The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1860-09-15

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eR;-IAeee are amee when - hurnhItst q
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esaie VIII hie Cause Such i u prVoesre n
! address yoa, not seeking any once. noe inSe
Ier'ng with the ordinary questions which &
thrust upon your attention. l write q . me-
con- con- y, ss = = :. a " nssapdie Epi
| ion, q, are ''public fanctionary," charge
VAN me highest Responsibilities and the weigh
aess ausaes. The matters design 20 lay befos
your Rxcelleacy Affect the lie, The liberty, Il
property Of our people. They affect their rieh
10 the new States aud Territories they Affect II
dessantes Of this country; for they mnse had
the practical solution Of this QUESTIONABLE a
rights Of tie cifises, ss&r a. Comsfilsti0m, to
protected, or are they to Be Aad q he pleasure Of
The history of the people called Methodist
% not Unfamiliar to you, for it 10 part Of sho BIZ
tory OF the country. We have been among til
Pioneess Of civilization and Christianity. Gu
clergy have been among the first in the wildel
ness. They have not waited until roads wer
made, bridges built houses erected, and disabil
1
iran, tAey have camped with the hunter, searche,
out the cabin Of the sluatter, followed the hal
ny miners Of the Pacific into their gulches, an,
gone after the lumbermen into the inexhaustibl
paneries, and come 70 you to-day demanding pro
lection in the exercise of our vested rights
regret cir, that must write this cOmmuni
eaesoA Row, while the political excitsa,ent una
voidably connected with tho Presidential election
10 upon %, but there is'no alternative. II 10 |,
question Of life AID ceatA.
Twill state llT
l. THE GROUND WE OCCUPY. ~
]. The Methodist Episcopal Church is NO DO
lislcal organization. Ii functions are spiritual
and ecclesiastical. Mem Of all political shates are
10 its ministry, its officiary, and its Membership
Its papers lend NO political in6uence to either
political party as such, nor display the names Of
any candidates At the head Of their columns
Thus FAR, our people have never been consoli.
dated into political organization, for NO denomi.
national interest has demanded it.
2. We have ever been loyal people. We
have bowed to the majesty Of law, both federal
and state. We have conuseled no resistance ia
unjust laws. There is nothing in our doctrines
OF dsciplinc calculated to stir up strife or sedi.
ton. ''' as'assFass7'
8. These things being 20, ne claim the RIGHT
TO 60, under the Constitution of our country in
to amy part Of our domain. We claim the right
of free speech and free printing. We cLAn-
marx, Mr.. President, do mot say We ASK, We
sot,cM no, sir, We DEAAND-equal rights and
privileges with other denominations. II our peo-
pie violate any law, let them be fairly tried con.
demned and punished. Give them an impartial
jury. an unbribed judge, and competent counsel.
4. 1t cannot have escaped your attention, cir,
that hethodism was early remarkably successful
IN the Southern States, but possibly you may not
have observed that it was thus successful as
dec'ded and ssrconpromisirg osti-aa,e,y claoch.
The present anti slavery tone of our Discipline
and literature is no new utterance Our fathers
spoke warmer words than We, and the ~armest
came from slave territory. You will be struck,
sir, with the remarkable agreement Of their words
with those of Washington, Jefferson, Madison,
Franklin, and, If mistake not, your own earlier
spoken or written sentiments 1t was known
everywhere that John Wesley abhorred slavery !;
that he denounced the slave trade rs the "sum
of all villainies," and slavery as u complicated
crime; and yet Southern Conferences were or
gAnized under his direct susyrisios. In 1850 q
Conference held, not in Boston, or even in New
York, but in Baltimore, on slave soil, said: 'Sla-
very is contrary to the law Of man and nature,
and hurtful to society-contrary to the dictates
Of conscience and pure religion" You will be
told that our churches has become abolitionized.
Open our Discipline aud read it, 1t says moth.
ing stronger than was said by that Southern Con-
ference in 1850. In 1854 Baltimore again spoke,
saying, "We view it GSlavery as contrary to the
golden law of God. :. the inalienable rights of
mankind, AS WELL AZ EvIRY PRIkcIPLE THE
REVOLUTION" &c.
These are mere specimen quotations, but they
express the early sentiment Of Methodism. Sla-
very was wrong and by religious agencies was to
be extirpated. Holding these views, they spread
everywhere through the South. They Encourage
no Instructions, they stirred up NO violence,
they made no interference with State laws We
stand upon the same platform, and hold similar
views.
1t so happens, sir, that am able to give you
the views Of our church in Virginia at some.
what later period. In 1878 miniater preached
a sermon in Washington county, in which were
some illusions to the relations of slavery, and
was indicted for attempting to promote insurrec-
ton and sedition among the slaves. By change
of venue the trial was held in Frederick, in the
month of March. 1919. The senior counse. for
the accused was Roger b. fancy, now Chief JUS
tice Of the Supreme Court Of the United States.
One of the attorneys read from the Discipline OF
the Church the law bearing on slavery, which
may be thus condensed: ~. A strong decla-
ton of the great evil of Slavery (2l A reqni-
sition upon such rs unite with the church to
cmancipate their slaves; (3). Forbidding any
stakeholder to be . travelling preacher; o.
Forbidding the sale of slaves, or their purchase,
except for purposes Of emancipation; (5( Ad-
lnonishing slaves to obedience and industry.
These were read in q Virginia Court, to vir-
ginia jury, in the presence Of a Virginia judge
and the positionl boldly argued, that there was
nothing in them contrary to the peace and safe
ty Of the State. The accused was acqutted--
Mr.. fancy said of the Methodists living under
these rules, that they equalcd any other people
in ''their moral department, and in their habits
of obedience to the laws" He also said
mo man can be prosecuted for preaching the
articles of his religious creed unless, indeed, this
doctrine is immoral and calculated to disturb the
peace and order Of society; and subjects of Ma.
tionai policy may at all times be freely and full
" discussed in the pulpit and elsewhere, with.
out limitation or restraint II is well-known
that the peaceful and gradual abolition Of slave
| nv in these States is one of the objects which
| the Methodist society have steadily in view.
There is no law which forbids Us to speak of sla-
very as we think of It. Any man has . right to
publish his opinions on that subject whenever be
| pleases 1t is subject of National concern, and
| may be freely discussed. NJ. Gruber (the de
fendant) did quote the language Of our great ac
| e National Independence, and insisted on tht
| principles contained in that veneratcd instru
ment He did rebxke those masters who, In tn,
exercise of power, are deaf to the calls of hu
1 nanity. and he warned them of the evils the,
might bring upon themselves, He did speal
with adherence of those reptiles who live b.
trading in human flesh, and enrich themselye
by tearing the husband from the wife, the infan
from the bosom Of the mother. Shall I con
tent myself with saying he had right to say so
and that there 10 NO law to punish hims
We are prepared to maintain the same princl
pies, and to use, if necessary, tine same languag
here in the temple Of justice, 80 !
hard necessity, indeed, compels US TO endure III
evils of slavery for tune. 1t was imposed upo
US BY another nation while we were in state q
colonial vassalage. 1t cannot be easily or sue
denly removed. Yet, while it continues, it is
blot on our national character, and every re'
lover of freedom confidently hopes that it wi
be -etiectually, though it must be gradual!
wiped away, and earnestly looks for the means
which this necessary object may be best attanet
And, until it shall be accomplished. until q
time shall come when we can point without blus
10 the language held in the Declaration Of Ind
pendence, every friend Of humanity will seek
Ss,hta tho tr. Hing chaina of Slavery. and bette