Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1860-09-22
Thirteenth Delegated Conference.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
TWENTY FIRST DAY.


Y. G. Murphy, of Philadelphia, obtain
cd the floor, and said II:
Mr.. President: Compared with many
of these venerable men before me, l am
but young man yet have been deem
ed worthy by my conference a place among
her delegates, and there is degree of re-
sponsibility devolved upon me upon this
and upon all other questions that are to
come before this conference, and to meet
this responsibility in part I have risen to
address you.
The report commences sir,by presenting
a question, and it is one of the greatest
that has ever been presented to the cousid-
Grafton of the Methodist public That
question is, What shall be done for the ex-
tirpaton of the evil of slavery! 1t is not
a new question. But what is its import
Whatever else it may mean, we conceive
that it looks toward he diminution Of tie
ac'wal amount Of slarery and a mitigation
Of its eriis. Though our legislation and
administration can bear legally only upon
ourselves and our members, yet it bca rs
upon them only in view of accomplis hing
this object But it is dcsirous to act
through them, upon the community, by
creating a corresponding public sent ment
and preparing the slave for his liberty
whenever in the providence of God it sh all
be provided.
Thisis the view Of our fathers, ,and the very
view sustained by the repor under consid-
Grafton. If we return to the report we
shall find evidences of this fact The re-
port says:
'For seventy-six years the question at
the head of our present chapter on slavery
has remained substantially what it now is
What shall be done for the cxtirpaton of
the evil of slavery?' During all this pc.
riod, and more, there has no day intcrvcn
ed in which our Church has not testified
against slavery as great evil. and one
whose extirpation is to be sought by all
g lawful and Christian means. Nor has our
acknowledged antislavery position been
unproductive Of good fruits. There is no
power in the truth when faithfully uttered
to influence the conscience of mankind.-
The testimony which our Church has borne
has done much toward the formation of n
correct public opinion. Under its influence
many thousands of slaves have been sci free
and many thousands, who otherwise would
have been slave holders, have RETAINED ;
and many thousands more, who are still
holding slaves are doing SO with conscience
i'll at ease. But for this testimony num-
Der of the Western States, now free, would
$ probably to-day be slave states.'
. But it is claimed that advanced action
D is necessary, and the majority::proposo such
l action. The argument, sir, in faver of the
report may be syllogistically stated thus:
The action of our Church in reference
to slavery has resulted in good, but the
measure now proposed will result in great.
|, er good F; therefore the measure ought to
be adopted.
Now, sir, VIC very cheerfully conceive
the major premise but we object to the
minor premise for these reasons:
First. II would bring us in direct an
tagonism to the State. This view of the
subject caused some misgivings in the minds
of the majority. They refer to it in these
words
"To the charge that we are violating the
laws of the land brief answer must suffice.
If we choose to keep as free as we can
from the evils of slavery, how do we thus
violate the laws of the land ? Do the laws
of the land require the members of the NJ.
, +. Church to hold slaves! How do we
then violate the laws by declining to hold
them? Must we practice every evilwhich
the laws permit lest we be charged with
violating them? ?"
Now, sir, here is a false issue raised
and presented to our notice. 1t is not
= fair and clear statement of the facts inyol-
we'd in the case. During the past number
of years there has been no little agitation
on this question in the North, and its re-
fex influence has been felt in the South
And they have been compelled to enact
laws more and more stringent, while in
some of the states manumission has become
a legal imposs'bslify; and that is the case
in some of the border conferences. If
there is any one here who doubts the fact,
l have in my pocket printed extract of
the laws there that will establish the fact
Now ifo Church requires manumission
of the slaves, and if these laws forbid
emancipation, then We submit the question
if this General Conference is not asked 10