Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-04-24
Communications.
FROM Il

r WORCESTER, Mass April l6. 1858.
DEAR MARlus: The New England Conference
Of the Methodist Episcopal. Church has just closed
it's annual meeting after more than u weeks ses.
3 sion in this City.
One Of the most interesting features Of the ses-
sion. was the presence Of Rev. j. D.. Long Of the
Philndelphi Conference. suthor OF the book en-.
ntled PICTURES OF Slavery in Church and State"
published nearly n year since. and which lus
caused such Il comIn,tion ia The Methodist Episco
pal Church, from its fearless exposures Of the
fearful extent and abhorrent character of slavery
in that church and The official endorsement which
this Conference in their unanimously adopted
Report on Slavery case to the man, his buck, and
bs testimony.
The Report speaks Of the general impression
that has heretofore prevailed in their church tina,
slavery existed there only to n limited extern, and
ia unoljectionaalc form, hut the, fud 10y the devel.
opmcnt. of this book. iha, it exists to IN alarm
IL g degree. "and that it, oh ,racter in the church
does not d :ffer from its known char lcter out Of it,,
and chat bn,h their local and travelling preach.
ers are not 80 free from connection with it. as the
cause of righteousness requires"
This is an official endorsement Of the facts that
are so often charged upon the Methodist Eyisco
pal Church and which their members and preach.
ers, as often deny. And will give us a ~snficien,
refutation Of their assumptions a. to the AMI
Slavery character Of their Church from their own
official net in this conference, With one ,f their
most proslavery Bishops. Levi Scott, If Whining.
ton Delaware, presiding, and not making u word
of objection or cnrrectiuD.
The report also states that they Save been led
{ to suppose the existence OF Slavery in the Church
limited and unoljectionablc from the repeated
declarations of those whose position afforded op.
j portunity for an acquaintance with the facts of
t which they spnke." This refers to the statements
9 Of the Bishops, particularly to one put forth by
y them at ,he,f last General Conference, and here
this Conference in its Report charges them with
KIN Jwingly misleading and deceiving them, and
y gives it II unanimous vote in the face Of one u
these very Bishops.
p This shows the rising strength Of the ~an.i-sla
= very sentiment, which sustains them in such Il
. position. when a few years since a mild anti. fla
very Resolution was offered in this very Confer
!, ence, and the presiding Bishop. Beverly Waugh
lately deceased, refused to put it to vote. and de
II clined to give any reason for this exercise of hit
" arbitrary power.
The second Resolution appended to this Repor
is as follows That believing that the Genera
Conference has the power so to change the chapte,
on Slavery as to make hlave.holding a disqualified
ton for membership in our church we believe tn,
time has fully come when such a change is imp er
Il atlvely demanded, alike by the honor, purity an,
q efficiency Of our church," This you will see is
is full admission that slave'holding is not now a dis
-. a; ,I;n.ila oNanoo ,bo,rb tbap ,b;nI, A.. MI a.
to be, which fact is often denied by those Methodist
" with whom we come in contact at our meetings.
An anti.slavery meeting was held at one of tn
larges. Churches in the City on Tuesday evenin
which was fully attended. and addressed by Nj
Long, and also by Rev. NJ. Hanson. the origiaa
Uncle Tom" from whose character and histor
'e Mrs. Stowe drew the picture which she portray
k so wonderfully in her great work.
Mr.. Long in his address announced himself a
m an abolitionist, who had grown up SO in the mids
of Slavery, from the carly teachings of his mother
o. although his father was an obstinate stakeholder.
lie made a thorough expose Of slavery in tn,
Methodist Episcopal Church and denounced III
slaveholding Churches as bogus churches and No
\ Churches Of Christ, and he refuses recognition t
proslavery preachers as christian ministers. q
an ~ uth "u t1cs'loh miBHt 10 bsktu, Rn
ID should we make the exposure. why not keep still
why give the enemies of the church this advar
tage against them, why put these weapons int
y, The hands Of the Gairisoniunsf To all this h
would reply that he did not believe in the ph lo-o
n, ply of ancealment, bat thought all errors an,
m%isiemeapors should he brou ,ht TO the light FL
exposure and correction. and the surest ard hes
wav to silence the Garrisonians WAS 10 extirpatt
this sin from the Church.
Uncle Tom spoke with much wit and pathns Of
his experiences in a life OF slavery, from which
: he at last ran away to Canada in spite of the ex.
IRENE conscientiousness with which Mrs. Stowe
endows her uncle 7 I'M.
h In conversation with Mr.. Long b told me tha'
his proposed trial befure the Conference resulted
~ il did. not because Of any end ,rre meRr which
they were prepared 10 give him. for a large major
D ity Of the Conference were opposed 20 him, bu
they found that he was fully prepared to prove al
his charges a .ninst the Church and its ministry 4
? he true. and under the truth, and they dared ~
give him this opportunity to bring them before tn
worlds gaze SO distinctly in all their deformi,y
n and as ,hey dare not turn him out without tsial
. they passed him.