Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-03-12

MARYLAND ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE METH
oDIST Protestant CHURCH-GeOrgetorn ID. c.
Rec. W Ro5'y. President; and Rsr J. T. Murray.
!S,.TSfaTy.-When our report closed Yesterday, the
Conference was engaged in 4 debate growing out
OF the remark made by Rev. Henry Slicer. in the
last Baltimore Conference, published in the Bal
tnOre sun, in which Rev. Mr. :. is reported to
have stated To the effect that the Methodist PrOtes-
t4nt Church was Il failure, and that its ministers
We're in the field for hire.
Rev Mr. Bates said that he had read with sur
prise and deep pain the announcement which had
been published and sent forth to the world. He
(the speaker was born in the z uaker church,
PROPERLY speaking; he had been baptiSed in the
Methodist Episcopal Church. which church / G
loved and ever should. He held the highest re-
gard for every Christian church. but he had been
UNNECESSARILY panied to read this statement while
sitting in Conference composed Of nearly one
hundred ministers and an equally large number of
d-leIltes Of the Methodist Protestant Church. The
speaker could wish the author of that speech to
know that he was not for hire. aud he wished he
could believe that the Rev. Henry Slicer did not
know better; aud had that gentleman been well
acquainted with our ecclesiastical cOnd ition he
was with political trickery, he would Certainly
II have known better
Rev f.. Y Reese followed on the same subject
SWING: Mr.. President AIIusiOn has been made
u the remarks Of the Rev. Henry Slicer AT the
East Balti .HGrr Conference of the NJ T.. Church
| read them with surprise and mort fcatiun; was
suTpTlsu, SIR, iuat IL MAS thOu9 ht at all necessary
~ Rev. Mr.. Slicer To Introduce i sister denomi-
nation before his conference for the PURPOSE of
making diSparI9ing remarks concerning il; and
mortified that IN the effort at dispar;ig ement.
there evident disregard Of what we all
know to he the facts in the case. ] have known
Mir. Slicer for years l never heard him suspected
of remarkable ability JdScriminatt in matters of
courtesy; but did suppose he understood the i'm
port of the ninth commandment. In the early
history OI reform, il is Sad he was once asked
why hp no longer visited at stopping place
l.pA =.
talitV. In his peculiar swelling manner he re-
Piled. Il would not let INV horse eat al radical
trough" But had hoped time had cooled the
arlOr Of his denOmnacal controversial zeal;
that his opposition To lay representation itself did
10 longer include the honest advocates of It, In
tins opinion | was mistaken. Whoever Offends
aHainSt governmental MethOdiSn let him be- an
athena is evidently still an emphatic portion of
the gentlemans creed. Rev. Mr.. Slicer tells the
Fast Baltimore Conference that Methodist Prot..s-
tlntism is failure W hat his standard of success
NAV be. ] cannot tell. By that standard, il NAV
d. that everything in the shape of religious effort
i Il ffiiErs. unless il goes out before the world
boring tine insignia of Methodist EpiscOpacy
TO >Iy anything is failure, is by no mems
difficult Ura.Orcal achievement, aud with men of
Rev Hcnry Steers temperament and known
habits of pO.npous bluSter. kXonrledge concerning
the thing affirmed is by no means an important
consideration in the premises MIR. Slicer's simple
opinion Is sufficient for Mr.. Slicer. without the
trouble Of j tedious examination after truth He
i one oil those who bOastfully tell us they say
what they think. Their thinkings are generally
about far from the truth their assertions are
from logical relation. The old cry of failure" is
wearing out. 1t IS too late to oppose Iay-repre-
s.ntatlOn with that cry any longer. Facts are
stubborn things. and over more than thirty annual
conferences are more than thirty stubborn facts
That Methodist Professionalism is a success; not
failure. ThiSannual conference here. in the very
cradle Of MethOdiSm. with its trustees and Law
members representing nearly fifty circuits and
stations in or immediately contiguous to Mary
land, with the exception Of one at Charleston, :
q \ mis- annual Conference il n Stul.bnrn
which Mr.. Steers bluster can never set aside
Beside sir. what is all this ado about lv- pr vleges
in the old church to-day. but evidence of our
Success! Why Is the sab ect Of Misrepresentation
brought into the old line conferences at all! Why!
