Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-01-02
rHE RALTIMoRE coNTERENCE.
7oMe Editor ofme Wig

make such an attack upon the Baltimore Conference, as
YOU did in the Whg of the 9th ult Especially the
country agated the subject of slavery, and it is
important that the entire South should be united
common ground in defence Of her constitutional rights
As a Nirginiau, and member of the long and much
abused Baltimore Conference beg leave TO be heard
in her behalf bear your assault with the greater
calmuess as you have suffered yourself write upon
subject that YOU have not fully studied prompted by
cited feelings produced by late events. You may be
surprised TO learn that the quotations you make from the
Discipline O. our Church. were in the book long before
the NJ f. Church South was organized when the whole
Church North and South, united under common
hori'v Slavery in the Discipline, in the Church,
not the cause Of the dVisoR Ii slavery in the EDiS
copqrg our Bishops being officers of the whole Churchn
the slave States aud in the tree You may also be surprs
ed to know that for nine years. the Church South
tanned in her discipline the law rules slavery
and your surprise may be increased when learn what
leading ministers ofthe South said in 1874 when Bishop
Andrews the great question before the church
L. the protes; signed by nearly every delegate South OF
us in the general conference, Of whom have been
and are Bishops of the church South, it is said " The
minority making this protest perfectly satisfied with
the law of the church ~'ctrg slavery and abolition;
they ask no change they need-they seek no indulgence
in behalf of the South Had Bishop Andrew been sus-
pended according to law after due form Of trial they
would have admitted without rcmonstrince as the
friends of law and order The point made here wac,
that Bishop Andrew was net legally dealt with. They
| were uerjcciiy SaiiSfcd ,siH the lalg" Now the.e
gentlemen were not A6oitiouiss Being under this law
and satisfied with it, did not make them such Yet you
ay "Acco d g to the discipline OF the Me Church is
impossible for minister OF the Baltimore Conference
not to be an Abotouist." Were Bishop Andrew, Dr.
now BishOpl Early all the ministers in the South Ato-
zionist: They had the same discipline when With US
They adopted il 10y solemn roc in the convention which
in 1915 organized the church South and vet they were
not Abolitionis,s know that % may be said that most
of them differed with other portions of the church in the
Interpretation Of the law, but am meeting your argn-
ment, and that used by others, that necessarily
AboitonistS. You say, that IL is the solemn cove
nauted duty of all the ministers OF the conference TO
discourage the holding Of slaves and TO work for the
Abolition of slavery the full extent of their ability
# this is our "coyeaaHtsd dtty" We have broken the
covenant and have need toIriy, have mercy upon
us miserable offenders |! are "ioriiHg il i'm abOl-
ton arrogance over than half Of Virginia the pco-
pie we serve in and out of ;hc Church have failed to
| perceive it. Many of them slave Jldcrs and will
compare iavorably in intelligence, standing loyalty an
,01i manners, with their reckless prosecutors. Sir
throw back the charge. II Is not h7u In behalf OF my
conference in yndicaton Of people throw it back
The "lOrdng sir is sought 20 bc done hy others and
am sorry jhat gallant aud talented yourself
Is among the number. II YOU Will read the record OF
the action of the General Assembly of the Old Schoo.
Presbyterian Church upon the question of slavery Won
will perhaps find much as offensive discipline; yct
tia. is a conservative Church Her ministers, in the
South at least not AbOuOnsts. As 10 the general
rule for5!ding "thc buying and selling of men, women
and children, etc, our conference gave such construc
ton Of 10 IN SOL greatlJ TO modify 10. The practice
had been, perhaps, generally TO deal with members for
AL Of selling, the act constituting the otncc, and
n that day, this justified by the feeling gen
orally in Church, IN the bounds Of our Conference
and think 10 n great extent outside of the Church.
The Conference which March - 1887 in a report
on the uniformity of discipline passed the following
Hcsotf{ "Ihat in cases of administration under the
General rule In reference 10 'buying and selling men, wo-
I l.fI. Yf4 l. nNI 4Hf a
% all committees the sense and opinion of this confer
cuce that the said rule he taken construed and under
stood 50 not TO make the gu. innocence of the ac-
cuscd depend the simple fact of purchase sale OF
any such slave slaves but upon the attendant ccum
stances OF cruelty, injustice or iuhumauItv the one
hand those of Kind purposes good intentions the
other uadgr which the Transaction shall have been per-
pctraed; and farther IL is recommended that in 40 such
cases the charge be brought oi iumorty, and e. the
circumstances be adduccd as specifications under the
/ .ha. gc'
Upon ahoh,oD,sM this Conference said in 1886 -
Whereas Great excitement has pervaded this country
/ or sometime past on the subject Of abotiOnsm; and
whereas such excitement il believed be- destructive
of the lest interests OF the country ami olregion there
/ tore,
Re,olrsl That we are as much as ever convinced of
| the great evil of slavery.
