The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-08-05
The greach and British Clergymen.

the 3rd day of June, 1868, there was an
" Address to Ministers and Pastors OF all
Christian Denominations throughout the
States of America, prepared and adopt
ed. The address was an expression OF
symnathy with the Government and peo-
for the maintenance of their national in
tegrity and life, and protesting against
the recognition of " 4 Confederacy which
laws down as the cornerstone OF its con-
stitution the system of slavery as 1t ex-
lists at present in the Southern States.
The address was afterward circulated
and obtained four thousand signatures
from the ministers of Great Britain and
seven hundred and fifty signatures from
the ministers of France.
The deputation from this great body
of divines, consisting of Rev. James n.
Massie, d. D., L. L. D.. of London, and
Rev. J. H Rylance, A. NJ, of West
minister, arrived in the city of New York
the first week of July, bearing the Off
cial copy of the address.
A meeting of clergymen representing
different denominations was held at the
Bible House in New York, at which the
deputation were cordially welcomed, and
a committee was appointed to prepare
suitable response.
The committee reported, at an ad-
journed meeting of clergymen of that
city on the 10th of July. The reply SUBJ
mitted in the report was unanimously
adopted by the ministers assembled, who
appended their signatures, and also de-
termined to present it to the considera-
ton of their fellow ministers throughout
the country, who are requested, if they
approve the address, to add their sigma
lures The following is a copy of the
reply:
Reverend and Dear Brethren: We
haze RECEIVED, with much pleasure, the
the States of America" adopted by the
Anti-Slavery Conference of Ministers
of Religion" held in the city of Man
chester on the 3rd of June, 1868, and
presented to US by the Rev. James w.
Massie, d. D., L. L. d., of London, and
the Rev. J. 81. Rylanee, of Westminster,
who were appointed a deputation for
that purpose.
The personal character of the gentle
men composing this deputation, and the
honorable and dignified assemblage
which they represent, bespeak for the
address our most respectful attention
And its Importance is enhanced by the
consideration that it represents not only
the Immediate Conference at Manches-
ter, but also four thousand ministers of
Great Britain, and seven hundred and
fifty ministers of France, who had
agreed IN protesting against the recog-
milton OF " a Contederacy which LAYS
down as the cornerstone of its constitu-
ton the system of slavery as it exists at
present in the Southern States" That
so many intelligent and thoughtful men
in the ministry OF the Gospel should ha1 g
united in such a protest, is equally hol-
orable to them and gratifying and ell
couraging to us.
Perhaps we ought not to wonder, and
certainly We will not now complain that
the severe struggle in which We are en-
gagged is looked upon by our Trans-At-
iautic brethren so exclusively in its rela-
ticns to the four millions of Africans
held in bondage upon our soil. As
Christian men, we also are fully awake
to the sin and the shame of American
slavery, and are instant in prayer to
God, that the time may be at hand when
this hateful institution, which has inspir-
ed the present gigantic rebellion, shall
bks- d
arms for the preservation of our national
life, and for all the great interests of
Constitutional liberty and order, which
are at stake upon the issue of this con-
Hlct. The dismemberment of our Re-
public would be, not merely the loss of
territory and power to the Federal I'm
ION, not merely the ruin of existing
forms and institutions of government,
but the downfall of Constitutional lib
erty itself upon the North American Con-
tinent Nor can there be any we'll
founded hope of ultimate deliverance for
the enslayed among US, but in the tri-
umph of our arms between antagonstic
civllizations-the one asserting aud vim
dicating the dignity of labor, the other
scorning labor, and trampling it under
foot. 2oIe
That we arc to succeed in this strug-
gle, and by the blessing ofGod come out
of it an unbroken nation, we do not
doubt 1t appears to US also to be the
purpose of Providence, that the rebell-
ion and its guilty cause shall be buried
In the same grave. In this, as Christian
men, we do greatly rejoice 1t sweet
ems the bitterness of onr-present lot to
believe, that in indicating, against an
inexcussblei conspiracy, the just and be-
nifceut authority CT the nation, at so
2 great cost of treasure and of blood, we
:. are at the same time serving the cause
- of universal liberty. e4.aef -
- We thank you, dear brethren, for your
words of cheer We rejoice in the fellow
ship of the saints. And most heartily do
we unite our prayers with yours that the
powerful Christian nations, to which We
respectively belong, may never be array
ed against each other in deadly strife.
but may stand up together for the main