1T. the answer is plain, that lac who runs may
Trad- Our principles are successfully budding
there despite the effort TO crush and keep them
under. Our success is read in every article OH
iIs representation which appears in any ..Advo-
cafe from Maine to California. From the far of
Or'-SOn comes up the cry OF men who ask for
frsSiuIn from an iron ecclesiastical rule. Thsfr cry
j. but the echo of our OlrH success.
Bat. Mr.. President. success NAV be matter of
opinion and IL NAV be that Mr.. Slicer Is of opin-
lou that Methodist Professionalism is 4 failure Had
Lr said nothing beyond this. no reference TO his
speech would have been made here. But lac states
pUsltI Seiy. fact. that which is nOtOriously I'M
tr,rSO far as the ministerial members of this BODY
cOEc-rned. And il is difficult for me to under
stand hOw lac can help knowing 1t to be untrue.
lie saws that Won not itiHsraHt predrhsrs but
that with rs 4 body. - itinerancy had degen-
cTajrd into Il local system" Is there any ground
wiItr-rF. sir. SO far rs this Maryland Conference
l. "OnrerEgd. for this assertion! Is there single
man mere entered tinerant who is not 80 EN-
IlaiiCaily and truly. with the exception. perhaps
Of one Or two hOnOred brethren engaged i'm col
le5jate enterprises Was not our most val.
Hable congregations in the city of Baltimore sun
drred from Us because our Itincrahcy was inexibly
Insisted upon am aStOnshed at the rec klessneSs
al this declaration; and IL il is untrue. without
feeling obliged To account for Mr.. Steers ignor-
anIe- ! simply pronounce it untrue. thoroughly
and entirely. in its application to this body2un-
true. and am glad that il is untrue.
But Mr.. Slicer saws preachers are waiting
in the market for hire What does he mean?
The Implication is that You can all be easily
BOUGHT from your love of Methodist Professionalism
aud that You where You are simply because
You hay" not be1I able 10 get employment else
where. Sir. this Is pitiful act in the presiding
elder lie ought To be ashamed of it, In its ut
t-rance lac has sandered men. ! am sure. who are
Lis s1p~rors IN every thing except Il certain over
hearing buster of manner which he mistakes for
dignity. and Sn which he probably prides himself
not little Every one Ia his taste and
shall not dispute with him about that. But a
Conference. where our history Is known. where
Lnany Of you are personally known. that this pre-
siding elder should have been thus permitted thus
Ia outrage all propriety and truth without rebuke
i i sad lesson upon the restraint which authority
imposes upon good mems better nature.
Rev w G l-iIsieOIne followed, speaking with
great earnestneSS upon the subject.
Rev Josiah Warden succeeded. in 4 pithy speech
announcing tine action OF Mr.. SIiccr before the
Last Baltimore Conference. and anilnadvertrd
VI
D.. Church and the VI i. Church. aud the various
causes which led To the birth of the latter Church
MIR. SII,rr ought to be ashamed OF such remarks
aHd he doubted not but Inany Of the members of
the Church Were ashamed Of it. The VI. Z. Church
lad S2-0COU worth Of church property. and vet the
gentleman says the NJ. Z. Church is going to moth
iHg lie talks about our being for hire the speaker
would Ike to see Mr. Sliccr come over and try To
Duy SOM. Of Us. Rev Mr.. Slicer had somehow
acquired the mamie OF the old war-hOrse; vet he
went about kicking very much after the fashion of
something else The speaker regretted deeply that
the gentleman who was the subject of his reInark Ks
should have bern permitted 10 20 on by the Con-
ference; bat il would seem that he had been So
PERMIT, d. and the Fast Baltimore Conference had
tlciuy. by their silence, Endorsed his action The
SPEAKER alluded in terms Of deep feeling. To the
time when himself and Rev. Brother I.ipscoine
and others had been of those in that Conference :
OF the deep and abiding love which now dwclt in
their hearts towards their Christian brethren Of
that branch Of the Church
Rev. David Wilson stated tl,at lie had no doubt
many members OF the East Baltimore Conference
had heard with surprise and regret the remarks Of
Mr. Slicrr. aud may be with a. much tlis0uSt AZ
any Lere had heard them read. The speaker stated
thlt he could scarcely believe that Mr. Slicer had
i,,-u correctly rrDOrted in the DaDers The hr.th