Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1861-03-25

!
Mine of said Methodist Episcopal Church on
! the subject Slavery, has reached the tol-
! lowing conclusions and present the same
! for our most favorable consideration, viz:
! Whereas The late General Conference,
which assembled 1T Buffalo, substituted
without proper authority ali entirely Ne"
| Chapter on the subject Of ala"eholdlng, ma
| king, in the opinion Of many OF our people, :.
| new rule Of doctrine, namely, that slavery is
sin, contrary to the lst restrictive rule, ana
therefore virtually making non-siayeholdIHg
| Il test Of membership. and utterly closing all
| doors Of entrance to the people against the
! preachers Of your Conference, II they endorse
or submit 10 it.
! The Baltimore Conference has by unani-
NOUS vote. again aud again assured on: peo-
| pie, in the midst Of strife cnsendered by -th's
! u.itaficn that it diSclairied having the least
| sympathy with aholitionists: that. on Tie
| contrary. ii was determined not TO hold con-
nexion with any ecclesiastical body that
made nou-s;avirnld:ag IL condition 81 men,
bership in the Church, and that it was oppo-
se,i To ;.ny in4uisi.ion into the motives an
! deriving the relation vi master AMI slave
! ;'ha peopie nov demand IL tuiiilment o; these
| pledges.
No sufficient reason can DC given ior the
maintenance vi :. connexlon winch we are OF
! opinion is not desired By Il large majority oi
our Northern brethren, except upon terms
that would prove our ruin.
| We would ike to accord TO th" views OF
MANY Of car brethren 10 await tire call ~ an
exr. session OF lie General Conference in
| 1862. did we see any hope o! said session be-
! inc held ~ anv relief from the action Of Al
extra session uf the General Conference. II,
! however, il would unite Ill our pTc;'chcrs
and people in combined action by waiting
| unit! Dcccm Der igh, lStl. 10 give the other
! Conferences nn opportunity 10 declare the
! action Of ,Ia late General Conference unc:'n-
! s,:utionaI, and 70 CONCUR wiih Us in the ac-
,;,an proposed we would wait until said date.
! We do not pretend 10 conceal that whatcT-
or course you may take 20 aIlay the STRIFE ana
excitement amongst US, sc will be involved
! III sonc difficulty. After due dcibcratHn,
therefore, We have determined u ask tar
preachers til" Baltimore Annual Cunier-
CAGE, that, ar the sake of quiet IN oar borders
for the Ike of the preaching OF the gospel.
that it may find ready entrance, ;:!lrn@ us,
for the ending OF controversy, and 10 promote
the best Interests Of Mcthudisnl and religion,
they redeem the pledges given time after
time to our people and sander Il conn"xon-
row merely n0inina!--0nc which Is full oi
strife and positive death IT, all hopes 81 peace
or the advancement o! Christianity IN our
midst, in the manner prescribed Ill tie to-
lowing resolutions:
lst, Resolved. That the Baltimore Annual
Conference ought ar It's nrcscn: session, 10
declare that the General Conference d tie
II. f. Church, held at EuTf4ln, ia Nay last
by It's unconstitutional action has numbered
the eccirzia src3 relation which ha- hitherto
he'll! u to#eJhcr az ono Church, AID that tie
Baltimore Annual Conference does t.Nt and
c&n"nt longer recognize its cnnnec;l"n with
this Jurisdiction.
ID, Resolved, That the i5aiti:nnFe ANNA!
Conference do assert that the SAID General
Conference has, hg its s:,it; action, Aio;attd
tho LIT restrictive rni: which declares thu
General Conference shall NOT revoke alter r
change oar Articles nt Religion, nor estah-
iish anv new standard or rne of doctrine.
contfHrY Ia nur present existing ana stabl!si:-
ed standard Of ductrnt, and thereby has
seraratad the several Annual Conferences
represented therein; and concurring in said
action from the Bairiuur" and other Don-con-
curing Conferences, and thut the Baltimore
and other non-concurring Conferences, con-
stitute the NJ. L. Church proper. and may
exercise nll the r"htA, duties ;tud powers
appertaining properly 20 thejr position IS
such
Sd. Resolved ii@t nevertheless. Il III "a
cordance with the spirit "t the foregoing
preamble three iourlhs Of the several Az
nuai Conferences, to be held prior r, Daccm-
her lth, I>,G seeing the great wrong ana
injury done 10 the Baltimore and other Dor
der Conferences shall unite il. = lemaud,
thai Tie most liaroug!, end satisfactory 70
dress %h"ll he given ANA Sha;; Instruct Their
d4Irgate> 50 10 vote ia Grn=r:.! Conference:
First. The abroga;iun ri the New Chapter.
Second, BY ignoring tt!: wiinl, subject IT
slavery in The discipline Third, that n FAR
pronortun ri lh;. periodicals Il the Church
h2 placed under lie charge and direction If
said Conferences. Then. and not until them
wli we reuitc with them IN TIE bonds ii
Church fellowship.
And wprcas this Conference Is cogni21s.i
Of the facts srt forth in these memorials: that
sixteen years Of contention: and strife Within
our Borders brought abou; by the continual
a2:jatnn u! the slavery question, has ret"i-
died. the preaching 4 Tie Gospel, -'tn'.&:eI
cur co-cpuratiou II the grGa; ;ui$sionary ana
o;l2r enterprises Of the church, and ulnter-
ally cle"Ite,l the growth oI iIe;;,J:;iSm in :,
great pars ut oar territory.
And whereas we, ;hr rrcachnrs Of tic
Baltimore Annual Conference feeling t:I;,.
wc ar: called To preach lie Gospel :lon.