Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1860-01-19
RELIGIOUS PRESCRIPTION. The Gen.

RELIGIOUS IRoscMrtIoN. The Gen
eral Assembly of Missouri now in SEES
sion in the City Of Jefferson, has rcfus-
ed to grant q charter for University,
under the control of the Methodist Eps-
copal Church in the city ofJcfferson.-
The facts in the case are the following:
About two years ago Board Ct Trus-
tees was organized in Jefferson City, for
the purpose of building University at
the capital, with complete faculty, to
rank with any in the Union. 1t consis-
ted of several prominent gentlemen not
members of any church, and several lead
ing members Of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, under whose patronage and con
troll the institution was placed. During
the last General Assembly charter was
applied for, but it was voted down by n
large majority getting only sixteen votes.
The argument of the Pro Slavery party
was that Frec-Soil sentiment already had
possession Of st. Louis, the commercial
heart of the State, and the struggle now
was for the capital, the political heart;
and if Frec-Soil sentiment got that, it
would be the end of Slavery in the State;
that a University at the capital, under
the control of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, n thoroughly Anti-Slavery
church, would at once give it 20 Free
Soil sentiment, from which opinions IN
imical to Slavery would reach every mu-
nicipal township in the States that it
would encourage immigration from the
Free States, and emboldsn and render
more formidable the AntiSlavcry elc.
ments alread in our midst; and that u
charter for such an institution Was not
for n moment to be thought Of. Some
more violent than discreet or just charge
that the Methodist Episcopal Church en-
couraged characterization among slaves;
and included in it's organization negro
thieves, and ought, on no account, to
have charge of any educational interest
in the State
The friends of the institution answer
cd that Free-Scil sentiment had contro
of ST. Louis; that it was chief element
of its progress; that the struggle was moi
for the possession Of tho capital alone
but of tho whole State; that the Method
list Episcopal Church was thoroughly
Anti-Slavcry, but its moral reforms ev
erywl ere were always subordinate to the
Constitution and the laws; that if the pro
posed University at the capital woult
have the effect predicted, it was pow
erful argument for tho charter; that sim
liar charters had been granted to all 9th
or denominations in the State, that thu
Constitution of the State provided; "Tha
"all men have natural ard indefeasi.
able right to worship Almighty God &c
"cording to tho dictates Of their OWL
"conc,encies; that no human authorit,
"can control or interfere with the ri light
'of conscience, and that no preference
"can ever be giren, by lao, to any sect Of
"mode of uorship;;" that to grant char
ters, for educational purposes. to all 9th
er religious denominations, and to refus
a similar facility to the Methodist Epis
copal Church, was an attempt to crntro
and interfere with the rights of concienc'
by human authority, and was giving 1
direct preference, by law, to all othel
sccts and modes of worship; that til;
Methodist Episcopal Church was precise
ly what it had been from 1850 to 1S4l
when the people of tho Southern State
were members of and supported the or
ganization; that, so far from encourag
ing characterization among slaves, i
sought to make them religious and con
tented, addressing its Anti-Slavery sen
timents to masters through whose Chris
tan reformation alone Slavery can peace
ably terminate; and, finally, that thu
refusal Of the charter was violation o
the spirit of religious freedom. brough
by the Pilgrim Fathers to this country
en- bodied in the Constitution of the Uni
ted States, and, if followed as o prece
dent, would blend religion and politics
and result in the alternate prescription
of parties aud sects, and the ultimats
overthrow of free government.
Tho vote was 90 10 l6. The ch.rte,
was again presented, and. on the l9tt
inst, was voted down BY 81 to %: The