St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1859-01-06
That Imprisoned Colored
@ Exhorter.>s @
To tile Edit0gsofthe ". r. Tribune.

DIN InsNyOuI Issue OI Lne SCn lnSC. IA
Methodist refers to the case of the Rev.
Samuel Green, colored exhorter Of the
Methodist Episcopal Church in good stand
ing, and now lying in the Maryland State
Prison under ten years sentence, for hav-
ing in his possession copy of Uncle TOMS
Cabin. The facts alleged are beyond
question. Mr.. Green is in prison as rep
= scented, with nine long years Of contine-,
1nent yet before him, and for no other
crime than the one above-named.
But "a Methodist" who evidently
sympathises with lis brother in bonds land
designed to write correctly, is mistaken in
one or two points. ..... ..s 49,. 81
l. The only attention paid to the mat
ter by the Philadelp hia Conference wasal-
most to hiss the Rev j. III. McCarter for
even naming it. No committee was APP
pointed to consider it; no petition to Gov.
Hicks circulated; no resolution of sympa-
thy with the martyr was even offered
This Conference of 200 Methodist minis
tiers scorned to. give 50 triaing a matter a
| moments consideration, and blew it aside
as they would have done some vagarv of 4,
| 'smedium" i.. II .',t'.. S.,
g 1t is hardly correct, however, that
nothing has been done by the Methodist
public. A respectful petition was got up
embracing about 200 Methodist ministers,
entreating Gov Hicks to interpose his
Executive clemency and release Mr. Green
from confinement. twas 81 gned by some
ll3 ministers, I think, and forwarded by
myself to Gov. Hicks, with respectful
private letter, neither Of which the Cover
nor has condescended to notice. s-.
! 8. AS to "our Bishops and Chief Min
listers" whom"A Methodist seems to
blame, it is true that the Black River
Conference voted to have the petition for
MIR. Green's liberation presented to the
Bishops present for their signatures and
when so presented they refused to sign it.
But they had what seemed to them valid
excuse. They acere not satisfied as to the
tucts alleged. They both declared that
rhcn satisfied that Mr.. Green was so i'm
prisoned, and for such cause, they would
sign the petition. 1t is true, also that the
Rev. j. y. Long and the Rev. J. S. Lame,
both Of the Philadelphia Conference, and
recently from Maryland, we're both at the
Black River Conference, and ready to
make affidavit, if necessary. to the alleged
fact; but It is nowhere laid down III the
discipline, among the duties ola Bishop,
that he should be prying into such "polit-
zeal" matters. They had their doubts ;
and hence, declining to sign the petition,
one took the cars for the East and the 9th
for the West Of course the Conference
could not wait six months for them to be-
become satisfied Of what might have been
settled, had they desired it i, two minutes;
and SO the petition was sent on without
their signatures.
For myself, l regarded it as most pitt
full dodge, and was mortified and ashamed
Of such an utter want Of concern for a
brother in prison, by Methodist Bishops,
merely, as it seemed to me, because he
had black skin. But leave them with
God, the righteous Judge, who, in the
last day may say, Sick and IN PRISON ye
visited nue. not, !" an | .'inasmuch as ye did
it not to one Of the least Of these my
brethren even to poor colored brother
in his dungeon -.'yc did it not unto me"
II. MATrIsoN.