Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-05-12
From the Wesleyan.
THE GENERAL CONFERENCE AT BUF-
FALO

Today, the thirteenth quadrennial gathering,
representing, by delegation, forty five annual
conferences of the Methodist E. Church, meets in
Buffalo, N. Y. Two other mission conferences ex-
ist, but are not represented: They are the Liber-
ia and the German conferences. The first is on
the western coast of Africa the other includes
the missions in Germany, France and Swiizer-
land.
OF the O:ty-fve in this country, siz of them ex-
tend over slave-holding States. They are Western
Virginia, Ken lucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Balti-
MORE Philadelphia. These cover the States of
Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas Texas,
Maryland, Delaware. The extent of territory in
Slave States which is thus included within the
four hundred and sxty-six thousand, eig t hun
dred and seven square miles,
The immense aggregate Of membership the di.
versfed interests represented, the multiplied
questions claiming attention, and recognized as
within it's jurisdiction, give this General Confer.
once an unusal degree of Importance. Two weeks
beforehand, all the places of private hospitality
were filed up with the names Of delegates, and
one hundred remained unprovded for. Ii is re-
ported that one thousand persons from Baltimore,
and as many from Boston, besides crowds from
elsewhere, were expected. The Buffalonians' sci
citude leads them to enlarge the borders of their
vision, perhaps. AT no time have the most exper-
fenced delegates looked forward to their great
gathering with more solicitude. With the new
members, who are without experience there is a
poorly defined idea of measures or results. The
first know not what to do with many questions
now agitating the Church. The others like all
new hands at the bellows, expect to accomplish
much by blowing.
The whole number Of members will be about
$50. From an extensive acquaintance with the
men Of former conferences, and by noting the ell
ecton of delegates thus far, it is apparent that
the anti-slavery pulse of the present body will
beat slower and lower than that of 1856. Yet
such are the complications of that question with
others of various magnitudes, that no man can
foresee the eEd.
Four years ago, after a long and very able dis
cusson on report on Slavery whieb proposed q
new chapter very little more stringent than the
present. and which also proposed to start new
rule GU It's rounds, beginning with twO-thirds Of
the General Conference, all attempt at action was
"pO4H'N' A"V h0" uiN 'ONSu VII h'sV seOulSu q
bare and fruitleS0 majority, And by manage
ment not wholly honest, the new chapter was not
voted on at all.
Since then the various patterns Of "new rule''
have in no case secured the requisite maj ajority to
bring either of them within due process Of legisa
tiOn at this Conference. Besides, added to the
failure of the antislavery measures, there has
been significant defeats realized by prominent alb
olit ,nists. Hosmer, Of the East Genesee Confer
ence, and the class Of brethren identified with him
we're all displaced by men of moderate views
So, also, was it with the Rev II. Mattison and
others Of the Black River Conference.
Tho absence Of these radical brethren may not