Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1860-09-27
Letter from Rev. T.. M. Eddy 10 the
President of the United States.

tea-l sgEffTlnf Hffs-fe eelI<Etrstl /
SIh;-There are times when } the hum
blest citizen may and should sapproach the
Chief Magistrate with hislcause- Such is
the present; and address you, not seeking
any office. nor,intcriering with the ordina-
ry questions which are thrust npon your
attention. / write as member, as a min
lister, an officer Of the Methodist Episcopal
Church h2sni tf9F t."ih-lsp 3 ho1io II
p You, sir, are a n'spubiici 'functi6pary,'
charged with the, highest responsibilities
and the weightiest duties. The matters
design to lay before your Excellency af-
feet the life, the liberty the property four
fpeopfe. They affect the rights in the new
States and Territories. they affect the tles-
tinies of this country; for they must lead
TO the practical solution of this question:
i"Arefhe rights of the citizen, under the
Constitution, to be protected, or are they
held at the pleasure of the mob?'''1A' I1i
+ The history Of the 'people called Meth
odist" is not unfamiliar to you, for it is
7 part of the history of the country. We
have been among the pioneers of civiliza-
tion and Christianity. Our clergy have
been among the first in the Wilderness
They have not waited until roads were
mada, bridges built, houses erected, and
disabilities removed. They have gone
with the woodsman, they have 'campcd
with the hunter, searched ont the cabin of
the squatter. followed the hardy miners Of
the Pacific into their gulches, and gone
after the lumberman into the inehxaustible
pinerics. Sir, we have won the right OF
existence, and come to you to-day de-
smanding protection. in the exercise of our
vested rights. -. - -.f,;. f...,..s4,r
4 I regret, sir, that must write this com
mmication now, while the political excite
ment unavoidably connected With Presi
dental election is upon us, but there is no
alternative. 1t is question of life and
death. .f....-. ~. ...-..r -gy
!. THE GROUND We occUPy.
The Methodist Episcopal Church is nc
/. political Organization. It's functions arc
spiritual and ecclesiasticalT Men of all
political shades are in its ministry, its Of
; ficiary, and-its membership. Its papers
lend no inhuenccto either political party, as
, such, nor display the names Of any eandi
dates, at the head of their columns. Thus
far. our people have never been consolija-
ted into political organizations. for no de-
UNCONVENTIONAL interest has demanded it.
! q. We have ever heepg a loyal people
I'VE, have bowed to the majesty OF law
4 both Federal and State. We haze .coun-
/. scllcd no resistance to unjust laws. There
is nothing in our doctrines Of discipline
calculated to stir up strife or scdtion: CSC
. 3. These things being so. we claim the
: righf to 60. under the constitution of our
/ country, into any part of our domain
We claim tho right Of free speech and free
J printing. We claim-mark, Mr.. Presi
, dent, do not say VIC ask-we solicit; no
sir, we demand-equal rights and priv.
ileges- with other denominations. If oul
people violate any law. let them be fairly
tried. condemned and punished Give
9 them an impartial jury. an iunbribed
e judge, and competent counsel. oo lamar
! 4. 1t cannot have escaped your atten.
: ton, sir, that Methodism was early re-
mafkably successful in the Southern States
, but possibly may not have observed tha
{ it was TINS successful as a decided and un
compromising antislaveryl church. Th'
: present anti-slavery tone of oar Disciplin,
0 and literature is no new utterance. Ou
G fathers spoke warmer words than we, ant
o the Avarmest came from slave territory-
/. You will be struck. sir, with the remarka
b]s agreement, of their words with thost
= of Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Frank
!. lin, and, if mistake not. your own carlie
j spoken or written sentiments It was
1 known everywhere that John Wesley ab
houed slavery; that he denounced the slsv,
trade as the ,''sum of all villainies.," ant
: slavery as a complicated crime;" and ye
a Southern conferences were orgaized unie
J., his direct supervision.r .rs In 1880 "a con
q fcrcnces held.1n in Boston. or even in n
!, York, but in Baltimore, on slave soil, said
Slavery is contrary to the law of maj
y and nature. and hurtful to society
: Try 70 the dictates Of conscience and pur
a lreligion.' .''noYou will be told that on
:, church has become aboliiionized. Opel
: our Discipline and read it, 1t says moth
: ing stronger than was said by that South
l. ern conference in 1880 In 1874 Baiti
more again spoke, saying: 1--WE view !
}. (slavery) as contrary to the golden law o
G God. IA = the inalicnable rights o
!. mankind, as well as every principle of tn
Revolution" DC.
These are mere specimen quotations
/ tbatsthey express the early sentiment o
: hMethedism. Slavery was wrong, and By
religious agencies WAS to be extirpated.--
Holding these views they spread every
: where through the South They encour
aged no instructions, they stirred up M
: lviolence. they made no interference witt
: State, laws. :, We stand upon the same
! platform and hold similar views. -
1t SO happens, sir, that am able to give
you the views OF our church in Virginia al
somewhat later period. In 1918 .
! minister preached sermonin Washing
tor, county. in. which were some .allusion,
: TO the relations of slavery. and was indiet
. ed for attempting to promote insurrectior
a and sedition among the slaves. By q
a change ofvenuethe trial was held in Fred
0 rick. in March. lSl9.i The senior eoun-
4 sel tor the accused was Roger d. fancy
, now Chief Justice ,f the Supreme Court
G Of the Unite,l States. One of the attor-
$ f,cys read from the Discipline Of the
keurch the law bearing on slavery which
bmay be thus condensed; l.. A strong dec
laration Of the great evil of slavery: 2. a