Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1858-05-25
NFrEonIsr coNFERENCE Avn sLAVERY

METHODIST CONFERENCE AND SLAVERY
We copy from the Nashville Daily Christia
Advocate, Of the 2O.h inst, the action Of tn
r General Conference, on Wednesday, on III
!. General Rule Of the Book of Discipline o.
Slavery, and also append the remarks Of BishO
4 Pierce.
The order Of the day now came up !; the re
port OF the committee appointed yesterday L
digest and arrange the chief merits Of the sew
Z eral propositions that had been submitted {.
d the Conference touching the General Rule OF
r Slavery.
7. o. Summers, chairman Of thateOmmittee
read Tie report, as follows;
e REPORT 81 the Committee on exBunEing the Genera
snsbr arhdding fhs buying and selling Of men, woe
aHaren. with an iutsution to enslave them.
committee appointed to report pream-
r,., resolutions In regard to the expunctioI
,,i-''...f rule in the General Rules forbiddinE
-, 1buying and selling Of men, women ant
'.-len, with an intention to enslave them
- ave to report the following as the result
tne h0oir deliberations:
. me 'eSi EEEAs The rule in the General Rules ol
Blron R'ethodist Episcopal Chueh, South, forbid
Committee the buying and selling OF men, women
SIR Henrhiidren, with an intention to enslave
taniinople' is ambiguous in its phraseology, and
The Hon 70 be construed as antag0nistic to the
aHI OF krfFAlu VI eAAHGAlf Al " nIANA sAl
The CaluiA has no right to NEEDLE, except In en-
FRAxuEg the duties OF masters and servants, as
in the sFth in the Holy Scriptures; and whereas,
The Psr,ng desire for the expunction of said rule
avs. zen expressed in nearly all parts OF our
sr,,v iastiesl connection therefore,
- bleed, By the delegates Of the Annual
rences OF the Methodist Episcopal
Church, South, in the General Conferences as
senbled, that the rule forbidding " the buying
and selling Of men, women and children, with
an intention to enslave them" be expunged
from the General Rules Of the Methodist Epis-
cOpai Church, South.
ResOlued, That in adopting the foregoiDgres-
olution this Conference expresses no opinion in
! regard to the African slave trade, to which the
rule in question has been understood " to
rsfer.s
Rssolpsd, That the Bishops, or others pre-
siding in the Annual Conferences, be and are
hereby instructed to lay the foregoing resolu-
tions before each Of the Annual Conferences at
their next ensuing sessions, for their concur
rent action.
Resolrsd, That the President Of each Annual
Conference shall be required, as soon as DOssi-
bic after the adjournment of the Conference,
to report to the Book Editor the vote on the
/ resolution to eXpunge the rule in question and
when the Book Editor shall have received re-
| turns from the Annual Conferences voting on
the said resolution, he shall lay the informa-
tion before one Of the Bishops; and if it shall
/ be found that there is a concurrence of three
I f0urths Of all the members Of the Annual Con-
feTences present, and voting on the resolution
in favor Of the expuHeing Of the rule, the
! Bishop shall direct the Book Editor to expunge
/ it accordingly.
/ ResOlued, That II any Annual Conference or
! Conferences refuse or neglect to vote on the
/ aforesaid resolution, the members Of such Con-
ference or Conferences shall not be counted for
or against the exPunging Of the rule.
RsSOlped, That the publication of the fore.
going preamble and resolutions in the Church
papers, shall be considered sufficient notif-
cation Of the action Of this Conference in the
! premises.
Rssolpsd, That the Bishops are respectfully
requested 70 set forth in the Pastoral Address
the platform occupied by the Methodist Epis-
copsl Church, South, on the relation Of mas
ters and servants, sgreeably to the principles
contained in the foregoing preamble and reso-
lutions.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
THOS. 0. SUMMERS, Chairman.
NASHVILLE, Nay IS, 1855.
