Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-11-27
METHODIST PROTESTANT CONVENTION

| ro worthy OF the present administrator
METHODIST PROTESTANT CONVENTION
| SPRINGFIELD. Ohio, Nov. IL, 1S5S.-This bod v
now in session in this place, transacted but little
business yesterday, having adjourned at an early
hour for the purpose of giving its various commit
tees time to prepare their reports the respective
subjects referred to them for their consideration
The Convention met this morning at the usual
hour. and after short devoted to relig gious
exercises, the Convention proceeded to business.
The committee to whom referrud the conmu
nicaton from Rev. G. Prnde, of the Wesleyan
Convention, presented report, and recommended
the adoption Of the following resolution, viz:
Resolved, That this convention appoint com
mttee of five to iraternize and correspond with n
like committee represented here by our esteemed
brother, Cyrus Prindle, of the Wesleyan Metho.
dist Convention, for the laudable and desirable OBJ
jec:s Of obtaining a intimate union and a
more general aud effective cooperation between
the two sister branches Of our common Zion, and
for the ultimate purpose, if possible, Of becoming
one body.
This resolution was laid on the table for the pur-
pose of receiving other reports from their respective
committees. The report, from the evident favor
Sith which it was received will doubtless be
adopted.
The committee appointed upon the subject of
Relations and Revisons, reported in part, viz
1ss. Upon 'the action of the last general confer.
ence upon the memorial from the Cincinnati con.
vention Of 1857"
By reference to said memorial, it will he readily
discovered that the General Conference respectful
ly requested in said document to merely recon-.
mend TO to several annual conferences, the matter
Of taking legal steps to make the specified cons'
tutonal and disciplinary notifications, which the
interest and prosperity of the nom saveholding
tions of the association demanded and in case that
body should refuse to so recommend. then a second
request was respectfully made to said General Con-
ference to concur in such measures rs would hring
about official separation in formal, orderly
and peaceful manner between the slave and non.
slarehoding section of the association, by an alter
alton Of the eighth and ninth articles of the
sitution, which define q general conference and
it's powers
And by reference to the official proceedings of
said General Convention it will be equally evident
ceive entertain, and act upon said memorial
rderly and authoritative document. thereby v:r
tually sanctloning the Cincinnati document. thev
did upon the other hand officially refuse TO cump,
with either rcques. respectfully and ~ rcasnna
bly, submitted to them. thereby evincing total un.
Willingness to take any steps to either relieve their
petitioners. or that would reflect discredit in any
way upon the practices az predicated of the entire
Southern section of the NJ. p. Church, in the HIS
toric part Of said memorial. Aud, upon the pres.
eut and future relations between the annual com
ferences represented in this connection. and such
annual conferences. churches, and individuals as
practice tolerate slavehoIding and slave trading
IA spec fed in said memurial-
LIST. Our present relation is embraced in official
and legal connection general conference, aS
specified and defined in the eighth and ninth arti
cles of the constitution. But this relation is now
virtually destroyed by the following facts:
Firs,-A!i the jects of working interest that
were designed as bonds of union to The whole
ciation-to wit that of periodicals. books. colleges
missions, and Sunday Schools have been either
formally thrown out of the General Conference or
officially destroyed in that body. thereby rendering
said body in view Of the wants Of its constitutional
working business legal nullity.
Secoud-The las. General Conference did, in its
legislative capacity. define a basis Of represents.
ton. by assuming the secession of the Conferences
herein represented, and upon this gratuitous as
SUMPTION (for the Convention did not. in the mem.
oral in any other of it's acts, propose. or init
mate, a voluntary withdrawal or secession) define
basis of representation intended to embrace only
a part of the Conferences of the Association :;
thereby virtually destroying the constitutional COM
position OF the General Conference.
Therefore, it follows that such q General Confer
ence institution as was contemplated by the Con.
vention of 1880. and as defined in the constitution
adopted by that body. does net now exist in the
| Methods: Protestant Association and inasmuch
as the General Conference, exists rather in name
than in lite originally designed working life and
energy, it is no violation of loyalty to the con-
sttution of the Church. to declare and forever re-
gard the General Conference as a legal nullity,
and incompetent to serve any good to the Associa
tion.
3D. Our future relations, &C., will make it neces'
sary to briefly specify the cause which has pro.
duced this state of things, and your Committee
cannot better do this than by adopting part OF
the language contained in the second resolution in
the circular from the Pittsburg Conference viz
"We hereby set our seal Of condemnation on the en-
tire system of slavery in the Methodist Protestant
Church in the South. as heing the foundation OF
all our troubles with our Southern brethren. IL
has tramelled our church press-t has thrown out
to foreign control interests which belong consitu'
,ionaly to the General Conference to care for and
manage"-it has further destroyed Madison Col
lege. the only (genera educational institution OF
the Church, which promised so we'll in 1854. and
II has induced tho Southern section to withdraw