Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1860-05-16
THE mErHop1srs AND SLAVERY.


The element which enters into the discus
sion OF every vital question in the political,
social, or religious life of America, is Negro
Slavery. The Methodist Church, once sever
ed by 1T, is now strongly agitated in its North
ern wing through the same cause. In order
to present clear idea Of the manner in which
this question is now brought up in the Gene
raj Conference in session at Buffalosit will be
necessary only to refer to certain weii-known
points in the history of the Church.
When the Methodist Episcopal Church was
organized, a rule was adopted forbidding the
buying and selling of men, women, and chill
dren with an intention to enslave them. rms
rule slumbercd inactive for many years, then
caused discussion, dissension, and, at last,
division of the Church into the Methodist
Church North and the Methodist Church
South. The Northern wing includes some
border Slave States; in them are more than
thousand preachers, and at least hundred
thousand members. Hence the continuance
of the contest on the Slavery question, which
has now come to head. The Church North
is to-day divided into two general parties on
this subject-the Conservatives and the Pro-
gressives. The former desire the rule to re-
main as it is the latter wish it so extended or
interpreted as to include the holding of slaves,
making the fact of holding prima facie proof
of an intent to enslave. The bar to the max
ing of a new rule is clearly seen to be insur-
mountable for by the laws of the Church, no
change in its rules can be made, except on the
recommendation of the Annual Conferences
and the action of the General Conference, or
on the action of the General Conference in the
first instance, and the subsequent Endorsement
by the Annual Conferences. In either case
two-thrds of the votes in the General Confer
ence and three-fourths of the votes in the An
ual Conferences would be required, and this 1t
would be impossible to get on the Slavery
Df fl.n Ann mol Cnn nfnr-
ences are controlled by shareholders. But,
though the rule may not be changed. it can be
authoritatively defined, SO as to include the
holding of slaves, as we'll as the buying and
selling with intent to enslaye, and this policy
is that most likely to be adopted.
At the General Conference in 1856, three
propositions were submitted to the Annual
Conference in order to obtain full expression
of opinion from them. These propositions are
substantially as follows Tho Erie proposition
asks for a change of the rule so as to forbid
siaveholding, or for any Interpretation which
shall produce the same result. The Provid-
ence proposition declares the buying and SELL
ing of men, women, and children, with the in
tention to enSlave them, inconsistent with
Christianity. The Cincinnati proposition asks
for change in favor of non slavehoding, but
not excluding shareholders from the rights of
membership. The votes of the Annual Con-
ferences show that twenty y-nine of the forty
seven are strongly opposed to the rule in its
present form. Fourteen are in favor of it, but
five of these are so because they consider it
sufficiently Anti-SIavery if properly enforced.
A great mass of petitions on the subject have
been presented to the Buffalo Conference.
Twenty thousand names in opposition to Sla-
very, and about four thousand in favor, are
upon these papers. An address from the Bri
tish Wesleyan Methodists, in which the hope
is expressed that this Conference will use all
possible means to drive Slavery &c from the
Church and the land,'' read, and ordered
to be printed thus was shown different state
of feeling from that prevailing in 1886, when
so much of the address of the British brethren
as related to Slavery cut out in the print
ing, and now lies dead in the records of the
General Conference.
The whole subject-petitions, propositions,
rules. new and old-has been referred to a
Committee, whose report is daily expected,
and upon which an exciting debate must sure
ly arise.