The list of delegates being read, the vote was
as follows:
.Ayes.-Alexander, Robert; Anderson, J;
Anderson, W II; Atkins, ] Baldwin, D;
Barringer W; Bennett, W W; Belts, c;
Blackwell, NJ Blue, o R; Boring Bos-
well, 7 I Boyd, RI; Boyle, Bradford,
Wm; Branham, W r; Brooks, J H Brush,
W Bgrks, n W; Campbell, L Caples, W G;
Carlile S Carter, G W; Gloss, Wm Dandy,
W c; Davis, J.; Davis, 10 H Deems, C F;
Dimes, 7; DOggett, S (; Dorman. W Doub,
Peter; Drake, B N Edwards, J E +; Erwin, A
r; Evans, E Fields, "; Ferguson, F G
Field, S; Fisk, R; Gameweli, W A Gardner,
I n; Gillespie, &C; Glenn, W Green, A L
P; Hamilton, j; Hammer, J W; Harp, K J;
HarreII, J f; Harris, G W D; Hefin, R 7 /; Hen
kle, NJ NJ Hicks, " Hughes. J F Hunter,
A Huston, L D; Hutchinson, J Ivsy, A
Jones, Gj Jones, G johnson, W C; Kelly,
J W; Kelley, S; Kennon, r W Knox, W
Roger, tt; Langhorne, G W; Lee, L NJ
Leeper, D A Lewis, W D; Lively, L P Lusk,
J; Maddia, T Mann, A I; Marshall, K
Marvin, E NJ McAlister, W NJ McAnally,
R; MsFerTin, J B; McMahdn, William
MeSEain, W A Nc Iyeire, H =; Miehaels, R.
Mills, J Mitchell, A h Monroe, a ;;
Montgomery, H H; MOores, W Morris, +
A; Munssy, F; Myers, H Neely, P P;
Nicholson, d B Oliver, C D; Owen, a
Parks, w. J; Payne, B Pesrce, G. J
Pesrce, Levitt Peery, 7; Phillips, W;
Pierce, Lovick Pitts, F E Randle, 7 W; Rat
cliffe, W p; Reid, n F; Richardson, S P;
Riggs, A S Robson, W Robinson, E I; Rosser,
L Rowzie, W B; Seat, w H; SEWER, F;
ShefTsr, G; Shipp, A NJ; Slater, E C; Smith,
P P; Smith, W A; Stacy, ]; Stanford T;
ottFcus II N ClcftlsDHs = sullivan,
Summers, I @; Tallsy, n; Taylor, NJ
Thweatt, H c; Tgllis, J b; Vaught, S K;
Wsdsworth, E !; Walker, H A C; WbipBle,
"; Virgins, ID NJ Wightman, W NJ Wiley,
E; Williams, S a Wilson, n H d; Win
field, A R; Yell, NJ.
Noes-Ashby, 7 T; Bruce, G Harrison,
Z; Lee, \ n Linn, h Bedford, A II {;
ScaTritt, n Watts, H n.
-4bsent.-Anthony, Sam; Sssnett, W J;
Watson, S.
Aggregate: Ayes, 40 noes, s; sbsentees, 3.
BISHOP PIERcE-Mr. President, desire 70
make remark calculated, perhaps to allay the
feeling Of the body in relation to the action Just
had. The design Of the Alabama Conference
| in originating that resolution, and Of the An
nusl Conferences which have supported it, is
| misappTehended BY some. The whole philOso-
/ pay of the proceeding seems 10 be founded on
| the fact that it is not the province of the
/ Church to decide any question with reference
i to African slavery. The South Church main
tsins that slavery is not a subject of ecclesias-
teal legislation. The single object was, that
while we diselaimed the right Of legislation
upon that subject, we wished to make the Dis
eipline conform to that profession. The Con-
/ ference, BY its action this morning, has not
parted with its authority, or the authority Of
the Church, over its members, IN any respect.
| Every member Of the Church claims to be a
loyal citizen. We declare here that African
slavery is purely civil institution; and there
is no reason for alarm about losing Church con-
troll. II We turn to the 23i Article Of Religion,
we shall find there that the Church retains its
I proper authority over its members with refer
enee to this subject. We therefore, by this act,
simply maintain our original position-that Of
having nothing to do with the subject Of slave
/ ~ more than any other civil matter over which
the laws of the country are extended. | beg
the brethren, therefore, to be easy. There is
nothing here to warrant any construction look
| ing toward repeal of the laws Of the United
States 10 regard to the African slave trade.
There is 10 occasion for sensitiveness, nor for
any legislation on the subject anywhere else.
No harm has been done to anybody to-day.
We have only set ourselves right on a vexed
question, and we may safely defy ali the efforts
Of our enemies, North and South, to damage the
Church for taking clear position on this sub
ject