The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1860-06-06
The "1rrepresslble Conflict" in the
NJ. L. Church.

The question how tbs Church will rule
~ reference 10 It's sia' ehoidrCg members,
Is perhaps the most absorbing one which
shall come up tetore the Methodist Con
terence now ~ session. A brief history
oi Ihe slavery agitation III the American
Methodist So"leIy will conduce to better
understanding ot the merits of the con
troversy. MethodIsm IS now about a
hundred years old in this country. In
the early church sOmo vi the menlbership
were intensely opposed TO saveholding.
and III 1885, stringent law WAS PASSED
10y the clergy, requiring Methodist slaver
holders 10 emancpaie OF withdraw from
the communion. THIS severe enactment
however, was tempered with proviso,
which nuIiIhed the obligation 10 emanci
pate when this was Incompatible with the
STATE Law. The "ppositicn to the enforce
;neut OF this rule, even AS modified, was
such as 10 neceSsltate y suspension Of lie.
ga! proceedings. The nrreslmen, OF the
he 'tli the dcliberntinns Of future Con-
ference" From 1884 I'll 1874 the Meth
odls: interest al the South continued to
strengthen aud increase. At the Gerr
raj Con ereEce in the latter memorable
year Il WAS found that even one Of the
bishops held slaves. The Conference re-
monStratea, bat the Southern delegates
INSISTED that lie should remain in the cx
ercISe OF his epnenpa, functions wlihoui
crnsurr or disability. The Conference
decided Otherwise, and the result was the
grand secession Of 1914 lieuce came
the "MethodIst Church South "a body
"ow compr sing 100000 members and
$500 preachers. As lhe issue on tins
occasion was uot on The absolute sinful
Ness "f slavery per Sc, but rather on the
question OF retaining II aSlavehoidlng Blsh
"p, the secession did not carry with II
the entire snvehoIdrng communion. The
States ot Delaware. Maryland, Virginia.
Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas aud the
Dstrct OF Columbia, a teIrrorv holding
about 100000 Methodist, srIl chung to
their mcther CONNECTION. In his district
are located the "Burdcr Cuufrrenccs."
which comprise over 100000 M-ihudis,s;
600 travelling aud 1000 iocaI Preachers
II 10 estimated that from five 10 ten thou
sand Of this membership are siavenol
ders From 1874 10 1852, attention was
not specially directed 10 the existence Il
slavery Va the border conferences. Up
To 1855, however. It WAS warmly discuss
I'd, aud, IN the Conference Of that wear.
two plaIs were proposed for reaching the
ques ION Of slavery first, the insertion
OF new extiTpa,ory law among the Gen
eral Rules, as they are called second,
the enactment OF aTew chapter o9 slave
~. to the same effect IN the place Of the
exisilng chapter on that subject. The
former was called the indirect process,
because it would require the concurrence
OF three fourlhs Of all the mem bcrs Of the
several Annual Conferences present and
voting. with two thirds of the General
Conference, while the ialter Was called
th" direct process, because il could he
done by bme majority Of anv Genera
Conference. The former process was a
dopred, and he three Rules known IA the
Cincinnati, Providence and Erie Rules,
intended TO change the General kuls,
we're submitted to the Conferences for
their votes. The Erie rule has obtained
the highest vote OF the three. but il has
fallen far shor, Of obtaining the requisite
majority, so that the attempt to change
the Slavery rule is admitted to bs a fail
ure. The contest in the-present Confer
ence will most likely be on the enactment
Of new chapter on slavery in pace Of
the one which nov exists ia the Discip-
iine.-Bu6aio Courier.