Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-10-31

u D-' LbiAOh VI Auh NphAhN E-oi I'm
CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE, TO PRESIDENT BU
CHANAS.
HoS. JANIS BUCHANAN. President Of the Unit
Sfatcs:
SIR:-Thcre are times when the hum
blest citizen may and should approach til
Chief Magistrate with his cause. Such
the present; and address you not scckin
any Office, nor interfering with the ordinar,
questions which are thrust upon your at
tention. l write as a member, a minister
an officer of the Meth odist Episcopa
Church.
I YOu, sir. are ''public functionary,
charged with the highest responsibilities
and the weightiest duties. The matters
dosing to lay before your Excellcncy afeci
the life, the liberty. the property of Oul
people. They affect their rights in the new
States and Territories: for they must leat
to practical solution of this question
Are tie rights Of the citizens. under III.
Constitution, to Je protected, or are the,
held at tie pleasure Of tie mob?
The history of the people called Mctho-
dist" is not unfamiliar to you, for it is a
part Of the history of our country. We
have been among the pioneers of civilization
and Christianity. Our clergy have kecn
among the first in the wilderness. They
have hot waited until roads were made.
bridg os Iuilt, houses erected, and disabil.
tiles removed. They have gone with the
wocdsman, they have encamped with the
hunter, searched out the cabin of tie squat
ter, followed the hardy miners of the Pa
cifc into their gulches, and gone after the
lumbcrman into the incxhaustable pineries.
Sir, we have won the right of existence.
and come to yOu to-day demanding protcc-
tor in che exercises of our vested rights.
| regret, sir, that must write this COM
munication no,c, while the political excite
ment unayOidably connected with Prcsi-
Dental election is upon US. but there is no
alternative. 1t is question of life and
death
1 will state
l. The GROUND We 0ccUrY.
!. The Methodist Episcopal Church is no
political organization. Its functions are po-
litical and ecclesiastical. Men of all DO
litical shades are in its ministry, its off,
ciary, its membership Its papers lend no
influence 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 consolidated
into political organization, for no demon.
national interest has demanded it.
.. We have ever been loyal people
We have bowed to the majesty of the law.
b.th federal and state. We have counsel |
cd no resistance to unjust laws There is
nothing in our doctrines or discipline cal
culatcd to stir up strife or scditiou.
8. These things being 50. VIC claim the
-ight to 60, under the constitution of onr
country, into any part of our domain.
We claim the right of free speech and free
printing We cLiim-mark. Mr.. Presi- 4
lent, | do not y ace ask. We solicit; no,
iir, We dsmand-equal rights and privileges
with other determinations. If our people
violate any law, let them be tried, condemn
ID and punished. Give them an impartial
ury, an unbribcd judge, and competent
counsel.
/. 1t cannot have escaped your attention
ir, that McthOdism was early remarkably
in the Southern States, but pos
ably you may not have observed that it
vas thus successful as decided and u1l-
compromising a'ati-slare1y The present
tone of our Discipline and lit
rature is now no new utterancc. Our faith
rs spoke warmer words than W., and the
va rmest come from slave territory. You
viii be struc's, sir, with the remarkable
of their words with those of
Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Franklin
nd, If mistake not, your own earlier
pOken or written sentiments twas known
verywherc that John Wesley abhorred
lavery; that he denounced the slave trade
s the sum of villainies," and yet South
IN conferences were organized under his
fTect SuperUiSiH. In 1850 conference
eld, not in Boston. nor even in New
lor,x, but in Baltimore, on slave soil,
aid: Slavery is contrary to the law Of
nan and nature, and hurtful to society
ontrary to the dictates of conscience and |
cligion." You will be told that our church
as become abolitionized. Open our Dis ,
ipline and read it. 1t says nothing ,
tronger than was said by that Southern ,
conference in l7S0. In 1874 Baltimore ]
gain spoke, saying. 1--WE view it slavery
S contrary to the golden law of God. . the {
rights of mankind, AS WELL AS {
VERY PRINCIPLE OF THE REVOLUTION, {
tc.
These are mere specimen quotations, but
hey express the early sentiment of Metho-
ism. Slavery was wrong. and by reli- I
ious agencies TO be extirpatcd. Holding