Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-12-18
Prom the True Wesleyan.
sLAvEH0LDING IN THE M. Z. CHURCH.

to''nb ehoWh UNIV tne language OF tne rult
does not protect Slavery, and that il admits Of n,
construction, or inference which can protec
slaveholding against any ordinary legislation fo
it's expulsion, IL is proper to show that the Church
has always acted upon the principle that she hal
the power to l~cgislato against slayeholding. Sh'
has exercised this right, time and again.
The rule was introduced 1889. and in l79t
rules we're enacted directly against slaveholdins
in the Church. This legislation was modified in
1900, and again In 1904. This legislation agains,
slaveholding in the Church, remained until 1908
when all that related to slaveholding among pri
vase members was replaced. Still it was unlawful
for official membere, which involves the right tC
legislate against 81 veholding in tho Church. This
year, 1908. the restrictive rule was introduced
which fortids the General Conference to revoke OF
altor the rule against buying and selling slaves
Still the Conference went on legislating in regard
to slaveholding in the Church. In 1919 the Gen
eral Conference modified the law by authorizing
each Annual Conference to form its own regola
tons In regard to buying and selling slaves. This
reference of the subject to the Annual Conferen'
ces, involved the claim of entire jurisdiction over
the whole matter. In 1916, the notion Of l796
was modified, and the law made positive, that no
stakeholder should be admitted to any official eta
ton in the Church, where laws of the State would
admit Of emancipation. In 1920, the action OF
1912, which referred the eubject to the Annual
Conferences, was repealed, by which, of course,
the General Conference took back to itself the ju-
risdiction which it had conferred on the Annual
Conferences. This action appears to amount to
a claim of jurisdiction over the subject Of slave
holding in the Church.
But the present section of the Discipline on the
subject Of Slavery, lie sufficient to sustain our ar.
gument. The question is asked, "What shal be
done for the ertirpation of the evil Of Slaverylf'
The 6rst answer to this declares. mo Shareholder
shall be eligible to any official station in ouI
Church hereafter, where the laws of the State il
which he lives will admit of emancipation"
The second answer says, when any travelling
preacher becomes the owner of a slave or slaves
by any means, be shall forfeit his ministrial char
acter in our Church, unless he execute, If it b.
practicable, a legal emancipation Of such slaves
No doubt can remain that the General Confer
ence claims Jurisdiction over the subject Of slave
holding in tho Church. 1t is here asserted by &C
tual legislation. The same legislative jurisdiction
which can render slaveholding unlawful in a min.
lister, can render it unlawful in private members.
So the constitutional bar in the way of legislating
against slaveholding by private members, if it OK
listed, would be an equal bar in the way of leg;s.
lating against slaveholding by ministers and off
cial members The jurisdiction to legislate against
slaveholding by ministers. if it exists, must be a
jurisdiction over the subject of slaveholding in the
Church. and not a Jurisdiction over ministers in con.
kro1 ;ok;pot;optfrn 1oy,an Hnnoa a q kba Gauarol
Conference has and does exercise jurisdiction over
slaveholding by ministers, it must have jurisdic.
tion over the subject Of slaveholding in the church,
and must have a right to pass o law against slave
holding by private members.
This whole argument will appear still more con.
elusive, if more can be, by reference to the Gen
eral Rule, which it is claimed renders slavehold
ing lawful. 1t forbids "the buying and selling o.
men women ind children with an intent to enslave
them," and the restrictive rule says. this shall
not be revoked or changed, only in a specific man
ner. This rule is general and makes no distinc'
dor Of classes, aad if it is, in any sense, a co.,
stitutional guarantee Of the right Of slayeholding
in the church, it is a general guarantee for all
Shareholders in the church, whether they be min
listers or laymen, men or women. 1t cannot be q
IiONOStAOh w OAu Wy 10Y
men, and not be such protection for slavehold
ing by ministers. 1t would be no more absurd to
contend that the rule shields slaveholding by the
ministry, and does not shield slaveholdiDg by
laymen, than it is to suppose it protects laymen
and does not protect ministers. No reason can be
rendered why the rule does not protect ministers
in slaveholding, which will not be an equally good
reason for believing that it does not protect lay
men. IT is therefore clear that as the General
Conference has always claimed the right, and ex'
ercised it too, of controlling slaveholding in the
ministry and oficiary. it must follow that the Con.
ference may exercise the came legislative control
of slsvcaelding by the membership Of the Church,
1t Gully remains to show how the thing may bt
done. without any infraction of the General OIL
Restrictive Rules.
There is in the discipline a section on the sub
ject Of Slavery which has been put there indepsn
IDENTIFY of the General and Restrictive Rules, AM
which Gao be amended without reference to thos,
rules a
|Quest What shall be done for the extripatiol
Of the evil of Slavery? And. We declare that W.
arc as much as ever convinced of the great evil o
Slavery therefore no stakeholder should be eligi
BILE to any official station in our Church hereafter.
Strike cut Of this the words, eligible to any OF
6cial station in," and insert ADMITTED into."-
Then strike off the remainder of tho answer.
az. When any travelling preacher becomes III
owner Of a slave or slaves, by any means, ho shall
forfeit his ministerial character in our Church I'm
less he execute, if it be practicable, a legal eman
oipation of such slaves" Strike out '~travelin,
preacher" and insert, "any member of on
Church" Als, strike out the words, shall for
feis his ministerial character in" and insert, "shal
be expelled FROM"
This done, and the whole work Of legislation viii
be done. and the General Rule. and the Restrictiv
Rule, will read just as they do now, and neithe
will be infracted.
In view Of the conclusiveness of our argumen
10 our own mind, we are Of opinion that men resor