New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-04-17
PUBLIC MEETINGS.
NEw-y0RK CONFERENCE OF THE NJ. E.
CHURCH.
FIFTH DAYS SESSION.

NEWYORK CONFERENCE OF THE nj. f.
CHURCH.
FIFTH DAYS SESSION.
The Conference reopened yesterday at the usual
hour. The church was crowded with an iniereaed
audience, who waited patiently hour after hour, whhe
the routine Of examination into the character and ser
vices of the preachers and presiding elders was con-
tnued. Expectation Of renewal OF the slavery
debate evidently was the cause which hled 20 COM
pletely the gslleries and extra pews
TIE Rev. BrsJAMIs GRIrFIs, agent of the n. E.
Tract Society, made detailed report of to work
eff, cted, through his agency, during To past nine
months. In this city there have te1en distributed
99e 743 naoes of tracts in the EnSsh language and
1854 10 Germans in the countrE, 25i, O42 in English
and o.,.i60 in German Mr.. Griffin explained the
method followed by the Trsct distributors, and urged
mon TIE various preachers the necessity OF paying
more attention to the turthersnce OF tne cause;
Cyrus KsAPPER--a negro, formerly Flrgnlan
,lave-vss introduced TO the Conference, and made
the following statement: lie had labored az extra
work be said until, after many years, he saved Slooo
and bought bis own freedoms he then went over 70
Ohio leaving wife and Two sons IN slavery osu nS.
TO purchase his family Before he had enough 70 buy
his wife, che was sold 20 Southern traders and was
now out of HE reach. He managed 10 obtain sSOO ana
had purchased his youngest con. 500 were neees-
gary to secure the freedom Of the eldest. or this,
$500 had already been contributed by charitable per-
sons, including $l6l received from the late newark
| Conference. He needed slOO, which would COM
plete the purchase money, ana l6aN6
travelling expenses to Washington, the emancipation
fee and the journey to his Ohio home. collection
| was Immediately taken up and sos 80 were con-
! tributed by the brethren and audience present. Ims
| amount was handed over 10 knapper, who sgnlhed
his in enon of starting by the fret train for Washing
ton where be exps ted to meet the owner Of his con.
The order Of the day. being the renewal Of the Sav-
| cry discussion, was then taken up.
The Rev. Mr.. WAKELY, who was 10 possession OF
the floor at the close Of Saturdays session. proceeded
with his speech He said that since the Conference
had been discussing this subject sabbath had inter
yened. Yesterday, while conducting Divine service,
he remembered what Lamartine had said OF WILDER
force, that he went up 70 the Throne OF Grace win
"a million human letters in HE hands, But the ques-
ton was in relation TO the rule Of the Methodist Con-
ference and has consequently narrowed down. The
Brethren were divided into two CLASSES, Young
America" and Old Fogies;" those who occupied the
, middle place were about right. 1t would NOT 90 70
pull down without having something TO substitute Va
Saturday he had defined his position, viz That he did
not believe it necessary to expe AL Shareholders from
the Church; that he was opposed TO Ferriss
resolution because il pretended to be conservative ana
was vet very radical. His Brothers voice was like
the voice of Jacob but his hands were the hands OF
Essu He preferred volcano 10 snbterranean fires
anoPen enemy to one lying IN amD1sh DeSaes, T no
substitute wss inconsistent with itte; tprofessed 10
ceprecate agitation, and yet proposed q new rule.
The Rev. Wn. H. FERRIS rose TO say that his suosti-
| tute did not mention the word rule.
The Rev. Mr. WAKELY read the substitute, and said
| the word " measure was equivalent to " rule
The Rev. Mr. WARD urged Bro. Ferris TO state ex-
p1cItly that the SUBSTITUTE was nOl nten1eu as move
for new rule, and said that such an acknowledgment
would do away with the need for discussion.
The Rev. Mr. FERRIS evsded direct answer
Mr.. WAKELY resumed. il appeared 70 him that this
resolution the Erie resolution III disguise. Fur
thermore, it very indefinite and liable TO be mis-
understood. 1t had already been vsrously interpreted
that Conference floor 1t also did injustice to the
church discipline, and to the venerable men who
framed their code. If the present rule was indefinite
| the substitute proposed much 80. Bot the
rule was Io more indefinite than the Articles Of Faith
the United States Constitution, or even the Bible ITSELF
Different interpretations and comments were made on
all Of these by different men, Inc speaker deprecated
the language used by his brethren 10 relation 10 the
church on the border, especially the words used by
| TIE Rev. Mr. Wheslley. Here dispute arose in re"
ation to the precise terms employed by the latter
| brother, who reftated what he had SAID, snbstan.
italy as given in Saturday TRIBUNE The piey aud
services Of the leaders of the Border Cburch IN past
and present times, next eloquently eulogiZed,
and the evils of q severance from the lower Confer.
ence depicted. Quotations were ALEC made By the
speaker from the reports OF different Bshops, al adj
VsiBg a compromise on the Slavery question, for the
| cake OF retaining those Conferences in the North
EN- M. f. Church Admitting that the Southern
brethren were sinners, was thai any reason why they
should refuge 10 eat with them Did not Jesus keep
company with publicans and sinners J Was he con-
! taminated by them 7 The speaker believed in being
religious, but not in being righteous overmueh. lie
understood that this thing was TO be pressed, and
new rule was to be obtained even if it did divide the
| church. The church was their common mother.
| TheIo was no friend like a mother. Here
the speaker devoted ten minutes to portrayal of the
holiness and beauty Of love for a MISUNDERSTANDING
| Washington, Washington Irving and almost every
other celebrated man reported 10 have entertained
affection for bis maternal parent length he seemed
10 remember the original subect OF his Speech and re-
Turned to the resolution before the Conference. The
| lay men had been alluded to. There were noble lay
men in the city of New York and il did appear TO him
| and he had MOI AK 70 grnd-that the laiy ought 70
have voice. II the Church was to be rent asnnder,
the laity should assist in doing it. An election would
shortly for delegates to the General Conference
1t might be supposed That he wished 10 hoat in by his
appearing before them, but it was not He was in
the evening Of life and about tbrengh. He never had
been 20 General Conference and he did not Ant 10
| The Rev. PAUL X. BRowS obtained the floor. He
should not attempt TO follow the last speaker. The
| substitute before them contemplated leaving the
Slavery question TO the next Cor ference requesting
tie Buffalo Conference, however, 10 take such msas
Dres woud remove mercenary and selfish slavehold
ing from the Church. Matters Of this sort, IL be
lieved by many brethren, had better originate where
the leaders from every part Of the work gathered
together, and thence be sent 10 the miuOr lCon-
fererces for ratification or rejection. He was in favor
Of the substitute for the Erie rule. He proposed
briefly to inquire what this Slavery was ns defined by
the Shareholders themselves. Ii often objected
| that we became very much excited by dwelling upon
special instances o. cruelty growing out of the Slavery
system. He would read few passages from the
slaye code and show what II was defined by strict
Law. According 10 the laws Of Louisiana, slave wal
zone who IN the power Of his MASTER to whom be be-
labor He poftes nothing acquire anything but what
belongs to hi' nsfter The latter may chage him but not
with unusual TisoT 10 MAIN him or endzngeI Ie'
How far a STAKEHOLDER was legally allowed to go in
cbsstsng hs slave, he coud not say. but Southern
advertisements desciibed their TuDawaJs as marked
from head 10 foot with scare. lie supposed this was
not "unufual rgor" and therefore not against law.
The laws of South Carolina say that slaves in law
shall be judged chattes in the hands Of their mas
teTs consequently, they were things, az much as