Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1860-04-19
Expression of the Kentucky An
nual Methodist Conference ON
Slavery.

bhiiOcoioH vi but TNtututhJ AL
nual Methodist Conference OF
Slavery.
The Kentucky Anhud Conference Of th,
NJ. E. Church, recently held in Germantown
KY, unanimously adopted q report declaring
it inexpsdieut for the Conference to maxi
the general rule on the subject Of SLAYER,
more stringent. In the report, the position
o! the Conference on the slavery question
is thus defined: M
10 looking over the uttfrances oi the
Church in times past, upon the subject oil
slavery we find no language better cu,culat.
ed to express our present feelings and views
than Is contained in q "report'' written BY
Henry d. Bascom, late Bishop of The Meth.
odist Episcopal Church South, and signed
by himself and II. Fl. Kavanaugh-now
Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Southland several other prominent man.
bers Of the Conference, and unanimously
adopted by TIE Kentucky Annual Confer.
ence, a, their .ession held September 10,
1895. That portion of the "re2ort' which
expresses the opinion of the Conference on
slavery. reads as follows:
Your Committee cannot disguise It from
themselves, that late developments and
movements, numerous and startling. con.
necied with this subject, indicate but ton
clearly that the institutions and welfare, mo,
less than the peace Ind stability of our
whole country, are fe%arfully endangered by
the indiscreet and ih-judged agitation of this
as we think, inopboriune and unfortunate
controversy. Although citizens of Ken.
lucky, we are not tho advocates of Slavery
We believe it TO be morally wrong, and re.
~la'ively mischievous in all its tendencies.-
We consider it an evil, even in its mos, tol.
cradle aspects. We deeply regret and
! eplore its existence in this or any
other country; and, in relation TO our own
particularly wc pledge our excrtions and
influence, in an nppea! to all just and law.
ful means and methods for It's removal, when.
ever such exertious and influence can be
brought 10 bear without infringing the rights
OF others constituiionally secured in the
construction Of the Federal Government.
From the same "rcport' we also read the
following:
Slavery, originally entailed upon the ma
ton against the will Of the sufferers, has
become a chronic disease the body. polite,
and in view Of the only fscilities offered for
its removal, the remedy must be gradual.
This necessity is found in the nature OF
things and in its present application is in.
sepa-nble from the character and condition
of slaves. and the peculiar organization o.
society in the country.
While we fully indorse the statements
made in the foregoing quotations. and sin.
cerely regret that any body Of Christians
bearing the name Of Methodis,s can be
found willing to dissent from views so mani.
testify just. at the same time il may be wei.
to remark that we have no theory to propose
for the removal Of the "evil" from our coun.
try. We deal only with the moral aspects
Of he institution, leaving the question o
'remedy" to the Developments of the future
and the righteous workings of an %overrnl
ing Providence. We are thus explicit, no,
to assume any just respons Utility which oul
sentiments and position in n slaveholdinp
State may impose upon us, but Tor tho pur.
pose of avoiding the annoyance that is &C.
casioned by ,he Misrepresentation Of those
who meet US only with that convenient
weapon, associated as it generally Is with
vituperation sad insulting .epithets.-Cin
Gazette.