The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-05-20
kcITIEG MEETING OF THE AMERICAN
TRACT SOCIETY.
Defeat Of the Northern Fanatics.

Defeat of the Northern Fanatics.
The New York papers are filed with &C
ints OF the proceedings of the annual meet
: OF the American Tract Society, which met
, that city on Wednesday, in the Reformed
! tch Chafch, Lafayette Place. About two
| usand persons, from various sections of the
ion, were admitted by ticket, showing the
at interest taken in the question at Issue
ether or not the executive committee were
tilted in suppressing or suspending the pub
,tion of the tract The Duties of Masters"
u ged to have been offensive to the people of
T. South, especially Shareholders. The publ
jon OF this tract was commenced under a
y ,ution adopted at the last annual meeting.
I Ting to the discussion Of the moral aspect of
! Tery. Soon after the opening of the meet.
= over which Chief Justice Williams, of
, n, presided-Rev. DR.. Adams made q ie-
y |, justifying the executive committee.
he Rev. Dr.. Magee made few remarks.
l truths were plain to the committee, and
I considerations had governed them. Had
u published the tract to which reference had
. q made, they would have dismembered the
, ETY.. That was one conclusion ct which
u had arrived, and the evidence upon which
il - based was not and could not be so well
d <eciated by those who had not their oppor.
~ " of judging it. They did fully believe it.
a thes was. that large majority of the
n IDS OF the Society were not prepared to
3 1T course which should thus result. A
ft ,er and equally plain consideration was,
6 asters, which would have but small circu-
Is n in the South among those to whom it
" addressed, and which in the North was
o. seeded They had decided not to mix the
a ,rican Tract Society with the great ex-
CT question. This was their simple decision.
le. matter was now before them, and in
" ang it he hoped they had sought the grace
o }od, and would act under his guidance
@. 1t interests were at stake. Should they
&C & course which would separate them
fc fifteen States and ten millions of people
. { I'D where their labors were most called for
81 were the views of the committee. Hiss
esl ID applause.
,e President hoped there would be NO dem.
On cations of approval or dissent as this was
nc political meeting.
). shop McIllvaine moved that the action of
b+ committee be sustained, and made long
81 rh.
fof. Crosby read from q tract, entitled
rs mbo and Tony" in which slaves are coun-
SCI d not to 60 from plantation to plantation,
At to obey their masters, and asked if the So
ct1 published it.
nid much confusion, and cries of orderl"
D William Adams said the tract was pub
liz d twenty years ago.
6. Tying attempted to get the floor, amid
CT of "order "Dr. Tying" "Let 'em an.
sV 1.-The question 1" &c.
rder being restored, DR.. Tying spoke in f.
VIC IF the resolution of the Society which ad-
m ID the discussion of the moral aspects of
81 cry to be legitimate subject for the So.
cit to discuss, and moved to lay Bishop
M tvsine's motion on the table, in order that
q solution reafirming that position be af
FIR ID. o.
i, Tyng's motion was voted upon uiua uoce,
an he Chairman said it was lost A division
We ;alled for, and the affirmative was counted; ;
bu then the negative arose, it so largely pre-.
pc fsrated that count was deemed unneces.
,ch excitement prevailed. Some called
70, count others declared that the motion
wa ;ost, ten to one and the members of the
Co aittee displayed many symptoms of delight.
ere was long delay and great confusion.
A srtial count was made; bat order was
fin y 80 far restored that Judge Jessup at
tet Ted to move an amendment to Bishop
NJ Svanie's motion, but was interrupted by
loe calls for the previous question in all parts
Of; - house, and another scene of tumult fol
lox J. Several of the majority declared that
it :, not fair to choke off discussion.
.lge Jessup read his amendment, reafirm.
ing he resolution of last year, which was de-
ella to be unanimous.
! Bethune protested that it was not unani-
mo He was requested to say for DR.. Spring
ths pc did not vote for 1t, and he (Bethune)
did ot.
] ctor Thompson. Did either of you vote
ag. st it7
] hume. No. Laughter
! ompson. Then there was no vote against
it,t it was unanimous.
Bsthune said that. at the meeting last
yes he was asked by DR.. Thompson to second
the solution, but refused to do it. He thought
tina anything coming from the chief editor of
the Independent was to be regarded with sus-
pic ), and not likely to meet his approval.
lghrer, Kisses, cries of Order | and gen.
era ,onfusion followed. Judge Jessup at last
got be floor, and said it was vain for gentle
me to say that the action of the society last
yea. was not unanimous. The fact that one,
two, " Fifty, might not have concurred, did not
chs g the fact that there was no dissenting
voie and that the resolution meant but as the
una nous sentiment of this society. he went
on argue the reasonableness of that resolu.
tiop. md deprecated the idea of receding from
it, /, measure which would open the food
gat of agitation, and disturb again the peace
oft society.
Bethune got the floor at the close of
Jud ,Jessup's remarks. A scene Of confusion
foil ed, and there were, for several minutes,
mir ed cries of "Bethune," I" Question" and
sr."
=. DIR. Bacon then got the floor, and made
q W n Anti Slavery speech, and was followed
byt Rev. DR.. Bethune, on the opposite side,
in ,owerful and affecting speech. He de-
pref ed the idea of no fellowship with slave
hole 8; for that was accommodating them
froI he Church of God, and thus the unhappy
Sou we're prevented from having the gospel.
He ,ught the devil never instituted q scheme
so ,ly malignant as this to prevent the
sprt of the gospel. The worst cannibals in
Afr the natives of Congo, all would have
the spel preached to them, but the extreme
mer If the North would first deny them the
gosl and then deny them the tract What,
thet vas to become of these millionsf Were
theI be permitted to 90 down to hell, be.
causs these extreme people willed it God
forbi
R Mr.. Thompson (edtor Of independently
offer. an amendment accepting the state
men, of the publishing committee, but order
ing ! ract to be published on the duties of
mast 8. After DR.. Thompson's speech, the
soci agreed to take vote ct three p. NJ.
Five mute speeches occupied the hour from
twoj three.
Pf Howard Crosby offered resolution
that 30 tract bearing on the Slavery question
be dished, and that the tract called Sambo
and by be suppressed"
Re DR.. Johns, of Baltimore, then spoke
five o autes, saying that be should return home,
assuf> his friends that the hearts of the mem.
bers the society at the North beat in unison
- IL Qouxk IL "A Al NJ. II