The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-04-16

The RELIGIOUS ANNIVERSARIES AND THE
SLAVERY QUEsTIoN.-This is the season of the
religious anniversaries. They will be in full
blast In few days in New York, and the ire
pressible conflict will become the exciting and
all absorbing question, as it is now in the Me-
thodist Conference, which will resume the de-
bate on the subject to-day. This apple Of dis
cord will be introduced partly by the machi-
nations of the politicians, and partly at the in
stigation of the devil, who is no longer " going
about as q roaring lion, seeking whom he may
devour," but as an angel of light, and in the
form of niger worshipper, Cheever, Beecher
. and the rest of the same brand being his most
active agents and satellites.
The Methodist Church is split by this instru-
ment of division; the Church of the Puritans,
in Union square, has been decimated by it,
and Beecher's congregation is broken to
pieces, unless his apology. yesterday has
patched up the concern again. The pranks
OF Cheever in sending to England for the
sinews of war to carry on the crusade
against slavery are known to our readers.
Beecher, who became scared by the conse-
quences of the John Brown raid, to which he
had contributed by sending rifles to Kansas,
became suddenly conservative, to the as
toDishment of everybody. In the Tract Society
controversy he took the side which the conserva-
tive clergy are now taking in the Methodist Con
ference. The trustees OF his church, catching the
change which came over the spirit of his dream,
lately refused the use of Plymouth church to
Wendell Phillips for the purpose of advocating
dissolution of the Union. Theodore Parker,
Phillips and others hit him so hard, and his
popularity among the fanatics began to wane
so rapidly, that he concluded he had gone too
far on the conservative side He took the other
tack, and in the face of the congregation he
denounced as towards" the four out of six
trustees who would not permit the church
to be turned into a treason shop. These gen.
tlemen resigned, and they and others withdrew
their subscriptions from the new church which
1t was in contemplation to erect. There was
such q perfect tumult of excitement in the
whole congregation in consequence, that
Beecher was compelled yesterday to make an
apology, and take all back that he had said on
the previous Sunday about the trustees
Thus is the slavery question dividing the
churches. 1t has already divided the Tract
Society and 1t will divide most if not all of the
religious and benevolent societies whose ami
versaries are about to be held in this city. It
Is setting even the members of the same fami
lies by the ears, and it is becoming fruitful
source Of universal strife throughout the North
while the South, united and uninjured calmly
looks on at the folly Of the fanatics, who
embroA themselves and keep the whole
North in hot water about what does not
concern them-negro slavery-which has no
existence among them, but is an institution in
distant States over which they have no control
and with whose local laws they have no right
to interfere. By this insane and fanatical
course, which we are told is prompted by re-
ligious sentiment, the foundations of govern
ment, Christianity and civilization are sapped,
the happiness of white millions marred and
their prospects clouded in thick gloom, while
the worship of the Almighty Niger and John
Brown is set up instead of that of Jesus Christ
and the true God.