Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-07-31
THE ERIE ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND
SLAVERY

The Eric Annual Conference Of the Methodist
Episcopal Church met at Meadville Pa, during
tie present month. Its action on the subject of
slavery is more straight forward and uncoihpro-
missing than that of any other conference of the
west, so far as we have noticed. The conference
appointed the following persons o committee on
the subject e. Kingsley, G. W. Clark, j. Trib-
berry, j. Graham, II. A. Caruthcrs, j. NJ. Green
j. Peet, J. Robinson, j. Grum.
On the fifth day of the Conference session, Dr..
Kingsley, Chairman Of the committed made the
following report, which was adopted by the con-
ference.
The Committee or Slavery offer the following
as their report,
The SUN of all human duty between man and
man is briefly, but comprehensively, embraced
in the divine injunction. Thou shalt love thy
ncighbor as thyself," The euslavement from gem
GRAFTON to generation of innocent human beings,
is fundamentally opposed to this divine precept.
Ii the one, therefore, embraces the sum OF all
virtue, the other embraces the sum all villainy.
The system Of American slavery, either direct,
ly or indirectly violates nearly, 1t not every one oil
the commandments of the decaloguo'
1t entails a pernicious inhue nee upon every
thing with which it comes in contact, not sparing
the honest soil. 1t is u fruitful cause of murder.
adultery y, theft and lying.-lt involves the worst
form of that covetousness which is idolatry. It's
fundamentally at war with the marriage and pa.
rental relations, those most ancient and honored
institutions of God among men. 1t interferes di'
rectly with The duties which God has enjoined up
on husbands and wives, and upon parents and
children. 1t deprives multi,udcs of being able to
do what all men are required to do namely to
read the word OF uod. 1t invests one human
being with authority over other human beings,
which can be rightfully exercised only by the
Creator of all things.
That such a monstrous evil should still be on
the increase in tho midst of a Christian nation,
and in the middle Of the nineteenth century of the
Christian era, call for deep humiliation and sim
cere re pentance.
Our fathers declared that Slavery is contrary 70
the Golden Law of God. to the Declaration of
Independence, and to the inalineable rights of
mankind the NJ. Il. Church has never ceased to
reafirm the declaration. Our Fathers enquired
with earnest and p~rayerful solicitude. What
shall be done for tho extirpation Of the evil-the
the great evil. TIE M. E. Church has never
ceased to repeat the enquiry.
Vhe General Rule prohibits the buying and sell
ling of human beings with the Intention to enslave
them. The Chapter on Slavery prohibits the
holding of Slaves by official members of the
Church, where the laws of the State will allow of
emancipation, and permit the emancipated per.
son ITO enjoy freedom.
But as a difference of opinion exists as to the
meaning of the General Rule relative to slav'
holding, your committee are clearly of the opinion
Shat'either by a change in the wording of the
Ssule itself, or by an official exposition of it by the
General Conference or by some action equivalent
to this, the Dccipline should embody the real anti
slavery sentiment of the Church, as clearly upon
the subject of slave. holding, as upon the subject
of slave traffic.
The thing prohibited in the General Rule is
''the intention to enslave ;" that is as it plain
ly seems to us, the intention of either originating
or perpetuating Slavery. In the case of a person
already q slave, the crime prohibited is the in
tention to perpetuate human bondage. A person
who buys a slave with the sole purpose of freeing
him does not violate either the golden law of God,
or toe discipline OF our Church. So a person who
has no other way of freeing a slave than by sus'
tanning O temporary legal relation of owner until
he can carry out his purpose of ccnferring perma-
nent freedom may be justified in sustaining for a
time this temporary legal relationship. In either
case tho wrong consists in the intention to perpet.
uate Slavery.
1t appears therefore to your committee that one
rule should apply to the buying. selling and hold
ing of human beings in the relation OF Slaves :
and chat any member of our church who may sus
tain either of the foregoing relations to slavery,
should be required to show that he holds such re-
lation with the sole intention OF freeing such
slave or slaves. a: the earliest practicable mo-
ment.
Your committee therefore offer for adoption the
following resolutions.
Resolved, LIST. That in the judgement Of the
Erie Annual Conference, one rule should apply to
the buying and selling and holding of human be
ings in the relation of slaves.
@. That one rule should apply to all the mem.
bers of the church who may become connected
with Slavery, whether such persons be Official
members or otherwise.
8. That we approve of the course of the Rev
Daniel Wise, Corresponding Secretary Of the
Sunday School Union Of the M. e. Church, in
furnishing sonnd Anti. Slavery doctrines in thu
publications of said Sunday School Union; beliey'
ing that such doctrines are right and proper for
the training of our children in The way they should