Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-12-11

that all Official connection and fellowship betwseR
them ard the Conferences practising and tolers,ins
slaveholdihg, are at an end, until the evil complained
Of be put owaJ This day is an eta III the his.
tory Of this branch Of the Christian Church, and
is regarded as one Of noble deeds and hopes. The
discussions have been d~ignifed, grave, and truly
Christian, and the whole proceedings have done
the members Of the Convention unusual credit.
The cords which bound the North and South 10;
getbcr in this denomination, which had been frit.
tered away, until it scarcely existed, il, now formt
ally severed. And in oil the divisions that have
taken place in tho religious bodies Of this country,
we arc confident that no step OF this kind has ev.
er been taken and disposed Of with such calmuess
and unaninity as in this case. Forbearance had
been cherished until hope and patience had ex.
hausted themselves, and the body had come TO rat.
ify a deed which they and the people who ssns
them. felt was absolutely necessary. .AJIhih
w have witnessed the transactions Of various
bodies during our public life but in no instance
have we more deeply sympathised in the pfoeeedf
ings of a religious gathering than in this instance.
Aud we believe we give a true exposition Of near
y every one who witnessed the doings of this Con.
vcntion, as well as those who were the membere
OF it, when we say,-it performed this great act
of official severance from slavebolding, in such q,
spirit of unselfsh devotion to God and humanity,
as to improve the spirit of true religion among
them, and render their faith in efforts more 70,
tionally assuring than ever before. This 10 9.
great point gained.
The strength and moral power Of q religious
body, lie in their position, and fidelity to truth.
And as slavery is at present the nightmare Of the
Church in this land, shaping and controlling her
movements to such on extent as in many instances
to turn her into an engine of oppression instead Of
liberty, every successful effort to cast Of this In.
cubus, is an important step towards bringing her
into a position of power over the public hearl, that
is laying down the rails on which the car Of sal.
walton is to move in our land, startling and thrill.
ing to men and devils. Men may attempt to re-
press the Christian sentiment Of this land against
this cruel feature Of heathenism but like The
struggling volcanic surges, this sentiment muss
and will have vent. And the longer it is resisted
the more disastrous will be the result to oppossrs
when they are developed. We could cite facts in
abundance in confirmation Of this position, were
it necessary to do SO.
When the eliminating point was being reached,
al effort was made for IA delay of final action for
one year. And the intimation was thrown out,
that This whole movement, was gotten I'D and
carried on to the present crisis. by the ministry.
without having consulted the laity ; and the dele.
gates of this class we're appealed to for the truth,
of this ~assum And we never witnessed q
more signal vindication of the ministry from an
iniputation than the laym An gave on this occasion.
They spoke one language irum all parts, that the
people understood this whole matter-that they
were not only ripe for it aud expected it-but the
result of delay would distrs ct and destroy the
work in many parts. And one man said he had.
had the honor of converting several of the minis
try to the truth of the sentiments they then pro.
posed to EN- body in the form Of decisive final as-
ton, When this general testimony had been Civ.
en-, the vote was called for. This was a solemn,
moment! Silence reigned, and all breathed 10,
suppressed anxiety. 1t was moved tina. the vote
he taken by rising but this was changed to that
of The yeas and nays and the Secretary began
to call. and yea. yea, was responded by every one
called upon save two, who voted nay. But one of
those voted under instruction, in view of u further
submission of the subject to tho people. 1t was
then moved that an expression on the part Of all
present be given to this great measure, which
dissolved connection with slaveholding and those
who practiced it. and all arose as far as We could
see, but two, in favor. Two stood up in disap.
probation. The breathing was free-The congrat.
ulations were general-and the tears Of Joy we're
seen in many an eye-And the Convention ad.
burned, full Of emotion. se. -Hai
"On Sabbath the 18th inst, there was O love-
feast in the morning in the M. Protestant Con-
g~regation, and a large portion Of those who spoke.
adverted TO the action of the Convention, as q
measure Of relief to their own feelings. and Of hope
to the cause of Christ they represented" ,at1 yas
From the Wesleyan.
Since the last General Conference, the contro-
versy in the NJ. E. Church, in regard to Slavery,
has certered mainly upon one point, namely, is, or
is not Slavery 30 constitutionally protected in the
M. Z. Church, as to place it beyond the power Of
the General Confer ence to reach it by ordinary leg
~islation? An attempt was made in the last Gen.
eral Conference to enact a rule which would
exclude Shareholders from the Church. Ono prin
cipal objection to this was that slaveholding is con.
stitutional in the Church. and that il cannot be
disturbed by legislation, without first altering the
Constitution. Such change in the Constitution
cannot be effected only by a vote Of three.fourths
of the members of the several annual Conferences,
II " 'o|o u WV 'ni'us u sooherai Sohior.
ence. The measure was voted down, without q
test vote on the constitutional question. The CON-
sti.utional question being thus left unopen one, it
has become vital to both parties, and around it are
being strewed the broken shields and swords and
lances of the thickest of the fight. The importance
of the question cannot be over estimated. for upon
il must the next battle turn. If it be main,
tanned that slaveholding is protected in the Church
the anti slavery party must fail in the next Generi
al Conference. for the three-fourths. and twothirds
votes cannot be obtained. On the other hand, il
it be decided that slaveholding is not protected in
the Church. by the constitution, a rule can be en-.
acted by a simple majority under which slavehold..
ers can be excluded. 1t is strange that there
should be a difference of opinion on so important
a UNCONSTITUTIONAL question. but SO il is. DOCTORS will