That opposed in every part and particular to
the proceedings of AbOiioniss which look TO the i'm
mediate, indiscrmiuatc and general emancipa,ion Of
! slaves
3. That we have no connection with any press 10y
whOm,ocver conducted in the interests of the abolition
/ cause.
In $40 the following was adopted unanimously:
Rcsoiccd That this conference disclaims having any
fellowship with aboionsm. On the contrary, while it
is determined TO maintain its welI-knOwn and ongestab
shel position by keeping the travelling preachers COM
posing It's Lody free from slavery il j. also deter
mined not 10 mold connection with any ecclesiastical
| body that shall make non-slavehodmg condition OF
membership in the Church, but to stand by aud maintain
the discipline "a is.' The meaning is that when the
Church shall say that shareholders shall not belong to it.
,h conference will leave. In 1857 the following rcsoa-
| tious adopted:
l. ResoIfsd BY the Baltimore annual Conference in
conference assembled that we highly deDrecae The ag-
atOG O; tie slavery question: which has already resulted
to the great detment Of the political and religious inter
! ests OF the country.
. RsSolre{ That gs heretofore We will oppose with
zeal aggrcssOus which shall be attempted by the alb
clifton agitation of the country appeal YOU if this
last is not good lPLig doctrine
During all this series of years in which this action took
place. large portion of Pennsylvania was in the bounds
of Conference, and preachers from that State were
present. Now sir, you not willing to modify yo.r
charges You cannot safely follow DR.. Rosser lie can
seemingly make strong case against But his cqse
will not stand the test Of truth have him in this
town, before the public, and am satisfied with the YER
dict Nor would be necessary for interests in Nir
guia where the question is understood TO notice anv
thing DR.. ROsser might say. But when Suchespcctablc
papers as YOURS and the Dispatch are Induced by design
ng men, to Join in the uurghteOus and infamous crusade
against u.s. silence mg ght be construed into confession
of Guilt As the clamor of Dr. ROSser about Bishops
Andrew and Harden his charm of a thousand strings"
and other points in his late editorial you would he sur
priced to know how easily ana satisfactorily to mpreju
lced VirgnianS it eau be answered Let me suggest to
YOU to be lttlc cautious in following such leader
he can bring documentary proof OF his chargesye he
cln prove almost anything if you take his interpretations
He yrousd great deal here but he failed to convince
the public that we are bad You suppose us to be- Our
Church is stronger in this country than ever before
Stronger in the affections OF people, and we are still
having success But Mr. Editor what do YOU propose to
dO2 Shall the Church South and portion of the sccu-
lar press OF Richmond and elsewhere dictate TO all Nir
ginia her Church relations: We claim to be freemen
aud We will maintain our rights at whatever costs You
may assai us YOU may kndle the fires of persecution
! but EhaL then Isdt IS bt question Many of the
Baltimore preachers Nrginans, people in the
State are generally Virginans Do you propose to drive
us outy If not do you suppose that the people of
section of the State are net loyal? win You make this
CHARGE Or will you mieacn their gaod sense and say
that they are incapable of judging for themselves? We
do not feel the necessity OF asking ayors of Eastern
Virginia vet we do not desire to aSsa tho Oitilans of
that section of the State VIII YOU permit Us TO dwell
with you brethren ready to defend our common hon
or aiding and gloryng in our common prosperity, OPP
posing enemy and giving our blood and lives
IL rC-ss-a-y IN defending our constitutional rights? Or
will you seek 10 crush o1r liberties aud deprive ~. OF
constitutional rights And for what cause Have me-
has one preacher in the Baltimore Conference nterered
with the rights Of any citizen-roJbedh Of his ddres
or corrupted them? Let enemies testify against us
ST., believe in tie regiogl liReriy Vi irepmen, and
that will ehdeayOr In all proper ways TO maintain
know not whatever assaults may be made upon my con-
ference myself that shall trouble yOp, the public
again Our practice is for the most part, not to avail