Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-07-02
THE AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY.

The following from The Congregational Herald,
Chicago, will bear to be readagain and again:
The high-handed proceedings of the majority
who attended the late annual meeting Of this Soci.
ETY. arc receiving very general condemnation from
the religious and secular press of the free States,
always excepting The New York Observer and The
Christian hteuigencer. which. glory in their
shame defend the Society, and arrogantly threat
en- the minority with even worse treatment in the
future! 1t appears to many of Gods people, as
though he had sent upon the officers and managers
of the Society strong delusions,' for they are for
tifying themselves in their falee position, and even
venturing on new and worse ground. Their lead
ing advocates boldly deuied the right Of the mem
bers to do aught but elect officers: The President
made decisions on points Of order contrary to all
precedent. The speakers in behalf of the MAORI
ty were heard at full length, while others we're
clamored down, or their voices drowned in shouts
and Misses. Those who defended the Society we're
mean enough to close their speeches with motions
to cut off debate, which were Immediately passed
by the INSCRIPTIONS majority, who had all winter
com plained of the proxy bill' that it would rem
der discussion useless! They refused several
times to express a desire that the Society should
issue tracts against the African slave trade, al
though aware of the concerted effort at the South
to secure its revival. Finally, to save appearances
as they thought. they passed DR.. Springs resolu-
ton, affirming the sin and wickedness of the slave
trade, thus leaving tie Society in the a.titut ue of
one Of John Bunyan's characters, Mr.. Facing
both-ways-refusing, asa Tract Society, to publish
against q traffic which they prom unee at the same
time to be q sin against God! They were plainly
at a loss what to Dc, for their ship had struck upon
u place where two seas meet, and some Of the
shrewd ones saw that if the society should affirm
the sin of the African slave trade in the name OF
all evangelical Christians, it would be difficult: to
show reason for not condemning the ain of buying
and holding their slaves. and their posterity, after
they were brought to this country. Their objec.
tions, however. were Overruled. to avoid a breach
in their own ranks for on . moments reflection,
DR.. Spring and others who had some remaining
conscience, felt that they could not sustain the nc,
of voting down oil the propositions looking to pub
LEGATION against the slave trade, at a time wher
the trade was in danger of being re-opened. Sc
the Society, having slul,ifsd itself sufficiently. ad
journed.
snow, we hold that these proceedings on til,
part of the Society asserts peculiar claim,
to represent evangelical religion, which should be
met with the most prompt and decided oondemna
ton from those evangelical churches which do no
recognize such men or such a policy as represent
ing their principles, or those Of genuine Christian
ity. We hold that by the action of the last tw,
annual meetings. the American Tract Society q
New York has failed to maintain itself at the leye
of common morality, and has sunk into the mir
Of practical Authoritarian, divorcing doctrin
from duty, making piety antagonistic to philan
thropy. and '~omiting' the w~eighuer matters o
the law. II has therefore ceased to be the repre-
sentative Of evangelical religion, and its imprint j
no longer reliable as q guarantee Of sound doctriu
and irreproachpble morals. 1t is time for tb
} churches which believe in pure and undefled re
ligion' to affirm such an opinion of the Society
+ and to act consistently with il. We already hea
3 Of tract distributors who will no longer carry tn
tracts of that Society. aud of families encounters
by their visitors. who will not receive tracts wi,
tina. imprint. This feeling will deepen and spres