Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1860-03-16
rnE BALrIMoRE CONFERENCE.


The Baltimore Methodist Episcopal
Annual Conference, held in Winchester,
Va, brought its business to close and
adjourned sine die on the Sth inst, hav-
ing previously determined that the next
Conference should be held at Stanton,
Va, on the first Wednesday in March
next.
Amongst the business which occupied
the attention of the Conference was the
following report on the slavery question
Your committee, to whom has been
referred the memorials from several of
the appointments in our Conference on
the subject of slavery, beg leave to make
the following report:
The said memorials relate to three DIS
tinct points, viz The exrunging of the
rule on slavery; the dissolution of our
connexion with the Northern Conferen-
ces, and the incessant agitation of the
slavery question in our periodical liter
ature.
We recognize in all our members the
right to hold and fully to express their
sentiments on all these subjects, and we
are highly grati6ed with the affection and
loyalty to our Conference which the me-
MORALS breathe. We also know and
painfully feel the pressure which they
have lately been made to suffer upon the
question, which is the main subject of
their appeal to us. But, at the same
time, our conviction is clear that we can
only stand as church, nay, that we can
only maintain our existence as Confer
ence, on the ground of the discipline as
it is administered by us; neither yield
ing to the demands Of extremists in the
North or South. We are satisfied that
should we give expression to some of the
opinions which our dear brethren suggest
in the memorials referred to, we should
produce within the bounds of our Con-
ference, and even in Virginia, dissatis-
faction much greater than that which
they now seek to allay
As to separation from the Methodist
Episcopal Church, we beg leave to say
that this Conference has already declared
what, in their opinion, would be a Just
cause for severance, viz. any violation of
our rights, as now held under the dis
cipline. This we have said time and
again, and our brethren, the memorial
lists, know that for these rights we have
always earnestly and faithfully contend
ed. Our whole church in the bounds of
our Conference has our solemn pledge,
and our brethren in the North are we'll
acquainted with our oft-repcated declara-
tons.
In reference to the character of our
literature, alluded to, while we deeply
deplore the fact that it has, in some in
stances. become such as we can neither
sancticn nor circulate, yet we are glad t.
: know, n Ear az the newspann. Press Il
concerned, we have an advocate Of oui
own at Baltimore, in the ability OF whose
editor, and in bis fidelity to our interests,
We can implicitly confde.
There is another fact which we beg
leave to mention. The country is now
unusually agitated upon the question Of
slavery, and the dissolution Of the Union
is spoken of with a freedom, and even
sought in some quarters with en- eager
ness that most painfully shocks our feel
ings of patriotism. God forbid that this
Confederation of States should ever dc
aught to aid Or promote these treasona-
bic designs And it is our deliberate
conviction that another division Of the
Church would have fearful tendency in
that direction. At present there is moi
a Church in the land, whose government
is strongly connexonal, which is divided
by strictly State lines; not one. And
we cannot but believe that any such sepa.
ration must weaken the bonds which SC
happily hold us together as a nation. -
If the two sections of the Union cannot
hold together as Christians, will they be
able to do it as citizens and civilians ?
While we, therefore, deeply sympa-
thize with our brethren, tho memorial
lists, in the troubles which they allege
are upon them, wo would alfectionately
remind them that the General Conference
is the place where all such memorials
should be addressed-that body possessing
the sole Legislative authority ofthc Church
the Annual Conferences being clothed
only with ADMINISTRATIVE and Judicial
functions.
In view Of the foregoing considerations
your committee recommend the adoption
of the following resolutions:
/. Resolved, That we sincerely de-
plore the agitation of the slavery ques-
! ton, both in the Church and the State
and earnestly hope and feryently pray
that this discreditable and disastrous
strife may speedily cease.
2. Resolved, That this Conference dis.
claims having the least sympathy with
abolitionism. On the contrary, we arc
determined not to hold connexion with
any ecclesiastical body that makes non
slaveholding condition of membership
in the Church, and that we are opposed
to any inquisition upon tho motives un.
derlying the relations of the master and
the slave.
3. Resolred, That the subject of sla-
very should be committed exclusively to
the jurisdiction Of the respective Con.