush had The design
of the Alabama Conference in originating that reso
luton and Of the Annual Conferences which have
supported it. is misappreqeudeib by some, The whole
philosophy of the proceeding seems to be toundedon
the fact that is not the province Of the Church to
question Win reference 70 sLdHS-
~ The South Church maintains that slrvery is
not a subject of ecclesiastical legislation. The single
object was, that while We disllaimed the right Of
legislation upon that subject, We wished to make
the Discipline conform to that profession. The Con
ference by its action this morning, has not parted
with its authority, or the authority of the Church,
over its members in any respect. Every member
Of the Church claims to be loyal citizen. We
declare here that African slavery Is purely civil
institution; and there is for alarm about
losing Church control. If we turn to the 23d
Article of Religion, we shall End there that the
Church retains its proper authority over lie mem
bers with reference to this subject We therefore,
by this act, simply maintain original position
that Of having nothing to do with the subject Of
slavery more than any other civil matter over which
the laws of the country are extended beg the
brethren therefore TO be easy There Is nothing
here to warrant any construction looking towards
repeal of the laws of the Uuied States in regard to
the African slaVetrade. There is no occasion for
sensiveness, nor for any legislation on the subject
anywhere else. No harm has been done to anybody
to day We have only set ourselves right on veEed
question: and we may safely defy all the efforts Of
our enemies North and South to damage the Church
for taking clear position upon this subject.