Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-05-26

" SA"NNilf hul tuu OiUCT ODpObCu,
me question vital to this issue, therefore, Isl
Which one Of these two pastios has changcdit its 20
slliony We answer most emphatically, the Bordey
ads not. The Border was truly anli-slavery in
1914 it is ms truly SO now. 1t resisted the en-.
croachmcnts Of the South then, it resists the
eucroachments of the South now. Il has steadily
resisted the South till this present moment, at
fearful cost, and with constant conflict. 1t has re-
sisted pro-slavery assaults in the pulpit, on the
platform, aud through the press. The Border
has stood faithfully to the Discipline, under the
charge of pro-slaveryism from the North and oil
abolitionism from the South 1t has never denied
being auti-slayeryj it could not if it would, and
would no: ifit could. The Border stands now
whore it ever has stood. and though pressed sore
J by the friends it has never forsakon, and by the
foes 1t has always resisted, its representatives have
come to this General Conference, asking for no
change in the Discipline, and willing to abide by
it as it is. We have always taught, and still
teach, that slaveholdiug for mercenary and selfish
purposes, is wrong. But we have never held that
The relation ofmaSter to slave, when either noees.
sary or merciful, is sinful. On this principle we
have received the slave holder into the Church.
n
1.-THE report concludes by making the following
%poiuts:1
l. That the action proposed in the Report ol
the Majority has been recommended without prop.
or consideration.
?. That the desire Of the Church at largo for
any important change in our rules on the subject
Of Slavery, is not sufficiently indicated in the petit
lions that have been referred to this Committee to
demand such action as is set forth 10 the Ropor.
of !be Majority. The whole number of petitioners
is less than one in twenty of the entire member
ship,
3. The action Of the Annual Conferences does
not indicate such a desire for "a Constitutions
change as to call on this General Conference to
inangurate an attempt to secure it..
/. The action recommended by the Majority is
the most ultra Of all the changes which have been
proposed, being nearest to that recommended by
the Providence Conference.
D. The form Of tho Chapter proposed by the
Majority, will not be considered by the Church as
embodying sufficient Advantages over the present
Chapter to warrant the risk incurred ia MAXIM
any change.
b. The action proposed in the Report Of the
Majority will very greatly embarrass, and cripple,
It it does not altogether destroy our Church in the
slave holding States, and along the border.
7. The Minority still further believe that such
a result would involve a loss Of position and inlu-
enco in slave holding territory.
s. The action proposed would operate most dis
a%strously upon the interests of the enslaved.
Q. The members of the minority representing
Conferences located in non-slaveholding territory,
also submit that the action proposed in the Report
of the Majority, would expose onr ministerial
b%rothron, and their families, in the border work,
to priyations and perils.
10. The testimony of the representatives Of the
work on the Pacific Coast, in this Committee,
proves tina! the results of the action proposed in
the Report Of the Majority, would be highly dis
%as:rous in that quarter.
II. The certain result will be the embedding Of
the prestige and moral power Of the whole Church,
BY the strifes and divisions that may ensue.
Il. The minority are not insensibls to the fact
that an embarrassing pressure produced by mis-
representations Of our anti-slavery position, is felt
in some portions of our work in non-slaveholding
territory, but they believed that this may be re-
liegod by a distinct and emphatic testimony on
the subject, IN a mode which would not involve
tue disasters apprehended from the course to
which they object. They therefore recommend
the adoption of the following;
REVOLUTIONS.
Resolved, l. That the VI. Z. Church has, in
good faith, in all the periods ofits history, propos-
cd to itself the question. what shall be done
for the ex;irpation Of the evil of Slavery % and
It has Aever ceased, openly and before the world,
to bear its testimony against tho sin, and to exer-
else its disciplinary powers, to the end that its
members might be kept unspotted from criminal
connection with the system, md that the evil its
elf be removed from among men.
Resolved. 2. That any change Of our Discipline
upon the subject of Slavery, in the present highly
excited condition of the country, would accomp-
fish no good whatever, but on the contrary would
seriously disturb the peace of our Church, and
would DO especially disastrous to our ministers and
members in the Slave States.
Resolved 3. That the Committee on the Pastor.
al Address be instructed to state our position in
relation to Slavery, and to give such counsel to
our Churches as may be suited to the necessities
Of the case.