Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-05-26
JUNIUs JR
The Congregational Association on the side
Of Freedom.

Of Freedom.
The Congregational Association which has
Just closed its session in Detroit, was well at
tended and harmonious and deci ded in it's de-
hberations The Advertiser records the graft.
flying fact that the Association has relieved it.
oelf of all responsibility for the course of the
American Tract Society on the slavery ques-
tion, and has cut loose from that corrupt pro-
slavery organization. 1t also has the gIati6ca-
ton of stating "that this Association have been
equally bold and emphatic in their condemna-
ton of the arbitrary, tyrannical and disgraceful
proceedings of the Federal authorities of Ohio
in relation to the men who have been arrested
10 that State for the great crime of giving a
cup of cold water to the hunted fugitive. 1t
will be seen that they not only denounce the
persecution Of the ''reseuers," bat express the
warmest sympathy for them, and recommend
to the Churches to take up contributions to.
wards paying the very heavy expenses to
which the prisoners have been subjected by the
attempts of the United States to crush them -
at must do the heart of every friend of free
dom good to witness the manly and humane
position taken by the members of this Associa-
ton. They have proved that they make no
mere empty profession Of Christianity for the
sake of keeping up their receipts, but that they
believe they have a higher and holIer mission
to perform than to collect money"
The preamble aud resolutions adopted by the
Association, referred to by the Advertiser, are
as follows They were discussed with much
earnestness and sympathy by members of the
Association from several of the States, aud the
resolutions were adopted unanimously, all pres
ent standing. Honor to the Congregational AS
sociatiOn
WHEREAS Certain citizens of Lorain county,
Ohio, some Of whom who are brethren in Christ,
have been arrested by the authorities of the
United States, simply for attempting to pro
tect the rights of an alleged fugitive from slave
ry, and prevent him from bciRg kidnapped and
unjustly sold into interminabe bondage; and,
WHgREAs, All of them have been indicted
and imprisoned, come of them put upon trial
and convicted aud sentenced to fine and im-
prisonment, and others are awaiting their trial;
therefore, ah
l. RssoiUed That we sympathize deeply with
| --- = -at t-~ss -. r.; undar tho npp~as w
action of the Fugitive Slave Law and deem IL
our privilege to remember them while in
bonds as bound with them,' commencing them
to the loving care Of Him who eighteen hun
dred years ago, endured grief, suffering
wrongluIly."
2. That we are ready to co operate in any
effort which may be initiated in Ohio for their
pecuniary relief
3 That we call the attention of all our
Christian brethren and fellow citizens through
out the nation TO the present case, as develop.
ing the utter ineitable antagOnism of slavery to
the dictates of humanity, and to the demands
of the law of equal, impartial love, and as de-
velopmg also the natural oppressiyen ss of the
slave power toward, not the bond only, but the
free; developments which show that a system of
slavery like our own is not fit TO be tolerated
any where among the common offspring Of our
one Father, aAd least of all in nation which
claims to be not only civilized but Christian