Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-05-09
THE METHODIST GENERAL CON.
FERENCE.

kEhEHCE.
The Methodist Episcopal Church in this
country was first organized in 1884. A
Rule was then adopted forbidding the buy
ing and selling men, women and children
with an intention to enslave them The
Rule fell into neglect. The Wesleyan Meth
odist seeded for this and other reasons, In
1913. In 1914. a slavehOlding Bishop
from Missouri presented himselfat the Gen.
eral Conference. A warm contest followed,
and the Southern Meth9dists seceded. The
Methodist Church South became pro-
slavery Church. The Methodist Church
North anti-slavery. The latter still has
over thousand Preachers and hundred
thousand members in the border Slave
States This keeps the Slavery struggle
alive. 1t comes up in every Conference,
and will have to be met at Buffalo.
The Conference in session at Buffalo is
composed of 22O delegates. In the Con-
ference of 1856 4 pr position to make non
slavehOlding a test of membership was car
ricd by decided majOri y, but not by
twO-thirds vote. BY the constitution of the
Church change in its Rules can only be
made upon the recommendation of three
fourths of all the members of the Annual
Conference present and voting, and the sub
scquent endorsement by vote of two-thirds
of the General Conference, or rice yersa-
Under this provision the measure failed
The contest has been going on since.
The present position of the NJ. E. Church
on Slavery is this:
a. The General Rule forbids buying
and selling men, women and children with
an intention to enslavs them ~ The
Chapter defines Slavery to be a great eriI
and asks, what shall be done to ertiTpats
it? 1t forbids any travelling minister from
holding slaves, requiring their emancipa-
ton if practicable; debars slave holders
from official station in the Church where
State laws permit emancipation; and rc-
quires that slaves should be taught to read
the Word of God and allowed time for at
tending religious services with reference to
State laws.
At present the church is divided on this
subject into the following classes. each Of
which will be strongly represented on the
floor of the General Conference:
1. Those who say The Discipline as it is
This class embraces the border Conferences.
tie Union-savers of New York, aud some
others who contend that under the General
Rule and Chapter all siayeholding may be
satisfactorily dealt with.
II. The party headed by DR.. Stevens
editor of the Advocate and Journal, who
contend that to make non-sla7cholding
test of membership, unless BY the change of
the General Rule requiring two-thirds of
the General Conference and three-fCurths
of the members of each Of the Annual Con,
fercnees present and voting, (which af
course is not to be expec:ed,) would be IN
constitutional.
III. Those who diselaim entirely the
Stevens view, bat who, believing that our
present Dred Scott Supreme Court would
decide the question in conformity to it, hold
that policy indicates that the Rule should
be changed. With this view correspond
the expressed sentiments of almost the en-
tire church press-the Advocate and Jour-
nal excepted.
". Those who believe that the true pol
icy is TO define authoritireLy, the present
General Rule as designed to prohibit the
to enSlars. whether buying. sell 4
ing. or holding. This, it is thought, viii
obviate the constitutional difficulty, and
yet give the church clear and unnistaka-
bic record on the question. The ACTION of
he New York, New York East and other
annual Conferences, indicates
hat this policy is the one most likely. if I
my, to be adopted. There will be deci-
led majority in the General Conference {
lnder strong progressive Anti-Slavery In
ititutions, but no one proposition is very
likely to receive the constitutional majority
f two thirds.
Three other questions viii come promi-
lently before the General Confereuce-
whether the tine for which ordained min Z
sters shall be allowed to remain at any '
itatiOn shall be extended to more than two Z
ears; whether the system Of Presiding
Ildership, as it now exists, shall be mod
fed or abolished altogether; and whether
he rules of discipline shall be so changed
S to admit lay delegates to the annual and
ieneral Conferences.
The North Western Conferences viii ask .
hat the Book Depository Of the church in d
'hicago be erected into an independent
ranch Book Concern. with equal powers :
-ith the branch at Cincinnati It is ex-
ected also that an effort viii be made to L
=
,nsoiidate all the publishing interests Of :
he Church under one Agency. residing at I
le principal points of publishing. instead
/ separate Concerns as at present -Clev.
,eqdsr. Il
A doating mother Of waggish boy in g