The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-06-09
From The Milford tDell News and Advertiser
THE M. E. CHURCH AND. SLAVERY ON
THE EASTERN SHORE.

Some of the little newspapers on the Eastern
| Shore of neighboring State of Maryland
striving to serve their masters, the aristoc-
racy of Shareholders, with great zeal, a zeal en-
| tirely untempered with the least grain of wis
dom common sense. The shareholders con-
vention, got up for the purpose Of seeking a
| plausible excuse to rob the free colored people
Of their property, their liberty, and the pursuit
of happiness, is one of the most impolitic as
| well as wicked movements that ever originated
in civilized community. Russia is seeking
measures to bring about the Acknowledgement
| Of her seris, while Maryland is making efforts
to enslave her freemenl BY such work, she
| will bring upon herself the scorn and contempt
| of every civilized community on the EARTH and
make her name by-word and reproach
throughout the world; and cares she not for
these things? Truly, whom the gods would
destroy, they must first make mad"
The Methodist Episcopal church has existed
and hourished upon the eastern Shore now
for almost century, and at no time in her his
| tory has her testimony against Slavery been
| less feeble than it is to-day. Her doctrine has
always been, that it was great evil and por-
ton of that time she has refused to receive slave
holders into full membership, unless they would
! consent to manumit their slaves at a time
stated by committee appointed by the Quar-
terly Conference. Now she does not even go
this far, for fear of exciting the preiudices of
the people against her, but admits to member
ship all persons, without even asking whether
they are or are not Shareholders. Formerly,
when her discipline was more rigidly executed
there was no objec ion; now, when she is more
lenient in relation to this particular evil, the
Eastern Shore papers, for the sake of receiving
from the aristOcratic Shareholders a little more
butter on their bread, are attempting to excite
tba Of
against her. Shame! shame upon such tools
This, like many other silly things the public
press and especially the country press, is
guilty of, is the result of the low standard of
morals they erect for their government. They
seem to think that they must cater to public
opinion, or fail of a support and hence they
are always ready to head and lead any popu-
lar clamOr that can possibly be raised But
what honorable man had not rather fail ten
thousand times in trying to lead public opinion
in right direction, than to flourish in support
of error?
In this crusade against the church, there is
no attempt to argue the question of the good
or evil of Slavery, or to show that Methodsm
is anything different from what it always has
been among them but the simple and silly
cry of " AbOlitiOnism is raised, and the vulgar
rabble take it up, and away rushes the commu-
nity in state of excitement bordering on in
sanity, and i'll this frenzied condition they may
be led to such deeds as will give the death-blow
to what they desire to protect Agitation is
always benefit to truth and right, while error
and evil always lose ground in such contest.
If our Eastern Shore contemporaries really wish
to perpetuate Slavery, let them remember Kan
sas, and keep quiet. If they wish its abolition,
let them agitate; and such light will be brought
to shine into the minds of the non-slaveholding
portion of the COMMUNICATIONS a majority
Of the whltes-that they will ultimately rise up
In their might, and clean up the whole thing.
| See the effect of the Kansas agitation on the
| border State of Missouri, and learn wisdom
| therefrom.
| Some of the better class of papers on the
Eastern Shore do not engage in this matter
but, on the contrary, they make an effort to re-
strain the excitem ent which others are trying
| to kindle. They are wiser. and we suppose
there are sensible people enough there to APP
| preclate their work. The leaven however is
at work, and we believe it will not stop until
it leavens the whole lump of even as bad dough
as the Eastern Sho." SO may it be!
|
The FRENCH BoY.-A little French boy in
one of the Sabbath schools of Paris, was asked
| by his teacher If there was anything in the
Bible about Sabbath schools. After a moments
hesitation, the pupil replied that he would tell
him the next Sunday.
AT the appointed hour the lad appeared, and
from document IN hand clearly set forth three
distinct opositions-namely, that the first
Christian Sabbath school was held in the tenn
pie at Jerusalem; that Christ himself was the
first Sabbath school teacher, and that he had
for his pupils the Jewish doctors of the law, Of
whom he asked and answered questions, which
greatly astonished these teachers In Israel
! Independent.