The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-05-14

them by all honorable means, would not consent
to stigmatse the STAKEHOLDER as monster, and
slavery itself as SIM Butsuch radical abolitionsts
LEWIS TAppAN, Judge HORSEPOWER and others,
whose ruling passion it is to fish in troubled
waters, were not content with the more tolerant
course adopted by the Association, and while they
protested themselves anxious to promote the spiritual
welfare of the slave were far more DESTROYS of
flooding the South with tracts, not upon the moral
duties Of shareholders, upon the social vices of
the slaves themselves, but upon the sinfulness OF
slavery as an institution, and the necessity for its
summary abolition.
To the attainment of this end and in the hope
of making use of the Association to accomplish
their purpose private meetings, largely attended,
were called in New York, on Monday and Tuesday
last, ostensbly for the purpose of considering
the action or the Executive Committee in
refusing to publish the tract of Bishop
MEADE, but in reality, to prepare the way for the
discussion of slavery in all its bearing-political
moral and social-at the annual session of the
Tract Society which commenced yesterday. In an
unusual spirit of fairness, and, perhaps, with the
expectation of making proseytes the chief leaders
of the abolition minority addressed the circulars
which ELECTED so large an attendance not to their
friends alone, but to many others, who, as men,
bers of the Association, were known to enter
tain conservative views. The avowed object in
calling the meeting was to re-affirm the fourth
resolution as passed by the Society at the last
annual meeting, and thus make it obligatory upon
the Society to publish tract against the sinful
ness of American slavery. The resolution in ques-
ton reads as follows:
Resolved That in the judgment of your Committee the
political aspects of Slavery lie entirely without appro
pirate sphere of this Society and be discussed in
its publications. but that those moral duties which grow
out of the existence of Slavery well those moral
evils and vices which it known promote and which
condemned in the Scriptures and much deplored by
evangelical Christians, undoubtedly do fall within the
province this Society and and ought discussed
in fraternaf and Christian spirit.
When this was read, the purpose of the aboli-
ZION wing became apparent. Mr.. LEWIS TAPPAN
moved to incorporate into the resolution declara-
ton that american slavery is sin before Cod
Upon this an exciting discussion arose. He laud-
ed the radical abolition speech of Judge HORN
BLOWER, and spoke of Slavery in its political
aspect as 'illegal, unconstitutional and wicked"
DIR. CHEEvER declared Slavery to be man steal
ing. ''lt was" he said, "man stealing with
every individual who had any thing to do with
ait. 1t was sin worthy of death.' These radi-
cal abolition views were strongly denounced by
DIR. Hawkes. and various others present. One
member charged it upon TAPPAN and his coadiu-
tors, that their design was either to turn the
AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY into the most effective
abolition association in the land, sby ENGRAVING
"on the resolution they proposed to reform,
1anln Il.
"men to believe, but which it was not neces-
"sary for all Christian men to ASSERT After
an exciting debate the proposed amendment was
voted down, only four voting in its favor
The next day-W ednesday-the Annual Meeting
of the Tract Society was held in the Collegiate
Church. Lafayette Place; which, from the nature
OF the discussion that expected to ensue, was
thronged at an early hour. But the very efforts
which the malcontents had taken to procure
triumph, tended to bring about their signal defeat
The report of the Executive Committee, explana-
tory Of the causes that induced them to waive the
publication of Bishop MEADE's tract, was approved
by large majority of the members present; and,
While the fourth resolution was re-afirmed it was
tacitly left to the Judgment of the Executive Com
mittee to decide upon the propriety of publishing
such tracts, and the time at which they should be
issued. Stormy as the session was and partaking as
it did, during portion of the day, of all those
elements of combustion which have so frequently
displayed themselves of late in our conventions and
popular assemblies, the clamorous demonstration
was speedily suppressed and the business of the day
was appropriately closed with the usual bene-
diction.
Solar, then as respects the promptness with which
dangerous question has been met and disposed
OF, the TRACT SOCIETY has done we'll But the
manner of that disposal is not to be commended.
The responsibility being cast upon the Executive
Committee, the day of final action is indeed post
poned; but this indecisve course leaves to the ag-
tators loop-hole of which they will not fail to take
advantage. As the matter now stands, the TRACT
Society has deferred pronouncing Judgment upon
1t squarely and conclusively. The snake has been
Scotched not killed. Much better would it have
been for the Society to have reraced its steps, to
have said, boldly that for nearly forty years it had
been engaged in doing all the good that Law within
the compass OF its power; that its field of opera
tons was sufficiently extensive without enterino
upon the domain of slavery at all; that so long as
the publication of tracts upon that subject was pro-
hiolted, the colporeurs of the Society would meet
with hearty welcome in every State of the UNION,
and that, therefore, as the primary object of the
Society was to accomplish the greatest amount of
good, to concate all, and to offend none, its true
policy was to confne its publications to those SUBJ
Jects which, while they admit of general applica-
ton, neither pander to sectional prejudice nor con-
fict with local institutions.
DOMESTIC